This Day in History: 2023-05-04

MAY 4th

The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) certifies that the Gin Blossoms’ album “New Miserable Experience” has sold over four million copies. The album, released three years earlier, has “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You.” 1994

“Evil Empire,” Rage Against The Machine’s sophomore album, is #1 in the U.S. selling 250,000 copies in the week of its release. 1996

The set contains the tracks “People Of The Sun” and “Bulls On Parade.”

In an ’83 speech during the Cold War U.S. President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” and as “the focus of evil in the modern world”. He asserted that the conflict was a battle between good and evil.

Shinedown release their 6th studio album “Attention Attention.”   Lead single “Devil” has already gone to #1 on the Active Rock chart.  2018

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars (Robert Alan Deal) is born in Terre Haute, IN. 1951

Gene Vincent’s records “Be-Bop-A-Lula” in Nashville.  The song goes on to peak at #7 on the pop chart selling two million copies within a year. 1956

Four students are shot a killed by Ohio National Guard troops at Kent State University during an anti-Vietnam War demonstration. In response, Neil Young composes “Ohio,” one of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s best songs. 1970

Green Day’s Mike Dirnt (Michael Ryan Pritchard), is born in Rodeo, CA. 1972

Led Zeppelin launch the “biggest and most profitable Rock & Roll tour in the history of the United States.” Predicted to gross over $3 million, the tour actually takes in $4 million.  Not much today but huge then.  1973

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, do the loco-motion with me. Grand Funk Railroad’s cover Little Eva’s ’62 hit “Loco-Motion” goes to #1. 1974

“The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl” is released. The album is a compilation of two shows; one in ’64 and the other a year later. There’s a lot of girls screaming but it shows what The Beatles could do live. 1977

Former Guns N’ Roses members, Slash and Duff McKagan, file a lawsuit against GN’R frontman Axl Rose alleging he nixed movie music licensing deals that would have generated at least $1 million. 2004

Jon Bon Jovi is honored for his charitable efforts during the Help USA organization’s annual Tribute Awards Dinner in New York. Help USA provides services to the nation’s homeless. 2006

Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger punches a man in the face outside a Vancouver, BC, nightclub. According to reports the ‘victim’ harassed Kroeger by shouting ” Nickelback sucks.” Well, that’s just wrong. 2007

Poison’s Bret Michaels is discharged from Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona after suffering a brain hemorrhage two weeks earlier. He receives on-going physical therapy at another facility. 2010

Jason Newstead’s first art exhibition opens at San Francisco’s Micaela Gallery. “My purpose has shifted from making crazy and colorful music, to making crazy and colorful paintings,” says the former Metallica bassist (’86-’01). “I remain as disciplined, self-motivated, and dedicated to my art, as I have been.” 2010

Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch, the founding member of the Beastie Boys, dies at age 47 following a 3-year battle with a rare cancer. 2012

The Rolling Stones demand that presidential candidate Donald Trump stop playing their music (“Start Me Up,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Sympathy For The Devil” and “Brown Sugar”) at his rallies. A Stones spokeswoman says Trump did not ask for permission to use the songs. 2016

A federal judge dismisses a lawsuit that claims Ozzy Osbourne swindled former band member Bob Daisley out of at least $2 million in songwriting royalties for songs composed in the ‘80s.  The ruling stipulates that the dispute must be decided through arbitration.  2017

Florida native Tom Petty is recognized by the University Of Florida with an honorary Doctor Of Music degree.  Bruce Petty, Tom’s brother, accepts the posthumous doctorate on his behalf at the university’s spring commencement ceremony.  2023

The Minnesota Senate votes 55-5 to rename the portion of State Highway 5 that runs past Prince’s Paisley Park museum and studios “Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway.”   2023

Ted Nugent‘s “Adios Mofo ‘23” farewell tour receives an early kiss-off when his concert in Birmingham, AL is canceled due to a backlash surrounding his ‘radical’ political and social views (transphobic comments).  Nugent says those who protested the show are “liars & haters drunk on stupid incapable to debate me.” 2023