Today in Headbanger History

January 25, 2006 – Mötley Crüe receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “We’re across the street from the Erotica Museum and Frederick’s of Hollywood. This is a perfect place for us to be,” bassist Nikki Sixx told an estimated 600 screaming fans. January 25, 2003 – Billy Joel crashes his Mercedes in Long Island, New York.  […]

January 24, 1981 – Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler runs into a tree on his motorcycle, tearing open his heel.  The accident leaves him hospitalized for two months, and recovering for almost a year. January 24, 1995 – Van Halen release their tenth studio album Balance, which is their final album with Sammy Hagar. The album reaches #1 on the Billboard 200 […]

January 23, 2004 – David Palmer, former keyboardist for Jethro Tull, announces he has had a sex change and is now known as Dee Palmer. Palmer was born with genital ambiguity, assigned male at birth, and said her desire to change sex had been an “open secret” in the music business for many years. She did not have her sex change operation until […]

January 22, 2004 – The Bottom Line nightclub in New York City is forced to close its doors after failed negotiations with its landlord, New York University.  Bruce Springsteen offers to pay their back rent if they can work out a new lease, but the deal does not come to fruition. January 22, 1990 – Guns N’ […]

January 21, 1966 – George Harrison marries Pattie Boyd in England with Paul McCartney as his best man.  She leaves Harrison in the mid-’70s due to his infidelities and has an affair with Ronnie Wood.  She later marries Eric Clapton in 1979. January 21, 1987 – Twenty-two artist are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the […]

January 20, 1982 – Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a live bat at a show in Des Moines, Iowa, thinking it was a rubber bat thrown on the stage.  In his memoir, he says, “Immediately, though, something felt wrong. Very wrong. For a start, my mouth was instantly full of this warm, gloopy liquid, with […]

January 19, 1994 – The Ninth Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include The Animals, The Band, Duane Eddy, The Grateful Dead, Elton John, John Lennon, Bob Marley, and Rod Stewart.  Stewart can’t make it there due to the massive earthquake that hit LA that week, and […]

January 18, 1991 – The second Rock in Rio festival kicks off the first of ten days in Rio de Janeiro. Artists include Santana, Guns N’ Roses, INXS, Billy Idol, Judas Priest, Faith No More, Queensrÿche and Sepultura. January 18, 1991 – Three fans are crushed to death at an AC/DC concert in Salt Lake City. […]