Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s September 25th and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Tragedy hit the rock world on this day in 1980 as John Bonham, drummer of Led Zeppelin, died from asphyxiation after a night of heavy drinking. He was just 32.
Switching gears from sadness to silliness now as in 2012, the Insane Clown Posse sued the FBI! The “band” claimed that the organization had not provided enough evidence as to why their fans, the Juggalos, were listed as a “hybrid gang” in the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.
Moving onto releases, we’ve got a strong line-up starting off with Strange Days from The Doors in 1967 and Tenacious D’s self-titled debut in 2001!
We also got Rammstein’s Herzeleid in 1995, Uno from Green Day in 2012, Echoes Silence Patience & Grace by the Foo Fighters in 2007 and Black Sabbath Vol. 4 in 1972!
Speaking of Sabbath, in 2000, Ozzy Osbourne made a request for Black Sabbath to be removed from the nomination list for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Osbourne said that the inclusion was “meaningless” and continued on saying: “Let’s face it. Black Sabbath have never been media darlings. We’re a people’s band and that suits us just fine.” The band would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 and Ozzy would later be inducted with the 2024 class.
And that’s not all with Ozzy as at a 1992 show in Oklahoma City, two fans were stabbed and 20 were arrested after a fight broke out. Ozzy wasn’t to blame for the incident, it was the sale of alcohol at the venue that received the blame.
In 1990, Dave Grohl auditioned for Nirvana and was given the job on the spot
It’s Dean Ween of Ween and Daniel Kessler of Interpol’s birthdays today
And finally in 2017, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played what would be their final show ever when they performed at the Hollywood Bowl to close out their 40th-anniversary reunion tour. Petty would pass a week later at 66. The band’s final song together was the Heartbreaker classic American Girl.
This has been Today in Rock History! Keep on Rocking, keep on Rolling! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
