September 29, 1989 – Bruce Springsteen and a few of his bodyguards stop for a beer at Matt’s Saloon in Prescott, AZ on a motorcycle ride.  The small town quickly figures out Springsteen is there and packs the saloon when he agrees to jam with the house band for an hour. He also makes a generous $100,000 donation to a barmaid … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 29 in Classic Rock →

March 30, 1974 – The Ramones make their live debut at Performance Studio in New York City. March 30, 2012 – Jerry Lee Lewis marries for the 7th time. The lucky lady is Judith Brown, an ex-wife of a cousin and Jerry’s caregiver.  She is also the aunt of Myra Gale Brown, who married Lewis when she was just 13. … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 30 in Classic Rock →

March 18, 1978 – An estimated 350,000 rock fans attend the largest festival of the 70’s, California Jam II in Ontario, California. Performers include Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Foreigner, Santana, Heart, Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush and Rubicon, featuring a young Jack Blades. March 18, 1975 – The Who’s Tommy premieres in New York. March 18, 2002 – The Ramones and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are among those inducted into the … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 18 in Classic Rock →

December 11, 1968 – Filming begins on The Rolling Stones‘ Rock And Roll Circus movie. Conceived by Mick Jagger, the event was comprised of two concerts on a circus stage and included such acts as John Lennon and his fiancée Yoko Ono performing as part of a supergroup called The Dirty Mac, along with Eric … Continue reading CDJ Today: December 11 in Classic Rock →

November 23, 1981 – AC/DC release their eighth studio album For Those About to Rock which goes on to sell four million copies in the U.S. November 23, 1991 – Freddie Mercury of Queen issues a press release confirming that he has AIDS, which he has previously denied.  He dies the next day. November 23, 2008 – Guns N’ Roses … Continue reading CDJ Today: November 23 in Classic Rock →

May 6, 1937 – The Hindenburg airship crashes in New Jersey, killing 36 people. A photograph from this accident is later used as the cover art for Led Zeppelin’s debut album. May 6, 1965 – Keith Richards suffers insomnia in his hotel room in Florida because of a guitar riff running through his head.  He records the hook, falls asleep and wakes … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 6 in Classic Rock →

Jerry Lee Lewis stared at the audience somewhat dazed and yelled, “Well, fuck you too!!” Then he picked up his piano bench and threw it right into the crowd. Almost earning his moniker “The Killer” with a new take on those words as the bench closely whizzed past some dude’s head on the way to … Continue reading The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis: Unlikely Rock & Roll Performance of a Lifetime →

Two all-time greats passed away last week. Jerry Lee Lewis and Steven Clean. The first you know of. If you’re not from Boston or Los Angeles you’ve probably never heard of the latter, otherwise known as “The Obscene” Steven Clean. I have great stories regarding both. The media coverage for Lewis’s passing has been omnipresent … Continue reading Two Legends Pass Away: “The Killer” Jerry Lee Lewis and “The Obscene” Steven Clean →

Rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis has suffered a minor stroke, according to a statement posted on the singer’s Facebook page. Lewis is recuperating in Memphis and is expected to make a full recovery. “The Killer looks forward to getting back into the studio soon to record a Gospel record and on the road … Continue reading Jerry Lee Lewis Suffers Minor Stroke →