August 13: What Happened On This Day In Rock History

August 13 has been a day of notable passings, groundbreaking performances, and high-stakes legal drama in the world of rock and pop music. From career-defining debuts to chart-topping albums and famous feuds, this date has a history of moments that have shaped the industry and its cultural landscape.

Here’s What Happened In Rock Music on August 13

2024 – Greg Kihn, the frontman of The Greg Kihn Band, passed away at the age of 75 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. The band's notable hits included "The Breakup Song" in 1981 and "Jeopardy" in 1983.

2021 – US singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith died at 68. She was a Grammy-winning artist, taking home the award in 1994 for her album Other Voices, Other Rooms, and was known for her duets with a wide range of artists including Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz.

2017 – The late David Bowie made a posthumous appearance in the television series Twin Peaks: The Return. Bowie, who had a cameo as a deranged FBI agent in the show's 1991 prequel, Fire Walk With Me, was supposed to return for the revival but died before filming began. Director David Lynch used archival footage from the original film to incorporate Bowie into the episode.

2015 – Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin told The Daily Beast that he didn't foresee another reunion for the band. The last time the surviving members performed together was for a one-off show in London in 2007, with John Bonham's son Jason on drums.

2013 – Jon Brookes, the drummer for The Charlatans, passed away at 44. He had been receiving treatment for a brain tumor since suffering a seizure while on tour with the band in 2010. Brookes was the second original member of the band to die, following keyboardist Rob Collins' death in a car crash in 1996.

2007 – Citing exhaustion, Amy Winehouse withdrew from two scheduled performances with The Rolling Stones in Hamburg, Germany. The British band Starsailor was brought in to replace her for the shows.

2004 – In a poll for VH1, Robbie Williams' 'Angels' was voted the best single that should have been a No. 1 hit but never was. The ballad, which peaked at No. 4 in 1997, beat out Savage Garden's 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' and Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing.' In the same poll, Sir Cliff Richard's 'Millennium Prayer' was voted the worst No. 1 single of all time.

1999 – Mick Jagger's marriage to model Jerry Hall was officially declared null and void in London's High Court. A judge ruled that their 1990 Bali marriage was not valid under either Indonesian or English law, avoiding what had been anticipated to be a lengthy and costly court battle over a potential £30 million settlement for Hall.

1999 – Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash was arrested by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend at his Sunset Boulevard recording studio. He was later released on bail.

1994 – Members of both Oasis and The Verve were arrested after an incident in Sweden where they were accused of vandalizing a hotel bar and breaking into a church to steal communion wine. Both bands had been performing at the Hulsfred Festival.

1994 – The Woodstock '94 festival was held in Saugerties, New York, attracting over 350,000 fans. The lineup featured major acts like Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Aerosmith, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

1992 – Neil Diamond played the first of six sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden in New York. His touring revenue for the year would surpass $40 million, making him the second highest-earning musician on the road.

1985 – Jimmy Stokley, the lead singer for Exile and the voice behind their 1978 No. 1 hit "Kiss You All Over," died at 41 after a year-long struggle with complications from hepatitis.

1982 – Major American record labels, including CBS, Atlantic, and Warner Brothers, initiated widespread staff cutbacks as the industry experienced what was described as "the worst shape in its history."

1980 – Four masked robbers broke into Todd Rundgren's New York home, tied up the musician, and stole Hi-Fi equipment and paintings. The artist later reported that one of the intruders had been humming his hit song 'I Saw The Light' during the robbery.

1977 – Canadian band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, who had reached the Billboard Top 40 seven times since 1974 with hits like "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet," announced their decision to break up.

1977 – Yes earned their second UK No. 1 album with Going For The One. The album marked the return of keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who had previously left the band in 1974 over musical differences.

1973 – Lynyrd Skynyrd released their debut album, pronounced 'L?h-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd. The album launched the band to national stardom and featured several of their most well-known tracks, including 'Gimme Three Steps' and 'Free Bird.'

