Rock 'n' Roll History for
February 24


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1956 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Police in Cleveland, Ohio enforce a 1931 ordinance that barred people under the age of 18 from dancing in public unless accompanied by an adult.

1962 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Elvis Presley had his 10th UK chart topper with "Can't Help Falling In Love" / "Rock-A-Hula Baby". Both songs were included on his soundtrack album, "Blue Hawaii". The single has been certified Platinum by the RIAA, for US sales in excess of one million copies.

1963 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
The Rolling Stones take over as the Sunday house band at the Station Hotel near London. They are paid £24 ($67) to entertain a crowd of 66 people.

1965 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
The Beatles began filming their second, as yet un-named movie, on New Providence in the Bahamas. The film would initially be called Eight Arms to Hold You before producers finally settled on Help!. Co-starring in the movie was actor Victor Spinetti, who also appeared in A Hard Day's Night, Magical Mystery Tour and John Lennon's How I Won The War.

February 24
The Beach Boys re-record "Help Me Rhonda". The band had put down an earlier version of the song, then spelled "Help Me Ronda", on January 8th for inclusion on their album "The Beach Boys Today!". Brian Wilson revisited the song, rearranged it, and gave it slightly different lyrics. Featuring guitarist Al Jardine on lead vocal, the disc will become their second Billboard #1 and stay in the US Top 40 for eleven weeks. In later years, Wilson stated that the tune does not reference a real person.

1969 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
The Jimi Hendrix Experience plays their last British concert at London's Royal Albert Hall before breaking up the following June.

1973 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
With Roger McGuinn remaining the only original member, The Byrds made their final live appearance when they played at The Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey. Between 1965 and 1969, the band placed sixteen songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and six on the equivalent UK chart.

February 24
Roberta Flack achieved her second Billboard #1 hit with "Killing Me Softly With His Song". The tune was inspired by singer Lori Lieberman after she saw Don McLean perform at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

1976 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
The Eagles LP "Their Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975" becomes the first album in history to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The new certification represented sales of at least 1 million copies for albums and 2 million copies for singles. The Platinum award was originated in the early seventies because Gold status was achieved by most popular records in a very short period of time. The Eagles' greatest hits album stayed on Billboard's Hot 200 chart for two and half years.

1978 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Barry Manilow shared the stage with Ray Charles during The Second Barry Manilow Special, dueting on "It's a Miracle". Manilow had just enjoyed a Top Ten hit with "Looks Like We Made It" and would follow with "Can't Smile Without You" (US #3 UK #43), "Even Now" (US #19) "Copacabana" (US #8) and "Ready to Take a Chance Again" (US #11) during the next few months.

1979 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
The Pointer Sisters, now down to a trio after Bonnie Pointer had left for a solo career, enjoy their biggest US hit when the Bruce Springsteen written "Fire" tops out at Billboard's #2.

1981 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits) and Stephen Bishop guest star on the Laverne & Shirley episode "I Do, I Do", where the girls meet two British band-mates, who take them to a Hollywood party. In an attempt to avoid the drug use going on, they eat "brownies" instead. The end result causes them to agree to marry the two, who'll pay less taxes by having wives.

1982 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
John Lennon's "Double Fantasy" LP is named Album Of The Year at the Grammy Awards. Kim Carnes' "Betty Davis Eyes" wins for Record Of The Year and Sheena Easton is named Best New Artist.

1987 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Grammy Awards are presented to: Paul Simon's "Graceland" - Best Album; Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" - Best Record and Bruce Hornsby And The Range - Best New Artist. Fats Domino is presented with a Lifetime Achievement award.

1988 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Campaigning as a member of The Wild Party, Alice Cooper announces he is going to run for Governor of Arizona. To no one's surprise, he lost.

1990 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Roger McGuinn, David Crosby and Chris Hillman of The Byrds reunited to play "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" at the Roy Orbison All-Star Tribute Concert. A couple of months later, the trio would record four more songs for their upcoming boxed set, which also included the two songs from the tribute concert.

February 24
Johnnie Ray, the 1950s teen idol, died of liver failure at the age of 63. He scored over twenty US Top 40 singles between 1952 and 1960, including the number two hit, "Just Walking In The Rain". He was even referred to in Dexys Midnight Runners' 1982 hit "Come On Eileen" as Poor old Johnnie Ray, sounded sad upon the radio, he moved a million hearts in mono.

1991 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Country star Web Pierce died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 69. His biggest hit was "In the Jailhouse Now", which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one. He crossed over to the Hot 100 in 1959 with "I Ain't Never", which reached #24.

1992 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
The US Postal Service unveils two versions of its proposed Elvis stamp for fans to vote on. The younger Elvis would win out over the Vegas Elvis and was issued on January 8, 1993.

1993 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Eric Clapton was the night's big winner at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards, taking home six awards out of nine nominations, including for "Unplugged", and Song Of The Year and Record of the Year for "Tears In Heaven".

1994 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Singer and actress Dinah Shore died of ovarian cancer, five days before her 78th birthday. She placed five songs on the Billboard Top 100, including "Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)" (#12 in 1955), and "Fascination" (#15 in 1957).

1998 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Elton John is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in front of his parents and his partner David Furnish.

February 24
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee is arrested and charged with hitting his wife Pamela Anderson Lee. She had given birth to the couple's second child two months earlier.

1999 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Madonna wins four Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Album for "Ray Of Light". Celine Dion is given the nod for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for "My Heart Will Go On" and Eric Clapton's "My Father's Eyes" is named Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male.

2006 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
The Sex Pistols gave a virtual middle finger to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when they issued an open letter on frontman Johnny Rotten's Website, saying they have no intention of attending the induction ceremony at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. "Next to The Sex Pistols, rock and roll and that hall of fame is a piss stain. Your museum, urine in wine. We're not coming."

2010 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Promotions company MCD launched a $2.3 million lawsuit against Prince for pulling out of a concert in Dublin, Ireland in June, 2008, just ten days before it was to take place. The singer blamed the William Morris Agency for booking the event without permission, but the agency said the star canceled the gig and gave "no reason of substance" for deciding to pull out.

2011 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Eddie Serrato, the drummer for Question Mark And The Mysterians on their 1966 hit "96 Tears", suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 65.

2016 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Elvis Presley's former personal physician, Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, passed away at the age of 88. Known as "Dr. Nick", Nichopoulos was Presley's doctor for eleven years before the singer's death from heart disease on August 16th, 1977. The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners later suspended and ultimately revoked his medical license after it ruled he had over-prescribed potentially addictive drugs to thirteen patients, including Presley and fellow rock 'n' roller Jerry Lee Lewis.

February 24
Lennie Baker, vocalist and sax player for the '50s Tribute group Sha Na Na, passed away at the age of 69. Joining the group in 1970, he appeared with the band on their TV show, which ran from 1977 to 1981, as well as appearing in the 1978 movie Grease where he sang lead vocal on "Blue Moon".

2019 - ClassicBands.com

February 24
Queen, with Adam Lambert on vocals, open the Oscars with a medley of "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions". The biopic Bohemian Rhapsody goes on to win four awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Rami Malek, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.



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