Today in rock history 14th October

1946 – Singer Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues is born in Swindon, England.

1955 – Buddy Holly opens for Bill Haley & the Comets in Lubbock, Texas. His performance is seen by Nashville talent scout Eddie Crandell, who sets up a demo session for Holly and his band.
1957 – The Elvis Presley classic, ‘Jailhouse Rock’ was released.
1964 – Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts marries Shirley Ann Arnold in Bradford
1966 – At London’s All Saints Hall, Pink Floyd play their first set made up entirely of their psychedelic originals after a band decision to dump its R&B direction.
1967 – The Who release their single “I Can See for Miles” in Britain and the U.S. Pete Townshend is so sure he has a No. 1 on his hands that he’s described as crushed when the single reaches only No. 12 in the U.K.
1971 – John Fogerty is sued by the owners of Specialty Records. Their suit accuses Fogerty of plagiarizing the song “Good Golly, Miss Molly” in his song “Travelin’ Band,” but it’s later dropped.
1972 – In Adelaide, Australia, Joe Cocker and six members of his band are arrested after police allegedly discover marijuana and heroin in their dressing rooms. Cocker is later released on bail.
1993 – Rolling Stone magazine ranks the video for Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” as the No.1 video in video history
1994 – At a Pink Floyd concert at London’s Earls Court, a section of seating collapses, injuring several people
1998 – B.B. King picks up a lifetime achievement award at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
2003 – Ozzy Osbourne seeks treatment for Parkinson’s Disease-like tremors and postpones a fall European tour, The veteran rock artist says in a statement, “I have been in Boston for the last three weeks, having medical tests for a tremor which has become markedly worse over the last two years.”
2003 – Montreal punk rock fans destroy cars and smash windows after Total Chaos and the Exploited cancel a show. Members of the Exploited were refused admission to Canada.
2003 – Troubled Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland files for divorce from his wife of three years.
2004 - Eric Clapton was banned from driving in France after being caught driving 134mph, 53mph above the speed limit in his Porsche 911 Turbo
2007 - Ted Nugent made a voice cameo on The Simpsons where he was on the phone telling a prisoner voiced by Steve Buscemi to vote no on a fictional proposition that banned crossbows in public schools, a jab on Nugent’s political stance.

Today in rock history 12th October

1957 – Little Richard publicly renounces rock `n’ roll and embraces Christianity during a tour in Australia.
1970 – Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” debuts on Broadway.
1971 – Early rock’n’roller Gene Vincent of “Be Bop A Lula” fame dies at age 36 from a ruptured stomach ulcer.
1975: Rod Stewart performed his final concert with The Faces at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.
1978 – Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen.
1987 - Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider announced that he was leaving the band. Snider later reunited with Twisted Sister ten years later.
1991 – Nirvana’s album, “Nevermind” hits No. 1 on the Chart Toppers Album chart, going gold. The same day, Nirvana plays “Saturday Night Live.”
1999 – David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young appear at New York’s Madison Square Garden to announce their forthcoming album and CSNY2K tour.
2001 – Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland quits the band. A post on the group’s Web site states, “Limp Bizkit and Wes Borland have amicably decided to part ways. Both Limp Bizkit and Borland will continue to pursue their respective musical careers.”
2005 – Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee suffered minor burns at a concert in Casper, Wyoming during a pyrotechnics explosion. Lee was treated at a local hospital for the injuries to his arm and face, which occurred while he was suspended from a wire 30 feet above the stage.
2011 –Guitar maker ‘Gibson faces criminal investigation over claims it violated environmental laws for importing exotic and protected woods.
2011 – Chickenfoot Announces 5-date tour in Europe.

