May 16, 1984 – Ozzy Osbourne is arrested in Memphis, Tennessee for being “staggering drunk,” according to police. He was released from jail five hours later, and continued on with his tour in support of Bark at the Moon.
May 16, 1965 – The Rolling Stones barely escape the parking lot after their show at Civic Hall in Long Beach, California, when their limo is besieged by fans who cave in the roof by standing on it. The band attempted to hold the roof up while their chauffeur drove off with bodies falling onto the road. Policeman John Hurley recalls, “In order to move the limo, I sat on the hood and used my feet to push the kids away. I was still on the hood when the driver sped away, not stopping for signals at several intersections. I had nothing to hold on to except my fingernails in the grooves of the hood.” Seven girls were taken to the hospital with minor injuries along with a policeman who suffered a cut hand.
May 16, 1987 – David Crosby marries his long time girlfriend Jan Danceon. “I think we saved each other’s lives,” he says. “The French having a saying for it, ‘raison d’etre’. A reason for being. And we have that.”
May 16, 1966 – The Beach Boys release Pet Sounds, their 11th album. After initial lukewarm reviews, it goes on to become ranked as one of the most groundbreaking, influential and iconic albums ever.
10 Rock Albums You Need to Hear from Beginning to End
Classic Rock Birthdays
May 16, 1965 – Krist Novoselic, bass (Nirvana)
May 16, 1946 – Roger Earl, drums (Foghat)
May 16, 1946 – Robert Fripp, guitar (King Crimson)
May 16, 1947 – Darrell Sweet, drums (Nazareth) (d. 1999)
May 16, 1953 – Richard Page, vocals, bass (Mr. Mister, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band)
May 16, 1964 – Boyd Tinsley, violin (Dave Matthews Band)
May 16, 1951 – Jonathan Richman, guitar, vocals (The Modern Lovers)
May 16, 1950 – Jock Bartley, guitar (Firefall)
Rock Remembrances
May 16, 2010 – Ronnie James Dio succumbs to stomach cancer. He was 67. Dio was the legendary singer in Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio. In 1985, Dio spearheaded the Hear ‘n Aid project to raise money for famine relief in Africa. Rolling Stone magazine eulogized Dio with these words: “It wasn’t just his mighty pipes that made him Ronnie James Dio — it was his moral fervor…what always stood out was Dio’s raging compassion for the lost rock & roll children in his audience. Dio never pretended to be one of the kids — he sang as an adult assuring us that we weren’t alone in our suffering, and some day we might even be proud of conquering it.”
May 16, 2001 – Brian Pendleton, The Pretty Things guitarist, dies of lung cancer. He was 57.
