Johnny Black

It was supposed to be just another Pink Floyd extravaganza. Nobody expected blackmail and a scandal that forced a city's mayor to resign

On May 9, 1974, Bruce Springsteen played the famous gig that saw him proclaimed as "rock'n'roll future". This is the story of what happened, by the people who were there

On December 31, 1973, the fledgling AC/DC saw in the New Year by playing their very first gig at a bar in Sydney

When Jimi Hendrix arrived in London he blew the minds of the British rock elite. Soon they would follow his lead and develop and explosive new form of electric blues

Prog rockers Jethro Tull pipped Metallica to win Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Recording award in 1989, and people are still talking about it

At the tag end of the 70s, Van Halen were poised to become one of the biggest-grossing acts on the planet... but the cracks were beginning to show

ZZ Top's Worldwide Texas Tour featured a plexiglass pyramid filled with rattlesnakes, trained buzzards, a fake wolf, and a night in Pittsburgh one doctor called "the most horrible thing I have seen since World War II"

Revolver is a feat of The Beatles' sonic experimentation and songwriting genius, and this is the story behind how the album was made

In 1978, Queen launched their Jazz album with a huge Halloween party at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans. People are still talking about it

How future Iron Maiden founder Steve Harris went from trainee draughtsman to superstar in waiting, as remembered by the people who knew him

Moscow at the height of East-West tensions was a grim, alien city. What better place for fading British rockers Uriah Heep to raise their profile?

The strange and tragic story of the death of Gram Parsons, told by the people who were there

In August 1970, Elton John played his first US gig at the 300-capacity Troubadour club in Los Angeles. It would change everything

Keith Moon celebrated his 21st birthday by taking one of his cars for a swim – or did he? Eyewitnesses explain what they saw – or think they saw

On August 27, 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan played the gig of his life. Just hours later he was killed when his helicopter crashed in thick fog. This is the inside story of that tragic day

The combination of drugs, guns and a troubled wife meant things wouldn’t end well for the Mountain bassist. Here, insiders and eye-witnesses remember his murder trial

The Doors brought controversy with them when they arrived to play their debut UK gigs, but over two nights at London’s Roundhouse it was their incendiary music that did the talking.

By mid-1971 Eric Clapton was a recluse with a heroin habit, until friends including Pete Townshend and George Harrison intervened to save his life

Pink Floyd’s classic line-up reunited only once, to play the historic Live 8 charity concert in 2005. Just don’t ask them to do it again

Jimi at 80 When Jimi Hendrix arrived in London in 1966, he not only blew the minds of fellow rock legends-in-making: he'd help spark a whole new form of electric blues

“This pistol is filled with LSD. I’m gonna squirt the troops and get them all high"

In 1971, Black Sabbath released the monumental Master Of Reality album, inventing heavy metal’s future… and opening the door on an era of cocaine, Quaaludes and dagger-wielding Satanists

From London's east end to some of the biggest stages in the world, Iron Maiden's story started with a three track demo and a sweaty pub gig decked out like an old Western movie...

It was the biggest music battle of the 80s. In the blue corner: Dee Snider, Frank Zappa and John Denver. In the red corner: the US government

In 1982 The Clash's Joe Strummer disappeared without telling his bandmates, his manager or his record label. Then he got drunk and ran a marathon