This Day in History: 2024-10-16

ROCKTOBER 16th

Creedence Clearwater Revival officially announce they are disbanding. Rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty left the previous year. Frontman John Fogerty goes solo. 1972

“Human Clay” is #1 on the Billboard 200.  The Creed album has a two-week run at the top.  1999

Pop Evil’s “Survivor” is #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart – after sixteen weeks on the survey. 2021

The song is on the band’s sixth album “Versatile.”

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

“Mister Rock and Roll,” the story of legendary Rock promoter and DJ Alan Freed, is in theaters. The film has appearances by Chuck Berry and Little Richard. 1957

Michael Balzary begins a journey that will lead to becoming Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is born in Melbourne, Australia. 1962

Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s bassist C.F. Turner (Charles Frederick Turner) is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 1943

Grateful Dead vocalist Bob Weir is born in San Francisco. He is one of the group’s founding members. 1947

Rainbow keyboardist (’75-’77) Tony Carey is born. 1953

Bob Mould (Husker Dü) has a birthday. 1960

Grace Slick performs for the first time as a member of Jefferson Airplane. She replaces Signe Anderson. 1966

Black Sabbath record the band’s self-titled debut album in a single day. It’s released four months later. 1969

Steve Wonder’s “Songs In The Key Of Life” is #1 on the Billboard 200.  The album remains at the top for the remainder of the year.  1976

Boz Scaggs’ “Lowdown” is kept out of the top slot on the pop chart (stuck at #3) by not one, but two novelty songs. They are Walter Murphy’s disco take on Classical, “A Fifth Of Beethoven,” and DJ Rick Dees’ “Disco Duck (Part 1).” The latter defies description. 1976

John Mayer is born in Bridgeport, CT, while his parents are waiting on the world to change. 1977

“Smile Jamaica,” a benefit concert in London to aid Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Gilbert features U2, Keith Richards (Rolling Stones) and Ziggy Marley. 1988

Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell is arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance. He has syringes, white powder and crack pipes in his possession. 1991

Rage Against The Machine’s Zack De La Rocha quits the band because he feels the group’s “decision-making process has completely failed.”  2000

U2’s Bono appears in a Dublin courtroom to testify against the band’s former stylist, whom they say has been selling memorabilia that belongs to the band. Lola Cashman, appealing a ’05 ruling stating that she must return to the group items she has tried to auction off (including the Stetson hat Bono wore on the cover of the “Rattle And Hum” album), claims they were given to her as gifts. Despite her assertion, U2 prevail. 2006

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong says he’s hopeful that former V.P. Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize award will further the fight against global warming. “I think it’s great that this issue is finally getting the recognition it deserves,” says Armstrong. “I feel that Al Gore has been very influential in bringing this into the mainstream.” 2007

Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel perform at a New York fundraiser for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. At the event’s conclusion, Obama quips that he’d just told his wife, “Honey, the reason I’m running for president is I can’t be Bruce Springsteen. I can’t be Billy Joel.'” 2008

Flea celebrates his 50th birthday (see above) by throwing a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in his backyard. The bash also serves as a fundraiser for the Silver Lake Conservatory, a music school in L.A. the bassist established ’01. “Unfortunately, the public school system has cut the funding to music programs, and there’s a big void, so we’re doing our best to fill it in our community,” says Flea. 2012

DJ Lethal announces that he has reunited with Limp Bizkit following a very public falling out with the band earlier in the year. “I had some problems,” says DJ Lethal. “Today is the day that I can finally be a man and step up and say ‘I’m sorry’.” 2012

Paul McCartney receives a BMI Million-Air Award to honor over 4-million U.S. broadcast performances of his James Bond film song, “Live And Let Die.” 2012

Avenged Sevenfold launch their Deathbat game via Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The game is based on the band’s sixth album “Hail To The King.” 2014

Neil Young officially unveils the Ponoplayer, a high-tech music player, at Saleforce’s Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. “Technology is supposed to bring us a better life,” Young says. “And Pono is the exception that will bring us a better life.” 2014

Neil Young launches GoEarth.org, a website designed to promote global conservation. 2015

Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) hosts the Music Heals benefit concert to raise money for the charity MusiCorps, a non-profit organization that supports injured soldiers and their families. 2015

Slayer roll out 666 Red Ale with the Nils Oscar company in Sweden. It’s described as “a unique craft beer based on five different malts.” 2015

Five Finger Death Punch settle its lawsuit with the Prospect Park label and former manager Jeff Kwatinetz. The agreement allows the long-delayed release of a greatest hits album with two new songs. 2017

Tom Petty is laid to rest in a private ceremony in Pacific Palisades, two weeks following his passing. The service is at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, where Petty’s friend George Harrison (The Beatles) was laid to rest in ‘01. 2017

“Iron Maiden Album By Album” is out. Written by Martin Popoff, the book is features contributions from Marty Friedman (Megadeth), Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper), among others. 2018

The fourth annual Women Who Rock benefit concert supported by Gibson Gives features special guest drummer Rick Allen (Def Leppard) and guitarist Orianthi (Alice Cooper). Women Who Rock helps educate, support and fund women-centric health research. 2021

Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse in Nashville sponsors NASCAR stock car – #99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The car debuts at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400.  2022

Papa Roach‘s “Last Resort” surpasses one-billion streams on Spotify.  The song originally appeared on the “Ready To Rumble” soundtrack before becoming the debut single from Papa Roach‘s second studio album, “Infest.”  2023