This Week In Rock History

THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY

1958—The management of St. Louis radio station KWK had all Rock 'n' Roll music removed from its play list. The disc jockeys gave every Rock 'n' Roll record in the station library a "farewell spin" before smashing it to pieces. The station manager, Robert T. Convey, felt that Rock 'n' Roll had dominated the airwaves long enough and called the action "a simple weeding out of undesirable music."

1963—Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Ian Stewart perform together for the first time.

1965—Former Cleveland DJ Alan Freed, the man credited with coining the term “rock & roll,” passes away at the age of 43. Once one of the most important men in rock, Freed died broke and unemployed, his career cut short due to his involvement in the Payola pay-for-play scandal.

1966—Former Beatle George Harrison marries long time girlfriend Patty Boyd. Boyd, a fashion model, met Harrison on the set of the film Hard Days Night. The marriage would last until the mid-1970s when Boyd left Harrison for Eric Clapton, who had written the song Layla about his (at the time) unrequited love for Boyd. When Clapton and Boyd married in 1977, George acted as best man.

1971—During court proceedings held to dissolve The Beatles' partnership, Ringo testifies under oath that "Paul behaved like a spoiled child.”

1976—Promoter Bill Sargent offers The Beatles 30-million dollars to reunite for one concert, at any venue of their choosing, even if they only play for 20 minutes. Sargent is reportedly “shocked” at the band's rejection of his offer.

1977—Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green was institutionalized after firing a pistol in the general direction of a delivery boy who was attempting to deliver a $30,000 royalty check. Green had renounced Rock and Roll in 1970 and didn't want the money. He later worked as a hospital porter and a gravedigger before returning to music.

1980—Paul McCartney is arrested at the Tokyo International Airport after officials find a half pound of marijuana in his personal belongings. Paul is sentenced to ten days in jail, and his 11 date tour of Japan, with his band Wings, is canceled.

1984—Soul singer Jackie Wilson passes away after having spent the previous nine-years in a coma. Wilson suffered a heart-attack on stage in 1975 in the middle of his biggest hit “Lonely Teardrops” and never regained consciousness.

1989—Stevie Wonder becomes the youngest person inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the age of 38.

1994—Paul McCartney inducts John Lennon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, saying "The thing you must remember is that I'm the number one John Lennon fan. I love him to this day and I always did love him."