Rock History: Nov. 4 Events Span 60 Years of Music Moments

November 4 marks a day with varied events in rock music history, ranging from tragic accidents to major album releases and Hall of Fame inductions.

In 2008, Deftones bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a car crash as a passenger without a seat belt. The injuries left him in a semi-comatose state for four and a half years until his death in 2012. The day also marks the 1994 death of MC5 singer Fred "Sonic" Smith.

A 1976 Bruce Springsteen concert in New York was delayed due to a bomb threat. Springsteen later joked that the threat came from former manager Mike Appel, who was suing Springsteen at the time. In 1992, the seventh class of inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was announced, including The Yardbirds, Johnny Cash, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Several notable albums were released on November 4 across different decades. The Allman Brothers Band debuted with their first record in 1969. David Bowie released The Man Who Sold the World in 1970, and the Ramones put out Rocket to Russia in 1977. Black Sabbath released Mob Rules in 1981, while The Clash issued Cut the Crap in 1985. Psychostick released IV: Revenge of the Vengeance in 2014.

In 2000, System of a Down performed a benefit concert for the Armenian National Committee of America. The band used the event to introduce new songs from their upcoming album Toxicity. In 1967, Pink Floyd made their US live debut at the Winterland Auditorium in San Francisco, sharing the bill with Big Brother & The Holding Company.

The day is also the birthday of James Honeyman-Scott, a member of The Pretenders. In 1993, Beastie Boys member Ad-Rock had an altercation with a videographer at the funeral of actor River Phoenix. Ad-Rock was later charged with battery and grand theft for stealing the tape and sentenced to 200 hours of community service.