June 28th

Musical birthdays today include original Procol Harum bassist David Knights (78), operatic baritone Thomas Hampson (68), ex-Inspiral Carpets keyboardist Clint Boon (64), producer and former Nine Inch Nails keybordist Charlie Clouser (60), Bobby Bare, jr. (57), Elmer 'Chayanne' Arce (55), Danielle Brisebois (53), and Killers bassist Mark Stoermer (45).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Richard Rodgers, born today in 1902... for saxophonist & big band arranger Jimmy Mundy, born in 1907... for bluesman David 'Honeyboy' Edwards, born in 1915... for cornet player & bandleader Red Nichols, who died on this date in 1965... for Mills Brothers vocalist Harry Mills, who passed away in 1982... for punk singer-songwriter Kevin 'GG' Allin, who died of a drug overdose on this day in 1993 at the age of 36... and for rock impresario and longtime Kiss manager Bill Aucoin, who left us today in 2010. 

Also on June 28th: 'Blue Tango' by Leroy Anderson is recorded in a Decca session with the composer conducting. It is the title track for a collection of light orchestral pieces that goes on to become the first million-selling instrumental album of the LP era (1951)... John Coltrane and Don Cherry collaborate in the first of two sessions that will make up the album The Avant-Garde. The tapes will remain in the vaults of Atlantic Records until 1966, when the label releases the album without Coltrane's input or approval (1960)... Motown release Come and Get These Memories, the debut album from Martha and the Vandellas (1963)... The Small Faces play the Marquee Club in Wardour St. in London. Admission is 7s & 6d, or the equivalent of $1... Merle Haggard records 'The Bottle Let Me down' at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles (1966)... The Beatles record 'Good Night', John's lullaby for his 5-year-old son Julian, with Ringo on lead vocals... Pink Floyd release their second album A Saucerful Of Secrets. It is the last Pink Floyd album on which Syd Barrett appears and the only studio album to which all five band members contribute. The sleeve was designed by Hipgnosis, a new company formed by the band's friends Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey 'Po' Powell, who were paid £110 for their efforts (1968)... The Eagles have their first US № 1 album with One of These Nights. The record has also yielded three top 10 singles with 'Lyin' Eyes', 'Take It to the Limit' and the title track (1975)... Elton John achieves a lifelong ambition when he becomes chairman of the Watford Football Club (1977)... Paul McCartney's 'Coming Up' becomes one of the few live recordings to reach the top of Billboard's Hot 100. American disc jockeys preferred it to the studio version on the flip side of the single (1980)... Burt Bacharach appears at The Royal Albert Hall, London. Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher joins him on-stage for a version of 'This Guy's In Love With You' (1996)... Radiohead have the UK's № 1 album with OK Computer... Dark Side of the Moon' begins its 1056th week on the US album chart. It has long been rumoured that if the album is played while watching The Wizard of Oz movie, and started exactly when the MGM lion roars for the third time during the movie's intro, fascinating connections can be made between the two (1997)... The Spice Girls confirmed they will reform for a world tour to take place in December 2007 and January 2008 with the original line-up, who have not performed on stage since 'Ginger Spice' Geri Halliwell quit in May 1998. The 11 dates announced include a London show on 15 December, eight days after the first date in Los Angeles. Other dates included Cologne, Madrid Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney and Cape Town. The tour is being put together by Simon Fuller, whose '19' company masterminded the group's global success more than a decade ago (2007).