Historic events this week from John Lennon, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys and KISS
DECEMBER 8, 1980: JOHN LENNON IS MURDERED
Two months after turning 40, John Lennon was shot and killed by one of his own fans.
John & Yoko had released their Double Fantasy album three weeks prior. After his murder, the album went straight to #1 with a surge in record sales.
Double Fantasy would go on to win the 1981 Album of the Year Grammy.
DECEMBER 8, 2013: METALLICA PLAYS ANTARCTICA
Metallica‘s Freeze ‘Em All show in Antarctica made them the first band to play on seven continents.
The resulting live album contained the songs: “Sad But True”, “One”, “Enter Sandman”, “Nothing Else Matters” Master of Puppets” and more.
DECEMBER 10, 1966: THE BEACH BOYS’ “GOOD VIBRATIONS” IS #1
Brian Wilson took an avant-garde approach to writing/recording his “pocket symphony to God.” The song was written as it was recorded, with recording sessions lasting 7 months.
“Good Vibrations” made it to #1 on the charts, exactly 2 months after its release. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994.
DECEMBER 10, 2007: LED ZEPPELIN REUNITE
After a handful of reunion shows over the years, Led Zeppelin‘s most successful was a 2007 Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert. The one-off reunion featured the late John Bonham‘s son, Jason Bonham, on drums. The show was later released as a live album called Celebration Day, and won a Grammy for Best Rock Album.
DECEMBER 12, 1976: ACE FREHLEY NEARLY ELECTROCUTED
During a KISS show in Florida, Ace Frehley touched an ungrounded metal railing.
He received a shock that caused him to lose feeling in his hand for the rest of the show.
The experience resulted in the KISS classic, “Shock Me.”
