This Day In Rock History

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 1st


1945 Rock drummer John Barbata (Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship) is born in Passaic, New Jersey.

1946 Bass guitarist Ronnie Lane (Small Faces and Faces) is born in Plaistow, London, England.

1954 Rock drummer Jeff Porcaro (of Toto) is born in South Windsor, Connecticut.

1992 Nigel Preston, drummer and founding member of The Cult, dies of a heroin overdose at age 28.

2004 Guitarist Paul Atkinson (of The Zombies) dies at age 58 from liver and kidney disease, while also suffering from cancer.

source: calendarsongfacts

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 1st


1984 Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father at his parent's home in Los Angeles, California. The argument started after his parents squabbled over misplaced business documents, Gaye attempted to intervene, and was killed by his father using a gun he had given him four months before. Marvin Sr. was sentenced to six years of probation after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped after doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumour.

2015 Cynthia Lennon, first wife of The Beatles' John Lennon died at her home in Spain following a short battle with cancer. At the height of The Beatles' early success she was, at the insistence of the band's management, kept in the background so their legions of female fans were not aware of her existence. The couple divorced in 1968 after Cynthia discovered her husband's affair with Yoko Ono.

source: thisdayinmusic

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 1st


A few albums that was released....


1975 ● Journey —— Journey ► Prog/Art Rock

1976 ● Rush —— 2112 ► Prog/Art Rock

1982 ● Trooper —— Money Talks ► Hard Rock

2008 ● R.E.M. —— Accelerate ► Alt. Pop-Rock

2008 ● The Rolling Stones —— Shine A Light: Original Soundtrack ► Blues-Rock

2016 ● Cheap Trick —— Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello ► Hard Rock/Power Pop

source: drrocksblog&roll

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 2nd


1987 One of the greatest jazz drummers of all time, Buddy Rich died aged 69 due to complications caused by a brain tumour. Rich worked with many acts including, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey's band, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. Rush's Neil Peart organized a pair of 90s tribute albums (titled Burning for Buddy), which also featured the work of Kenny Aronoff, Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, Max Roach, Steve Smith and Matt Sorum.

source: thisdayinmusic

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 2nd



1942 Leon Russell is born Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Oklahoma.

1946 Kurt Winter (guitarist for The Guess Who) is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

1949 David Robinson (drummer for The Cars) is born in Malden, Massachusetts.

1952 Leon Wilkeson (bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd) is born in Newport, Rhode Island.

1952 Dave Bronze (bass guitarist for Procol Harum) is born in Billericay, Essex, England.

source: calendarsongfacts

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 2nd


A few albums that was released....


1973 ● The Beatles —— The Beatles/1962-1966 ► Pop-Rock

1973 ● The Beatles —— The Beatles/1967-1970 ► Pop-Rock

1975 ● Bad Company —— Straight Shooter ► Hard Rock

1981 ● Jefferson Starship —— Modern Times ► Arena Rock

1996 ● Atlanta Rhythm Section —— Atlanta Rhythm Section ’96 ► Southern Rock

1996 ● Eric Clapton —— Crossroads 2: Live In The Seventies ► Blues-Rock

2007 ● Genesis —— Genesis 1976 – 1982 ► Prog Rock

2012 ● The Rolling Stones —— L.A. Friday (Live 1975) ► Blues-Rock


source: drrocksblog&roll

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 3rd


2015 Robert Burns Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd's original drummer, was killed in a single car accident in Georgia at the age of 64. He played on the band's first two albums, 1973's "Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd" and 1974's "Second Helping" before leaving due to the rigors of touring. He rejoined Skynyrd on stage at the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony performance in 2006 where he was enshrined alongside his former band mates.

source: classicbands

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 3rd



1942 "Down In The Boondocks" singer Billy Joe Royal is born in Valdosta, Georgia.

1943 Richard Manuel (lead singer of The Band) is born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

1944 Tony Orlando is born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. He becomes a teen singing sensation with the 1961 hit "Bless You," but by 1970 is working in music publishing. That year, he is asked to record vocals for a song called "Candida," as the original singer didn't work out. When it becomes a hit, Orlando resumes his singing career as Tony Orlando & Dawn.

1968 Heavy metal singer Sebastian Bach (of Skid Row) is born Sebastian Philip Bierk is born in Freeport, Bahamas.

source: calendarsongfacts

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 3rd


A few albums that was released....




1968 ● Simon & Garfunkel —— Bookends ► Folk-Rock

1968 ● Moby Grape —— Wow ► Psychedelic Rock (SFO)

1976 ● Poco —— Live ► Country-Rock

2001 ● Journey —— Arrival ► AOR Rock

2006 ● Poison —— The Best of Poison – 20 Years of Rock ► Heavy Metal/Hair Metal

2007 ● Black Sabbath —— Black Sabbath: The Dio Years ► Hard Rock

2007 ● REO Speedwagon —— Find Your Own Way Home ► Arena Rock



source: drrocksblog&roll

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 4th



1915 Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters is born McKinley Morganfield in Rolling Fork, Mississippi.

1948 Pick Withers (drummer for Dire Straits) is born David Withers in Leicester, England.

1948 Berry Oakley (bass guitarist for The Allman Brothers Band) is born Raymond Berry Oakley III in Chicago, Illinois.

1952 Blues guitarist Gary Moore (of Thin Lizzy) is born Robert William Gary Moore in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

1952 Dave Hill (guitarist for Slade) is born in Holbeton, Devon, England.

1962 Craig Adams (bass guitarist for The Cult) is born in Otley, West Yorkshire, England.

1966 Mike Starr (bass guitarist for Alice in Chains) is born in Honolulu, Hawaii.

source: calendarsongfacts

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 4th


A few albums that was released....


