June 26th

Musical birthdays today include jazz pianist & film score composer Dave Grusin (91), former 5th Dimension vocalist Billy Davis, Jr. (87), Gilberto Gil (83), singer & keyboardist Georgie Fame [né Clive Powell] (82), Mick Jones (70), Chris Isaak (69), ex-Scandal lead singer Patty Smyth (68), former Sundays lead singer Harriet Wheeler (62), Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood (56), country singer Gretchen Wilson (52), and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder (46). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bluesman Big Bill Broonzy, born on this day in 1893... for Colonel Tom Parker, born in 1909... for saxophonist Arthur Doyle, who would have been 81 today... for jazz guitarist Zachary Breaux, who would have been 65... for Sonny Rollins sidemen Clifford Brown and Richie Powell, both killed in a road accident today in 1956... for producer & record company executive Lou Reizner, who died in 1977... and for Mexican banda singer Sergio 'El Shaka' Vega, murdered today in 2010 at the age of 40. 

Also on June 26th: Bruno Walter conducts the posthumous premiere of Mahler's 9th Symphony in Vienna (1912)... Elvis, backed by Scotty Moore and Bill Black, plays the first of three nights at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. The local paper runs a preview which reads: ‘A good looking youngster who has become a juke-box favorite with his 'That's Alright, Mama' and 'Blue Moon of Kentucky' Presley is expected to repeat some of his hit tunes at the Airmen's Club show in addition to mixing up a few country tunes with some "bop" and novelty numbers' (1955)... On sabbatical from the Miles Davis Quintet, John Coltrane sits in on the Thelonious Monk septet session that will become the album Monk's Music. Coltrane's name will appear only as a footnote on the back cover of the LP (1957)... Gary 'U.S.' Bonds starts a two-week run at № 1 on the US chart with 'Quarter To Three'. Before Bonds recorded this version, it was an instrumental by The Church Street Five called 'A Night With Daddy G.' Bond's manager added lyrics to it and had him record it (1961)... As their tour down under continues, The Beatles play two shows at the Town Hall, Dunedin, South Island, NZ. The flight from Auckland to Dunedin was tense due the receipt of an anonymous threat that a 'germ bomb' had been placed on board the aircraft. Meanwhile, the Hard Day's Night soundtrack album, numerous illicit copies of which have been leaked to radio stations in the US, is released in America some ten days ahead of what was to have been the simultaneous stateside and British release (1964)... The Byrds have the № 1 song in America with their debut single 'Mr. Tambourine Man' (1965)... Joni Mitchell appears live on ABC TV's 'The Mama Cass Show' (1969)... Cher and Sonny Bono are divorced after 10 years of marriage (1974)... Columbia Records release Bob Dylan & the Band's Basement Tapes, a 2 LP selection of tracks that the musicians recorded during Dylan's recovery from his 1966 motorcycle accident (1975)... Elvis makes his last ever live stage appearance when he appears at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, IN. The last two songs he performs are ‘Hurt’ and ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water.’ Before the show, the King was presented with a plaque commemorating the 2 billionth record to come out of RCA’s pressing plant (1977)... One hit wonder Charlene is at № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with 'I've Never Been To Me'. The song was originally recorded in 1976 and was reissued by Motown records in 1982, by which time Charlene had moved to England and was working in a bakery in Ilford, east London (1982)...  Elton John is reported to be in talks with a City finance house to secure a £25 million loan, using his back catalogue of hits as security.  The star is reputed to have been putting up to £250,000 a week on credit cards (1999)... Britney Spears' hometown of Kentwood, LA announces that a new museum, due to open early next year, will include a section displaying fan mail, platinum records and genuine items of the singer's clothing (2000)... The readers of Total Guitar Magazine vote Celine Dion’s rendition AC/DC's ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ as the world's worst cover version ever. The publication's editor Stephen Lawson pronounces Dion's cover a "sacrilege". On the best cover versions list, Jimi Hendrix comes in first with his version of the Bob Dylan song ‘All Along the Watchtower'; The Beatles' rendition of ‘Twist and Shout’, (first recorded by The Top Notes), is in second place, followed by the Guns N' Roses version of the Paul McCartney & Wings song ‘Live and Let Die' (2008). 

