Today in rock history 25th September

Friday September 25th

1964 – Brian Epstein reveals that a consortium of American businessmen tried to buy out the Beatles’ management contract. Despite an offer of 3.5 million pounds, Epstein turned them down.

1965 – The Beatles’ Saturday-morning cartoon series premieres on ABC.

1966 – Jimi Hendrix’s second day in London is an eventful one. He’s in bed with Cathy Etchingham, a 19-year-old hairdresser who has taken his fancy, when Keith Richards’ ex Linda Keith bursts into his hotel room, steals a guitar she bought for him in New York, climbs under the covers, and says he can only have the guitar back if he sleeps with her. This is the ’60s, but Hendrix still declines the offer.

1967 – At Abbey Road, the Beatles record “Fool on the Hill.”

1969 – John Lennon records “Cold Turkey,” about his battle with heroin addition, with a band including Eric Clapton, Beatles associate Klaus Voormann, Yoko Ono, and Ringo Starr.

1976 – In America, Boston’s self-titled debut enters the albums chart. It would go on to become the fastest-selling debut album in chart history.

1976 – They meant well. Wings perform a benefit concert in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square to raise money to restore art damaged by the canal water. However, the 25,000-strong crowd only causes the square to sink deeper into the brine, and water rises up through the cracks in the paving.

1980 – Drummer John Bonham of Led Zeppelin is found dead in his bed after a drinking binge.

1990 – Dave Grohl, former drummer of the Washington DC band Scream, joins Nirvana.

2000 – U2 frontman Bono turns up in Prague, where he meets with the World Bank president to discuss his debt-relief plan for the Third World.

2003 – Welsh power trio the Stereophonics announce they have fired drummer Stuart Cable over “commitment issues.”