Today in Rock History... [05.18]

1911 -- Big Joe Turner is born in Kansas City, Mo. His shouting blues inspired rock singers like Elvis Presley and Little Richard. In 1954, he even topped the charts with "Shake, Rattle and Roll."

1963 -- The Kingsmen record their controversial "Louie Louie."

1966 -- It's Bruce Springsteen's first day at a recording studio as the Castiles (of which the Boss is a member) cut their song "That's What You Get." The work is done at Mr. Music Inc. studio in Bricktown, N.J.

1981 -- Tom Petty withholds the tapes for Hard Promises, his fourth album, until MCA abandons plans to hike the list price from $8.98 to $9.98. He at one point even suggested that the title would be changed to EightNinetyEight ($8.98) if they would not back down.


1982 -- Joe Strummer reappears after fleeing the Clash and moving to Paris for a month. He claims his disappearance was due to exhaustion and doubts about his career.