Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s May 16th and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Starting off on a sadder note as it was on this day in 2010 that we lost one of metals most iconic voices and the originator of the horns sign that you see at every rock show in the world. Hell, it’s even in our logo! The one, the only, Ronnie James Dio!
We also lost Jim Henson in 1990. Henson, the creator of The Muppets, helped create the music for almost all of the ventures related to The Muppets, including Electric Mayhem, the show’s house band. The Muppets Show also featured many musical guests including Elton John, Debbie Harry of Blondie, and Alice Cooper
Moving onto releases we have NYC Ghost & Flowers from Sonic Youth in 2000, Joe Walsh’s But Seriously Folks in 1978, Psychostick’s We Couldn’t Think of a Title in 2003 and Piece of Mind from Iron Maiden in 1983!
It’s Krist Novoselic of Nirvana’s birthday today
It’s also Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. and Robert Fripp of King Crimson’s birthdays
In 1984, Ozzy Osbourne was arrested in Memphis, TN for ‘staggering drunk’ down Beale Street. After staying in the drunk tank for five hours, Osbourne was released. He was not given a court date and continued on his tour supporting his 1983 album, Bark at the Moon.
During a Who show at the Fillmore East in New York in 1969, Pete Townshend is arrested for literally kicking a fan off stage after the fan rushed the stage. Turns out the fan was an out of uniform police officer who ran onstage to warn the crowd of a fire that broke out. Townshend was fined only $30.
In 1975, KISS performs and records their show at the Cobo Arena in Detroit for the upcoming live album Alive! The album would become their first Gold record.
ZZ Top performed on an episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1986, and during their appearance, Carson and his bandleader Do Severinsen wore fake beards to honor their guests.
In 1974, Brian May of Queen collapsed on stage during a show in New York. He would be flown back to the UK to be treated for hepatitis
And finally in 1977, the London Evening Standard had reported in its paper that Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant had been arrested at the Atlanta Airport that day for being drunk and pulling a knife on officers. The only issue with that story was that Plant was at home in Wales when the incident occurred. The man arrested was impersonating Plant. The next evening, the paper published their apology for the mistake.
This has been Today in Rock History! Keep on Rocking, keep on Rolling! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
