Classics Du Jour

August 22, 1987 – Bon Jovi headlines the eighth annual Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington in the U.K. Other acts include Dio, Metallica, Anthrax, W.A.S.P. and Cinderella. For the encores, Paul Stanley of Kiss, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister join them onstage for CCR’s “Travelin’ Band” and Grand Funk’s “We’re An American … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 22 in Classic Rock →

August 21, 1983  – Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone suffers a fractured skull during a fight with Seth Macklin of the band Sub Zero Construction. He endures a four-hour brain surgery operation after being found unconscious in front of his East Village apartment in New York City. August 21, 1972 – Jefferson Airplane‘s Grace Slick is maced and Paul Kantner is injured when … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 21 in Classic Rock →

August 20, 1988 – Iron Maiden headline the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington with Kiss, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns N’ Roses and Helloween.  Two fans die during Guns N’ Roses’ set when they slip in the mud and a crowd surge pushes them beneath others. Classic Rock Birthdays August 20, 1948 – Robert Plant, vocals (Led Zeppelin)August … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 20 in Classic Rock →

August 18, 1969 – Jimi Hendrix closes out the Woodstock festival with a morning set that concludes with “Hey Joe,” one of the few times in his career that he played an encore. Surprisingly,  Hendrix was not supposed to be the final act. Woodstock organizer Michael Lang wanted Roy Rogers to come on after Hendrix and play “Happy Trails” but the … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 18 in Classic Rock →

August 16, 1962 – Pete Best is fired as the drummer for The Beatles, by manager Brian Epstein. Best claims he is fired because he is the best looking one in the band, but producer George Martin says that Best cannot keep time. August 16, 1980 – Bill Ward quits Black Sabbath for the first time, most … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 16 in Classic Rock →

August 15, 1979 – Led Zeppelin release their eighth and final studio album In Through The Out Door. It is the last album from the band while John Bonham is still alive. It goes on to sell over 6 million copies in the U.S. August 15, 1969 – The Woodstock Festival begins outside of New York City in Bethel on Max Yasgur’s 600 acre … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 15 in Classic Rock →

August 14, 1962 – The Beatles‘ manager Brian Epstein and the other three members of the band decide to fire drummer Pete Best. He plays his last gig the next night at The Cavern in Liverpool. August 14, 1970 – Stephen Stills is arrested for possession of cocaine and barbiturates after being found crawling in … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 14 in Classic Rock →

August 13, 1965 – Jefferson Airplane make their stage debut at San Francisco’s new club The Matrix, which leads to them securing a record deal after receiving a positive review in the San Francisco Chronicle. August 13, 1973 – Lynyrd Skynyrd release their debut album (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd).  It goes on to sell over 2 million copies and features songs “Simple Man”, … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 13 in Classic Rock →

August 12, 1991 – Metallica release their fifth album, commonly known as The Black Album. With songs like  “Enter Sandman”, “The Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Wherever I May Roam”, and “Sad but True”, the album becomes their best-selling ever, racking up over 31 million copies worldwide. August 12, 1989 – The two-day Moscow Music Peace Festival begins with an … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 12 in Classic Rock →

August 11, 1999 – Kiss receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with Gene Simmons sticking out his trademark tongue. Simmons is joined by Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss. The star coincides with a new movie, Detroit Rock City, about four teenagers who embark on a wild adventure to attend a sold-out Kiss concert.  At the time, the … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 11 in Classic Rock →

August 2, 1973 – Robert Zimmerman legally changes his name to Bob Dylan. His biographer Mark Epstein says, “He was a great fan of Matt Dillon, the sheriff of the television series Gunsmoke. In 1958, he confided to his high school sweetheart that he planned to devote his life to music, adding that ‘I know what I’m going … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 2 in Classic Rock →

August 1, 1981 – MTV begins airing music videos with the legendary opening, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Rock & Roll.”  That’s followed by the now familiar power-chord-fueled guitar riff theme. The first ten videos are: The Buggles “Video Killed The Radio Star”, Pat Benatar “You Better Run”, Rod Stewart “She Won’t Dance With Me”, The Who “You Better You Bet”, … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 1 in Classic rock →