Today in rock history 17th July

1941 – Spencer Davis, he of the Spencer Davis Group, is born in Swansea, Wales. 1949 – Bassist Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath is born in Birmingham 1949 – Mick Tucker, who only could have played drums for Sweet with a name like that, is born in Harlesden, England. 1968 – The full-length animated film “Yellow Submarine,” with songs by the Beatles, premieres in London. 1972 – In Montreal, a bomb destroys several speaker cones inside an equipment truck belonging to the touring Rolling Stones. The musical terrorist responsible remains at large. 1974 – The Moody Blues open the first quadraphonic studio in London. 1974 – The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service orders John Lennon to leave the country within 60 days. 1975 – Ringo Starr divorces his wife, Maureen Cox. 1979 – Guitarist Gary Moore leaves Thin Lizzy, to be replaced by future Ultravox member and “Do They Know It’s Christmas” songwriter Midge Ure. 1987 – Keith Richards signs with Virgin Records as a solo artist 1987 – The Ozzy Osbourne Band started a 16-week tour of US prisons. 1991 – The revamped Lynyrd Skynyrd launch their latest world tour in Baton Rouge, La. 1994 – In Pontiac, Mich., Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley make a surprise appearance at a Kiss convention. But while browsing the stalls, they discover Kiss costumes stolen from them more than a decade ago. 1996 – Chas Chandler, the Animals bassist who became Jimi Hendrix’s manager, dies in England at age 58. 1996 – Smashing Pumpkin Jimmy Chamberlin is fired from the band. A week earlier the drummer had been arrested on drug-possession charges in connection with the fatal overdose of touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin. 2000 – British vocalist Paul Young, who sang with Mike And The Mechanics and Sad CafT, dies of a heart attack in Chesire, 2006 – Hunky Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and teen fantasy Carmen Electra announce they are splitting after three years of marriage. Their beautiful division is described as “amicable.” 2011 – The main stage at Ottawa Bluesfest collapsed during a Cheap Trick concert as a severe thunderstorm sent the musicians and thousands of fans running for cover.