This Day in History: 2023-11-01

NOVEMBER 1^st

Elvis Presley makes his comeback complete (following his ’68 TV special) when “Suspicious Minds” tops the Billboard pop chart. 1969

The Beatles “Abbey Road” tops the Billboard Album Chart. There’s John Lennon’s “Come Together,” George Harrison’s “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun” and Ringo Starr’s “Octopus’s Garden In The Shade.” Paul McCartney and producer George Martin weave together the legendary “B-side medley” containing eight short songs.  1969

Nirvana’s highly acclaimed “MTV Unplugged In New York” LP hits the streets. 1994

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Songwriter Jim Steinman is born.  In addition to his work with Meat Loaf he also composed and produced Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse Of The Heart.”  1947

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ co-founder and vocalist, Anthony Kiedis, is born in Grand Rapids, MI. 1962

Def Leppard’s Rick Allen enters the world. He starts drumming with his mother’s kitchen utensils when he is five. In ’84, Allen loses his left arm in an auto accident but learns to drum again using an electric drum kit. 1963

George Harrison releases “Wonderwall Music,” the soundtrack to the psychedelic movie “Wonderwall.” He’s the first Beatle to release a solo album.  But despite contributions from Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr it’s pretty dreadful.  1968

Elton John’s “Island Girl” tops the U.S. pop chart. 1975

Boston’s “Third Stage” tops the Billboard 200.  “Cool The Engines” and the ballad “Amanda” are featured.  1986

“Hip To Be Square” (Huey Lewis & The News) is #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. 1986

“Youthanasia” is released.   The Megadeth album enters the Billboard 200 at #4 and is later certified platinum. 1994

Terry Knight (Richard Terrance Knapp), a one-time singer but better known as the former Svengali-like manager of Grand Funk Railroad, is fatally stabbed at his home in Killeen, TX, defending his daughter from her drug-addled boyfriend during a domestic disturbance.  2004

Linkin Park pledges $50,000 to Direct Relief International, a non-profit organization based in Santa Barbara, to help Southern California recover from wildfires that devastated the region. The group donates the funds through their Music For Relief organization. “The wildfires are an unfathomable tragedy,” says bassist Dave ‘Phoenix’ Farrell. “Being able to help victims of a natural disaster like the wildfires is exactly why Music For Relief was founded.” 2007

Megadeth’s “TH1RT3EN” drops. “This record is the culmination of my work over the 13 records I recorded,” says frontman Dave Mustaine. “There are moments on ‘TH1RT3EN’ that capture my every emotion, and other moments where I am releasing feelings I never knew existed!” 2011

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi’s memoir, “Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath,” is on shelves. The book covers Iommi’s “rough-and-tumble childhood, failed marriages, personal tragedies, battles with addiction, band mates, famous friends, and the ups and downs of his life as an artist.” 2011

Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s “No Regrets” is in bookstores. He calls the current version of KISS “a bunch of dirty rotten whores.” “I soon realized their lust for money outweighed any sense of fairness or logic on their part,” writes Frehley. 2011

Stevie Wonder is honored at the Never Again Peace Concert in Hollywood. He’s recognized for his role as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. 2011

According to a survey conducted by Tastebuds.fm Nickelback is the biggest musical turnoff. Of the twelve acts up for consideration they garner 13% of the vote to beat out Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Coldplay. 2011

Static X’s Wayne Static (Wayne Richard Wells) dies in his sleep at age 48. He founded the Metal band Static-X in ’94. 2014

Fans donate non-perishable food at a Metallica concert in Los Andes Stadium in Bogota to help the indigenous Wayuu community in La Guajira, northern Colombia, who are suffering from malnourishment and a lack of drinking water.  Over 9-tons of food is collected.  2016

Alien Ant Farm guitarist Terry Corso pleads guilty to assaulting a fan during a show in Chester, England after being hit by what he thought was a bag of urine. “He felt angry at that so he confronted the fan and ended up hitting him once,” says Corso’s solicitor.  “He regrets his actions and says he never should have jumped off the stage.”  The guitarist is fined and put on probation.  2016

Chris Cornell’s widow files a lawsuit against the Soundgarden frontman’s doctor for malpractice, accusing the physician of over-prescribing drugs that eventually caused the singer to commit suicide. Vicky Cornell claims Dr. Robert Koblin prescribed 940 doses of the anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam (Ativan) as well other medications.  2018

Slash and Myles Kennedy state they contracted COVID-19 while recording “4,” the fourth effort from Slash + Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. 2021