 

 

June 25th

Musical birthdays today include soul singer Eddie Floyd (88), Carly Simon (82), ex-Split Enz frontman Tim Finn (73), Iron Butterfly keyboardist Martin Gerschwitz (73), Toto keyboardist David Paich (71), Pop Culture Suicides lead guitarist Tim 'Zim Zum' Linton (56), and Argentine pop singer Chenoa [née María Falomir] (50). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz guitarist Johnny Smith, born on this day in 1922... for Zydeco accordionist Clifton Chenier, born in 1925... for original Moody Blues bassist Clint Warwick, who would have been 83... for Blue Öyster Cult founding member Allen Lanier and King Crimson and Foreigner co-founder Ian McDonald, both of whom who would have been 79... for George Michael, who would have been 62... for composer Georg Philipp Telemann, who died on this date in 1767... for songwriter & Capitol records co-founder Johnny Mercer, who died in 1976... for songwriter Boudleaux Bryant, who passed away in 1987... for longtime Atlantic Records producer & arranger Arif Mardin, who died in 2006... and for Michael Jackson, who left us today in 2009.  

Also on June 25: Wagner's opera Die Walküre is staged for the first time in Munich (1870)... 19-year-old Arturo Toscanini makes his conducting debut, when the conductor of the orchestra of the opera company with which he is touring as a chorus master is fired two hours before the curtain is to go up on a production of Aida in Rio de Janeiro (1886)... The Dave Brubeck Quartet convene at Columbia's 30th St. Studios in NYC for the first of the sessions that will produce the Time Out album (1959)... Jackie Wilson is arrested for inciting a riot and refusing to obey a lawful order at a nightclub in Port Arthur, TX. Wilson had a crowd of 400 whipped into a frenzy and refused to stop singing when requested to do so by police. He is later convicted of drunkenness and fined $30 (1966)...  During a North American tour, The Jimi Hendrix Experience give a free afternoon concert in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. They then play another two shows in the evening at the Fillmore West... An estimated 200 million people see The Beatles perform 'All You Need Is Love' live via satellite as part of the 'Our World' global TV link-up. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, Keith Moon and Gary Leeds provide backing vocals (1967)... The Hollies record 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'. The ballad was written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell (who had terminal lymphatic cancer). The pair met in person only three times, but managed to collaborate on the song. The track also features a then largely unknown session pianist named Elton John (1969)... Marvin Gaye has his third US № 1 single with 'Got to Give It up' (1977)... The Police have the top album in both the US nd the UK with Synchronicity (1983)... Debbie Gibson becomes the youngest woman ever to write, record and produce a US № 1 single when 'Foolish Beat' tops the stateside chart (1988)... Bruce Springsteen is a surprise guest on David Letterman's farewell show as host of NBC's Late Night... The annual Glastonbury Festival opens in SW England. Headliners at the three-day event include Suede, Belly, Lemonheads, The Orb, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Crowes, Lenny Kravitz, Verve, Porno For Pyros and Teenage Fan Club. Tickets cost £58 for the full three days... Country singer Lyle Lovett marries Julia Roberts at St. James Lutheran Church in Marion, IN (1993)... Rapper DMX is arrested on charges that he and another man tried to steal a car from JFK Airport. DMX [né Earl Simmons] and Jackie Hudgins were detained after the city's Port Authority police interrupted a dispute. The pair are arrested on charges of attempted robbery, criminal impersonation and criminal mischief. A spokesman said a preliminary investigation indicates that Mr. Simmons may have identified himself as a federal agent (2004)... Country star Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are married in a small private ceremony in Sydney, Australia (2006).

June 24th

Musical birthdays today include Turkish rock pioneer Erkin Koray (84), Arthur Brown (83), original Family bassist John 'Charlie' Whitney (81), former Traffic & Blind Faith saxophonist Chris Wood (81), Zombies lead singer Colin Blunstone (80), Mick Fleetwood (78), former Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz (77), ex-Dire Straits bassist John Illsley (76), UB40 rapper Terence 'Astro' Wilson (68), Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark frontman Andy McCluskey (66), session vocalist & keyboardist Siedh Garrett (65), Tears for Fears co-founder Curt Smith (64), Mazzy Star lead singer Hope Sandoval (59), Rammstein lead guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe (58), Black Crowes lead guitarist Jeff Cease (57), variety singer Sissel Kirkjebø (56), Less Than Jake drummer Vinnie Fiorello (51), and Solange Knowles (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for country & rockabilly singer Ramblin' Tommy Scott, born today in 1917... for Jeff Beck, who would have been 81 today... for original Social Distortion guitarist Dennis Danell, who would have been 61... for tango singer Carlos Gardel, who was killed in a plane crash today in 1935 at the age of 44... for gospel singer Ira Tucker, who died in 2006... and for singer-songwriter Ewanya 'Puff' Johnson and Devo drummer Alan Myers, both of whom left us today in 2013.

