This Day in Rock History: September 13
On this day in rock history, John Lennon took a significant step in the transition from being a Beatle to a solo artist, and Elton John performed in front of…
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On this day in rock history, John Lennon took a significant step in the transition from being a Beatle to a solo artist, and Elton John performed in front of 400,000 fans dressed as Donald Duck.
Cultural Milestones
The rock industry has many great stories to go alongside the powerful music itself. These are some noteworthy cultural moments that happened on Sept. 13 in previous years:
- 1961: Dave Mustaine was born in La Mesa, California. The musician, singer, and songwriter was the lead guitarist for Metallica until his dismissal in 1983. He then founded the hugely successful thrash metal band Megadeth.
- 1969: John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, performed as the Plastic Ono Band for the first time at the Toronto Rock and Roll Festival. Their group included Eric Clapton on guitar, and the performance was released as the live album Live Peace in Toronto 1969 three months later.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Sept. 13 is also a day when many iconic rock albums came to light and memorable performances took place. Here are some of the most outstanding:
- 1965: The Beatles released their single "Yesterday" in the United States via Capitol Records. It was a tremendous success, spending four consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- 1980: Elton John gave a free concert in front of approximately 400,000 people in Central Park, New York City. He famously performed the encore, a cover of John Lennon's song "Imagine," in a Donald Duck costume.
- 1984: KISS released Animalize, their 12th album and the second in their "unmasked" era. The hit single "Heaven's on Fire" helped it achieve Double Platinum status from the Recording Industry Association of America.
From career milestones to momentous live performances, Sept. 13 has witnessed numerous events worthy of their place in rock history. Come back again to discover more unforgettable occasions in the rock music industry.
Dan TeodorescuWriter
