This Day in History: 2023-07-15

JULY 15th

Get back honky cat. Elton John’s “Honky Château” tops the Billboard 200. It’s the first of Elton’s seven consecutive U.S. #1 albums.  1972

The Rolling Stones “Some Girls” album with “Miss You,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” “Beast Of Burden” and “Shattered,” is #1 on the Billboard 200.  1978

Journey‘s seventh studio album, “Escape,” is certified diamond by the RIAA, which denotes the album has sold over 10 million equivalent units. Released in ’81 the album delivered the hits “Open Arms,” “Who’s Crying Now” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.”  2021

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Linda Marie Ronstadt, the daughter of Mexican-German parents, is born in Tucson, AZ. 1946

Yes founding guitarist, Peter Banks, enters the world. 1947

Drummer Marky Ramone (Marc Steven Bell), of the Ramones, is born in New York City. Well, of course.  1952

Birthday wishes to .38 Special guitarist Jeff Carlisi. 1952

Guitarist Joe Satriani is born. His forte is fusion instrumentals. 1956

Jason Bonham, the son of late Led Zeppelin legend John, is born in Dudley, England. The drummer is known for performing with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin on special occasions as well as being a former member of California Breed and Black Country Communion. 1966

System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan is born in Beirut Lebanon, to Armenian parents.  1973

A drunk driver kills former Byrds guitarist Clarence White. The 29-year-old White is loading equipment following a show in Palmdale, CA. 1973

Raymond “Ray” Toro, lead guitarist and backing vocalist for My Chemical Romance, is born.   1977

Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson sues David Mustaine for $18.5 million in missing profits after the singer/guitarist allegedly backs out of a deal to hand over control of the band’s marketing company, Megadeth Inc. Ellefson claims that Mustaine cheated him out of merchandise and publishing royalties after the group’s ‘02 split. Megadeth later re-forms with a different lineup. 2004

The U2 vocalist Bono and Representative John Lewis (D-GA) receive the Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. The award goes to people who have advanced civil rights. 2004

Deryck Whibley, Sum 41’s frontman/guitarist, marries singer Avril Lavigne in Santa Barbara, CA. The couple met in ’04. 2006

The Rolling Stones complete their 15-date North American Zip Code tour at Le Festival d’ete de Quebec. The Stones, who play before a record-breaking crowd of 102,000 fans, open their set with “Start Me Up” and close with an encore consisting of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” 2015

Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) is the first Gibson guitar female Brand Ambassador. Hale is also named to the Gibson Gives artist advisory council. 2021

Two members of the Sex Pistols (Paul Cook and Steve Jones) sue band frontman John Lydon over the right to use the band’s songs in “Pistol,” a six-episode miniseries based on Jones’s ‘18 memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol.” A prior agreement says any song usage is determined by a majority vote. Jones and Cook’s lawyer states in court that his clients have a “brittle and fractious” relationship with Lydon,” while Lydon’s lawyer claims Jones’s book portrays his client “in a hostile and unflattering light.”  A judge subsequently rules against Lydon.  2021

The title track of Metallica‘s “Master Of Puppets” album makes its U.K. Top 40 debut, at #22, 36 years after the song’s original release. The resurgence is due to the Netflix series “Stranger Things” which featured the song in its season four finale.  2022