July 22nd

Musical birthdays today include funk pioneer George Clinton (80), Bobby Sherman (78), Supertramp lead singer Rick Davies (77), French chanteuse Mireille Mathieu (75), Don Henley (74), session guitarist and producer Richard Bennett (70), jazz guitarist Jimmy Bruno (68), ex-Bad Company lead singer Brian Howe (67), jazz guitarist Al DiMeola (67), Savatage lead singer Jon Oliva (61), Indigo Girl Emily Saliers (58), Greek pop singer Despina Vandi (52), Savage Garden co-founder Daniel Jones (48), Rufus Wainwright (48), and Selena Gomez (29). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for  operatic soprano Licia Albanese, born on this day in 1909... for country singer Margaret Whiting, born in 1924... for bassist and Stan Getz sideman William 'Keter' Betts, born in 1930... for Ronettes vocalist Estelle Bennett, who would have been 80... for original Charlatans keyboardist Rob Collins, killed in a DWI accident today in 1996 at the age of 33... for Megadeath drummer Gary 'Gar' Samuelson, who died in 1999... for chansonnier Sacha Distel, who pssed away in 2004... and for Chi-Lites lead singer Eugene Record, who left us in 2005. 

Also on July 22nd: J.S. Bach takes his last communion (1750)... Verdi's I Masnadieri [The Bandits], his first opera written on commission for a patron outside of Italy, premieres at Her Majesty's Theatre in London with the composer himself conducting the orchestra (1847)... The Beatles' first US album, Introducing the Beatles, is pressed by Vee-Jay Records, who believe that they have obtained the legal rights from EMI affiliate Trans-Global Records. When it is finally released in January, 1964, Capitol Records hits Vee Jay with an injunction against manufacturing, distributing, advertising, or otherwise disposing of records the group (1963)... Quicksilver Messenger Service and Big Brother & the Holding Co. appear at the Convention Hall, San Diego, CA (1967)... Aretha Franklin is arrested for disorderly conduct in a Detroit parking lot. After posting $50 bail, she knocks down a road sign while leaving the police station (1969)... John and Yoko spent a second day filming the ‘Imagine’ promotional film at their home in Tittenhurst Park, Ascot. Today's footage includes the morning walk on the grounds through the mist and John singing ‘Imagine’ in the white living room on his white piano (1971)... Stevie Wonder's Fulfillingness' First Finale is released (1974)... Stiff Records release My Aim Is True, the debut album by Elvis Costello in the UK. The musicians who are featured on the album are uncredited on the original release due to contractual difficulties. Later printings of the LP will identify them as members of the band Clover (1977)... Little Richard, now known as the Reverend Richard Penniman, tells his Los Angeles congregation about the evils of rock & roll music, declaring "If God can save an old homosexual like me, he can save anybody" (1979)... Courtney Love marries her first husband, James Moreland, lead singer of the band Leaving Trains (1989)... Donovan is forced to postpone a comeback tour of the US because of a 30-year-old marijuana bust in the UK. American authorities delay granting him a waiver to enter the country, insisting that they must 'investigate further' (1996)... Simple Minds close their official fan club owing to dwindling membership (1999)... Research by a car insurance company shows that listening to the wrong sort of music when driving can lead to aggression and distraction. Dr Nicola Dibben, a music psychologist, says "Singing while driving stimulates the mind." Songs recommended included Pulp’s ‘Disco 2000’ and ‘Hey Ya’ by Outcast, but the doctor says that songs like The Prodigy’s 'Firestarter' should be avoided (2005)... 
Johnny Cash is at № 1 on the US album chart with American V: A Hundred Highways. Released posthumously on July 4, the vocal parts were recorded before Cash's death in 2003, but the instrumental tracks were not recorded until '05 (2006).