July 5th

Musical birthdays today include Huey Lewis (75), guitarist Michael Monarch (75), former Aerosmith lead guitarist Jimmy Crespo (70), ex-Clash drummer Terry Chimes (70), Marc Cohn (67), Evaporators keyboardist Nardwuar the Human Serviette [né John Ruskin] (57), Wu-Tang Clan rapper Rza (56), Cardigans drummer Bengt Lagerberg (52), D12 rapper Bizarre [né Rufus Johnson] (49), rapper & Eminem collaborator Royce da 5'9" (48), ex-Westlife vocalist Shane Filan (46), Turtle island Quartet violinist Mads Tolling (45), Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade (45), Lady A guitarist Dave Haywood (43), Arctic Monkeys bassist Nick O'Malley (40), Owl City creator Adam Young (39), and former Deadbeat Darling frontman Joseph King (36). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for harpsichord virtuoso Wanda Landowska, born on this day in 1877... for songwriter Mack David, born in 1912... for bluesman Smiley Lewis, born in 1913... for Robbie Robertson, who would have been 82 today... for rapper Mac Dre [né Andre Hicks], who would have been 55... for trumpeter Harry James, who died on this date in 1983... for pop singer Shirley Goodman, who passed away in 2005... and for operatic soprano Régine Crespin, who left us today in 2007. 

Also on July 5th: Polish pianist and diplomat in exile Jan Paderewski is buried within the US Marine Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. His remains will be repatriated to his native country in 1992 (1941)... Working together for the first time in a recording studio with Scotty Moore and Bill Black, Elvis experiments during a break with an up-tempo version of 'That's All Right.' Producer Sam Phillips has them repeat the jam and records it. It becomes Presley's first release on Sun Records (1954)... Paul McCartney meets his future Wings collaborator Denny Laine for the first time when the latter's group Denny and the Diplomats opens for The Beatles at a gig in the West Midlands (1963)... Marty Balin and Paul Kantner meet for the first time at a jam session in Haight-Ashbury and decide to form a band, which will evolve into the Jefferson Airplane... Maria Callas gives her final performance, in a production of Tosca at Covent Garden (1965)... As The Beatles make their way to the airport in Manila, they are greeted by angry mobs, the Philippine government having retaliated for the band's perceived snub of First Lady Imelda Marcos yesterday by refusing police protection for them. The Fab Four manage to board their plane after a few minor scuffles... On the recommendation of Keith Richards' girlfriend, Chas Chandler of The Animals goes to see Jimi Hendrix play at the Cafe Wha in Greenwich Village. After the gig, Chandler suggests to Hendrix that he come to England ~ the guitarist concurs, and also agrees to have Chandler become his manager (1966)... Fantasy Records release Creedence Clearwater Revival's eponymous debut album (1968)... The Rolling Stones give a free concert in London's Hyde Park before an estimated crowd of 250,000 as a tribute to Brian Jones. Mick Jagger reads a section of Shelley's 'Adonais' and releases 3,500 butterflies; the show also marks Mick Taylor's debut with the Stones, as well as the first public performance of King Crimson, who are among the opening acts [which also include Family, The Third Ear Band, Screw and Alexis Korner's New Church](1969)... Pink Floyd, Captain Beefheart, Steve Miller and Roy Harper all appear at The Knebworth Festival, England ~ tickets cost £3.50. The Floyd premiere their new album Wish You Were Here with the help of Spitfires, pyrotechnics and an exploding plane which flies into the stage (1975)...  The manufacturing of Some Girls, the new album by The Rolling Stones, is halted at EMI's pressing plant after complaints from celebrities including Lucille Ball who are featured in mock advertisements on the album sleeve (1978)... Janet Jackson has the № 1 album in the US with Control (1986)... More than 100 Grateful Dead fans are injured when a wooden deck collapses at a campground lodge in Wentzville, MO. Hundreds of people were on or under the deck sheltering from a downpour. More than 4,000 Deadheads are staying at the campground while attending Grateful Dead concerts in the St. Louis suburb (1995)... Pink Floyd's David Gilmour says that artists who saw album sales soar after the Live 8 concerts should donate their profits to charity, adding: "This is money that should be used to save lives." UK sales figures released two days after the London concert showed Pink Floyd’s Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd had risen by 1343%, The Who's Then and Now by 863% and Annie Lennox ~ Eurythmics' Greatest Hits by 500% (2005). 
 

