July 20, 1986 – Van Halen manager Ed Leffler is beaten up at a Dallas hotel by an unknown assailant. July 20, 1975 – The Born To Run tour kicks off at The Palace Theatre in Providence, RI.  This is also the live debut of Steven Van Zandt (Little Steven) as a member of Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band. July 20, 1999 – The Ramones make their … Continue reading CDJ Today: July 20 in Classic Rock →

July 13, 1984 – For the first and only time, Eddie Van Halen performs “Beat It” live in concert with Michael Jackson, at The Jacksons concert at Texas Stadium in Dallas. Jackson screams, “You got it, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!” July 13, 1984 – The Live Aid concerts take place in London’s Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium.  The concerts are … Continue reading CDJ Today: July 13 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 26, 1996 – Van Halen announce that Sammy Hagar is leaving the band and that David Lee Roth will again become the lead singer.  Hagar reunites with the Van Halen brothers for a 2004 tour that is quite successful, but once again, the two factions split. June 26, 1973 – Keith Richards and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg are arrested on drug and gun … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 26 in Classic Rock →

June 20, 1978 – Foreigner releases their second album, Double Vision. It goes on to sell over 7 million copies. June 20, 1948 – Toast Of The Town, which would later be called The Ed Sullivan Show, premieres on CBS. The hosts of the first night’s program are Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.  The show goes on to run for 23 years, on the same network … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 20 in Classic Rock →

June 17, 1991 – Van Halen release their 9th album, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, also known as F.U.C.K.  Sammy Hagar titles the album, allegedly wanting to push the issue of censorship. The album goes on to sell over 3 million copies in the U.S. June 17, 1997 – Fans riot at an Ozzfest concert in Columbus, Ohio, after Ozzy Osbourne cancels his performance due to throat issues.  The … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 17 in Classic Rock →

June 11, 1983 – Alex Van Halen marries Valerie Kendall with Alex’s brother Eddie as the best man. The couple divorce less than a year later. June 11, 2002 – Paul McCartney marries Heather Mills in Ireland. In attendance are Elton John, David Gilmour, Chrissie Hynde and Ringo Starr. After a nasty court battle, they divorce in 2008. June 11, 1971 – Dennis Wilson, drummer for … Continue reading CDJ Today: June 11 in Classic Rock →

May 8, 1965 – Bob Dylan shoots a film clip for his song “Subterranean Homesick Blues” which becomes the forerunner to what we now know as music videos.  The famous “flashcard” clip theme is then duplicated many times in music videos and movies. May 8, 1996 – Tommy Lee and wife Pamela Anderson lose their suit against … Continue reading CDJ Today: May 8 in Classic Rock →

April 21, 1990 –Van Halen christen the opening night of their Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with a live performance.  Sammy Hagar would eventually buy out the rest of the band due to the club’s early financial failure.  In later years, Cabo Wabo becomes a huge success. April 21, 2005 – Alex Lifeson of Rush pleads no contest to a … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 21 in Classic Rock →

April 20, 1971 – Five friends at San Rafael High School in California coin the term “4:20” as a euphemism for smoking pot so they could talk about their “activity” in front of their parents. April 20th becomes a popular day to spark one up, as does 4:20 pm… every day. April 20, 2011 – K.K. Downing, guitarist … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 20 in Classic Rock →

April 7, 1990 – Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee suffers a mild concussion after falling 20 feet from the scaffolding above his elevated drum kit. Tommy was descending as usual on a bungee rope but panicked when he thought his roadie wouldn’t pull the brake in time.  He was turned upside down and smashed heads with a person … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 7 in Classic Rock →

April 1, 1985 – David Lee Roth officially leaves Van Halen to start a solo career. Roth later reconsiders and joins Van Halen briefly in 1996 and in 2000, before re-joining permanently in 2006. April 1, 2008 – Scott Weiland officially leaves Velvet Revolver. April 1, 1970  – The Woodstock movie premieres in Hollywood; it eventually grosses $50 million in the United States. April 1, 1976 – Pink Floyd guitarist David … Continue reading CDJ Today: April 1 in Classic Rock →