Rock Legends: The Final Show of Ziggy Stardust and Other Iconic Moments in Music History
On July 3rd, 1973, David Bowie performed his final show as Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. Prior to the show, Bowie announced that it would be the last show ever, leading to speculation about his retirement from the music industry. However, Bowie was only retiring the character of Ziggy Stardust. The concert was captured in a film directed by DA Pennebaker titled "Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars."
In 1971, Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors, was found dead in his bathtub at the age of 27. Despite suspicions of drug involvement, his official cause of death on the death certificate was listed as cardiac arrest due to respiratory failure. The lack of an autopsy fueled conspiracy theories surrounding Morrison's death over the years.
In 1969, Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones passed away at the age of 27 after being found in a swimming pool. His death was ruled accidental, despite high levels of alcohol and barbiturates in his system. Some theories have emerged suggesting that Jones may have been murdered.
Today marks the birthday of Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy, born in 1956. To celebrate, you can watch a conversation with Stephen about the 40th anniversary of Ratt's debut album "Out Of The Cellar" here. For more rock history stories, check out Joe's collection of today in rock history stories.