Rock and Metal History, a day like today May 17

1963: The first Monterey Folk Festival took place over three days in Monterey, California. The festival featured Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Peter Paul and Mary. The 1967 Monterey Rock festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by Jimi Hendrix and The Who as well as the first major public performances of Janis Joplin. It was also the first major performance by Otis Redding in front of a predominantly white audience.

1964: Bob Dylan made his first major concert UK appearance when he played at the Royal Festival Hall in London with an afternoon show listed as a ‘Folksong Concert’. Dylan's 18-song set included the live debut of Mr. Tambourine Man and took place on a Sunday afternoon. In the interval, Dylan received a telegram from John Lennon seeking a meeting which never materialised.

1975: Led Zeppelin played the first of five sold-out nights to 17,000 fans at Earls Court Arena, London England. The set list included: Rock And Roll, The Song Remains The Same, The Rain Song, Kashmir, No Quarter, Going To California, Dazed And Confused, Stairway To Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, and Black Dog. Tickets cost £1 ($1.70) - £2.50 ($4.25). LED ZEPPELIN had their hit,Trampled Under Foot, ranked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. The song is featured on LED ZEPPELIN‘s sixth studio album from 1975, Physical Graffiti

1976: RAINBOW, led by RONNIE JAMES DIO, had their second studio album released: Rising.

1986: SAMMY HAGAR led VAN HALEN had their huge hit single, Why Can’t This Be Love, ranked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.

1988: VinnieVincentInvasion featuring Mark Slaughter on vocals released the album "All Systems Go"

1988: Judas Priest released the album "Ram It Down".Ram It Down is the eleventh studio album by Judas Priest, released in 1988 through Columbia Records; a remastered edition containing two bonus tracks was reissued in 2001. This is the last album to feature long time drummer Dave Holland and the last studio album produced by long-time collaborator Tom Allom who returned to produce the 2009 live album A Touch of Evil: Live.

1989: The first night of a 12-date UK tour for R.E.M. starting at Leicester De Montfort Hall. (Promoting the new single, 'Orange Crush').

1990: Nirvana played the last date of a North American tour at the Zoo in Boise, Idaho. This was Chad Channing's final gig with the band, drummer Dave Grohl replaced him in Sept of this year after his band Scream had split-up.

2004: AlexNelson former guitarist with Real Lizzy Borden

2005: Soad released Mesmerize.Mezmerize is the fourth studio album by Armenian American rock band System of a Down. It is the first half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album. It was released on May 17, 2005, six months before Hypnotize, on Columbia Records.

2009: Green Day went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their eighth studio album '21st Century Breakdown'.

2010: Annihilator released the album "Annihilator"

2013: Bob Dylan was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Dylan, who was unable to attend the New York ceremony, said he felt "extremely honoured" and "lucky" to be admitted. Dylan's induction was decided by a vote of the Academy's 250 members.

2016: Sweden’s AVATAR have their newly released studio album, Feathers & Flesh, ranked at #3 on theiTunes Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums Chart

Born on this day

1948: Bill Bruford, English drummer. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968–1972, and then joined King Crimson. He worked as the touring drummer for Genesis in 1976 and U.K. in 1978.

1959: Paul Dianno, vocals, the first vocalist to record with heavy metal band Iron Maiden, from 1978 to 1981. Di'Anno has issued numerous albums over the years, as both a solo artist and as a member of such bands as Gogmagog, Di'Anno's Battlezone, Praying Mantis, Killers and Rockfellas.

1965: Trent Reznor, American singer-songwriter, record producer and member of Nine Inch Nails, (2005 US No.1 album 'White Teeth'). He and his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, are members of the post-industrial group How to Destroy Angels. Reznor with Atticus Ross scored the David Fincher films The Social Network (2010), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), and Gone Girl (2014), winning the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Social Network and the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

1968: Dave Abbruzzese, American drummer with Pearl Jamfrom 1991 to 1994. In 1997, Abbruzzese rehearsed with Axl Rose during the making of Guns N' Roses' 2008 album, Chinese Democracy. However, none of the material from the sessions ended up on the album.

1973: American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, Josh Homme, founding and only continuous member of Queens of the Stone Age. He formed Eagles of Death Metal in 1998. In 2009, he formed Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones. In 2016, he released Post Pop Depression, an album with Iggy Pop.