The King is Dead and the Boss in ’68 in Today’s Rock History!

AUGUST 16TH IS THE 228TH DAY OF THE YEAR. TODAY IS NATIONAL AIRBORNE DAY, NATIONAL BRATWURST DAY, NATIONAL MEN’S GROOMING DAY, NATIONAL ROLLER COASTER DAY, NATIONAL RUM DAY, NATIONAL TELL A JOKE DAY AND TRUE LOVE FOREVER DAY.

1975

PETER GABRIEL ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS LEAVING GENESIS. THE GROUP AUDITIONED MORE THAN 400 SINGERS DURING THE NEXT 18 MONTHS BEFORE DECIDING THAT PHIL COLLINS, WHO HAD BEEN THE DRUMMER FOR GENESIS SINCE 1970, COULD FRONT THE BAND.

1977

42-YEAR-OLD ELVIS PRESLEY WAS FOUND DEAD AT HIS GRACELAND MANSION. PRESLEY’S GIRLFRIEND, GINGER ALDEN AWOKE IN THE AFTERNOON AND NOTICED THAT HE WAS NOT IN BED AND FOUND HIM LYING ON THE FLOOR OF THE BATHROOM. EFFORTS TO RESUSCITATE HIM WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND AT 3:30 P.M. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD

1979

 THE BIGGEST SINGLE OF THE SUMMER, THE KNACK’S “MY SHARONA” WAS AWARDED A GOLD RECORD FOR SELLING ONE MILLION COPIES. THE KNACK’S DOUG FIEGER WROTE THE SONG FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND, SHARONA ALPERIN, WHOSE PICTURE APPEARED ON THE SINGLE’S COVER.

 1968

 A BLUES/ROCK TRIO CALLED EARTH DEBUTS IN A RED BANK, N.J. COFFEE HOUSE. THE GUITARIST AND SINGER WAS 18-YEAR-OLD BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.