December 4, 2012 – Randy Blythe, the frontman of Lamb of God, is charged with the death of a 19-year-old fan at a concert in Prague in 2010 after he pushed him off the stage. The fan, Daniel Nosek, hits his head when he falls to the concrete floor and dies of his injuries 2 weeks later. Blythe is later acquitted, but spends five weeks in jail.
December 4, 1969 – Seeking to understand the so-called “generation gap,” which many people thought was a factor in anti-Vietnam War protests and the “youth subculture,” President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew listen to “anti-establishment” rock music and view films of simulated LSD trips.
December 4, 1979 – Fleetwood Mac surprises their audiences at a string of five Tusk tour dates at The Forum in Inglewood, California when the USC Trojan Marching Band appears with them at each of the shows. The marching band is lifted on hydraulic risers behind the stage to accompany Fleetwood Mac on the song they had recorded with them at Dodger Stadium just a few months earlier.
Classic Rock Birthdays
December 4, 1951 – Gary Rossington, guitar (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
December 4, 1948 – Southside Johnny (born John Lyon), vocals, harmonica (Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes)
December 4, 1944 – Chris Hillman, bass, vocals (The Byrds)
December 4, 1944 – Dennis Wilson, drums, vocals (The Beach Boys) (d. 1983)
December 4, 1942 – Bob Mosley (born James Robert Mosley), bass, vocals (Moby Grape)
12 Most Influential Live Classic Rock Albums of All Time
Rock Remembrances
December 4, 1993 – Frank Zappa dies from prostate cancer. He was 52. Zappa was a self-taught composer and performer, and his diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often difficult to categorize. He recorded 60 albums, many with The Mothers Of Invention, as well as solo recordings. In 1985, he testified before the United States Senate against PMRC censorship alongside Dee Snider and John Denver. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. He had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Muffin.
December 4, 1976 – Tommy Bolin dies from an overdose of heroin and other substances, including alcohol, cocaine and barbiturates. He was 25. Bolin was a guitarist and vocalist with the James Gang, Deep Purple and Moxy and released two highly acclaimed solo albums. At the time of his death, he was the opening act on Jeff Beck‘s tour.
Backstage Access:
A Day in the Life with Frank Zappa
