Today in rock history 25th July

1943 – Drummer Jim McCarty, the missing link between the Yardbirds and the Detroit Wheels, is born in Liverpool 1950 – Bassist Mark Clarke of hard-rock legends Mountain and Uriah Heep is born in Liverpool 1964 – Today’s Billboard reports on the success of the British group the Animals, who recently enjoyed a U.K. No. 1 with “House of the Rising Son.” 1965 – Bob Dylan performs his first non-acoustic set at the Newport Folk Festival to a hostile crowd. 1966 – The Rolling Stones play San Francisco. The concert is their last American live performance with founding guitarist Brian Jones. 1968 – Eric Clapton plays lead guitar for George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on the album “The Beatles” (also known as “The White Album”). 1967 – In today’s London Times appears a petition calling for the legalization of marijuana. It’s signed by the Beatles and their manager, Brian Epstein. 1969 – Led Zeppelin play Milwaukee at the Midwest Rock Festival. 1969 – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young give their first live performance at the Fillmore East in New York. 1970 – Chicago release their single “25 or 6 to 4.” 1980 – Kiss unveil their new drummer at New York’s Palladium. The newly christened Eric Carr, born Paul Caravello, is made up to look like a fox after the band decides against the hawk look. 1984 – The body of “Big Mama” Thornton, who recorded the original “Hound Dog,” is found in a Los Angeles boarding house. She was 57. 1990 – To the Boss, a son. Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa become the proud parents of Evan James. 1992 – Bryan Adams helps two motorists whose car struck his on a highway in St. Gellen, Switzerland. Adams was traveling from Zurich to Vienna as part of a concert tour when the other car skidded out of control, grazed his car and hit an embankment. 1999 - On the final day of Woodstock ’99 in Rome, NY, riots occurred during the closing set by the Red Hot Chili Peppers which resulted in 120 arrests. 2001 - The Doors’ drummer John Densmore & Bonnie Raitt among others were arrested in Itasca, IL for protesting against a company that is claimed to destroy rainforests. 2003 – A student film of John Lennon imitating a baboon sells for $53,700 at an auction. 2003 – Iron Butterfly guitarist Erik Braunn dies of heart failure. He was 52. 2005 – Megadeth lead singer Dave Mustaine sues his former bassist David Ellefson, alleging he used the name of the group without Mustaine’s permission. 2010 - Emerson, Lake & Palmer performed a one-off fortieth anniversary concert headlining the initial High Voltage festival at London’s Victoria Park.