It’s December 28th and here are some reasons why this day matters in rock history:

In 2015, Motorhead singer Lemmy Kilmister passed away from cancer just four days after his 70th birthday.

In 1968, the Miami Pop Festival, the first major rock concert on the East Coast, took place. The three-day event featured performances from Fleetwood Mac, Three Dog Night, Grateful Dead, Procol Harum, The Turtles and many others.

In 1968, Led Zeppelin played their first ever gig in Canada at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum when they opened for Vanilla Fudge and the MC5.

In 1982, bassist Cliff Burton joined Metallica.

In 1978, Rolling Stone magazine named Some Girls by The Rolling Stones the Album of the Year.

And in 2001, a district court judge reduced a charge against Marilyn Manson from fourth degree sexual misconduct to disorderly conduct following an incident at a Michigan gig where the shock rocker allegedly assaulted a security guard.

And that’s what happened today in rock history.

(H/T This Day in Music)

Greg Kretschmar