Hair Band History (December 26th)

December 1986: Europe had a massive hit with "The Final Countdown" and after taking a break for the holidays, launched a world tour in January that included performing in the UK for the first time in February 1987.

December 26, 1983: KISS launched the North American leg of the "Lick It Up" Tour in Atlanta. Guitarist Vinnie Vincent was fired after the European tour a month earlier, but not able to find a replacement in time, re-hired.

New Jersey rock band "The Rest" featured guitarist Jack Ponti and a young Jon Bon Jovi as vocalist, but despite promotion by other successful New Jersey musicians, such as Southside Johnny and members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, and a demo produced by Billy Squier, did not obtain a recording contract and split up. Bon Jovi went on to form his own band. Ponti co-wrote songs for Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Keel, Trixter, Nelson, Kane Roberts, Bonfire and other artists. He also produced and wrote albums for hard rock and glam metal bands Skid Row, Babylon A.D., Baton Rouge, Doro and for his own band Surgin', which he had created in 1985 at the insistence of his then managers, but disbanded after one record. That one album, "When Midnight Comes", released in December 1985, included "Shot Through The Heart", co-written by Ponti and originally recorded by Bon Jovi for their debut album a year earlier.

December 26, 1987: Def Leppard's "Animal", the second single issued from the album "Hysteria" in North America, peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first of ten consecutive US Top 40 singles for the band.

December 26, 1987: "Burning Like A Flame", the first single from Dokken's fourth studio album "Back For The Attack", peaked at No. 20 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.

Remembering former Kingdom Come and Scorpions drummer James Kottak who would have celebrated a birthday today (December 26, 1962). James died in 2024. R.I.P.

December 26, 1986: A living, breathing 3-D slasher film come to life and set to music, Alice Cooper brought "The Nightmare Returns" Tour to Atlanta... "They may spend millions of dollars on decorating their stage, but they don't deliver a real show. Whereas with us, if you're sitting in the first 10 rows — you might get splattered!" 😮

December 26, 1987: Guns N' Roses returned to L.A. on the "Appetite For Destruction" Tour for the first of four shows at Perkins Place in Pasadena. Cinderella drummer Fred Coury filled in for Steven Adler at all four shows.

December 26, 1987: Not surprisingly, the year-end issue of Billboard Magazine in the US revealed chart domination by Bon Jovi, including No. 1 Pop Artist of the Year, No. 1 Pop Album of the Year for "Slippery When Wet", No. 1 Pop Album Artist, No. 5 Pop Singles Artist and No. 7 Pop Singles Artist.

December 26, 1987: "It's been one hell of a year for DAVID COVERDALE. Yeah, the last twelve months have seen the 'Whitesnake 1987' album shift an astonishing 7 million copies worldwide, the band play vast US arena shows as support to Mötley Crüe and as headliners in their own right, plus the mainman himself has been featured on three Kerrang! kovers. And it ain't over yet! Just after Xmas the band kick off their long awaited, much anticipated British tour ...all in all, proof positive that 'real passion pays off'."