February 28, 1987 –  Eddie Van Halen makes an appearance on Saturday Night Live, which is being hosted by his then-wife Valerie Bertinelli. He plays alongside G.E. Smith and the SNL house band for an instrumental number called “Stompin’ 8H.” Bluesman Robert Cray is the musical guest. February 28, 1972 – George Harrison and his wife Pattie Boyd Harrison are injured in … Continue reading CDJ Today: February 28 in Classic Rock →

February 25, 1980 – Bob Seger releases his 11th studio album Against the Wind. The album sells five million copies in the U.S. and wins two Grammy Awards. February 25, 2003 – Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd undergoes emergency heart surgery. The guitarist has a successful bypass operation in Atlanta after a routine screening finds him to be suffering from coronary artery disease. Rossington is … Continue reading CDJ Today: February 25 in Classic Rock →

January 21, 1987 – Twenty-two artists are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 2nd annual awards show, held in New York City.  Keith Richards inducts Aretha Franklin, B.B. King is inducted by Sting, ZZ Top inducts Bo Diddley, Mick Jones of Foreigner inducts Eddie Cochran, Ricky Nelson is posthumously inducted by John Fogerty, and … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 21 in Classic Rock →

January 7, 2004 – Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes and wife Kate Hudson announce the birth of their first child Ryder Russell Robinson. January 7, 1997 – Two bronze busts worth $70,000 are stolen from George Harrison’s estate in Henley-on-Thames, England.  Thieves cut the figures of two monks from their stone plinths. Classic Rock Birthdays January 7, 1937 – Paul Revere … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 7 in Classic Rock →

December 30, 1999 – George Harrison and his wife Olivia are attacked when an intruder breaks into their home in England. Olivia beats off the attacker with a lamp, but Harrison is stabbed repeatedly in the chest and admitted to the hospital with a collapsed lung and various minor stab wounds.  Police later arrest a fan from Liverpool who nursed an irrational … Continue reading CDJ Today: December 30 in Classic Rock →

December 27, 1932 – Radio City Music Hall, the world’s largest indoor theater at the time, opens in New York City with a massive six-hour show. With 6,200 seats and a stage spanning 10,000 square feet, more than 300 million people have gone to Radio City to enjoy movies, stage shows, concerts, and special events. December … Continue reading CDJ Today: December 27 in Classic Rock →

December 23, 1985 – Judas Priest fans Raymond Belknap, 18, and James Vance, 20, shoot themselves after listening to the Judas Priest album, Stained Class. Belknap dies, but Vance lives for more than three years before dying from the effects of the shooting.  The parents later file an infamous lawsuit against the band claiming their music was filled with subliminal messages. December 23, … Continue reading CDJ Today: December 23 in Classic Rock →

November 29, 2007 – Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle (born Thomas Delmer Pyle), is arrested for failing to properly register as a sex offender at a new permanent address. For this charge, he was later acquitted by a jury in 2009. Pyle had pleaded guilty in 1993 to charges of attempted capital sexual battery by an adult … Continue reading CDJ Today: November 29 in Classic Rock →

November 27, 1967 – The Beatles release Magical Mystery Tour, which goes on to sell over 6 million copies in the U.S.  Released as a double EP in the UK and an LP in the U.S., the album included the soundtrack to the film of the same name and was nominated for a Grammy. November 27, 1991 – Freddie Mercury’s … Continue reading CDJ Today: November 27 in Classic Rock →

November 1, 1994 – Nirvana releases MTV Unplugged in New York, the first Nirvana album following the death of Kurt Cobain.  The album debuts at number one on the Billboard 200, and is certified 5x platinum in the United States by 1997. It also wins the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996. November 1, 1968 – George Harrison releases Wonderwall Music, … Continue reading CDJ Today: November 1 in Classic Rock →