July 4th

Musical birthdays today include operatic soprano Zdisława Donat (89), bluegrass guitarist Peter Rowan (83), Jeremy Spencer (77), singer-songwriter Tonio K. [né Steven Krekorian] (75), John Waite (73), INXS guitarist Kirk Pengilly (67), Seven Witches frontman Jack Frost [né John Dempsey] (57) ex-Barenaked Ladies pianist Andy Creeggan (54), Sunny Day Real Estate drummer William Goldsmith (53), Sigur Rós drummer Orri Pál Dýrason (48), former BBMak guitarist Stephen McNally (46), and ex-Armor for Sleep frontman Ben Jorgensen (42). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Stephen Foster, born on this day in 1826... for Mitch Miller, born in 1911...  For Bill Withers, who would have been 87 today... for Animals keyboardist Dave Rowberry, who would have been 84... for Canned Heat frontman Alan Wilson, who would have been 82... for choral composer William Byrd, who died on this date in 1623... for New Orleans jazz cornettist Buddie Petit, who died in 1931... for singer-songwriter Jimmie Spheeris, killed in a motorcycle accident today in 1984 at the age of 34... for Barry White, who passed away in 2003... and for Bill Pinckney, the last original member of The Drifters, who left us in 2007. 

Also on July 4th: 'Hail to the Chief' is played as an honorific for the President of the United States for the first time when the US Marine Band perform the tune at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, presided over by John Quincy Adams (1828)... At the Park Street Church in Boston, MA, the tune of 'God Save the Queen' is sung for the first time with the text 'My Country 'Tis of Thee' by Samuel Francis Smith (1831)... The US Marine Band under the direction of John Phillip Sousa play at the dedication ceremony of the Statue of Liberty (1886)... The Everly Brothers hold the UK № 1 position with 'All I Have to Do Is Dream.' The duo's first chart-topper was recorded in just two takes and features Chet Atkins on guitar (1958)... The Beach Boys hit № 1 in the US for the first time with 'I Get around' (1964)... As their world tour reaches the Phillipines, The Beatles play two concerts at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila to over 80,000 fans. After the second show, the band fail to appear at a palace reception hosted by President Marcos' family, who were not informed that the Beatles had declined their invitation. The Philippine media misrepresent this as a deliberate snub, and when Brian Epstein tries to make a televised statement, his comments are disrupted by static (1966)... Elvis donates a Rolls Royce to a women's charity in Los Angeles ~ the car will bring $35,000 when it is auctioned off (1968)... The Doors appear at the Willingdon Juvenile Detention Home for Girls in Vancouver, CA (1969)... Despite having a Top 5 hit in the US with 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' and a Platinum album with Pretzel Logic, Steely Dan's Walter Becker and Donald Fagan announce that their concert today in Santa Monica, CA will be their final live performance. It will be 18 years before the pair appear on stage together again (1974)... The Clash make their live debut as the opening act for The Sex Pistols at the Black Swan pub in Sheffield (1976)... After being divorced by his first wife Thelma Mayfair last year, Ozzy Osbourne marries Sharon Arden, the daughter of music business manager Don Arden (1982)... Former The Mamas & the Papas vocalist John Phillips receives a liver transplant at the Los Angeles Medical Center (1992)... The Smashing Pumpkins play an acoustic show at the London strip club Raymond's Revue Bar (1993)... George Michael takes part in a live telephone interview on CNN, defending his new single 'Shoot the Dog'. Americans were upset by the controversial video, which showed President George W. Bush in bed with Tony Blair... Tony Bennett has to abandon a show at the Royal Albert Hall after a fire breaks out in the building. The audience are evacuated the hall begins to fill with smoke (2002)... U2 win their court fight for the return of items of memorabilia, including a Stetson hat which they accused a former stylist of stealing. Judge Matthew Deery of the Dublin Circuit Court orders Lola Cashman to return the items, which also include earrings, within seven days. Ms Cashman worked as U2's stylist during the 1980s and wrote an unauthorised book called ‘Inside the Zoo’. Judge Deery says that he found Ms Cashman's version of how she had been given the items at the end of a US tour 'highly dubious', particularly her description of Bono running around in his underpants backstage (2005). 
 

