Blaze In Montreaux Sparks "Smoke On The Water"
1971During a Frank Zappa concert, the Montreux Casino in Switzerland catches fire when someone fires a flare gun, inspiring Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water." Deep Purple are there to record their album Machine Head the following day, but end up using the Grand Hotel and including the song as a last-minute addition.
Read more4 DECEMBER
Featured Events
2014 ASCAP lists its Top 30 Holiday Songs of the Century, with "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" topping the tally.
1984 The singer Jelly Roll is born Jason DeFord in Antioch, Tennessee (his mom gives him his nickname because he's a chubby kid). He starts off as a rapper and ends up both selling and using drugs, leading to a series of arrests. He starts turning his life around after getting out of jail in 2008, and as a country singer makes his mark with songs about struggle and redemption based on his own story.
1980 Led Zeppelin make it official: they will not continue after the death of their drummer, John Bonham. They never fully re-form, but do play some shows with Jason Bonham filling in for his father.
1969 Jay-Z (Shawn Corey Carter) is born in housing projects in Brooklyn - something he will remind us of many times in his early songs. Known for his lyrical dexterity, he becomes one of the top rappers in the game and also one of the most profitable, amassing over $1 billion with interests in liquor, apparel and record labels.
1965 The Byrds' "Turn! Turn! Turn!" hits #1 for the first of three weeks. Written by folk singer Pete Seeger, its lyrics come from the Bible's book of Ecclesiastes.
1928 Louis Armstrong records "Basin Street Blues," named for a street in New Orleans known as a hub for jazz music. The song has been around for two years, but Armstrong's version becomes the standard.
©2026 Songfacts®, LLC