Today in Rock n Roll History

1957: Buddy Holly & The Crickets recorded That’ll Be the Day in Clovis, NM during their first session with producer Norman Petty.

1970: Led Zeppelin perform at Sweden’s Goteborg Courthouse. While Jimmy Page plays the instrumental “White Summer,” a fan in the audience decides to accompany him by tootling on a harmonica. When the song is over, the offended Page spits on him.

1981: Rush received their first platinum album as 2112 was certified by the RIAA for sales of one million copies.

1982: Iron Maiden kicked off their The Beast on the Road tour in Dunstable, U.K. in support of The Number of the Beast. During this tour they performed 179 concerts in sixteen countries. When they toured North America, they opened tours for Rainbow, 38 Special, the Scorpions &Judas Priest.

1993: Toy Caldwell, the guitarist for The Marshall Tucker Band died of heart disease. He was 45 years old.

1998: Bob Dylan wins three Grammys at this year’s ceremony, including Best Album for his career renaissance Time out of Mind. While performing a song from the album, he is interrupted by a rogue performance artist with the words “soy bomb” painted on his chest. The freewheelin’ one doesn’t flinch.

1999: The Artist Formerly Known as Prince files a copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit against nine Web sites, with allegations that include selling bootlegged recordings and offering unauthorized song downloads.

2002: Piano man Billy Joel is the honoree at the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute in Los Angeles.

2003: Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington underwent emergency heart surgery. Rossington had gone in for a routine screening & was found to have severe coronary artery disease. The surgery was a success & Lynyrd Skynyrd postponed the release of their album Vicious Circle & tour dates.

2003: A wig reported to cost $10,000 is stolen from Cher’s dressing room during the Richmond, Va., stop of her Living Proof tour. The wig is returned two weeks later.

2003: Paul McCartney and his band perform at the 50th birthday of fan Wendy Whitworth in San Diego. Whitworth’s husband paid $1 million to McCartney, who donated his fee to the Adopt-a-Minefield charity.

2004: The Rolling Stones topped a US Rich List of music’s biggest money makers. The list was based on earnings during 2003 when the band played their “Forty Licks” tour, which made them $212 million in ticket, CD, DVD and merchandise sales. The three million fans who went to the shows spent an average of $11 each on merchandise. Bruce Springsteen was listed in second place and The Eagles in third.

2004: Blues saxophonist A.C. Reed dies in Chicago of complications from cancer.

2010: Apple today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded over 10 billion songs from the iTunes Store the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store. The 10 billionth song, “Guess Things Happen That Way” by Johnny Cash, was purchased by Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia. As the winner of the iTunes Countdown to 10 Billion Songs, Louie will receive a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card. iTunes is the number one music retailer in the world and features the world’s largest music catalog with over 12 million songs.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS
1943: George Harrison