July 3rd

Musical birthdays today include operatic mezzo-soprano Brigitte Fassbaender (86), French rocker Eddy Mitchell [né Claude Moine] (83), country singer Johnny Lee (79), original Yardbirds lead guitarist Anthony 'Top' Topham (78), Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere (77), original Free bassist Andy Fraser (73), country singer Aaron Tippin (67), ex-Ratt lead singer Steven Pearcy (66), former Depeche Mode keyboardist Vince Clarke (65), Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn (56), Audra McDonald (55), former Boyzone vocalist Shane Lynch (48), and rapper Kid Sister (45). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Leoš Janáček, born on this day in 1854... for George M. Cohan, born in 1878... for Mississippi John Hurt, born in 1893... for former composer Ruth Crawford Seeger, born in 1901... for New Orleans jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain and for jazz guitarist Tommy Tedesco, both of whom were born in 1930... for Fontella Bass, who would have been 85... for Heatwave lead singer Johnnie Wilder, Jr., who would have been 75... for Laura Branigan, who would have been 67... for Brian Jones, who died on this date in 1969... for Jim Morrison, who died in 1971... for Rudy Valée, who passed away in 1986... for former Morphine lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Sandman, who died in 1999... and for rock & country session saxophonist Homer 'Boots' Randolph, who left us today in 2007. 

Also on July 3rd: Victor Borge makes his American debut on NBC Radio (1945)... As the headline act at the festival, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk record the album At Newport 1958, with John Coltrane sitting in (1958)... A private party is held at the Speakeasy Club in London, England for The Monkees. The guests include John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Dusty Springfield, Eric Clapton, Lulu and all the members from Manfred Mann, The Who and Procol Harum (1967)... At an impromptu gathering at Joni Mitchell's house in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash play together for the very first time (1968)... On the last night of a 60 date tour, David Bowie announces he is about to retire from live performing, although it eventually transpires that it is 'Ziggy Stardust' the stage persona who is being retired, and not Bowie himself (1973)... Brian Wilson plays his first live show with The Beach Boys in seven years when they appear at Anaheim Stadium in CA... When rain stops play during the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships, Cliff Richard launches into a spontaneous concert in which he leads spectators through some of his old hits. It is later revealed that Sir Cliff had planned the moment as a publicity stunt (1976)... The Human League have the № 1 single in both the US and the UK with 'Don't You Want Me' (1982)... U2 road crew member Greg Carroll is killed in a motorcycle accident in Dublin while running an errand for Bono. The song 'One Tree Hill' on the Joshua Tree album is dedicated to Carroll... Mikhail Baryshnikov becomes a US citizen in a ceremony at Ellis Island (1986)... Harvard professor Ronald Ferguson accuses the culture of hip-hop and rap music of stalling academic progress among young American blacks. He claims that time spent learning intricate rhyming lyrics detracts from reading (2000)... Sir Elton John becomes the first pop/rock singer to receive an honorary doctorate from the Royal Academy of Music... Three diners at Britney Spears' newly opened restaurant in Manhattan suffer food poisoning. The trio of NYU students who had the striped bass at the pop diva's eatery file official complaints with the City Department of Health and vow never to eat there again (2002). 

July 2nd

Musical birthdays today include E Street Band keyboardist Roy Bittan (76), Huey Lewis and the News guitarist Johnny Colla (73), bassist & Bob Geldof sideman Pete Briquette (71), Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin (55), Monie Love (55) ex-Evanescence drummer Rocky Gray (51), and Michelle Branch (42).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, born today in 1716... for Beach Boys patriarch, manager & publisher Murry Wilson, born in 1917... for country singer Marvin Rainwater, born in 1925... for jazz pianist Ahamd Jamal, born in 1930... for singer-songwriter Tom Springfield, born in 1934... for original Temptations vocalist Paul Williams, who would have been 83 today... for Mexican pop singer Jenni Rivera, who would have been 55... for Betty Grable, who died on this date in 1973... for bassist and Oscar Peterson sideman Ray Brown, who passed away in 2002... and for Beverly Sills, who left us today in 2007. 

