May 22, 2011 – Vinnie Vincent, ex-Kiss and Vinnie Vincent Invasion guitarist,  is arrested in Smyrna, Tennessee after his wife, Diane Cusano, charges that he slapped her face, grabbed her hair, dragged her through shattered glass, and, as she tried to escape from their property, repeatedly hurled her to the ground. A SWAT team is brought to his home after he refuses to open the door for four hours.  Eventually, Vincent surrenders, but in a search of the home police find four dead dogs in sealed containers.  Vincent and his wife claim that bad weather had delayed their burials. His wife is now deceased from complications of chronic alcoholism.

May 22, 2001 – Mötley Crüe release The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band. The book became a New York Times Bestseller and was made into a movie released in 2019.

10 Reasons to Watch ‘The Dirt’ – the Movie Version of Mötley Crüe’s 2001 Memoir

May 22, 1980 – Thieves steal five Jimi Hendrix gold records from the Electric Ladyland Studios in New York City.

Classic Rock Birthdays

May 22, 1950 – Bernie Taupin, lyricist and Elton John’s long-time songwriting partner
May 22, 1959 – Morrissey (born Steven Patrick Morrissey), vocals (The Smiths)
May 22, 1962 – Jesse Valenzuela, guitar, vocals (Gin Blossoms)