Welcome to another edition of Today in Boston ROCK, where I, Adam 12, spotlight Very Important Days In Rock History. January 20th is one.
1952
January 20, 1952: Stanley Bert Eisen, aka Paul Stanley, aka The Starchild, guitarist and vocalist for KISS, is born. We can’t think of a better way of honoring the rock legend on his 70th birthday than by revisiting that Folgers Coffee TV commercial he cut back in the day. That, and 20 minutes of Starchild stage banter. HOW YOU DOIN’, PEOPLE?!
1952
January 20, 1952: Ian Hill is born on the exact same day as Paul Stanley. Ian, however, is no Starchild. He’s the bedrock of Judas Priest: their bassist, their founding member, their longest-tenured member, and the guy responsible for bringing Rob Halford into the band. The man is a metal legend, half a century strong.
1965
January 20, 1965: Pacifica High School track and field star Gregory David Kriesel is born. You know him as Greg K., bassist and founding member of The Offspring. Damn, the 20th of January is a big day for bassists and founding members of bands, I guess. Here’s a quick bit of fan-shot footage of Greg K. & Co. at the House of Blues in Boston, August ’14.
1987
January 20, 1983: Def Leppard release their third studio album, Pyromania. As it’s been certified diamond, that puts the band in rarefied air. And since it turns 40 next year, let’s flash back to the band touring behind the album back in ’83.
Want more ROCK history, with a Boston twist? It’s all right here.