Today in rock history 11th October

1946 – Born on this day, Gary Mallaber, drums, Steve Miller Band.
1955 – Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash kicked off an eleven date tour of the Southern US states in Abilene, Texas.
1962 – Born on this day, Andy McCoy, Hanoi Rocks.
1962 – Born on this day, Scott Johnson, Gin Blossoms
1965 – The Beatles release their single “Roll Over Beethoven,” a cover of the Chuck Berry classic.
1967 – The Doors appeared at Danbury High School, Danbury, Connecticut. Before the group came on stage an announcer told the audience not to leave their seats during the performance or they would be escorted out of the venue. There was also a beauty pageant just prior to The Doors coming on stage.
1967 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono open their joint exhibition Half-a-Wind Show at London’s Lisson Gallery.
1968 – During a Beatles recording session at Abbey Road six saxophonists recorded parts for ‘Savoy Truffle’ for the forthcoming White Album. George Harrison distorted the saxophones to get the desired sound.
1969 – The No. 1 album in America today is Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Green River.
1975 - The first episode of Saturday Night Live then titled Saturday Night premiered on NBC. The episode was hosted by George Carlin, first musical guests were Janis Ian & Billy Preston & the bandleader was Paul Shaffer.
1983 - Kiss performed their first concert without makeup at the Cascais Hall in Lisbon, Portugal.
1990 – Drummer Dave Grohl played his first gig with Nirvana when they appeared at the North Shore Surf Club in Olympia.
1997 – Gregg Allman, Bo Diddley, Keb’Mo’, Buddy Guy and John Hiatt are among the musicians who perform at a tribute to Muddy Waters at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
1999 – Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was released on $5000 bail after facing charges relating to a riot at a gig in North Carolina in 1997. Lee allegedly incited the crowd to attack a guard and had also poured a drink over his head.
2005 – Rod Stewart received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honour a career spanning more than 40 years.
2005 – Freddie Mercury’s 1974 Rolls Royce was offered for auction on eBay by his family. The Silver Shadow luxury vehicle had already attracted bids of up to £8,400. It came with an unused box of tissues the singer always stored in the car.
2006 – Singer Justin Hawkins announces that he has left British band the Darkness to continue his drug rehabilitation.
2010 - Vince Neil will go to trial on January 6 on drunken driving and speeding charges stemming from his recent arrest.

Today in rock history 10th October

1902 – The Gibson Mandolin guitar company was formed.
1939 – The real Eleanor Rigby died in her sleep of unknown causes at the age of 44.
1955 – David Lee Roth is born in Bloomington, Ind
1959 – The Quarry Men played at the Casbah Coffee Club, Liverpool.
1960 – Born on this day, Eric Martin, singer, Mr. Big
1970 – Black Sabbath were at No.1 on the UK chart with their second album ‘Paranoid.’
1978 – Joe Perry and Steve Tyler from Aerosmith were injured after a cherry bomb was thrown on stage during a gig in Philadelphia. The group performed behind a safety fence for the rest of the tour.
1979 – Fleetwood Mac were awarded a star on the Hollywood walk of fame..
1980 – The funeral took place of Led Zeppelin’s drummer John Bonham. ‘Bonzo’ was found dead at guitarist’s Jimmy Page’s house of what was described as asphyxiation, after inhaling his own vomit after excessive vodka consumption.
1987 -  ZZ Top announced that they made an advance booking for the first passenger flight to the Moon.
1992 – Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash (Saul Hudson) marries Renee Suran in Marina Del Rey, Calif.
1995 - Peter Frampton released the long awaited follow-up to his record-setting live album released 19 years earlier. Its title: Frampton Comes Alive II.
2006 – Sting releases “Songs From the Labyrinth,” an album of 16th century lute songs.
2011 – Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell tied the knot.

Today in rock history 9th October

1940 – John Lennon is born in Liverpool
1944 – John Entwistle of the Who is born in London
1948 – Jackson Browne is born in Heidelberg, West Germany.
1971 – This evening, John Lennon celebrates his 31st birthday in a New York hotel room that includes guests Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, and Phil Spector. Everybody gets very drunk.
1975 – Sean Lennon is born this day
1976 – Rather differing philosophies are on display at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium, where the Who and the Grateful Dead co-headline.
1977 – The Clash delay the start of a concert in Sweden after a bomb scare
1978 – David Bowie releases his live album Stage
2000 – John Lennon’s views on everything from the breakup of the Beatles to his attitude toward revolution and drugs, deemed too controversial to print 30 years before, are revealed in a the book “Lennon The Complete Rolling Stone Interviews.”
2000 – On what would have been Beatles frontman John Lennon’s 60th Birthday, the John Lennon Museum opens to the public. Braving heavy rains, about 1,200 people line up around the museum in Tokyo 
2001 – U2 frontman Bono, R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, and electronica maven Moby make unannounced appearances in New York, at the second of two anti-violence benefit concerts organized by the Beastie Boys.
2001: Bob Dylan was refused backstage access to his own concert at the Jackson County Exposition Center in Medford, OR for not presenting his pass. Dylan requested tighter security during this tour & the guards that didn’t recognize him were thrown out.
2003 – Limp Bizkit are sued by 172 fans for storming off stage at the Summer Sanitarium tour’s Chicago stop after only playing 17 minutes. The band had been bombarded with garbage.
2003 – Singer Jon Stevens leaves INXS over musical differences. He originally joined the “Need You Tonight” band in 2002 following the death of Michael Hutchence.
2006 – U2 leave the Island label–their home for nearly 25 years–for Mercury.
2010 – In honour of John Lennon’s 70th Birthday on Saturday October 9, 2010, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and BoxofVision LLC will today seal three authorized time capsules to carry his legacy to future generations.

