Today in rock history 27th February

Today in rock history Saturday 27th February 1951 – Born on this day, Steve Harley, singer, Cockney Rebel. 1954 – Journey founder and Santana guitarist Neal Schon is born in San Mateo, Calif. 1955 – Billboard announces that, for the first time, seven-inch 45 rpm singles are outselling 78s in US. 1957 – John Roy “Johnny” Van Zant (born February 27, 1959, in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American musician and the current Lead vocalist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. 1957 – Born on this day, Adrian Smith, Iron Maiden. 1967 – Pink Floyd record Arnold Layne, their first single. 1970 – Jefferson Airplane is fined for using profanity during a show in Oklahoma City. The fine is $1,000. 1971 – Five months after her death, Janis Joplin started a nine-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Pearl". 1974 – Cher filed for divorce from Sonny Bono. Cher had married Gregg Allman from The Allman Brothers band on 27th June 1975. 1977 – Led Zeppelin cancel the kick-off of their world tour in Dallas after Robert Plant comes down with tonsillitis. 1980 – The Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes,” wins Grammys for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. 1998 – Motley Crue member Vince Neil, not to outdone by Tommy Lee, announces an agreement with Internet Entertainment Group and Vivid Video to distribute a 60-minute home video of him having sex with two adult film models while on vacation in Hawaii. 1998 – One day after being charged, rocker Tommy Lee is free on bail after pleading innocent to charges of abusing his wife, actress Pamela Anderson Lee, and their baby son. A judge reluctantly cuts Lee’s $1 million bail in half despite a plea relayed through an attorney who says that Mrs. Lee is fearful. 2001 – Returning home after a 46-year absence, guitarist Carlos Santana unveils a plaque in Autlan De Navarro declaring him the “favorite son” of the west-central Mexican town. 2003 – A lawyer for Great White’s tour manager says the band had permission from a Rhode Island nightclub to use pyrotechnics at their fatal Feb. 20 show. 2003 – Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington undergoes emergency heart surgery, leaving the Southern rockers to delay a forthcoming tour and the release of their Vicious Cycle album. 2008 – Eric Clapton is been invited to play a landmark concert in communist North Korea, according to an official at the country’s embassy in London. 2010 - Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz has been appointed as a spokesperson for UNICEF to raise awareness about the importance of providing clean drinking water for children around the world.