Also on July 2nd: Vivaldi is hired by the Pieta School for Girls in Venice to compose and perform two concertos each month (1723)... The George & Ira Gershwin musical 'Show Girl' opens on Broadway with Duke Ellington conducting the orchestra (1929)... Elvis records 'Hound Dog' at RCA Studios in NYC. It is his first session with The Jordanaires, and produces the definitive version on the 31st take (1956)... Jimi Hendrix is honourably discharged from the U.S. Army after the broken ankle that he suffered in his final training jump with the 101st Airborne division is ruled a disqualifying injury (1962)... Frank Sinatra is at № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with 'Strangers in the Night'... David Bowie and The Lower Third appear at The Lion Hotel in Warrington, Merseyside ~ they are paid £30 for the gig ~ as the opening act for Eric Clapton Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood and harmonica player Paul Jones, who are billing themselves as The Powerhouse (1966)... As work on Abbey Road continues, Paul records ‘Her Majesty’ by himself, and then goes through 15 takes of ‘Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight’ with George and Ringo . John is absent, still in hospital in Scotland following his car accident yesterday... Bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell quit the Jimi Hendrix Experience after the conclusion of the three-day Denver Pop Festival. Mitchell would return to team with Hendrix and bassist Billy Cox to form the short-lived Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, who play the Woodstock Festival (1969)... Queen appear at Surrey College just outside of London. It is the group's first gig with the line-up of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon (1971)... Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band play the first of six sold out nights, inaugurating the brand new Brendan Byrne Arena [now the Izod Center] in E. Rutherford, NJ (1981)... Michael Jackson becomes the first artist to have five № 1 singles from one album when ‘Dirty Diana’ goes to the top of the US charts. The other four chart-toppers from the LP Bad were the title track, ‘I Just Can't Stop Loving You’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ and ‘Man in the Mirror'... Boosted by her performance at the 'Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Tribute Concert' at Wembley Stadium, Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album goes to № 1 on the UK album chart, matching its stateside performance (1988)... Axl Rose causes a riot to break out during a Guns N' Roses gig after leaping into the crowd to take a camera away from a fan who is photgraphing the concert at the Riverpoint Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, MO. Over 50 people were injured in the ensuing melee, and 15 fans were arrested (1991)... Liverpool Airport in the suburb of Speke is renamed John Lennon Airport. Yoko Ono is present to unveil a new logo that includes her late husband's famous self- portrait and the words, 'Above Us Only Sky' taken from his song 'Imagine' (2001)... Some of the world's biggest music stars united in concerts around the globe to put pressure on political leaders ahead of the G8 summit to tackle poverty in Africa. Concerts in 10 cities, including London, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg, Rome and Moscow take place before hundreds of thousands of people. A TV audience of several hundred million also watch the gigs. In London, Pink Floyd, The Who, Madonna, U2, Coldplay, Sting, The Scissor Sisters, Keane, and Paul McCartney perform; Philadelphia fans see Destiny's Child, Jay-Z and Bon Jovi; in Vancouver, Bryan Adams and Neil Young headline, while Björk sings in Tokyo and Green Day play in Berlin (2005)... The gravestone of the late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis is stolen. Cheshire Police say his memorial stone was taken from the plot where he is buried in Macclesfield Cemetery. Officers are appealing for anyone with information on its whereabouts, detectives say. The stone has the inscription ‘Ian Curtis 18-5-80’ and the words ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ (2008). 
 

July 1st

Musical birthdays today include soul singer & producer Syl Johnson (89), Twyla Tharp (84), Debbie Harry (80), Strawbs bassist John Ford (77), singer-songwriter & activist Anne Feeney (74), B-52's frontman Fred Schneider (74), classical pianist Nikolai Demidenko 70), Evelyn 'Champagne' King (65), Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum (62), Brazilian pop singer Marisa Monte (58), Missy Elliott (54), Sufjan Stevens (50), and Bianca 'Young B' Dupree (34).  

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for saxophonist & Count Basie sideman Earle Warren, born today in 1914... for Willie Dixon, born in 1915... for bluesman James Cotton, who would have been 90 today... for Delaney Bramlett, who would have been 86... for country singer Keith Whitley, who would have been 71... for composer Erik Satie, who died on this date in 1925... for Steppenwolf bassist Rushton Moreve, killed in a motorcycle accident today in 1981 at the age of 32... for Residents guitarist Philip 'Snakefinger' Lithman, who died in 1987... for original Be-Bop Deluxe guitarist Ian Parkin and DJ Wolfman Jack [né Robert Smith], both of whom died in 1995... for jazz flautist Herbie Mann, who passed away in 2003... for Luther Vandross, who died in 2005... and for operatic soprano Evelyn Lear, who left us today in 2012. 

