“Proud Mary” is Creedence Clearwater Revival’s first million selling single. 1969
Foreigner’s self-titled debut is out. The hits “Feels Like The First Time” and “Cold As Ice” make an immediate impact. 1977
“Superunknown,” Soundgarden’s critical and commercial breakthrough album, arrives. It goes on to top the Billboard 200. 1994
Nine Inch Nails present their masterpiece “The Downward Spiral.” The group’s sophomore full-length set goes on to sell four-million copies in North America and five million worldwide. 1994
MORE TODAY IN ROCK…
The Monkees’ singer, drummer and dominant personality, Mickey Dolenz, is born. 1945
Randy Meisner, The Eagles original bassist, has a birthday. 1946
Guitarist Mel Galley (Whitesnake) is born in Cannock, Staffordshire, England. 1948
The first Fillmore East show. Big Brother & The Holding Company top the bill. 1968
Kick out the jams! Elektra Records signs Detroit’s MC5. 1969
Paul McCartney pleads guilty to growing marijuana on his Scottish farm. He claims a fan gave him the seeds and he didn’t know what they were. Right. Paul suffers a small fine and continues “farming.” 1973
The Grateful Dead’s Ron “Pigpen” McKernan dies from a stomach hemorrhage and liver failure in Corte Madera, CA. He was 27. 1973
Andy Ross is born in Worcester, MA. The OK Go guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist replaces Andy Duncan in ’05. 1979
Beck’s “Loser” is out. The song was written and recorded while Beck was visiting producer Carl Stephenson’s home. 1993
The end of the western civilization as we know it. “Bevis and Butthead” premiere on MTV. 1993
“Secret Samadhi,” the fourth studio album by Live, is #1 on the Billboard 200 with debut week sales of 227,000 copies. “Lakini’s Juice,” “Rattlesnake,” “Turn My Head” and “Freaks” are the primary tracks. 1997
The Wallflowers’ dramatic “One Headlight” tops the Modern Rock chart. 1997
Modest Mouse release “Float On,” the first single from “Good News For People Who Love Bad News.” It becomes the band’s first #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. 2004
Axis of Justice, co-founded by Audioslave’s Tom Morello, helps a Coalition of Immokalee Workers (C.I.W.) reach a settlement with Taco Bell. The coalition boycotted the fast-food chain over unfair working conditions. “By standing up and standing together, we can change the world,” says Morello. Most C.I.W. members are immigrants with low-wage jobs in Florida. 2005
Eddie Van Halen quietly announces that he’s in rehab. “I have decided to enter a rehabilitation facility to work on myself, so that in the future I can deliver the 110% that I feel I owe (Van Halen’s fans),” the guitarist says in a statement. The stay in rehab causes Eddie to miss his group’s induction into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. 2007
Seether’s “Country Song,” the first single from “Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray,” begins its’ journey to the top of the Billboard Active Rock Chart. 2011
Mike Starr, former bassist for Alice In Chains, is found dead by police in a Salt Lake City home. “There is nothing to indicate that this was foul play by another individual,” says a police representative. Three weeks earlier, the 44-year-old Starr was jailed after he was found in illegal possession of prescription drugs. 2011
David Bowie’s first album in 10 years, “The Next Day,” is released. 2013
Founding Eagles member Randy Meisner spends his 70th birthday (see above) in a psych ward for threatening suicide after his wife is killed when she accidently shoots herself. 2016
Producer Sir George Martin dies at the age of 90. Martin signed The Beatles and produced their albums. “If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle, it was George,” writes Paul McCartney. 2016
At The Gates announce via Facebook that they have parted ways with founding guitarist Anders Bjorler who, along with the group, is credited with helping define Metalcore with ‘95’s “Slaughter Of The Soul.” 2017
Deftones part ways with their longtime bassist Sergio Vega. He joined the band in ’09, replacing Chi Cheng (who suffered career ending injuries in an auto collision). 2022
Econoline Crush guitarist David “Ziggy” Sigmund dies. He first appeared on the band’s ‘97 album “The Devil You Know” – which went platinum. 2022
Five Finger Death Punch singer Ivan Moody celebrates his fifth year of sobriety. He nearly died due to an alcohol-related seizure and went to rehab five times before it finally stuck. 2023
Dark Angel guitarist Jim Durkin passes away at aged 58. Durkin was one of the main songwriters on the band’s first three albums – “We Have Arrived” (‘85), “Darkness Descends” (’86) and “Leave Scars” (‘89). 2023
