July 10th

Musical birthdays today include Mavis Staples (85), operatic soprano Helen Donath (84), pop singer & producer Ian Whitcomb (83), Sixto Rodriguez (82), Arlo Guthrie (77), Greg Kihn (75), John Whitehead (75), folk singer Cheryl Wheeler (73), ex-Max Webster frontman Kim Mitchell (72), former Triumph guitarist & singer Rik Emmett (70), Pet Shop Boys co-founder Neil Tennant (70), former New Grass Revival banjo player Béla Fleck (66), country singer Ken Mellons (59), Rebekah del Rio (57), Rascall Flatts lead singer Gary LeVox (54), Take That vocalist Jason Orange (54), former Deadsy guitarist Elijah Blue Allman (48), Brand New frontman Jesse Lacey (46), Jessica Simpson (44), and The Shaky Hands guitarist Alex Arrowsmith (42). 
 
Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Carl Orff, born on this day in 1895... for bluesman Blind Boy Fuller [né Fulton Allen], born in 1907... for jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, who would have been 86 today... for former Rainbow & Black Sabbath lead singer Ronnie James Dio, who would have been 82... for Runaways drummer Sandy West, who would have been 65... for hymn composer Phoebe Knapp, who died on this date in 1908... for Jelly Roll Morton [né Ferdinand LaMothe], who died in 1941... for John Hammond, who passed away in 1987... and for jazz singer Maria Cole, who left us today in 2012. 
 
Also on July 10th: 'Your Hit Parade' premieres on NBC-TV. The program, which features vocalists covering the top hits of the week, has been on radio since 1935. It moves to CBS in 1958 but is cancelled the following year, unable to cope with the rising popularity of Rock 'n' Roll (1950)... Kitty Wells scores her third and final Billboard Country № 1 with 'Heartbreak U.S.A.' (1961)... 200,000 Liverpudlians take to the streets to celebrate The Beatles return to Liverpool for the northern premiere of the group's first film 'A Hard Day's Night.' The group are honoured in a public ceremony in front of Liverpool Town Hall, and as they stand on a balcony waving the large crowd gathered below, John Lennon gives a few Nazi 'Sieg Heil' salutes. Not everyone appreciates his sense of humour. The soundtrack album of the film is released in Britain today as well (1964)... The Rolling Stones go to № 1 on the Billboard singles chart with ('I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' (1965)... Eric Clapton announces that Cream will disband after their current tour despite the fact that Wheels of Fire has just been certified as the first ever Platinum-selling double album... The Nice are banned indefinitely from appearing at London's Royal Albert Hall after burning an American flag on stage. Two years later, Keith Emerson, leader of the group, will join Greg Lake and Carl Palmer in Emerson, Lake and Palmer (1968)... The funeral of Brian Jones takes place in his home town at Hatherley Road Parish Church, Cheltenham. Canon Hugh Evan Hopkins read Jones' own epitaph, 'Please don't judge me too harshly'. Former bandmates Bill Wyman, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts attend the obsequies (1969)... Harry Nilsson's eighth album, Son of Schmilsson, is released. It features George Harrison under the name George Harrysong and Ringo Starr, listed as Richie Snare, on some of the tracks. Peter Frampton also played guitar on most of the album (1972)... One hit wonders The Starland Vocal Band top the US singles chart with 'Afternoon Delight' (1976)... Chuck Berry is found guilty of tax evasion and sentenced to five months in US federal prison (1979)... Bob Marley & the Wailers play a show in Dublin that opens what will prove to be their final tour of Ireland and the UK (1980)... Coldplay's debut album Parachutes is released (2000)... Dolly Parton kicks off her first major concert tour in 10 years with a show at Irving Plaza in NYC (2002)... The four members of Led Zeppelin are voted the UK's ideal supergroup after 3,500 music fans were asked to create their fantasy band for Planet Rock Radio. Jimmy Page won best guitarist, followed by Guns N' Roses' Slash and Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore. John Paul Jones was named top bassist, with John Bonham, who died in 1980, winning best drummer and Robert Plant beat the late Freddie Mercury to best singer (2005)...  The drum skin used on the cover of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album sells for £541,250 at a Christie's Memorabilia auction in London. Other items on the block include John Lennon's lyrics for 'Give Peace a Chance' which go  for £421,250, and a pair of tinted prescription sunglasses belonging to Lennon, which he wore for the cover of the single 'Mind Games', and which bring £39,650 (2008).