2026-09-19 · On this day
September 19 in Music History: Frank Zappa, Michael Eavis, Travis Barker
3 rock stories from September 19: concerts, releases, turning points and the people behind them.
1985: Frank Zappa
On September 19, 1985: Tipper Gore and other political wives form the Parents Music Resource Center as Frank Zappa, John Denver, and other musicians testify at U.S. Congressional hearings on obscenity in rock music.
Frank Zappa was a multifaceted artist who composed a wide range of music, including rock, pop, jazz, and orchestral works. He was a skilled guitarist and conductor, and his music often featured complex arrangements and virtuosic performances. Zappa's career spanned over 30 years, during which he released numerous albums with his band the Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist.
In the mid-1980s, Frank Zappa found himself at the center of a controversy surrounding obscenity in rock music. He testified at U.S. Congressional hearings, alongside other musicians, including John Denver, as part of the Parents Music Resource Center's efforts to address concerns about explicit content in music.
1970: Michael Eavis
On September 19, 1970: Michael Eavis hosts the first Glastonbury Festival.
Michael Eavis is a well-known English dairy farmer who has made a significant impact on the music industry. In 1970, he hosted the first Glastonbury Festival on his farm in Pilton, Somerset. This event marked the beginning of a long-standing tradition of music festivals that would go on to become a major cultural phenomenon.
Michael Eavis's career as a festival organizer continued to flourish after the initial success of the Glastonbury Festival. He has remained closely associated with the event, which has grown into one of the largest and most iconic music festivals in the world.
2008: Travis Barker
On September 19, 2008: A Learjet 60 carrying musicians Travis Barker and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein crashes during a rejected takeoff from Colombia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia, South Carolina, killing four of the six people on board. Barker and Goldstein both survive.
Travis Barker was involved in a plane crash in 2008, which occurred during a rejected takeoff from a South Carolina airport. The Learjet 60 aircraft was carrying Barker and fellow musician Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, as well as four others, when it crashed, resulting in the deaths of four people on board.
Barker is a multi-talented musician who has been a member of several notable bands, including Blink-182, Transplants, and +44. He has also collaborated with hip-hop artists and has been referred to as "punk's first superstar drummer" by Rolling Stone, which also included him in a list of the 100 greatest drummers of all time.