Are you ready to learn some stuff? It’s February 3rd and here’s what happened Today in Rock History!
Starting the day, we go to 1959. Now, I know we typically don’t go this far back when we talk about Rock History, but today is a very significant point in rock as today would be known as The Day the Music Died when young musicians Buddy Holly (22), Ritchie Valens (17) and The Big Bopper (28), as well as pilot Roger Peterson would die in a plane crash outside Clear Lake, IA. The tragic event would be forever immortalized in Don McLean’s song American Pie.
In 2003, music producer Phil Spector murdered actress Lana Clarkson at his home in Alhambra, CA with a pistol. Police would arrive shortly after and Spector would be arrested and charged with murder. Spector would be later sentenced in 2009 to 19 years to life in prison and would die in 2021 while incarcerated.
OK! Now let’s move onto something more upbeat as in 2008, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed during the halftime-show of Supe– WAIT! We can’t call it by name! Let’s try again…. During the halftime-show of The BIG GAME XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium, playing many Petty classics!
With releases, we got Cheap Trick’s self-titled debut in 1977, David Bowie’s Earthling in 1997 and A Crow Left of the Murder from Incubus in 2004!
In 1992, Pearl Jam traveled to Southend, England to start off their first ever European tour, playing to the insanely huge crowd of 300 people at The Esplanade Club. I think they’re doing pretty well off nowadays.
Moving into birthdays, we have Lee Crystal of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts!
Other birthdays include Arthur Kane of the New York Dolls, Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Lol Tolhurst of The Cure and Dave Davies of The Kinks!
In 1976, David Bowie debuted his new persona, The Thin White Duke, on the first day of his new US tour. With slicked-back hair and dressed in a black-vested suit, Bowie would describe the Duke as “a nasty character indeed.”
And finally, while playing at the Rainbow Theatre in London in 1981, Pete Townshend of The Who drank four bottles of brandy onstage. Instead of playing, Townshend would verbally assault the crowd while his bandmates continued the show without him. Pete would enter rehab just a few months later, but he would later turn to drugs. Townshend would enter rehab again the following year and finally gets clean.
This has been Today in Rock History! Check back tomorrow for your next rock history lesson!
