Welcome to another edition of Today in Boston ROCK, where I, Adam 12, spotlight Very Important Days In Rock History. May 17th is one.
1965
May 17, 1965: Michael Trent Reznor is born in New Castle, PA. He’s an Oscar winner, he’s a GRAMMY winner, and he’s coming to Boston Calling: Nine Inch Nails are headlining Saturday and you can enter to win tickets here. Get yourself all lathered up with NIN’s set from the Garden from 2013.
1968
May 17, 1968: David James Abbruzzese is born in Stamford, CT. He joined Pearl Jam as their drummer in the summer of ’91, touring behind Ten and staying on for Vs. and Vitalogy, where he’s on record for all but four of the songs on the album. My favorite Dave Abbruzzese moment? The end of “Rearviewmirror,” when you can hear him flinging his drumsticks across the booth in frustration from the amount of takes he had to put on tape.
1980
May 17, 1980: Joan Jett releases her debut album. I wrote about the 40th anniversary 2 years ago.
Today in Boston ROCK: May 16
1946
May 16, 1946: Roger Earl is born in London. He is the drummer of Foghat and the only member to feature in every lineup of the band. I interviewed him back in 2019!
1965
May 16, 1965: Krist Anthony Novoselic is born in Compton, CA. At the age of six, his parents moved to Aberdeen, WA where he would meet a young fellow by the name of Kurt Cobain and start a band called Nirvana. One time, he threw his bass guitar in the air and didn’t quite catch it.
1970
May 16, 1970: The Who releases Live at Leeds, arguably the greatest live rock album of all time.
2010
May 16, 2010: Ronnie James Dio succumbs to stomach cancer. From Elf to Rainbow to Black Sabbath to Heaven & Hell, his metal legacy is unimpeachable. But I love him most for his solo work.