This Day in History: 2025-03-14

MARCH 14^th

Green Day’s “Holiday” arrives.  The song subsequently tops the Hot Modern Rock and Hot Mainstream Rock charts.  2005

Marketing 101. A Black Sabbath compilation titled “Greatest Hits 1970-1978” is out a day after the band is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2006

Machine Gun Kelly tells a hometown Houston audience that his “life’s in shambles” due to recent box office failures and the cheating drama that put his engagement to Megan Fox on hold.  2023

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

One of Chicago’s founding members and their sax player, Walter Parazaider, is born in the Cubs hometown. 1945

“Eight Miles High,” by The Byrds is released in the U.S.  The song is banned by several radio stations for allegedly “advocating the use of recreational drugs” (causing it to stall at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100). Considered by many to be “the first bona fide psychedelic Rock song,” it is later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for “recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance.” 1966

Metallica (James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Ron McGovney and Dave Mustaine) make their live debut at Radio City in Anaheim, CA. 1982

Huey Lewis & The News, score a #1 hit with “Jacob’s Ladder.” 1987

John Mellencamp and Neil Young join Willie Nelson for Farm Aid V in Irving, TX. 1992

Bassist Robert Trujillo performs his last concert with Ozzy Osbourne at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas before moving on Metallica as Jason Newsted’s replacement.  2003

Thieves steal $325,000 worth of Elvis Presley’s jewelry and kitsch from the Elvis-A-Rama Museum in Las Vegas. Among the stolen items: a gold-plated handgun, a custom scarf, a bracelet and Presley’s Humes High School ring.  2004

Beautiful Day. On the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 20th anniversary, U2 perform “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” to mark their induction into the Hall. U2’s Bono famously states, “God makes music out of his mistakes. I know, I’m one of them.” U2 contends they aren’t done yet and don’t want the career retrospective entering the Hall brings. The Pretenders are also inducted. 2005

Queensryche’s “Operation: Mindcrime II” is unleashed. It’s the sequel to the classic ’88 album, ” Operation: Mindcrime.” This time around Ronnie James Dio plays Dr. X. 2006

The Killers ask a U.S. District Court to toss out a $16-million breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by the group’s ex-manager Braden Merrick who contends he discovered the Killers and was fired after helping them make it big. The Killers accuse Merrick of being incompetent and dishonest. 2006

Scott Stapp follows Kid Rock when he initiates a lawsuit in L.A. to block World Wide Red Light District from releasing or promoting a ’99 sex tape featuring the two musicians and four women. The former Creed singer claims the tapes were stolen and their release has caused emotional distress. Guess you pay for your sins. 2006

Alice Cooper is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York. “We have always been a Hard Rock band, we just wanted to decorate it a little bit differently,” says Cooper after performing “School’s Out” with a live boa constrictor around his neck. 2011

So who’s singing now? Quiet Riot announce they have a new lead singer, Scott Vokoun. He’s the group’s third vocalist in a year and a half. Vokoun replaces Mark Huff who was fired. Between Huff and Vokoun, former Montrose vocalist Keith St. John filled in. 2012

Slipknot percussionist Chris Fehn files a lawsuit against his bandmates claiming that he hasn’t been properly compensated for his years of touring. He accuses band leaders Shawn Crahan and Corey Taylor of shady business dealings and seeks a full accounting of Slipknot’s companies and assets.  Taylor dismisses the suit in a tweet. 2019

Country legend Dolly Parton takes herself out of the running to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame after being nominated for the first time. “Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right,” writes Dolly on social media. “So I must respectfully bow out.”  That is class.  She gets inducted anyway. 2022

Queen guitarist Brian May is knighted by King Charles during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace. He is made a Knight Bachelor for his “services to music and charity.” 2023

Metallica announce they’ve acquired a majority interest in Furnace Record Pressing in Alexandria, VA. Metallica produced over 900,000 vinyl records in ‘22, mostly at Furnace.  2023

Former Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg plays his first show as a member of Suicidal Tendencies at Yogibo Meta Valley in Osaka, Japan.  2024