This Day in History: 2024-12-22

DECEMBER 22^nd

The Smiths perform their farewell concert at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in England. Founding guitarist Johnny Marr had left nearly a year-and-a-half earlier (June ’87) and frontman Morrissey is about to launch a solo career. The concert is free to any fans wearing Smiths or Morrissey T-shirts. Nearly 20,000 fans do just that. 1988

A vicious dig like this one is hard to ignore. Slipknot’s Corey Taylor slams Coldplay’s hugely successful “Viva La Vida” (pictured). “That (album) is one of the most self-celebratory pieces of s**t I’ve ever f**king heard in my entire f**king life,” proclaims Taylor. “I f**king hate that album. It’s music to wipe your a** to.” 2008

Radiohead’s ‘97 album “OK Computer” is named ‘the best album of the past 25 years’ in a poll conducted by Q Magazine. Nirvana‘s “Nevermind” is #2 while Oasis holds the #3 and #4 spots with “Definitely Maybe” and “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?,” respectively. 2010

MORE TODAY IN ROCK…

Big Brother & The Holding Company guitarist, James Gurley, is born in Detroit. 1939

Cheap Trick’s ace guitarist, Rick Nielsen, is born Rockford, Illinois. 1946

According to Billboard magazine Elvis Presley wraps up the year with a phenomenal seventeen chart records. Nobody else has even half that. 1956

The Tornadoes become the first British group to top the U.S. pop chart. They do it with their instrumental “Telstar.” The song takes its name from the recently launched communications satellite. 1962

Declaring drummer Keith Moon irreplaceable, The Who replace him anyway with Kenney Jones, formerly of The Faces. The band also adds John Bundrick on keyboards. 1978

Duran Duran peak at #2 on the Hot 100 with “Wild Boys.” Two former wild boys, Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, masquerading as the Honeydrippers land at #4 with a remake of Phil Phillips’ “Sea Of Love.” 1984

Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx dies from a drug overdose. He is pronounced DOA in the ambulance before two adrenaline shots in the chest revive him. Later, he checks himself out of the hospital (ignoring medical advice) and goes home where he records an answering machine message. “Hey, it’s Nikki. I’m not home because I’m dead.” He then takes more heroin and passes out again. Good times. 1987

The Clash’s legendary guitarist, Joe Strummer, dies of heart failure at age 50. In response to the passing, U2’s Bono issues a statement. “The Clash was the greatest Rock band. They wrote the book for U2.” 2002

White Stripes’ Jack White is charged with aggravated assault after a fight with the Von Bondies lead singer Jason Stollsteimer. The December 13th brawl between White and Stollsteimer began shortly before midnight at Detroit’s Majestic Theatre Center. 2003

A silent auction featuring a variety of Ozzy Osbourne-related memorabilia is held in conjunction with his New York concert. Items, including autographed guitars by Osbourne, Zakk Wylde and Rob Zombie, raise money for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program. It’s Osbourne’s first Madison Square Garden appearance in 23 years. Rob Zombie is also on the bill. 2007

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler begins his third stint in rehab. This follows months of speculation regarding his drug use. The singer says his rehab is for “pain management” resulting from a concert accident the previous summer. Tyler first went to rehab in ’86 to treat drug and alcohol abuse and returned in ‘08. 2009

Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood receives an official warning from U.K. police for allegedly choking then-girlfriend, Ekaterina Ivanova, after a heated argument. The warning can be taken into account in future actions, which is probably unlikely since Wood and the 23-year-old cocktail waitress are history at this point. “I am greatly relieved that this matter is resolved and look forward to 2010 very positively,” says Wood in a statement. 2009

Late night talk show host Conan O’Brien and actor Jack Black engage in a guitar duel on O’Brien’s show. O’Brien cheats by miming solos performed by Slash (Guns N’ Roses) who is behind the stage curtain. 2010

Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney hosts “Serious Boredom,” a monthly satellite radio show on Sirius XMU. “I’ve wanted to do a DJ gig like this for a while now and looking forward to being on air”, Carney says in a statement. 2012

Bono (U2) announces the creation of a signature Gretsch guitar to benefit his RED charity. Five-percent of the wholesale price of each Bono ‘Signature’ Model guitar goes to raises money for the Global Fund to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. 2014

Roger Waters’ Op-Ed against the torture methods used by the U.S. government at Guantanamo Bay is published in the Daily Mail. The ex-Pink Floyd singer references London resident Shaker Aamer, who was taken into custody by the U.S. while working in Afghanistan. “No human being should be subjected to such monstrous and prolonged treatment – 13 years, with no evidence produced to suggest a crime,” states Rogers. 2014

Singer Joe Cocker dies at age 70 after battling lung cancer. Over the course of his lengthy career Cocker is known for his renditions of “With A Little Help From My Friends” and “The Letter,” plus the hits “You Are So Beautiful” and “Up Where We Belong” (w/ Jennifer Warnes). 2014

“A7X Rock Classics” premieres on GHTV. With exclusive footage, Avenged Sevenfold take gamers through their songs featured in Guitar Hero Live. 2015

After taking a German widow to court for attempting to sell her late husband’s bootleg copy of “Eric Clapton – Live USA” CD on eBay the guitarist’s management states that Clapton will no longer be seeking the damages awarded to him, approximately $4,000. The negative publicity surrounding the case likely led to the decision. The suit appeared to be part of an effort to crack down on “big time” bootleggers – which the widow was not. 2021

Bring Me The Horizon part ways with keyboardist Jodan Fish, who joined the band in ’12.  2023