Also on June 24th: Belgian inventor Adolphe Sax files in Paris for a patent for his saxophone (1846)... The song that will become the Canadian national anthem O Canada! is performed publicly for the first time at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français in Montreal (1880)... John Lennon's second book of poetry and drawings, 'A Spaniard in the Works', was published. The book consists of absurdist stories and drawings similar to the style of his 1964 book 'In His Own Write'... The Hollies are at № 1 on the UK singles chart for the first time with 'I'm Alive' (1965)... Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' enters the Billboard chart, where it will peak at № 5. The song was written by the band around a melody composed by the group's organist Matthew Fisher, who was inspired by the chord progression of Johann Sebastian Bach's 'Orchestral Suite in D', composed in 1739 (1967)... Led Zeppelin record 'Whole Lotta Love', 'What Is and What Should Never Be', 'Travelling Riverside Blues' and 'Communication Breakdown' for BBC Radio 1 at Maida Vale Studios, London. The session will broadcast on the 29th of June (1969)... Capitol Records release The Beach Boys greatest hits retrospective Endless Summer, which will go on to spend 155 consecutive weeks on the US album chart (1974)... Genesis, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Devo, Brand X and The Atlanta Rhythm Section are all on the bill at Knebworth Park, England ~ tickets cost £6 (1978)... Paul McCartney scores his seventh UK № 1 solo album with Flowers In The Dirt, featuring the single 'My Brave Face' (1989)... Frank Zappa gives his final onstage rock performance when he takes part in the concert 'Adieu Soviet Army', organised in Prague as a farewell to the last soldiers of the Soviet Army leaving free Czechoslovakia (the Red Army had occupied the country since the Prague spring in 1968). Zappa's set is recorded and can be found on the album Adieu C. A. [Soviet Army] (1991)... Eric Clapton puts 100 of his guitars up for auction at Christie's in NYC to raise money for his drug rehab clinic, the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. His 1956 Fender Stratocaster named Brownie, which he used to record the original studio version of ‘Layla’, sells for a record $497,500. The auction helps raise nearly $5 million for the clinic (1999)... The crypt in which Elvis Presley was originally buried is withdrawn from a Los Angeles auction after protests that it should be kept as a shrine. More than 10,000 fans signed a petition against the sale of the tomb at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, TN. A spokesman for Julien's Auctions says that they will not sell the crypt until the cemetery "finds a plan that best suits the interests of the fans while respecting and preserving the memory of Elvis" (2012).

June 23rd

Musical birthdays today include former Orlons lead singer Rosetta Hightower (82), April Wine frontman Myles Goodwyn (77), blues singer Luther Kent (77), jazz saxophonist Donal Harrison (75), Danzig lead guitarist & founder Glenn Danzig (70), Testament lead singer Chuck Billy (63), original Oasis rhythm guitarist Paul Arthurs (60), Chico DeBarge (59), KT Tunstall (50), Jason Mraz (48), Blue vocalist Antony Costa (44), and Amie Ann Duffy (41).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz bassist Milt Hinton, born on this day in 1910... for June Carter Cash, born in 1929... for original Crickets bassist Niki Sullivan, who would have been 85... for Grateful Dead singer-songwriter & guitarist Robert Hunter and for Stuart Sutcliffe, both of whom would have been 84... for ex-Metropolitan Opera director James Levine, who would have been 81... for original Kinks bassist Pete Quaif, who passed away in 2010... and for Bobby 'Blue' Bland, who left us today in 2013.

