U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. was born in Dublin, Ireland on this day in 1961. He took up piano befors switching to drums when he was just nine and joined a marching band but quit when he refused get a haircut. A couple of years after enrolling in Mount Temple School in his teens, Mullen posted that he was a drummer interested in forming a band. That got the attention of Paul 'Bono' Hewson, Adam Clayton, Dave 'The Edge' Evans. On September 25th, 1976 the core of what would become U2 came together during a meeting in the Mullens family kitchen. The first name the group performed under was Feedback. It later became The Hype and was switched to U2 when the band entered a battle of the bands in Limerick in 1978.
Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on October 31 include...
1945 Argent's Russ Ballard born.
1949 Supertramp's Bob Siebenberg born.
1967 The Stooges debut at a Halloween party in Michigan.
1968 Linda Eastman moves to London to live with Paul McCartney.
1974 Led Zeppelin launches Swan Song, the group's own label.
1975 The Marshall Tucker Band does a benefit concert for Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign.
1986 Roger Waters starts legal action to block David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright from using the name Pink Floyd without him.
1989 Grateful Dead release Built To Last.
1989 Squeeze records the first MTV Unplugged session.
1993 River Phoenix dies of an overdose outside Viper Club in LA while with Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.
1996 Slash announces he is leaving Guns N' Roses.
1997 AC/DC members participate in Halloween séance to contact Bon Scott, but get no response.
2001 Ozzy Osbourne breaks a leg stepping out of shower, postpones tour.
2006 John Fogerty releases Long Road Home, Who release Endless Wire, online charity auction brings in $26,000 bid for guitar signed by Pink Floyd members.
2009 Pearl Jam does last concert at the Spectrum in Philadelphia before demolition.
2017 Dave Grohl disguised as David Letterman joins Alice Cooper on Jimmy Kimmel Show.
2021 Early morning smoke alarm triggered by chimney fire wakes Bob Seger and his wife at their Orchard Lake, Michigan home. Water and smoke damage, but no injuries.
