April 7 has been a significant date in rock music history, marked by the births of legendary artists like Billie Holiday, John Oates, and Bruce Gary, as well as the deaths of beloved musicians such as Jimmie Van Zant, John Prine, and Steve Farmer. If you want to know more about why this day matters in rock music, keep reading for some interesting facts.
1978: The Police released their first single, “Roxanne,” from their debut album Outlandos d’Amour. Although it didn’t chart initially, it was re-released a year later and reached No. 12 on the UK singles chart.
1979: The top album on the Billboard 200 was Minute by Minute by The Doobie Brothers. This album spent 87 weeks on the chart and was the last one featuring members John Hartman and Jeff Baxter.
2002: Gareth Gates debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with his cover of “Unchained Melody,” originally by the Righteous Brothers. The song held the top spot for four weeks.
Several cultural milestones also took place on April 7 that impacted rock music.
1956: DJ Alan Freed hosted the first regularly scheduled rock ‘n’ roll show on CBS, called Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party.
1962: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards saw Brian Jones perform for the first time at a London blues club, setting the stage for their future band.
1975: Richie Blackmore announced he was leaving Deep Purple to form a new band called Rainbow with Ronnie James Dio.
1985: Wham! became the first Western pop act to tour China, performing in Beijing and Canton.
2008: Bob Dylan won the Pulitzer Prize, becoming the first rock musician to receive this honor, marking a cultural shift in recognition for rock music.
1968: Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Buddy Guy held an all-night jam session in New York City, known as The King’s Jam, just days after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
