Rock History

1958--Johnny Cash performs before a captive audience at San Quentin Prison in California.

Among the inmates that day was 21-year-old Merle Haggard who was serving two years for a burglary conviction.

1962--The Beatles audition for Decca Records, recording 15 tracks for executives who decided to pass in favor of signing Brian Poole & the Tremeloes. An executive tells Beatles manager Brian Epstein that "These boys won't make it. Guitar groups are out. Go back to Liverpool, Mr. Epstein." Decca would later regret their decision, despite the fact that The Tremeloes are still together and playing. The Beatles, on the other hand, are not.

1969--An entire shipment, 30,000 copies, of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's experimental album Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins is seized by New Jersey authorities who deem the cover, which features a picture of Lennon and Ono standing nude against a white background, to be pornographic. From this point on, the album can only be sold in a plain brown wrapper with a cut-out showing the artists faces.

1970--The Who's drummer Keith Moon is involved in an accident when his limo is swarmed by anxious fans. Moon's driver, Neil Boland, gets out of the car to try and protect it from damage, however he fails to put the car into park. When the car begins to roll, Moon, who doesn't have driver's license, jumps into the front seat in an attempt to stop the car. However, instead of hitting the breaks Moon hit the gas pedal, running over and killing Boland. An inquest resolves that Moon is not to blame for the accident, however Moon himself is unable to forgive himself, and lives with guilt for the rest of his short life.

1979--Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious stands his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. The trial would never be finished, Vicious would die of a heroin overdose less than a month later; on her deathbed Vicious' mother is claimed to have admitted to giving her son the fatal dose, fearing that he would not be able to handle being in prison.

1996--OJ Simpson calls an LA radio station to request a dedication of "One Sweet Day" from Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey to his murdered wife Nicole Brown Simpson.