Today in rock history 23rd August

1947 – Rock ‘n’ roll as we know it can now truly begin, as the Who’s Keith Moon is born in Wembley 1949 – Rick Springfield (Richard Springthorpe) is born in Sydney, Australia. 1951 – Jim Jamison of Survivor is born this day 1961 – Born on this day, Dean Deleo, guitar, Stone Temple Pilots 1962 – John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell. Paul McCartney is best man. 1966 – In Chicago, Big Brother & the Holding Company sign to Mainstream Records in return for airfare back to San Francisco. 1966 – On their final tour of America, The Beatles performed at Shea Stadium in New York City, New York. Unlike the previous year’s performance, which had sold out, there were 11,000 empty seats in the 55,600 seat stadium. 1968 – Flushing Meadows in Queens hosts the New York Rock Festival, featuring the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Big Brother & the Holding Company, and the Soft Machine. 1970 – Lou Reed leaves the Velvet Underground following a gig at Max’s Kansas City. The group’s manager carries on, making Doug Yule the frontman. 1971 – Pink Floyd begin their final sessions for this year’s Meddle album. 1975 – Paul Kossoff, former guitarist with English rockers Free, has a scare when his heart stops beating for 35 minutes 1975 – Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album enters the charts. It’s the former blues band’s first record with pop-oriented songwriters Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on board. 1980 – In the U.K., David Bowie has a No. 1 single with “Ashes to Ashes.” His bizarre clown video inadvertently gives birth to the new romantic movement. 1987 – There was more than musical excitement at a Grateful Dead concert in 1987. Police killed an escaped drug addict who had shot one of the officers. The event was celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Summer of Love 1989 - The Cars’ singer & guitarist Ric Ocasek married longtime girlfriend Paulina Porizkova on the Caribbean island of St. Bart’s. They remain married to this day. 1991 – Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Pop Will Eat Itself, Dinosaur Jr, Chapterhouse, Nirvana, Silverfish, Babes in Toyland, James, The Fall, De La Soul, Blur, Teenage Fanclub, Flowered Up, The Fat Lady Sings, Kingmaker, Mercury Rev, Sisters of Mercy and Neds Atomic Dustbin all appeared at this year’s three day Reading Festival in England. 1999 – Don Henley sues Paramount Pictures Corp., alleging the studio reneged on a deal to feature a song, “Taking You Home,” he penned expressly for the hit film “Double Jeopardy. 2004 – Queen, became the first UK rock band to receive official approval in Iran, where Western music was strictly prohibited. 2007 - Queen guitarist Brian May completed his Doctorate in astrophysics at Imperial College in London.