Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s September 19th and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Starting the day off in 1979, as the first day of the 5-day MUSE “No Nukes” concert opens at Madison Square Garden in NYC. MUSE, of Musicians United for Safe Energy, used the concert to oppose nuclear power. Performers included the Doobie Brothers, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The shows were recorded and later released as a triple live album, No Nukes: The Muse Concerts For a Non-Nuclear Future, while Springsteen would release his entire performance in 2021 as the live album The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concert.
In 1990, after listening to a demo tape, Eddie Vedder was chosen to be the new lead singer of what would become Pearl Jam after adding vocal parts to three instrumental tracks previously recorded by future bandmates Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready.
Moving onto releases now, we got New Jersey by Bon Jovi in 1988 and Day for Night from The Tragically Hip in 1994
Demolition began at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in 1992. The stadium not only hosted many major sporting events, but it also had a storied history with concerts. It hosted The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the US portion of Live Aid.
Birthdays today include Beatles manager Brian Epstein, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp and Lita Ford of The Runaways.
In 1981, folk duo Simon & Garfunkel reunited for a special benefit concert in Central Park, NYC. With 500,000 in attendance, proceeds from the event went to restoring the park. The concert was recorded and released on vinyl a year later.
In 2008, Travis Barker of Blink-182 survived a plane crash after one of the plane’s tires blew, hurtled off the end of the runway and collided into a highway embankment. The plane burst into flames killing four onboard. Barker and one other person survived. Barker suffered a back injury and severe burns.
We lost Gram Parsons of The Byrds from a drug and alcohol overdose in 1973 at the age of 26. What happened to Parsons AFTER his death has become a bit of rock’s strangest stories. Check out the video below to learn more about it.
And finally, in 1985, the battle against the PMRC came to a head as musicians like Frank Zappa, Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and even John Denver testified at a Senate hearing where the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) argues for a rating system on music or one warning label to an album with explicit lyrics. The musicians, each in their own way, stated that it is censorship to include such a thing. Below, Snider talks about his experience with his testimony.
This has been Today in Rock History! Keep on Rocking, keep on Rolling! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
