HC's Rock Rewind: April 24 - May 7

HC's Rock Rewind

A look back at the past two weeks in Rock History

by Team HC

April 24th -30th

From the births of Ace Frehley and Kim Gordon to the release of 1976 - AC/DC’s High Voltage, the final week of April is packed with rock ‘n’ roll history and nostalgia. Read on for some major events, historic record releases and births and deaths taking place April 24 through April 30.

Events

1969 - Led Zeppelin performed “Whole Lotta Love” live for the first time. It was at a concert at The Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.

1975 - Pete Ham of Badfinger commits suicide by hanging himself in his London home.

1973 - Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon went to No. 1 on the U.S. charts.

1977 - The final live recordings of Elvis Presley to be released were done during a performance in Saginaw, Michigan.

1977 - Talking Heads starts their first European tour, opening for the Ramones.

1978 - Queen's "We Are the Champions" is certified Gold.

1991 – Nirvana inks a record deal with Geffen Records’ DGC label.

1997 - U2’s famed Pop Mart Tour kicked off in Las Vegas.

Releases

1969 – The Moody Blues: On the Threshold of a Dream

1970 - Ringo Starr: Sentimental Journey

1971 - Thin Lizzy: Thin Lizzy

1973 - Paul McCartney and Wings: Red Rose Speedway

1974 - J.J. Cale: Okie

1976 - AC/DC: High Voltage

1977 - Alice Cooper: Lace and Whiskey

1980 - Black Sabbath: Heaven and Hell

1981 - Van Halen: Fair Warning

1985 – Exodus: Bonded by Blood

1989 - Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever

1993 - Porno for Pyros: Porno for Pyros

1994 - Johnny Cash: American Recordings

1994 - Live: Throwing Copper

1996 - Dave Matthews Band: Crash

1998 - Dave Matthews Band: Before These Crowded Streets

2000 – Papa Roach: Infest

2004 - Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose

2005 - Bruce Springsteen: Devils & Dust

2008 - Def Leppard: Songs from the Sparkle Lounge

2009 - Halestorm: Halestorm

2010 - Bullet for My Valentine: Fever

2015 - Zac Brown Band: Jekyll + Hyde

Deaths

Pete Ham – April 24, 1975

Bobby "Boris" Pickett – April 25, 2007

Tommy Caldwell - April 28, 1980

Steve Currie - April 28, 1981

Jack Ely - April 28, 2015

Mick Ronson - April 29, 1993

Muddy Waters - April 30, 1983

Darrell Sweet - April 30, 1999

Ben E King - April 30, 2015

Births

Barbra Streisand – April 24, 1942

Steve York – April 24, 1948

Boris Williams – April 24, 1957

Billy Gould – April 24, 1963

Tyson Ritter – April 24, 1984

Ella Fitzgerald - April 25, 1918

Albert King - April 25, 1923

Stu Cook – April 25, 1945

David Sikes – April 25, 1955

Paul Baloff – April 25, 1960

Eric Avery – April 25, 1965

Duane Eddy - April 26, 1938

Kate Pierson - April 27, 1948

Kim Gordon - April 28, 1953

Francis Rossi - April 29, 1949

Lonnie Donegan - April 29, 1931

Willie Nelson - April 29, 1933

Ace Frehley - April 27, 1951

Patrick Stump - April 27, 1984

Justin Vernon - April 30, 1981

May 1st -7th 

May is here, and with it comes a collection of memorable rock events that happened during the first week of May. From birth of Bob Seger to the release of Johnny Cash’s great song “I Walk the Line," keep reading for some major events, historic record releases and notable births and deaths happening May 1 – 7.

Events

1957 - The Kingston Trio get together in Palo Alto, California.

1959 - The first Grammy Awards are held in Los Angeles.

1966 – The Beatles perform their last ever concert (not including their Apple Records rooftop performance in 1969) in England when they play at a gig put on by the New Musical Express.

1968 - Steppenwolf rocks the U.S. TV airwaves for the first time, performing “Born to Be Wild” on American Bandstand.

1970 – Diana Ross exits The Supremes to focus on her solo music.

1982 - Adam and the Ants break up.

1982 - Diana Ross gets her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1991 – MTV Unplugged, for the first time, has rap acts on the show with LL Cool J, De La Soul, MC Lyte and A Tribe Called Quest.

1991 - Texas Governor Ann Richards declares May 4 ZZ Top day in Texas.

1997 - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame moves its induction ceremony to Cleveland for the first time, home to the Rock Hall.

Releases

Johnny Cash, I Walk The Line, 1956

Elvis Presley, Speedway, 1968

The Rolling Stones, Brown Sugar, 1971 (U.S.)

Sum 41, All Killer, No Filler, 2001

Living Colour, Vivid, 1988

Queensrÿche, Operation: Mindcrime, 1988

Poison, Open Up and Say...Ahh!, 1988

Births

Johnny Colt (The Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd), May 1, 1966

Tim McGraw, May 1, 1967

D'Arcy Wretsky-Brown (The Smashing Pumpkins), May 1, 1968

Bob Henrit (The Kinks, Argent), May 2, 1944

Goldy McJohn (Steppenwolf), May 2, 1945

Lou Gramm (Foreigner), May 2, 1950

John Glascock (Jethro Tull), May 2, 1951

Bing Crosby, May 3, 1903

Pete Seeger (The Weavers), May 3, 1919

James Brown, May 3, 1933

Frankie Valli (The Four Seasons), May 3, 1937

Bruce Hall (REO Speedwagon), May 3, 1953

Mick Mars (Motley Crue), May 4, 1951

Randy Travis, May 4, 1959

Gary Holt (Exodus), May 4, 1959

Gregg Alexander (The New Radicals), May 4, 1970

Mike Dirnt (bass player Green Day), May 4, 1972

Chris Tomlin, May 4, 1972

Lance Bass ('N Sync), May 4, 1979

Bill Ward (Black Sabbath), May 5, 1948

Ian McCulloch (Echo & the Bunnymen), May 5, 1959

Kevin Mooney (Adam and the Ants), May 5, 1962

Adele, May 5, 1988

Chris Brown, May 5, 1989

Bob Seger, May 6, 1945

Mark Bryan (Hootie & the Blowfish), May 6, 1967

Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters), May 6, 1971

Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), May 7, 1946

Jerry Nolan (New York Dolls, Heartbreakers), May 7, 1946

Phil Campbell (Motorhead), May 7, 1961

Deaths

Hugo Peretti, May 1, 1986

Sergio Franchi, May 1, 1990

Otis Blackwell, May 6, 2002

Donald "Ean" Evans (Lynyrd Skynyrd), May 6, 2009

Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys), May 4, 2012

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