This Day in History: 2023-08-22

AUGUST 22nd

Containing the hits “Travelin’ Band,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” Run Through The Jungle,” “Up Around The Bend” and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Cosmo’s Factory” begins a nine-week stay at the top of the Billboard 200.  1970

‘Cosmo’ is drummer Doug Clifford’s nickname and Cosmo’s Factory is the moniker for the band’s rehearsal space.

“Foreigner 4,” led by the songs “Juke Box Hero,” “Urgent” (featuring Jr. Walker’s sax solo) and the ballad “Waiting For A Girl Like You” begins the first of two runs as the #1 album on the Billboard 200.  1981

As the title implies this is Foreigner’s fourth album.

Billboard reports that Linkin Park’s debut album, “Hybrid Theory,” released in ’00, has sold over 10-million copies in the U.S., enough to earn the group a diamond certification. 2012

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Living Colours’s guitarist Vernon Reid is born. 1958

Debbi Peterson (The Bangles) is born in Northridge, Los Angeles, California. She’s the kid sister of Vicki, the band’s guitarist. 1961

Alice In Chains vocalist, the late Layne Staley, is born in Kirkland, a Seattle suburb. 1967

Cynthia Lennon sues John Lennon (the Beatles) for divorce (on the day before their sixth wedding anniversary). Coming back from a vacation she discovers her husband has taken up with Yoko Ono. 1968

Ringo Starr, disgusted with how he’s being treated, leaves The Beatles. He returns a week later and finds his drum set strewn with flowers. They missed him after all. 1968

Featuring “Evil Ways,” Santana’s self-titled debut album, is released. 1969

Birthday wishes to Craig Finn frontman for The Hold Steady. 1971

Robert Levon Been (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) is born. 1978

Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols makes his last live stage appearance when he appears with Rat Scabies from The Damned, ex-Pistol Glen Matlock and Nancy Spungen at London’s Electric Ballroom.  He dies six-months later. 1978

Pearl Jam’s manager Kelly Curtis announces that drummer Dave Abbruzzese has left the band to formally study music. Four days later Abbruzzese claims he was fired. Jack Irons is his replacement. 1994

Ex-Fuel drummer Kevin Miller files a lawsuit in a Pennsylvania court against several corporate entities that represent his former band. Miller, who was kicked out of the group in August ’04, seeks unspecified compensation. He claims that he’s owed $141,000 from an advance Fuel received for their ’03 “Natural Selection” album and is also seeking a cut of the profits from his last tour with the band, which he was told “did not make any money.” 2005

Songwriter Jerry Leiber passes away in L.A. Leiber, and co-writer Mike Stoller, composed “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock,” both major hits for Elvis Presley. The pair also penned chart toppers for The Drifters, The Coasters and Ben E King. They wrote fifteen #1 hits and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in ’87. 2011

Aerosmith (“Sweet Emotion”), Journey (“Don’t Stop Believin'”) and the Rolling Stones (“Brown Sugar”) land on Match.com’s survey titled All Amped Up: The Single Best List of Pre-Date Anthems. 2013

The Sebastian Bach & Suzanne Le Rock N’ Roll Wedding Extravaganza has the former Skid Row singer and his bride inviting fans to their wedding reception in San Jose for a mere $300 per person. 2015

Guns N’ Roses close out the second leg their “Not In This Lifetime” North American reunion tour at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. They hit the stage a half an hour late (some things never change) but deliver a 26-song set and are presented with a special plaque for selling over one-million tickets.  2016

Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan proclaims “Lane Staley Day” in Seattle. The late Alice In Chains vocalist would’ve turned 52-years-old (see above).  “Layne Staley Day” calls attention to the Layne Staley Memorial Fund, established by his parents in ‘02 to provide “hope, education, support and treatment funds for heroin recovery in the Seattle music community.” Staley passed away on 4/5/02 from a drug overdose.  2019

Stryper postpones planned U.S. tour dates partly due to a tour bus and labor shortage. 2022

Jerry Allison, drummer for Buddy Holly And The Crickets and co-writer of the Holly hits “That’ll Be The Day” and “Peggy Sue,” dies at age 82.  2022

John Corabi, former lead singer of Mötley Crüe, plays his first concert with The Dead Daisies since his return to the band earlier this year. It’s at Mickey’s Black Box in Lititz, PA.  2023