This day in Rock History

In 1980 – Prince made his TV debut on the US show American Bandstand.

In 1977 – Patti Smith falls off stage whilst opening for Bob Seger in Tampa, Fla., injuring her vertebrae and requiring 22 stitches to her head.

In 1966 – The Animals’ Eric Burdon sings lead vocals for Manfred Mann at a London concert.

In 1977 – Peter Green, one of Fleetwood Mac’s founding guitarists, is committed to an English mental institution. Cause? He fired a pistol at a messenger who was trying to deliver a check for his portion of song royalties. In his heyday, Green was one of the all-time great guitarists of British blues, on par with (some would even say better than) Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck.