October 27, 1977 – Roy Estrada, an original member of Frank Zappa‘s Mothers of Invention and a founding member of Little Feat,  is convicted of sexual assault on a child.  He is convicted again in 1994 for another act of sexual assault and serves six years in prison. In January 2012, he pleads guilty to a charge of continuous sexual … Continue reading CDJ Today: October 27 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 →

September 1, 1998 – Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan is charged with assault and battery for allegedly hitting a security guard in the head with a microphone during a concert at Pine Knob in Michigan. “I’ve seen everything at Pine Knob, but I’ve never seen it where the lead singer bends over and hits someone,” says the local sheriff. September 1, … Continue reading CDJ Today: September 1 in Classic Rock →

August 8, 1969 – The photo session for the cover of The Beatles Abbey Road album takes place on the crossing outside the Abbey Road studios. Photographer Iain McMillan, balanced on a step-ladder in the middle of the road, takes only six shots of John, Ringo, Paul, and George walking across the zebra crossing while a policeman … Continue reading CDJ Today: August 8 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 →

June 22, 2005 – Ted Nugent is ordered to pay $3,500 per month in child support to Karen Gutowski of Dover, NH.  While married to his current wife, Shemane, with whom he has 4 children, Nugent fathered a son with Gutowski in 1994. June 22, 1981 –  Mark David Chapman says that “God has told me to plead guilty” to the charge of murdering … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 22 in Classic Rock →

May 10, 2006 – Great White tour manager Daniel Biechele is sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter after The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island in February 2003.  Biechele, 29, could have gotten as much as 10 years behind bars, but served less than half of his four-year sentence.  Many … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 10 in Classic Rock →

March 17, 1998 – Van Halen release Van Halen III, their eleventh studio album.  It is the only album with former Extreme lead singer Gary Cherone, and the only album to not attain platinum status. March 17, 1985 – Serial killer Richard Ramirez kills a man and leaves an AC/DC hat behind at the crime scene. Ramirez becomes known as … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 17 in Classic Rock →

March 14, 2003 – Robert Trujillo performs his last concert as Ozzy Osbourne’s bassist at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, as he is leaving the band to replace Jason Newsted in Metallica. Ozzy Osbourne throws a farewell party for him, but wife Sharon Osbourne collapses from heat exhaustion and is rushed to the hospital. March 14, 2005 – U2 and The Pretenders are inducted … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 14 in Classic Rock →

March 13, 2006 – Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Sex Pistols are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Sex Pistols refuse to attend the ceremony, calling the institution “urine in wine” and add, “We’re not your monkeys, we’re not coming. You’re not paying attention”.  Metallica inducts Sabbath and performs “Hole in the … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 13 in Classic Rock →

March 2, 1988 – U2 win their first Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group with Vocal for the album The Joshua Tree.  Currently, they have 22 Grammy Awards. March 2, 1984 – This Is Spinal Tap is released in theaters, forever changing the perception of hard rock and heavy metal bands. … Continue reading CDJ Today: March 2 in Classic Rock →

January 16, 1978 – Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols falls through a glass door at a San Francisco hotel while overdosing , and is rushed to a hospital.  Days later, the group disbands. January 16, 1985 – It’s day #6 of the first Rock in Rio festival held in Rio de Janeiro. The ten-day festival featured artists … Continue reading CDJ Today: January 16 in Classic Rock →