This Day in History: 2025-03-09

MARCH 9^th

Queen’s epic album “A Night At The Opera” with hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” goes gold. 1976

U2’s fifth studio album, “The Joshua Tree,” is out. The set depicts the band’s love-hate relationship with the U.S. and is one of the greatest Rock albums of all time. 1987

The set contains “With Or Without You,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Where The Streets Have No Name.”

Rival Sons score their first #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart with “Do Your Worst.”  The song is from the band’s sixth studio album “Feral Roots.” 2019

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

John Cale (The Velvet Underground) begins his life in Garnant, U.K.  1942

Paul Revere & The Raiders’ lead singer and occasional sax player, Mark Lindsey, wails his way into the world. 1942

Procol Harum guitarist and solo performer Robin Trower is born. 1945

Having left EMI Records only three months earlier, the Sex Pistols sign with A&M Records. Their advance is in excess of $250,000. Talk about trading up. 1977

Chad Gilbert, lead guitarist for New Found Glory, enters the world. 1981

REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling” goes to #1 on the Billboard 100 for a three-week run. 1985

Mother Love Bone (with future Pearl Jam members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament) play their last show at The Central in Seattle. Lead singer Andrew Wood dies of a heroin overdose 10 days later.  1990

Showing there’s still some life left, Styx land at #5 on the pop chart with “Show Me The Way.” 1991

The Oasis ballad “Wonderwall” reaches #8 on the U.S. singles chart. 1996

Eric Singer replaces Peter Criss as the drummer for KISS. 2001

The White Stripes Jack White pleads guilty in a Wayne County, MI, court to assault and battery charges stemming from a 12/13/03 fight with the Von Bondies’ Jason Stollsteimer. White is ordered to pay $750 in fines and attend anger-management classes. A long-standing dispute over the level of White’s involvement in the Von Bondies debut album sparked the confrontation. 2004

Gibson Guitar announce a limited-edition replica of Jimmy Pages’s double-necked electric guitar, based on the ’71 Gibson EDS-1275 that features both a 12-string and a 6-string neck. The Led Zeppelin guitarist’s majestic double neck was a fixture of the band’s live shows. A run of 25 signed, ‘aged’ versions of the guitar retail for $33,500. A cheaper edition goes for $10,000 to $12,000. 2007

Boston singer, Brad Delp is found dead in his Atkinson, NH, home. Days later, Delp’s family reveals the cause of death was suicide. “He gave as long as he could, as best he could, and he was very tired,” reads a family statement. Police confirm that Delp died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and that he left notes for his fiancée and family members. Aerosmith’s Joe Perry says that Delp “was very down-to-earth and seemed like a great guy, without any of the ego baggage. He had one incredible, amazing set of pipes.” Delp was 55. 2007

Pink Floyd sues EMI (their label) over iTunes sales of individual songs. The band’s ’99 contract states Floyd songs cannot be isolated and sold outside the context of their original albums. But on iTunes songs are offered as a la carte purchases. EMI argues that separating the songs only applies to their physical releases and predates digital music services like iTunes. 2010

The Eagles perform on mainland China for the first time when they appear at the Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena. 2011

The Rolling Stones Facebook page passes the 9-million mark and guitarist Keith Richards celebrates by posting a picture of himself holding a card saying “9,000,000 Stones Fans.” “Thanks to everyone of you Facebookers who like the Rolling Stones,” reads the post. “It’s only Rock and Roll but we love you!” 2012

Jerry Lee Lewis ties the knot for the seventh time when he weds Judith Brown in Natchez, MS. Brown was previously married to Lewis’ cousin Rusty, whose sister Myra Gale Brown married Lewis in ’57 when she was just thirteen. Lewis and Brown might want to skip the family reunion. 2012

Former KISS drummer Peter Criss is the American Cancer Society’s Humanitarian of the Year Award honoree. Having beaten cancer himself, Criss is an advocate of regular check-ups for men. 2013

Godsmack’s five-year-old cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together” is #1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.  The song resurfaces when posted on a music website. 2017

Urban Outfitters announce an eight-piece Metallica branded collection consisting of five short-sleeve t-shirts, one long-sleeve t-shirt, a pullover hoodie and a beanie.  2017

Former Bad Wolves vocalist Tommy Vext is ordered by a California appeals judge to pay $97,500 to his ex-girlfriend Whitney Johns to cover her legal fees stemming from a ’21 domestic violence case in which Johns was granted a two-year restraining order. 2023