This Day in History: 2023-07-21

JULY 21st

Black Sabbath unfurl “Master Of Reality,” the group’s last album to debut in the Top 10 for over 40 years – until their ’13 reunion album “13.” The album goes double platinum. 1971

Guns N’ Roses release “Appetite For Destruction,” which sells over 28-million copies worldwide. 1987

Stone Sour ’s sophomore album, “Come What(Ever) May,” is certified platinum in the U.S. for sales in excess of one-million copies.  2017

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

The Hooters guitarist/vocalist Eric Bazilian enters the world. 1953

Bassist Howie Epstein (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) is born. 1955

Billboard magazine claims that Elvis Presley “is the most controversial entertainer since Liberace.” 1956

Jim Martin, guitarist for Faith No More, has a birthday. 1961

The Byrds release its debut album “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The title track is a cover of a Bob Dylan song.  1965

Skillett keyboardist/guitarist Korey Cooper (born Korene Marie Pingitore) has a birthday. 1972

Rod Stewart is on a roll with the release of “Never A Dull Moment” containing “You Wear It Well.” 1972

Grateful Dead keyboardist Keith Godchaux is seriously injured in a car wreck. He dies two days later. 1980

The Police begin recording the follow-up to their landmark “Synchronicity” album but soon Sting announces he’d rather go it alone, launching both solo recording and acting careers. The Police disband. 1986

Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) presents “The Wall” in-concert between Potzdamer Platz and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Over 350,000 attend the event. 1990

Please pass the syrup. Kid Rock enters a no-contest plea to assault charges stemming from an ’07 incident at an Atlanta-area Waffle House. Rock is slapped with a $1,000 fine and is put on a year’s probation. He also has to do 80 hours of community service and attend six anger-management classes. Rock was arrested after he and some associates scuffled with a fellow Waffle House customer. 2008

A settlement is announced in the ’08 lawsuit Jackson Browne launched after his song “Running On Empty” appeared in an Internet video promoting Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign. The singer-songwriter charged that Republicans had used the tune without authorization, and that its usage falsely implied that Browne endorsed the candidate. As part of the settlement, McCain and the other defendants issue an apology. The financial terms are kept confidential. 2009

In This Moment release “Ritual.” The band’s sixth studio album features a cover of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” as well as “Black Wedding,” a duet with lead singer Maria Brink and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford. 2017

Guns N’ Roses own the attendance record for a Hard Rock/Heavy Metal act at Gothenburg, Sweden’s Ullevi Stadium. The band’s concert is attended by 64,289 people, surpassing the record previously set by Metallica (63,036 attendees). 2018

In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Paramore pledges to donate $1 from every ticket sale on their fall tour to organizations that deal with providing reproductive care, providing financial assistance for those in need of support and helping women and children that are fleeing violent situations.  2022

Rage Against The Machine donate $75,000 to Indigenous Peoples charities in Canada. The funds are the proceeds from the band’s concert in Hamilton, Ontario and are distributed by WhyHunger and Polaris Institute to support the Root of Justice and Indigenous Climate Action organizations in Hamilton.  2022