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 band mate Dee Dee Ramone and is near the music club CBGB, where the Ramones played their first gigs. In 2010, it was reported that … 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 a result of … Continue reading CDJ Today: October 30 in Classic Rock →

October 8, 2010 – Ozzy Osbourne blasts the Westboro Baptist Church for paraphrasing lyrics from his song “Crazy Train” after they tell reporters the U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are “punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.” Ozzy says, “I am sickened and disgusted by the use of “Crazy Train” to promote messages of hate … 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 →