September 26, 1969 – The Beatles release Abbey Road, their 11th studio album. The album sells over 12 million copies in the U.S., and although initially garnering mixed reviews, becomes perhaps one of the most beloved albums ever. The cover features the iconic image of the band crossing the street in a single file line … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 26 in Classic Rock →

September 16, 1970 – Jimi Hendrix goes to see his good friend Eric Burdon’s new band War, and is invited on stage to play guest guitar. This is his last time on stage as he dies less than 72 hours later. September 16, 2005 – Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil tears his calf when he leans over to sing along with … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 16 in Classic Rock →

September 7, 1968 – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham make their live debut as Led Zeppelin (but are billed as The Yardbirds) at Gladsaxe Teen Club in a suburb on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. Around 1,200 people attend the show. The band is later billed as “The New Yardbirds,” before choosing the … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 7 in Classic Rock →

September 4, 2000 – Greg Allman is arrested in back-to-back incidents in Florida. In the first incident, police clock Allman’s Trans Am at 85 mph in a 45-mph zone.  He is given a ticket for speeding and one for his expired license.  He is then arrested about 4 hours later when his car is seen weaving across the highway. Police say … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 4 in Classic Rock →

August 26, 1990 – Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble perform their last show at Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI. During their encore, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and Jimmy Vaughan join them onstage.  A few hours later, Stevie Ray Vaughan dies in a helicopter crash. August 26, 1970 – The five-day Isle of Wight festival begins in … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 26 in Classic Rock →

August 24, 1980 – Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Budgie, Girl and Tygers of Pan Tang appear on the final day of the Reading Rock Festival in England. August 24, 1990 – Judas Priest are acquitted at their trial in Reno, NV, after having been accused of planting subliminal messages on their album Stained Class, which led two fans to attempt suicide. Rob Halford says, … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 24 in Classic Rock →

August 23, 1967 – Keith Moon starts a new rock star trend – destroying hotels – when he drives a Lincoln Continental into a pool at the Holiday Inn in Flint, MI during his 21st birthday party.  The total damage runs $24,000 in 1967 dollars (about $132,000 today) and the record company buys the “damp” car from its irate … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 23 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 1, 1981 – MTV begins airing music videos with the legendary opening, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Rock & Roll.”  That’s followed by the now familiar power-chord-fueled guitar riff theme. The first ten videos are: The Buggles “Video Killed The Radio Star”, Pat Benatar “You Better Run”, Rod Stewart “She Won’t Dance With Me”, The Who “You Better You Bet”, … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 1 in Classic rock →

June 27, 1994 – Aerosmith become the first major band to release a song, “Head First” (an unused cut from the Get A Grip Sessions), as a free download on the internet.  Download speeds at the time were so slow it took between 60 and 90 minutes to download the track, but ten thousand CompuServe subscribers still … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 27 in Classic Rock →

June 6, 1992 – Guns N’ Roses release what is at the time the most expensive video ever made, “November Rain”.  Roughly half of the $1.5 million dollar budget is spent constructing a church in the New Mexico desert for Slash to use as a background for his guitar solo.  Currently, the video has almost 2 … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 6 in Classic Rock →

May 25, 1978 – Keith Moon of the Who, performs for the last time with the band at a secret concert for fan club members at London’s Shepperton Film Studios.  The show was a mini-concert for their career-spanning documentary The Kids Are Alright.  The band had been off the road for nearly two years, and gave a solid but stilted performance.  Keith … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 25 in Classic Rock →