Today in rock history 5th December

1935 – Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman) is born in Macon, Ga., the son of a minister. 1938 – Guitarist J.J. Cale is born in Oklahoma City. 1944 – Lucas Sideras, drummer with Greek prog rockers Aphrodite’s Child, has a birthday today. 1965 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Turn! Turn! Turn!” The Byrds. Songwriter Pete Seeger adapted the lyrics from the Book of Ecclesiastes. 1967 – Pink Floyd finish their tour supporting Jimi Hendrix at Green’s Playhouse in Glasgow, Scotland. Throughout the tour, the Nice guitarist Davy O’List has been drafted in when regular singer Syd Barrett either has been too out of it to play or simply hasn’t deigned to show up. 1968 – The Rolling Stones’ launch party at London’s Queensgate Hotel for Beggars Banquet soon degenerates into a near-riot. Waitresses serve food dressed as medieval wenches. During the dessert course, a custard pie fight begins, with most of the pastries aimed at record label execs who vetoed the Stones’ toilet cover art. 1969 – Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant prevents Atlantic from releasing “Whole Lotta Love” as a single in the U.K. John Bonham says, “We refused because they wanted to take the middle section out and we didn’t like it. 1980 – John Lennon gives his final Rolling Stone interview to Jonathan Cott. Mark David Chapman leaves Honolulu to fly to New York, where he will shoot John Lennon three days later. 1993 – Ex-Gin Blossoms lead guitarist Douglas Hopkins shoots and kills himself at his home in Tempe, Ariz. He is 32. Hopkins was fired from the band the previous year because of his drinking habit. 2000 - Roger Waters released his live album In the Flesh which was recorded on his In the Flesh tour, which was his first tour in twelve years. 2004 – Sir Elton John receives a Kennedy Center honor in Washington, D.C. During the ceremony, Secretary of State Colin Powell performs a rap to celebrate another honoree, Warren “Bulworth” Beatty. 2005 – Audioslave’s lead groaner Chris Cornell at last has reason to smile: his wife gives birth to son … Christopher Cornell.