1971 – John Lennon departed from Heathrow Airport in the UK for New York. He would never again set foot on British soil, though he had plans to return to visit his aunt shortly before he was murdered in 1980.

1971 – Pink Floyd performed their first-ever concert in Australia at the Festival Hall in Melbourne. The show was part of an Asia Pacific tour that included only one other Australian date, in Sydney.

1971 – Saxophonist King Curtis Ousley, who had worked with John Lennon and played on The Coasters' 'Yakety Yak,' was tragically stabbed to death by a vagrant on the front steps of his New York home.

1969 – The Guess Who recorded their classic song "American Woman" at RCA's Mid-America Recording Center in Chicago. The track would become a major international hit and eventually be certified Gold for selling over a million copies.

1967 – Fleetwood Mac made their live debut at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor. The festival's lineup was a who's who of British rock and blues, also featuring Jeff Beck, Cream, Small Faces, The Move, The Pink Floyd, and Donovan.

1967 – Joan Baez was denied permission to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., by the Daughters of the American Revolution due to her public opposition to the Vietnam War.

1966 – Following John Lennon's controversial comment that The Beatles were "more popular than Jesus Christ," a radio station in Longview, Texas, organized a "Beatles Bonfire" to burn the group's records and memorabilia. The next morning, the station's transmission tower was struck by lightning, and the news director was knocked unconscious. In Cleveland, Ohio, a reverend called for the excommunication of all Beatles fans.

1966 – The Beatles' seventh studio album, Revolver, began a seven-week run at No. 1 on the UK charts. The title is a pun, referring to both a handgun and the revolving motion of a record on a turntable.

1966 – Lovin' Spoonful started a three-week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Summer In The City.' The song is famous for its instrumental bridge, which features a combination of car horns and a jackhammer sound to evoke the bustling sounds of a city summer.

1965 – Jefferson Airplane made their live debut at the Matrix Club in San Francisco. The band would soon become the first San Francisco rock group to sign a major recording contract, and a photograph of the members taken inside the Matrix would later be used for the cover of their album Surrealistic Pillow.

1965 – The Beatles arrived at Kennedy International Airport for a tour of North America. The tour was a difficult one for the band; John Lennon reportedly took to shouting obscenities into his microphone between songs.

1965 – Mike Smith, the lead singer of The Dave Clark Five, suffered two broken ribs after being pulled off the stage by fans during a performance in Chicago at the start of a US tour.

1964 – The Kinks reached the UK charts for the first time with their single "You Really Got Me," a song that would later top the British charts and become a signature hit for the band.

1959 – Brenda Lee recorded "Sweet Nothin's," the song that would become her breakthrough hit and launch her Hall of Fame career. The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first of her 29 Top 40 hits.

1952 – The original version of 'Hound Dog' was recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. It became the first hit for the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and topped the Billboard R&B chart for seven weeks, selling nearly two million copies.

Rock Birthdays: August 13

Here are some rock birthdays from August 13:

• 1938 – Scott Powell of Sha Na Na (Musician)
• 1949 – Cliff Fish of Paper Lace (Bass)
• 1951 – Dan Fogelberg (Singer-songwriter)
• 1951 – Ric Parnell of Atomic Rooster (Drums)
• 1952 – Hughie Thomasson Jr. of Outlaws and Lynyrd Skynyrd (Guitarist / Singer)
• 1958 – Feargal Sharkey of The Undertones (Vocals)
• 1959 – Michael Bradley of The Undertones (Bass)
• 1959 – Mark Nevin of Fairground Attraction (Singer / Songwriter)

August 13: On This Day In Rock History

August 13 consistently delivers moments that define the diverse and evolving narrative of rock music. From record-breaking performances and innovative releases to moments of both celebration and challenge, this date continues to remind us of the enduring power and cultural impact of music across generations. The stories from this day underscore the rich legacy and ongoing influence of artists and events in rock history.