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 →

October 8, 1979 – Fleetwood Mac release their first double album, Tusk, which is the follow-up to Rumours.  Costing over $1 million to record, at the time it was the most expensive rock album ever made.  It sold 4 million copies worldwide, and featured the USC Trojan Marching Band on the title song “Tusk.” October 8, 2010 – Ozzy Osbourne blasts … Continue reading CDJ Today: October 8 in Classic Rock →

September 30, 1988 – John Lennon is posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star is located in front of Capitol Records, and his widow, Yoko Ono, attends the ceremony.  None of the other Beatles are present. September 30, 1998 – On the Drew Carey Show, Drew and his gang decide to form a band … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 30 in Classic Rock →

September 18, 1983 – Kiss appear without their makeup for the first time during an MTV interview while promoting the release of their new album Lick It Up. Only two of the group’s original members were unveiled as founding drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley had left the band. Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 18 in Classic Rock →

September 15, 2014 – Apple release a tool to remove U2‘s new album, Songs of Innocence, from iTunes accounts after giving away the music for free. Songs of Innocence is considered the biggest album launch in history because about half a billion iTunes users owned it on the day of its release. Apple reportedly gave U2 a large blanket … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 15 in Classic Rock →

August 21, 1983  – Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone suffers a fractured skull during a fight with Seth Macklin of the band Sub Zero Construction. He endures a four-hour brain surgery operation after being found unconscious in front of his East Village apartment in New York City. August 21, 1972 – Jefferson Airplane‘s Grace Slick is maced and Paul Kantner is injured when … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 21 in Classic Rock →

August 15, 1979 – Led Zeppelin release their eighth and final studio album In Through The Out Door. It is the last album from the band while John Bonham is still alive. It goes on to sell over 6 million copies in the U.S. August 15, 1969 – The Woodstock Festival begins outside of New York City in Bethel on Max Yasgur’s 600 acre … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 15 in Classic Rock →

August 11, 1999 – Kiss receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with Gene Simmons sticking out his trademark tongue. Simmons is joined by Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss. The star coincides with a new movie, Detroit Rock City, about four teenagers who embark on a wild adventure to attend a sold-out Kiss concert.  At the time, the … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 11 in Classic Rock →

August 6, 1996 – The Ramones perform their 2,263rd and final concert at The Palace in Los Angeles with a star-studded guest list. Featuring appearances by former bassist Dee Dee Ramone along with Motörhead‘s Lemmy Kilmister, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder, Rancid’s Tim Armstrong and Soundgarden‘s Chris Cornell, the 32-song set wraps up with a cover of the Dave Clark … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 6 in Classic Rock →