This Day in Rock History: March 19
Tom Constanten was born on March 19, 1944, in Long Branch, New Jersey. The keyboardist is best known for playing with the Grateful Dead from 1968 to 1970. In 1994,…
Tom Constanten was born on March 19, 1944, in Long Branch, New Jersey. The keyboardist is best known for playing with the Grateful Dead from 1968 to 1970. In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the other founding members of the legendary band.
If you want more tidbits of knowledge from this day in rock music history, stick around because we have the scoop on March 19 breakthrough hits, cultural milestones, notable recordings, major performances, and industry changes and challenges that impacted the genre.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
You may remember these monumental hits and milestones from March 19:
- 1958: Teenage duo Tom and Jerry released their third single, "Our Song." They only produced a few songs before separating and later reforming as Simon & Garfunkel.
- 1962: Bob Dylan released his debut self-titled album via Columbia Records. It was produced by the Columbia talent scout who signed him, John H. Hammond, and it helped launch Dylan's career despite initially drawing little attention from fans and critics.
- 1988: Kurt Cobain and his band played under the name Nirvana for the first time at the Community World Theater in Tacoma, Washington. Although the band had changed names several times, this new name would stick.
Cultural Milestones
These March 19 cultural occasions affected rock music:
- 1946: The Zombies guitarist and co-founder, Paul Atkinson, was born in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, England. After enjoying success with the band in the 1960s, he then became an A&R executive and famously signed the Swedish band ABBA to CBS's UK label Epic Records for distribution outside Scandinavia.
- 1982: Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and co-songwriter Randy Rhoads died in a plane crash. He contributed to two of Ozzy's solo albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, and was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
- 1988: In Santa Barbara, California, Michael Jackson started construction on his ranch. He named the property Neverland after the fictional place in his favorite story, Peter Pan.
- 2001: Several high-profile artists were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, including Michael Jackson, Ritchie Valens, Steely Dan, and Paul Simon.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Outstanding rock music recordings and performances from March 19 include:
- 1971: Jethro Tull released their fourth and most successful studio album, Aqualung, via Chrysalis and Island Records in Europe and Reprise Records in the US, Japan, and Oceania. It sold over 7 million copies and turned the band into a major arena act.
- 1975: Back when tickets only cost $7.50, Led Zeppelin played the first of two sold-out shows at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada.
- 1975: KISS released their third studio album, Dressed to Kill, via Casablanca Records. It got fairly good but wasn't a big commercial success, although it included one of the band's most well-known songs, "Rock and Roll All Nite."
Industry Changes and Challenges
These changes and challenges helped shape the rock genre:
- 1974: Jefferson Airplane regrouped with founding member Paul Kantner and became Jefferson Starship. The new band kicked off its first tour in Chicago. Jefferson Starship's first album went Gold within six months of its October 1974 release.
- 1976: Paul Kossof, guitarist and co-founder of Free, died from a drug-induced heart attack at the age of 25. He's considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
March 19 is a significant day in rock history. Without these momentous events, the genre wouldn't be the same. Next time you're rocking out to your favorite tunes, think about these March 19 moments that left their mark on the industry.