Today in rock history 8th October

1948 – Johnny Ramone – the Ramones’ famed one-chord guitarist – is born in Long Island, N.Y. His real name is John Cummings.

1957 – Jerry Lee Lewis cuts “Great Balls of Fire” after a lengthy dispute with his producer over whether he was supposed to be playing the devil’s music.
1964 – Ringo Starr successfully passes his driving test on the same day the Beatles have their first recording session for “I Feel Fine.”
1966 - Cream drummer Ginger Baker collapsed during a concert at Sussex University in the U.K. after a twenty minute drum solo on “Toad”.
1968 – The Beatles work on recording “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill,” and Yoko Ono cuts the first female “lead vocal” on a Beatles song.
1977 – Jimmy Page plays down rumors of a Led Zeppelin split at the band’s Swan Song offices. He lashes out at the press, which accused him of dabbling in black magic.
1987 – Chuck Berry receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame the same day that Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, a documentary about a Berry tribute concert organized by Keith Richards, premieres.
1988 – Keith Richards, probably fully recovered from doing battle with Chuck Berry, performs on Saturday Night Live.
1988 – Farewell to Dark Side of the Moon. The Pink Floyd album finally drops out of the Billboard 200 chart, 741 weeks after it first debuted there.
1994 – U2, Iggy Pop, Cheap Trick, and others perform on the pay-per-view special A Tribute to Elvis.
2004 – The Strokes, Blondie, Sonic Youth, Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Joan Jett perform at a charity tribute to the Ramones in New York.
2006 – The Killers started a three week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Sam’s Town’ the US bands second album.
2010 – Ozzy Osbourne has blasted religious leaders in Kansas for using the lyrics to his song “Crazy Train” to promote messages of hate and evil. The rocker was appalled when he learned that members of the Westboro Baptist Church had paraphrased lyrics from the song
2010 - A Weezer anti-fan has launched an online campaign to stop the band from releasing another album – and he’s hoping to raise $10 million to silence them. Weezer anti-fan, from Seattle, Washington claims he was inspired by friends who are fans of the “Buddy Holly” rockers but disappointed by their recent musical offerings.
2010 - According to Nine.com.au, AC/DC have beaten Nirvana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and The Beatles in an online poll to find the best acts of all time.

Today in rock history 7th October

1945 – Kevin Godley, drummer with 10cc and later a respected video director, is born in Manchester
1949 – Bassist Dave Hope of Kansas is born in Kansas
1951 – John Mellencamp is born in Seymour, Ind. He is given the name Johnny Cougar by David Bowie’s manager, Tony DeFries.
1953 – Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres is born
1966 – Johnny Kidd, he of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, dies in a car accident in Radcliff, England.
1967 – The Beatles turn down a million-dollar offer to play Shea Stadium again.
1970 – Ned Kelly, the second film starring Mick Jagger, is released in Britain.
1975 – John Lennon can finally stay in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York rules that his 1968 pot bust is an invalid excuse for forcing him to leave America.
1977 – David Bowie releases Heroes, the second album in his trilogy recorded with Brian Eno.
1977 – Guitarist Steve Hackett leaves Genesis to start a solo career.
1978 – On today’s singles chart, Boston’s “Don’t Look Back” peaks at No. 4, while Exile continue to hold the No. 1 spot with “Kiss You All Over.”
1980 – A court rules that the death of John Bonham, Led Zeppelin’s drummer, was accidental.
1982 – Jimmy Page is found guilty of cocaine possession. He’s given a 12-month conditional discharge.
1989 – Jefferson Airplane perform a benefit for the San Francisco Food Bank. All you have to do to get in is donate a can of food.
1996 – Bruce Springsteen’s solo show at Charlotte, N.C.’s Ovens Auditorium sells out in eight minutes. He’s promoting his Ghost of Tom Joad album
1997 – Continuing a verbal sparring match which started earlier in the month, Elton John replies to Keith Richards’ charge that John’s only claim to fame is “writing songs for dead blondes.” John shoots back, “He’s so pathetic, poor thing. It’s like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go onstage and look young.”
1998 - Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, Meat Loaf & Joe Strummer of The Clash were among the guest stars on South Park. They appeared as musicians whose careers were boosted by Chef’s advice & played a benefit concert for him.
2004 – Poison’s C. C. DeVille is named the worst guitarist soloist of all time by Guitar World magazine. Exhibit A is his nine-minute solo from Swallow This … Live!
2004 – Melissa Etheridge reveals that she has breast cancer.
2009 – KISS founding drummer Peter Criss announced on his official website that last year he was diagnosed with breast cancer.