July 15, 1998 – Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer narrowly escapes serious injury when his Ferrari convertible catches on fire at a gas station.  He is admitted to the hospital with second-degree burns on his arms and hands.  The Ferrari is destroyed. Top 20 Classic Rock Drummers Still Drumming Classic Rock Birthdays July 15, 1956 – Joe Satriani, guitar (Satriani, Chickenfoot, G3) July 15, 1966 – Jason … Continue reading CDJ Today: July 15 in Classic Rock →

July 11, 1982 – Pete Willis is fired from Def Leppard and replaced by Phil Collen, due to excessive alcohol consumption on the job.  “Things were going too fast for me.” says Willis. “I was still enjoying it, but I was using drink as a crutch. It wasn’t nice to go that way, but it was something that … Continue reading CDJ Today: July 11 in Classic Rock →

May 19, 2000 – Dickey Betts of The Allman Brothers Band is essentially kicked out of the band for “creative differences,” which are allegedly related to drugs and/or alcohol use. May 19, 1979 – Eric Clapton and Patti Boyd throw a reception party two months after their wedding featuring a jam session with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Ginger Baker, Mick Jagger … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 19 in Classic Rock →

April 15, 1971 – The Beatles nab their only Oscar, winning Best Original Song Score for the movie Let It Be. April 15, 1982 – Anvil release their sophomore album, Metal on Metal, then proceed to fade into obscurity in the 1990s before being resurrected by the 2008 documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Rock Artists Who Have Won an Academy Award … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 15 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 →

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 →

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 →

January 29, 1986 – Allen Collins, guitarist from Lynyrd Skynyrd, crashes his car, paralyzing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend Debra Jean Watts. Collins, who was drunk at the time, addressed fans at every Skynyrd concert as part of his plea bargain.  He gave an explanation of why he could not perform, citing the … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 29 in Classic Rock →

November 30, 2000 – The City of New York officially names the corner of Bowery and Second Street “Joey Ramone Place.” It is the block where Joey once lived with bandmate Dee Dee Ramone and is near the music club CBGB, where the Ramones played their first gigs. In 2010, it was reported that “Joey … Continue reading CDJ Today: November 30 in Classic Rock →

October 30, 1990 – Axl Rose is released on $5,000 bail after being arrested for allegedly hitting his neighbor, Gabriella Kantor, over the head with a bottle of wine. Kantor said, “He hit me over my head with a really good bottle of Chardonnay and a piece of chicken.  I continue to experience headaches as … Continue reading CDJ Today: October 30 in Classic Rock →