Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s December 31st and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Happy New Year’s Eve and what a BUSY day we have for you!
Starting off in 1984, while on the way to a New Year’s party at his family’s home, Rick Allen of Def Leppard gets into a car crash while driving his Corvette Stingray on the A57 outside Sheffield, England. The crash would be caused by Allen trying to pass a Jaguar in a fit of road rage and not seeing a sudden turn. Allen was throw from the vehicle and the crash would result in the loss of his left arm after it was severed by the Corvette’s seatbelt. Allen would return to the band later after learning how to play the drums again with the help of foot pedals
Moving onto birthdays now, we have Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith!
Other birthdays include: Bob Bryar of My Chemical Romance and Pete Quaife of The Kinks!
As well as Burton Cummings of The Guess Who, Andy Summers of The Police, and Scott Ian of Anthrax!
In 1974 Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac
There were multiple stage debuts on this day: first were The Beach Boys in 1961 using their now iconic name. In 1963, The Kinks debuted for the first time playing at the Lotus House Restaurant in London. And in 1973, Journey debuts at the Winterland Ballroom and AC/DC made their live debut when they appeared at Chequers Bar in Sydney, Australia.
Speaking of the Winterland Ballroom, in 1978, the final show at the iconic venue took place. On the bill that night were The Blues Brothers, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Grateful Dead. The show would last EIGHT HOURS with the Dead playing SIX of those hours. The show was broadcasted on the local PBS TV station KQED and simulcast on the KSAN-FM radio station. After the show ended the crowd was treated to a hot, buffet-style breakfast. The Winterland would close its doors the next day.
Another closure occured in 1982 as Max’s Kansas City closed it’s doors. The club was considered the gathering spot for the in-the-know crowd of musicians, poets, artists and more in the 60s and 70s. It also served as the launching point for many East Coast musicians like The New York Dolls, The Velvet Underground, and Bruce Springsteen.
We lost Jeremiah Green of Modest Mouse in 2022 from cancer at the age of 45.
Paul McCartney was knighted on this day in 1996. When receiving the award, he dedicated it to his fellow Beatle members.
But that isn’t the last thing about Paul and The Beatles today, as in 1970, McCartney SUED his former bandmates to officially dissolve their partnership. His reasons were not only the fact that the band were no longer performing together, but also the fact that his bandmates appointed Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein to be their manager without McCartney’s consent. The band would legally split in 1974
In 1978, The Runaways play what would be their final show ever at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The band would officially call it quits in April 1979.
And finally in 2015, Motley Crue played what they claimed to have been their final show ever in their hometown of Los Angeles, complete with Nikki Sixx’s flamethrower bass and Tommy Lee’s drum roller coaster. The band would reunite for another world tour in 2022.
This has been Today in Rock History! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
