This Day in Rock History: April 3

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1959: The song "Charlie Brown" by The Coasters was banned by the BBC because it used the word "spitball," which it felt encouraged bad behavior in children. However, two weeks later, the ban was lifted due to demand, and the single reached the No. 6 spot in the U.K.
• 1960: The Everly Brothers played their first-ever UK show at the New Victoria Theatre in London. They were backed by Buddy Holly's former band, The Crickets, and the UK tour's huge success was a milestone and a turning point for American bands looking to play in the UK and vice versa.
• 1971: The Temptations' song "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it spent two weeks. It was the band's last single to feature members Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, and became one of the band's signature songs.

Cultural Milestones

• 1968: Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach was born in Freeport, Bahamas. He fronted the band during their peak years, from 1987 to 1996, and he's currently the lead singer of Twister Sister after taking over from Dee Snyder, who had to retire due to health issues.
• 1989: The crowd got a little rowdy outside the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the Grateful Dead were playing the second of two shows. Fans rushed the gate and tried to get in for free, resulting in a confrontation with the police that ended in more than 20 arrests.
• 1991: MTV Unplugged with Paul McCartney premiered. The Unplugged (The Official Bootleg) album was released a month later.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1956: Elvis Presley made his first appearance on the Milton Berle Show, performing live to members of the military from the deck of the USS Hancock in Dan Diego, California. The show was a huge success, and it's estimated to have been watched by 1 in 4 American TV viewers at that time.
• 1960: At RCA's studio in Nashville, Elvis Presley recorded his hit song "It's Now or Never." This was Presley's biggest hit, topping the charts in 10 countries.
• 1968: Simon & Garfunkel released their fourth studio album, Bookends, via Columbia Records. The concept album explored the various stages of life, from childhood to old age, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
• 1979: A 20-year-old Kate Bush launched her first and only concert tour, The Tour of Life, with a performance at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, England. She played 28 days in April and May and didn't perform again until 2014.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 1975: The police were called to Steve Miller's house, and when they arrived, they found a friend of Miller's, Benita DiOrio, putting out flames on his clothes. Miller was charged with setting fire to his friend's clothing and taken into custody, but DiOrio dropped the charges, and he was free the next day.
• 2015: Original drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Burns, died aged 64 in a car accident near his home in Georgia. He helped form the band in 1964 but parted ways with the group in 1974, only playing with them a few times afterward.