Today in rock history 14th April

1945 – Ritchie Blackmore, of Deep Purple and Rainbow, is born in Weston-Super-Mare. 1955 – Fats Domino releases “Ain’t That a Shame.” 1963 – The Beatles are introduced to the Rolling Stones for the first time backstage in Richmond. George Harrison says he’s particularly impressed by the unsigned band’s performance. 1965 – The Beatles announce that the title of their second film has been changed from Eight Arms to Hold You to Help! 1967 – David Bowie releases his novelty single “The Laughing Gnome.” Using music hall stylings and a sped-up voice, the song becomes a hit only in 1983. 1969 – Led Zeppelin enter the English albums chart with their self-titled debut in its third week of release. 1974 – Pete Townshend performs solo for the first time at London’s Roundhouse. He’s backed by tapes he made in his home studio. 1980 – A resolution is introduced in the New Jersey Assembly to make Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” the official state song. The resolution fails to be passed. 1980 – Pete Townshend releases his solo album Empty Glass. 1983 – Pete Farndon of the Pretenders dies at the age of 30. 1994 - Nirvana singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain was cremated at the Bleitz Funeral Home in Seattle. One third of Cobain’s ashes were later scattered in the Wishkah River in Washington, one third were scattered in a Buddhist temple in New York & the rest are with Courtney Love. 1997 – Ringo Starr debuts as the host of the VH1 program Classic Albums. 2004 – Courtney Love tells Blender magazine that she’s been swindled out of $40 million “by a fiduciary institution.” An insider says she is in debt to the tune of $4 million. “I’m covered in loser dust,” she wails. 2006 – The Beatles announce plans to digitally remaster their back catalogue and sell it online. 2008 - Queen guitarist Brian May was inducted into Liverpool John Moores University as the university’s fourth Chancellor. 2009 – George Harrison receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2010 – Tom Petty tells Playboy “There are no record people left in the record business; now it’s some guy who used to be with the leased-car department and got a promotion. Or maybe he was an accountant and now he’s a record-company president. And he hires more accountants and leased-car men”.