March 6, 2000: Eric Clapton becomes the first person inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times
In March of 2000 Eric Clapton became the only person to ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a third time, having previously gotten in as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. He didn't show when The Yardbirds got in, and admitted that he was very reluctant to reform Cream at the 1993 ceremony. He had fewer reservations in 2000, especially after Robbie Robertson's laudatory induction speech. "No smashing guitars," Robertson said. "No burning guitars, no tricks, no gimmicks, just keeping-it-real guitar."
Clapton, who played "Further Up On The Road" and "Tears In Heaven" that night, gave a very short speech. "I don't know quite how to handle this kind of stuff," he said. "I'm just a messenger – I carry the message, and I hope to be able to do that as long as I live. Love and music is all you need. If I may, I'll just go over there and play."
Neil Young came close to being inducted three times, but he didn't play on the first Crosby, Stills & Nash album, so they got in as a trio. It's possible Clapton will be inducted again: Derek & The Dominoes and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers have yet to get in.
Photo Gallery: Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood Reunite In Las Vegas
March 6, 2001: Aerosmith release Just Push Play
Aerosmith's huge 1998 hit "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" put them back on the radio after the previous year's disc Nine Lives failed to reach a mass audience. In 2001 they took that momentum back into the studio and cut Just Push Play. They scored a big hit with Jaded, but the LP ultimately failed to live up to the expectations of the band or its fans.
"I'm not a big fan of that record," Joe Perry told Rolling Stone in 2009. "We get too much into the technical end of things and let that take over. The band really didn't play those tracks live in the studio." It's now been exactly 10 years since the album came out, and Aerosmith still hasn't released an album of new material since – though in 2004 they put out the blues cover album "Honkin' on Bobo." That seems unlikely to change anytime soon, with Steven Tyler devoting much of his time to American Idol and a possible solo album.
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