Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s September 22nd and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Starting this very busy day off in 1985 as the very first Farm Aid took place at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL. On the bill that night included organizers Neil Young, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, as well as Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, John Fogerty and Tom Petty. This first benefit event helped raise over $9mil for American farmers.
Moving on to birthdays with the always fantastic Joan Jett!
Other birthdays include Nick Cave of the Bad Seeds, Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl and Matt Sharp of Weezer
As well as Doug Wimbash of Living Colour and David Coverdale of Deep Purple and Whitesnake!
In 1972, David Bowie began the North American leg of his Ziggy Stardust tour. This part of the tour was used to help promote his albums Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and Aladdin Sane.
White Zombie broke up in 1998 and on the same day, the first Family Values Tour began featuring Korn (who helped create the tour), Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, and Rammstein!
We got a slew of releases today starting with Five Finger Death Punch’s War is the Answer in 2009!
Other releases include Confessions of the Fallen from Staind in 2023, The Band’s self-titled album aka The Brown Album in 1969, the Ramones’ Road to Ruin in 1978,
Wonderful Wonderful by The Killers in 2017, Ballbreaker from AC/DC in 1995, and Alice Cooper’s Constrictor in 1986
In 2005, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page was granted honorary citizenship of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro for his charity work for homeless children. Page opened Casa Jimmy (Jimmy’s House) in 1998 which had helped over 300 children at the time.
A young Dave Grohl was in attendance of 15,000 people at the Motor Sports International Garage in Seattle in 1990 to see Nirvana play what would be their biggest gig at the time. Grohl would audition for the band just days later.
Joe Walsh of the Eagles announced his bid for the U.S. Presidency in 1979
And finally in 1992, Def Leppard had to cancel two US tour dates after one of the band’s truck drivers left their sound-equipment truck abandoned while attempting to rob a store. The driver was later arrested and charged with drug possession and criminal damage.
This has been Today in Rock History! Keep on Rocking, keep on Rolling! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
