February 21st

2006: The surviving members of Alice in Chains announced that they were reuniting with new singer William DuVall replacing Layne Staley who died in April 2002.

2003: Ringo Starr & record producer Mark Hudson announced the formation of their new record label, Pumkinhead Records.

2002: Elton John accused the music industry of exploiting young singers & dumping talented artists for manufactured groups. He also said “There are too many average and mediocre acts, it damages real talent getting airplay. It’s just fodder.”

2001: At the 43rd Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, the big winners were Steely Dan who won three awards including Albun of the Year for Two Against Nature & U2 who also won three awards including Record of the Year for Beautiful Day.

1995: Bruce Springsteen performed with The E Street Band for the first time in seven years at Tramps Nightclub in New York City to film a music video for the song Murder Incorporated, a new song recorded for Springsteen’s Greatest Hits album which was released the following week.

1981: Hi Infidelity by REO Speedwagon began the first of 15 non-consecutive weeks on top of the Billboard 200 album chart. It would go on to be the highest selling album of 1981.

1968: McGraw-Hill Inc. outbid eight other American publishers for the U.S. rights to the authorized biography of The Beatles written by Hunter Davies. Their bid was $150,000.

1964: Billy Joel joined his first rock band, a New York band called The Echoes as the pianist, which specialized in covering British Invasion bands.

Birthdays:
David Geffen-founder of Asylum Records & Geffen Records born in 1943
Paul Newton-bassist for Uriah Heep born in 1945
Jerry Harrison-guitarist & keyboardist for Talking Heads born in 1949
Vince Welnick-keyboardist for The Tubes & Grateful Dead born in 1951