Classic Rock Almanac December 3, 2014

TRIVIA

Today’s Question: Ozzy Osbourne celebrates his 66th birthday today (Wednesday).

scroll down for today’s answer

ANNIVERSARIES

2008-Fleetwood Mac announce dates for their first tour in five years.

2008-Guns n’ Roses long-awaited album Chinese Democracy sells 261-thousand copies its first week in stores, good enough to bow at number-three on the Billboard album chart behind rapper Kanye West and country singer Taylor Swift.

2008-The nominations for the 51st Grammy Awards are announced during a prime-time T-V special, Grammy Nominations Concert Live: Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night. Robert Plant gets five nominations for his collaboration with Alison Krauss. The Eagles pick up four nods, while Metallica get three.

1992-Bill Wyman tells M-T-V Europe that he’s “had it” and has quit The Rolling Stones.

1991-Gilby Clarke replaces Izzy Stradlin as Guns n’ Roses’ rhythm guitarist.

1991-D-J Alan Freed receives a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1979-Eleven Who fans are trampled to death at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum during a rush to get into the festival-seating concert.

1977-Linda Ronstadt’s Simple Dreams — the album featuring “It’s So Easy” — finally knocks Fleetwood Mac from the top of the Billboard chart. Rumours had been number-one for 29 weeks.

1977-Wings’ “Mull of Kintyre” becomes Paul McCartney’s first post-Beatles chart-topping single in the U-K. It will pass the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” as Britain’s best-selling single ever, a distinction it holds until “Do They Know It’s Christmas.”

1976-Opening date of the Sex Pistols’ British tour is canceled in the wake of the media furor over the band’s swearing on British T-V two days earlier.

1976-The 40-foot-long inflatable pig being photographed for the cover of Pink Floyd’s Animals breaks loose from its mooring at Battersea Power Station in south London. It rises to 18,000 feet before finally coming down in Kent.

1973-Ringo Starr releases his second consecutive number-one single, “You’re 16.”

1969-John Lennon turns down the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar.

1968-Aretha Franklin’s Aretha Now, Iron Butterfly’s In-a-Gadda-da-Vida and Cream’s debut, Fresh Cream, are all certified gold.

1965-At a Rolling Stones concert in Sacramento, California, guitarist Keith Richards is knocked out by a shock from an ungrounded microphone. He recovers and finishes the show.

1965-The Beatles kick off what turns out to be their final British tour at the Odeon Cinema in Glasgow, Scotland. Highlights of the 11-song set are “We Can Work It Out,” “Help” and “Yesterday” — with Paul McCartney accompanying himself on electric organ. The double-A-sided single of “Daytripper” and “We Can Work It Out” hits British record shops on the same day.

1961-The Beatles and Brian Epstein hold their first meeting to discuss his becoming their manager.

BIRTHDAYS

Don Barnes-62 years old
38 Special singer-guitarist.  Born in 1952.

Duane Roland-62 years old
Molly Hatchet guitarist.  Born in 1952.

Mickey Thomas-65 years old
The voice of The Elvin Bishop Group’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” later joined Starship. He shared vocals with Grace Slick on their ’80s singles “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” and “We Built This City.”  Born in 1949.

Ozzy Osbourne (John Michael Osbourne)-66 years old
Black Sabbath/solo singer; reality show star.  Born in 1948.

Rick Cua-66 years old
The onetime bassist (1980-83) in The Outlaws became a Christian artist.  Born in 1948.

TRIVIA ANSWER
d) Rick Wakeman (His son Adam Wakeman is Ozzy’s keyboardist.)

Recent Music News:

• Watch U2’s 360 Degree #SongForSomeone Video
• Listen to Pearl Jam cover Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’
• Andy White, Who Played Drums for The Beatles, Dies at 85
• The Daily Cut: Neil Young and Crazy Horse “Like a Hurricane”
• Classic Rock Almanac November 12, 2015

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