This Day in History: 2024-08-18

AUGUST 18th

Bon Jovi’s “Slippery When Wet” is out. The group’s third album contains “You Give Love A Bad Name, “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “Wanted Dead Or Alive.” It goes on to sell over 28 million copies sold worldwide. 1986

Kid Rock’s “Devil Without A Cause” arrives. His fourth album and last categorized as “Hip-Hop,” sells over eleven million copies.  1998

Nu Metal comes to the masses. KoЯn release their third album, “Follow The Leader.”  1998

The album goes to #1 on the Billboard 200 album with first week sales of 268,000 copies.  It becomes a multi-platinum album.

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Elvis Presley’s two sided single “Don’t Be Cruel”/”Hound Dog” begins an eleven-week run at #1 on the Billboard pop chart.  1956

Ringo Starr makes his first appearance with The Beatles, since joining the group, at Liverpool’s Cavern Club. Starr replaced fired drummer Pete Best. He gets a hostile reception from Best’s fans but otherwise has a good show. 1962

The Rolling Stones roll out “Dandelion” in the U.K. The track has backing vocals by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. 1967

Funeral services are held for Elvis Presley at Graceland. There are 150 mourners inside and, according to police reports, 75,000 outside. Presley is entombed at Forest Hill Cemetery near his mother Gladys. Later both are moved to Graceland. 1977

Linkin Park donates $5 from every ticket sold at their Projekt Revolution show in Tampa to the Red Cross Hurricane Charley Relief Fund. The effort raises more than $65,000 in aid for hurricane victims. 2004

London & Co. and Courtney Love settle a $1 million lawsuit over the profits from the sale of Nirvana’s publishing catalog. The management company sued Love claiming the Hole frontwoman and widow of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain failed to share the earnings from the sale of a portion of Nirvana’s catalog valued at nearly $20 million. 2010

U2 pledges over $7.2 million to Irish schools for music education. Funding cuts have led to a decline in music education in Ireland. 2011

The team of Kid Rock, Pulte Homes and Operation Finally Home present Sgt. Davin Dumar, a veteran of Afghanistan who lost his leg and severely injured his arm in combat, and his wife Dana, with a free new home. Kid Rock personally called the founder of Operation Finally Home to talk about Sgt. Dumar, a fellow Michigan native. Rock also personally told the Dumars that they would be receiving the house and thanked Dumar for his sacrifice and service. 2012

Tobias Forge publicly reveals himself as Ghost leader Papa Emeritus. Of course, speculation that was the case had been around since the band’s debut.  2017

Marilyn Manson performs in Gilford, NH.  Reports claim Manson spit and shot snot at a video camera person during a concert.  As a result, the singer faces two counts of Class A misdemeanor simple assault and agrees two years later to turn himself in to authorities.  2019

Neil Young cancels his appearance at the annual Farm Aid show (in Hartford, CT) due to an upsurge in COVID-19 cases. As a Farm Aid founder, Young states that big concerts are endangering attendees, in particular unvaccinated children.  The concert is rescheduled.  2021

Blink 182’s Travis Baker goes on Instagram to announce that he has COVID-19 and he’s “bummed” about it. “COVID sucks I’d rather be playing drums.”  2022

Boycott over? In a video released by TMZ, Kid Rock is seen drinking a can of Bud Light, just months after the musician made a public display of boycotting the brand by shooting up cases of the beer to protest the brand’s partnership with transgender Dylan Mulvaney.  2023