Also on July 1st: Johann Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz is performed in America for the first time at a summer concert of the Theodore Thomas Orchestra in NYC's Reservoir Square [today's Bryant Park] (1869)... The music division of the Library of Congress in Washington DC is founded (1897)... Arabella, the final collaboration between Richard Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hoffmansthal, premieres at the Dresden Opera (1933)... Elvis appears on NBC- TV's 'The Steve Allen Show' and performs 'Hound Dog', to a live member of the species. TV critic John Crosby slams Presley's performance, calling him an 'unspeakable, untalented and vulgar young entertainer' (1956)... The Dave Brubeck Quartet continue the Time Out sessions, and record the group's signature tune 'Take Five' (1959)... The Beatles record their new single 'She Loves You'/'I'll Get You' at EMI Studios in London in less than four hours (1963)... The Band release their debut album Music from Big Pink (1968)... John & Yoko and family are involved in a car accident in Golspie in the Scottish Highlands that lands both parents in hospital. Lennon will later have the car crushed into a cube and exhibited on his lawn at Tittenhurst Park (1969)... Neil Diamond has the № 1 song on the US singles chart with 'Song Sung Blue' (1972)... 10cc have the № 1 song in Britain with 'I'm Not in Love'. The instrumental break features the repeated spoken phrase: "Be quiet, big boys don't cry...", which was spoken by Kathy Warren, the receptionist at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, where the track was recorded (1975)... Sony introduce the Walkman cassette player (1979)... 'O Canada' is officially adopted as the Canadian national anthem (1980)... A New Jersey-based quintet consider but reject the idea of changing their name to 'Johnny Electric' just before signing their first contract with Phonogram Mercury Records ~ they decided to stick with 'Bon Jovi' (1983)... Rolling Stone Ron Wood is commissioned to paint a group portrait of diners who are regulars at the restaurant The Ivy in London's West End. Elton John and Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant are two pop stars to be included in the canvas (2001)... One week after Michael Jackson's death, The King of Pop occupies the top 9 positions on the Billboard album chart with both originals from his back catalogue, and greatest hits collections in various guises (2009).

June 30th

Musical birthdays today include cellist Michael Van Biel (88), songwriter & producer Tony Hatch (86), pop singer & songwriter Eddie Rambeau (82), ex-Little River Band lead singer Glenn Shorrock (81), Sweet lead guitarist Andy Scott (76), jazz bassist Stanley Clarke (74), ex-Dire Straits guitarist & film score composer Hal Lindes (72), Helix lead singer Brian Vollmer (70), Tommy Keene (67), Dead Can Dance co-founder Brendan Perry (66), All about Eve lead singer Julianne Regan (63), Yngwie Malmsteen (62), Down frontman Phil Anselmo (57), Franz Ferdinand drummer Andy Knowles (43), Cheryl Cole (42).


Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Mississippi Sheiks guitarist Bo Carter, born on this day in 1893... for Lena Horne, born in 1917... for conductor James Lohghran, born in 1931... for folksinger Dave Van Ronk, who would have been 88 today... for folksinger Mark Spoelstra, who would have been 84... for Supremes vocalist Florence Ballard, who would have been 81... for Lee De Forrest, inventor of the Audion tube [which made commercial radio possible], who died on this date in 1961... for country singer Chet Atkins and saxophonist Joe Henderson, both of whom passed away in 2001... and for classical and Broadway singer Harve Presnell, who left us today in 2010. 

Also on June 30th: Charles Mingus records Mingus Plays Piano, his only full album-length solo outing on the instrument... James Brown's Live at the Apollo is released (1963)... The Beatles play the first of three concerts at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo. The first concert is filmed with The Beatles wearing black suits. The following day's performance was also filmed, with The Beatles wearing white suits. There is a heavy police presence, with 3,000 uniformed officers observing each concert played in front of 10,000 fans (1966)... George Harrison knocks Paul McCartney from the top of the US singles chart [where his former bandmate was ruling with 'My Love'] with 'Give Me Love, Give Me Peace On Earth'. His second US № 1, it is the opening track on his album Living in the Material World (1973)... Four days after divorcing Sonny Bono, Cher marries Greg Allman, only to split from him 10 days later. They will be reconciled and carry on a tempestuous 3-year marriage before divorcing... The Jackson Five announce that they were leaving Motown Records for the Epic label. The brothers are forced to change their name to The Jacksons since Motown own the rights to the original name (1975)... Police raid the Malibu, CA home of Neil Diamond searching for drugs ~ they find less than half an ounce of marijuana (1976)... United Artists Records release The Buzzcocks single 'Love You More' ~ at 1 minute 29 seconds, it is the second shortest single ever released. Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs 1960 hit 'Stay' remains the shortest chart single at 1 minute 28 seconds (1978)... One-hit wonder Anita Ward has the № 1 song in America and Britain with 'Ring My Bell' (1979)... Police are called in to control over 4,000 Bobby Brown fans trying to see their idol at the HMV Record store in London's Oxford Street; six fans are hospitalised and one has to be given artificial respiration at the scene... The Stone Roses play at Leeds Polytechnic. The gig almost does not take place after a security man who fails to recognise Ian Brown refuses to let the lead singer backstage (1989)... New Kids On The Block start a three week run at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Step By Step'. The album of the same name is at № 1 in the UK (1990)... Garth Brooks is given a star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame. The singer has buried the master tapes of his 'Hits' album under the star (1995)... Kinks founder member Dave Davies is left paralysed on the right-hand side of his body after suffering a stroke. The 57-year-old guitarist and brother of fellow Kinks star Ray was on an appearance tour to promote his solo material when he collapsed (2004)... R.E.M. play a five-night series of shows at Dublin's Olympia Theatre. Dubbed ‘working rehearsals’ by the band, many songs from their forthcoming album ‘Accelerate’ will be performed publicly for the first time, some of them still works in progress (2007).

