January 26, 1977 – Peter Green, former Fleetwood Mac guitarist, is committed to a mental hospital after threatening a delivery boy with an air rifle when he tried to deliver his royalty check to him.  Green became the ultimate acid casualty and spent years in mental hospitals and clinics undergoing electroconvulsive therapy. He gave away much of his money and has since acknowledged that his illness was brought on by hallucinogenic drugs.

Backstage Access:
Remembering Peter Green

January 26, 1997 – The halftime show at Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans is titled “Blues Brothers Bash” and features actors Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, and James Belushi as the Blues Brothers, along with ZZ Top and singer James Brown.

January 26, 2018 – Fleetwood Mac are the first band to be honored as “Person of the Year” at the MusiCares charity benefit at Radio City Music Hall. It’ll turn out to be Lindsey Buckingham’s last performance with the group, as he is ousted by the band three months later and replaced by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) and Neil Finn (Crowded House). Allegedly, Buckingham had been reticent to tour that year.

12 Rock & Roll Romances That Inspired the Music

Classic Rock Birthdays

January 26, 1955 – Eddie Van Halen, guitar (Van Halen) (d. 2020)
January 26, 1961 – Tom Keifer (born Carl Thomas Keifer), guitar, vocals (Cinderella)
January 26, 1948 – Corky Laing (born Laurence Gordon Laing), drums (Mountain)
January 26, 1949 – Derek Holt, guitar (Climax Blues Band)
January 26, 1960 – Charlie Gillingham, keyboards (Counting Crows)
January 26, 1945 – Ashley Hutchings, bass, vocals (Fairport Convention)

Backstage Access:
Like Picasso or Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen Was a True Original

Rock Remembrances

January 26, 2020 – Bob Shane (born Robert Castle Schoen), founder, singer and guitarist of The Kingston Trio, dies in Phoenix, AZ.  He was 85.  He and the band were responsible for popularizing folk and acoustic music in the late 50s through the early 60s in the U.S.