This Day in History: 2023-04-01

APRIL 1st

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” is certified platinum (one million units) – it eventually tops 7-million copies.  1991

White Stripes release their fourth album, “Elephant,” in the U.S. 2003

“I wanted to put ‘Seven Nation Army’ out as a single,” frontman Jack White said in a radio interview years later. “The label in England and the label in America both didn’t want to. They wanted to put ‘There’s No Home For You Here’.” Fortunately, White got his way.

Singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan, from Guns N’ Roses’ “Appetite For Destruction”-era lineup, perform together for the first time in nearly twenty-six years at the Troubadour in L.A. The show is billed as “Not In This Lifetime,” quoting what Rose once said regarding a possible classic GN’R lineup reunion. 2016

The “Not In This Lifetime” tour won the ’17 “Top Tour/Top Draw” category at Billboard’s annual Touring Awards in L.A. The trek had grossed more than $400 million in a year-and-a-half. It went one to become one of the recipients of Ticketmaster’s inaugural Touring Milestone Award, which was developed to recognize the top global tours as measured by the total number of tickets sold and fans reached – total global sales exceeding 500,000 tickets.

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After being rejected by no less than 30 labels, the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love” is released on Cadence Records. It hits #2 on the pop chart and tops the Country & Western chart. 1957

Jerry Lee Lewis’ third Top 10 single, “Breathless,” peaks at #7. 1958

The Troggs record their classic “Wild Thing” in London. 1966

The Beach Boys sue their label, Capitol Records, for $2 million in unpaid royalties and for ‘general mismanagement’. They also announce the formation of Brothers Records, distributed by Warner/Reprise Records. 1969

“Stairway To Heaven” is played on the radio for the first time. The Led Zeppelin song is part of a London concert recording that is broadcast on the BBC’s John Peel Rock Hour. Over the ensuing decades, “Stairway To Heaven” becomes the most played song on the radio. 1971

“The Cry of Love” album goes gold six months after Jimi Hendrix’s death. 1971

Brian Johnson is named AC/DC’s vocalist six weeks after the death of frontman Bon Scott.  1980

John Lennon’s “Woman” goes gold. It’s the third Top 10 single from “Double Fantasy.” The other two are “Starting Over” and “Watching The Wheels.” 1981

Guitarist Kirk Hammett is asked to audition for Metallica.  He initially thinks it’s an April Fool’s joke but aces the audition a week later to replace Dave Mustaine. 1983

David Lee Roth leaves Van Halen for a solo career. The date seems fitting. He is replaced by Sammy Hagar who’s actually with the group longer.  Later (much later), Roth rejoins Van Halen. 1985

The Bangles’ ballad “Eternal Flame” is the #1 song in the U.S. 1989

Nirvana’s classic single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” goes platinum (one million sales). Also, the Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” is their first certified platinum album. 1992

Nirvana‘s Kurt Cobain walks out of the drug treatment Exodus Recovery Center in Marina del Rey and with him goes any chance of survival. Cobain entered the treatment center only three days earlier. He is dead (of a self-inflicted gunshot wound) a week later. 1994

Ted Nugent, opening for KISS tells the Houston audience, “If you’re not gonna speak English, get the f**k out of America.” This anti-Latino rant gets a planned future show cancelled. 2000

Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder gets booed after criticizing President Bush and the war in Iraq. Several fans reportedly walk out of the Denver concert. 2003

Rockin’ The Corps, a show for an audience of more than 25,000 military personnel and their families at the Marine Corps Air Station in Oceanside, CA, features Godsmack, KISS and Ted Nugent. The concert celebrates the return of armed forces from overseas (Iraq, Afghanistan and other nations). 2005

For the second year in a row, Green Day receive the Favorite Music Group honor at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. 2006

Velvet Revolver officially announce that they have parted ways with singer Scott Weiland (also known as the frontman for Stone Temple Pilots). “This band is all about its fans and its music and Weiland isn’t 100 percent committed to either,” says guitarist Slash in a statement. “Among other things, his increasingly erratic onstage behavior and personal problems have forced us to move on.” 2008

On the same day STP, with Weiland back, reveal plans for an extensive reunion tour. 2008

Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger is found guilty of drunken driving in a Canadian court. The conviction stems from an early-morning June ’06 traffic stop in Surrey, British Columbia. Kroeger’s blood-alcohol level tested at nearly twice the legal limit when he was pulled over for speeding in his Lamborghini. 2008

Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) is kicked off the TV show Celebrity Apprentice by host/boss Donald Trump. For his brief efforts, Snider nets $325,000 for the March of Dimes. “It takes me three years of #BikersForBabies rides to make that much money,” Snider tweets following his dismissal. 2012

Tool posts a “new song” on Twitter, “Sounds Of Night Crickets.”  The track is 37-minutes of cricket noises.  April Fools!  2019

Red Hot Chili Peppers launch an exclusive SiriusXM music channel, Whole Lotta Red Hot. The launch coincides with release of the band’s album “Unlimited Love.”  2022