1972 ● ZZ Top —— Rio Grande Mud ► Blues-Rock

1995 ● The Band —— Live At Watkins Glen ► Folk-Rock

1995 ● Black Sabbath —— Cross Purposes Live ► Hard Rock

1997 ● INXS —— Elegantly Wasted ► Alt. Pop-Rock

source: drrocksblog&roll

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 5th


1981 Canned Heat singer Bob "The Bear" Hite died of a heart attack aged 36. (1970 UK No.2 & US No.26 single 'Let's Work Together'). Played at both the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

1994 Kurt Cobain committed suicide by shooting himself in the head at his home in Seattle. Cobain's body wasn't discovered until April 8, by an electrician who had arrived to install a security system, who initially believed that Cobain was asleep, until he saw the shotgun pointing at his chin. A suicide note was found that said, "I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now". A high concentration of heroin and traces of Valium were found in Cobain's body. His death was officially ruled as suicide by a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

1998 British drummer Cozy Powell (Colin Flooks) was killed when his car smashed into crash barriers on the M4 motorway near Bristol, England. Powell had worked with the Jeff Beck Group, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Brian May, Peter Green and the ELP spin-off Emerson, Lake, and Powell. Powell, known as one of the most driving drummers in rock, had also had hits as a solo artist, including Dance WithThe Devil and The Man In Black, and had fronted his own band, Cozy Powell's Hammer.

2002 American singer Layne Staley of Alice in Chains was found dead from a mixture of heroin and cocaine in his home. It was reported that the 6-foot (1.8 m) Staley weighed only 86 pounds (39 kg) when his body was discovered. His body was partially decomposed when he was found. Medical examiners had to identify it by dental records.

2006 Gene Pitney was found dead aged 65 in his bed in a Cardiff hotel. The American singer was on a UK tour and had shown no signs of illness. Pitney helped The Rolling Stones break the American market with his endorsement of the band. Jagger and Richards wrote his hit 'That Girl Belongs to Yesterday' which became the Stones duo's first composition to reach the American charts. He scored the 1962 US No.4 single 'Only Love Can Break A Heart'. and 1967 solo UK No.5 & 1989 UK No.1 single with Marc Almond 'Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart', plus over 15 other US & UK Top 40 hits.

2007 Former Kiss guitarist Mark St. John died from an apparent brain haemorrhage at the age of 51. St. John was Kiss' third official guitarist, having replaced Vinnie Vincent in 1984 and appeared on the album 'Animalize'.


source: thisdayinmusic

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 5th


A few albums that was released....



1972 ● David Crosby & Graham Nash —— Graham Nash/David Crosby ► Folk-Rock


source: drrocksblog&roll

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 6th



1974 The California Jam 1 festival took place in Ontario, California, featuring the Eagles, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Earth, Wind & Fire, ELP, Black Oak Arkansas and Seals & Croft. Over 200,000 fans attended.

2004 Guitarist and singer Niki Sullivan, died suddenly of a heart attack, at his home in Independence, Missouri aged 66. Sullivan was one of the three original members of Buddy Holly's backing group, The Crickets. He co-wrote a number of his hit songs and sang back-up vocals on 27 of the 32 songs Buddy recorded over his brief career.


source: thisdayinmusic

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 6th


1937 Merle Haggard, American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band the Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the twang of Fender Telecaster and the unique mix with the traditional country steel guitar sound. Haggard scored over 10 US Country No.1 albums during his career. He died on 6 April 2016 of complications from pneumonia at his home in Palo Cedro, California.

2016 American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler, Merle Haggard died of complications from pneumonia at his home in Palo Cedro, California. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band the Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the twang of Fender Telecaster and the unique mix with the traditional country steel guitar sound. Haggard scored over 10 US Country No.1 albums during his career.

source: thisdayinmusic

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 6th


A few albums that was released....



1987 ● The Cult —— Electric ► Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Revival

1993 ● Bruce Hornsby —— Harbor Lights ► Pop-Rock

2010 ● Peter Wolf —— Midnight Souvenirs ► Blues-Rock/Blue-Eyed Soul


source: drrocksblog&roll

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 7th



1938 Rock drummer Spencer Dryden (of Jefferson Airplane, New Riders of the Purple Sage) is born in New York City.

1943 Rock guitarist Mick Abrahams (of Jethro Tull) is born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.

1948 Rock drummer Dallas Taylor (of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) is born in Denver, Colorado.

1951 Janis Ian is born Janis Eddy Fink in New York City (but will be raised in New Jersey). She writes her first song at age 12 and completes her first hit, "Society's Child," at 14.

1959 As the snow melts in Mason City, Iowa, Buddy Holly's glasses are found from the plane crash that killed him two months earlier. They are turned in to police, where they stay until 1980, when a sheriff finds them and returns them to Holly's widow.

source: calendarsongfacts

[CrazyConnie]

This Day In Rock History: April 7th


2020 Steve Farmer, singer/guitarist for The Amboy Dukes on their 1968, Billboard #16 hit, "Journey To The Center Of The Mind", passed away of heart issues at the age of 71.

source: classicbands