April 6, 1993 – Peter Criss, former drummer for the rock group KISS, settles a libel lawsuit against Star magazine for portraying him as a homeless alcoholic.  ”At least now I can go on with a clearer head, now that this is over,” he said. “I could write a song about this whole thing. Maybe I will.” A Jan. … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 6 in Classic Rock →

April 4, 2009 – Flea inducts Metallica into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a moving tribute to the deceased Cliff Burton.  This is the first-ever induction ceremony open to the public.  Jeff Beck is also inducted by his former Yardbird colleague Jimmy Page. April 4, 2015 – Marilyn Manson is sucker-punched at a Denny’s in Alberta, … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 4 in Classic Rock →

March 24, 2001 – A stretch of road on Highway 19 in Macon, Georgia, is named Duane Allman Boulevard, near where the Allman Brothers guitarist died at age 24 in a motorcycle crash on October 29, 1971. March 24, 1962 – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards perform their first paid gig when they appear as Little Boy Blue & … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 24 in Classic Rock →

March 22, 1994 – Pantera release their 7th studio album, Far Beyond Driven. It joins the elite group of million-selling hard rock albums, going platinum in the U.S., Australia and Canada.  It’s also the first album where Darrell Abbott is credited as “Dimebag Darrell,” having switched from the moniker “Diamond Darrell.” March 22, 1974 – The Eagles release … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 22 in Classic Rock →

January 24, 1981 – Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler runs into a tree on his motorcycle, tearing open his heel.  The accident leaves him hospitalized for two months, and recovering for almost a year. January 24, 1995 – Van Halen release their tenth studio album Balance, which is their final album with Sammy Hagar. The album reaches #1 on the Billboard 200 … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 24 in Classic Rock →

January 23, 2004 – David Palmer, former keyboardist for Jethro Tull, announces he has had a sex change and is now known as Dee Palmer. Palmer was born with genital ambiguity, assigned male at birth, and said her desire to change sex had been an “open secret” in the music business for many years. She did not have her sex change operation until the … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 23 in Classic Rock →

April 30, 1976 – Keith Moon from the Who pays nine cab drivers to blockade both ends of the street where he is staying in a NYC hotel.  He proceeds to throw the contents of his hotel room out the window.  Now that’s metal! April 30, 2008 – At the Coachella music festival, a giant inflatable pig floats away during Roger Waters‘ set. … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 30 in Classic Rock →

It’s rare that a live album becomes a driving force in a band’s career, but these rock albums all generated either hits, sales, or artistic recognition that changed the arc of the bands’ popularity and influence. In several cases, the bands/artists had not even been well-known in the U.S. prior to their live releases.  Although … Continue reading 12 Most Influential Live Classic Rock Albums of All Time →

Since the dawn of the first TV commercial in 1941, music has been an integral part of promoting everything from food to cars to toys to all kinds of medical products. In 1944, the first music jingle was used in a commercial for Chiquita Bananas. And while bespoke jingles were the norm for many years, … Continue reading 10 Questionable Classic Rock Song Choices in TV Commercials →

When The Allman Brothers Band performed at Erie, Pennsylvania’s Warner Theatre in July of 2005, they gave what the band members themselves hailed as one of their best performances ever. Now fans will have the opportunity to experience that show with a 2-CD live album due out October 16th. Dubbed by the Allman Brothers Band … Continue reading New Allman Brothers Band Live Album Due Out This Fall →

It’s 2020 and we’ve all got a lot of extra time on our hands. So if you’ve ever wanted to get back to the old days and listen to some albums in their entirety, why not now?  Here’s our first list of ten albums that you really need to hear from beginning to end.  Only … Continue reading 10 Rock Albums You Need to Hear from Beginning to End →

If you’ve ever formed a band, you probably know that in those tumultuous first days, coming up with a great name that really fits – and actually sticks – might be the hardest part of the process. Luckily these classic rock bands really nailed it… eventually. Can you imagine today talking about the legendary career … Continue reading Original Names of Famous Classic Rock Bands – Part One (A-H) →