Today in rock history 2nd February

1942 – Born on this day, Graham Nash, guitar, vocals, with The Hollies who he left in 1968. Member of Crosby Stills Nash & Young. 1946 – Born on this day, Howard Bellamy, Bellamy Brothers. 1949 – Born on this day, Ross Valory, bass, Steve Miller Band, Journey, No Nation… and more. 1962 – The Beatles played their first professionally organised gig outside of Liverpool at The Oasis Club, Manchester. The group’s set started with their version of ‘Hippy Hippy Shake.’ 1966 – The Rolling Stones released ’19th Nervous Breakdown’ it peaked at No.2 on the UK singles chart. 1967 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience played live on UK TV show Top Of The Pops performing ‘Purple Haze.’ 1969 – Yoko Ono divorced her husband Tony Cox, Yoko was granted custody of their daughter Kyoko. John Lennon married Yoko the following month on 30th March. 1973 – Keith Emerson’s hands are injured during a performance by Emerson, Lake & Palmer in San Francisco. His piano, rigged to explode as a stunt, detonates prematurely. 1978 – Van Halen is released this day in rock history! 1979 – Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols dies of a heroin overdose less than four months after fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, at New York’s Chelsea Hotel. 1980 – A large gathering of London punks remember Sid Vicious by participating in a march from the borough of Chelsea to the famed Hyde Park. The parade was to have been led by the musician’s mother, but she was in the hospital after suffering an overdose the previous evening. 1985 – Foreigner started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles charts with ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’, also a UK No.1. 1992 – Musician Todd Rundgren and his wife, singer Michele Gray, have a son in San Francisco. They name the child Rebop. 2001 – Ted Nugent learns he isn’t getting the key to Detroit after city elders tell the mayor about some of the guitarist’s more controversial views. 2005 – Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington visits southern Thailand to assess the damage left by the 2004 tsunami. He visits two elementary schools and helps paint a house with other foreign travellers. 2006 – Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear announce they are splitting after 11 years of marriage. 2007 - Van Halen announced that David Lee Roth would be rejoining them as their singer for a reunion tour which kicked off in September of that year. It was also announced that Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang would be replacing Michael Anthony as their bassist.