June 29th

Musical birthdays today include composer Vyacheslav Artyomov (85), Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice (77), Dokken frontman Don Dokken (72), ex-Men at Work lead singer Colin Hay (72), Go-Betweens frontman Robert Forster (68), DJ & music broadcaster Mark Radcliffe (67), Bad Religion lead guitarist Greg Hetson (64), classical violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter (62), former Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen (57), Matthew Good (54), Flight of the Conchords co-founder Bret McKenzie (49), Phantom Planet bassist Sam Farrar (47), ex-Pussycat Dolls vocalist Nicole Scherzinger (47), former Danity Kane vocalist Aundrea Fimbres, (42), and Suburban Legends drummer Derek Lee Rock (41).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Nelson Eddy, born on this day in 1901... for Broadway composer Frank Loesser [best remembered for Guys and Dolls], born in 1910... for film score composer Bernard Herrmann, born in 1911... for Eva Boyd AKA Little Eva, who would have been 81 today... for classical pianist Jan Paderewski, who died on this date in 1941... for Eric Dolphy, who passed away in 1964... for Tim Buckley, who died of a drug overdose today in 1975 at the age of 28... for Little Feat founder & frontman Lowell George, who died in 1979... and for Rosemary Clooney, who left us today in 2002.  

Also on June 29th: 13-year-old Franz Liszt gives a demonstration of inventor Sebastian Erard's new and improved piano-forte at London's Drury Lane Theatre (1824)... In London, Edison collaborator and envoy George Edward Gouraud plays a section of a piano arrangement of Handel's oratorio Israel into Egypt for a wax cylinder phonograph ~ the result is the oldest known surviving example of recorded classical music... Wagner's first opera Die Feen [The Fairies], written when the composer was 21, premieres at the Hoftheater in Munich five years after his death (1888)... A free concert is held in London's Hyde Park with Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Roy Harper on the bill. The one-day event is the first free festival to be held in Hyde Park. The concert was organised to coincide with the release of Pink Floyd's second album, A Saucerful of Secrets... The Small Faces start a six week run at № 1 on the UK album chart with Ogden's Nut Gone Flake (1968)... Peter Frampton breaks his arm and cracks several ribs when he is involved in a car crash in the Bahamas (1978)... Bruce Springsteen kicks off the first leg of his Born in the USA Tour with a three night run at the Civic Center in St. Paul, MN. Springsteen & the E Street Band will play a total of 156 shows and close on October 2, 1985 in Los Angeles (1984)...  David Bowie and Mick Jagger record a version of the Martha and the Vandellas 1964 hit 'Dancing In The Street.' for the forthcoming 'Live Aid' fundraising event. The single goes on to become a № 1 UK hit. The original plan was to perform a track together live, with Bowie performing at Wembley Stadium and Jagger at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, until it was realized that the satellite link-up would cause a half-second delay that would make this impossible unless either Bowie or Jagger lip-synched their contribution, something neither artist was willing to do... John Lennon's 1965 Rolls-Royce Phantom V limousine, complete with psychedelic paintwork, sells for a record sum of $3,006,385 at a Sotheby's auction in NYC (1985)... Oasis make their Top of the Pops debut performing their new single 'Shakermaker' (1994)... George Martin receives a knighthood, and Van Morrison an OBE (1996)... Eminem's mother files a a $10 million defamation of character lawsuit, after taking exception to the line 'My mother smokes more dope than I do' from her son's single 'My Name Is' (2000)... Canada Post issues the limited edition Joni Mitchell stamp. She is being recognised in a series along with three other iconic Canadian recording artists: Paul Anka, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray (2007).