Also on June 23rd: Lonnie Donegan is at № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Gamblin' Man/Putting On The Style' ~ it is the last British № 1 to be released as a 78 rpm disc as well as in the 7' vinyl format (1957)... Ray Charles' Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music goes to the top of the US album chart, where it will remain for 3 1/2 months. In the UK, the soundtrack from the film of West Side Story settles in at № 1 on the LP listings for a 2 month run (1962)... The Beatles have their tenth consecutive UK № 1 single with 'Paperback Writer'/'Rain'. The track is marked by a boosted bass guitar sound throughout, partly in response to John Lennon's demand to know why the bass on a certain Wilson Pickett record far exceeded the bass on any Beatles track. It was also cut louder than any other Beatles record, due to  newly developed equipment used in the mastering process (1966)... The Byrds release Byrdmaniax, the group's 10th and penultimate studio album (1971)... George Harrison has the № 1 album in America with Living in the Material World (1973)... Paul McCartney & Wings conclude the Wings over America tour with a sold out show at the Forum in Los Angeles (1976)... Bob Dylan releases Saved, the second album in his Born Again trilogy (1980)... Duran Duran are at № 1 on the Billboard singles chart with 'The Reflex' (1984)... After 50 previous UK top 10 hits and 6 US chart-toppers, Elton John finally hits № 1 on the singles chart in his homeland for the first time with 'Sacrifice'... Buddy Holly's Gibson acoustic guitar sells for £139,658 in a Sotheby's auction in London. The guitar is in a hand-tooled leather case made by Holly himself (1990)... At the Glastonbury Festival, Alan White plays his first live gig with Oasis after the sacking of original drummer Tony McCarroll (1995)... Bob Dylan is awarded an honorary doctorate in music by the University of St Andrews in Scotland (2004).. Tony Bennett makes a surprise appearance during Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. The veteran crooner joins McGraw for a rendition of the Hank Williams classic 'Cold, Cold Heart' (2006)... 62-year-old Gregg Allman undergoes a successful liver transplant operation at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. Allman recently began a series of treatments for hepatitis C, but chronic damage of his liver led doctors to recommend a transplant. In a statement to the press, Allman says "I changed my ways years ago, but we can't turn back time. Every day is a gift"... Willie Nelson is inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. The NRR is a list of sound recordings that 'are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States' (2010). 

June 22nd

Musical birthdays today include Peter Asher (81), ex-Turtles vocalist Howard Kaylan (77), Todd Rundgren (77), ex-38 Special bassist Larry Junstrom (76), Cyndi Lauper (72), Scritti Politti frontman Green Gartside [né Paul Strohmeyer] (70), original Simple Minds bassist Derek Forbes (69), former INXS bassist Garry Beers (67), Indochine frontman Nicola Sirkis (66), Jimmy Somerville (64), Primal Scream lead singer Bobby Gillespie (63), former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page (55), Bloc Party multi-instrumentalist Gordon Moakes (45), ex-Editors lead guitarist Chris Urbnowicz (45), classical pianist Ingmar Lazar (32), and neo-psychedelia aficionada and Ivy League grad Alexa Delgado (29).
Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Kris Kristofferson, who would have been 89 today... for saxophonist Bernie McGann, who would have been 87... for Judy Garland, who died on this date in 1969... for composer Darius Milhaud, who passed away in 1974... for original Pere Ubu guitarist Peter Laughner, who died from substance abuse-related illness today in 1977 at the age of 24... and for Fred Astaire, who left us on this day in 1987.

Also on June 22nd: 13-year old Stevie Wonder first enters the US singles chart as Little Stevie Wonder with 'Fingertips Parts One and Two.' 'Fingertips', which features a young Marvin Gaye on drums, will become the first live, non-studio recording to reach № 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the United States since Johnny Standley's 1952 comic monologue 'It's in the Book (1963)... The Beatles play their first ever show in New Zealand at Wellington Town Hall. The local chief constable refuses a police escort for the group, leaving just two officers to control over 5,000 fans (1964)... At Columbia's 30th St. Studio in NYC, Miles Davis & sidemen convene for the second of three sessions that will produce Nefertiti, the trumpeter's last entirely acoustic album (1967)... The Jeff Beck Group featuring Rod Stewart make their US debut at the Fillmore East in NYC (1968)... Led Zeppelin appear at Laugardalsholl Hall in Reykjavik on the group's one and only visit to Iceland. Robert Plant has said that he was inspired to write the lyrics to 'Immigrant Song' during his time on the island (1970)... Joni Mitchell releases Blue... David Bowie releases the single 'Life on Mars', featuring guest piano work by Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman (1971)... Neil Young & Crazy Horse release Rust Never Sleeps (1979)... Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to the murder of John Lennon (1981)... Kurt Cobain is rushed to hospital after a gig in Belfast, Northern Ireland suffering from acute stomach pains brought on by ulcers (1992)... Liz Phair releases her debut album Exile in Guyville (1993)... After giving himself various new identities during the '90s, The Artist Formerly Known as Prince announces that he wishes to be known as Prince again (2000)... The Irish press reports a wandering peahen owned by Bono is causing havoc for some south Dublin residents. The peahen, the less spectacular-coloured female partner to a male peacock, found its way to the Ard Mhuire housing estate in Killiney near the singer's residence. One newspaper runs the headline 'Bono's Cock Drives Me Nuts'. Local woman Susan McKeon told reporters she first noticed the bird at night. "It had a tiny head and a huge body. It was actually quite ugly but I don't think it's fully grown" (2011)... 'Blurred Lines' by Robin Thicke starts a 13 week run at № 1 on the Billboard singles chart (2013).

June 21st

Musical birthdays today include film score composer Lalo Schifrin [best known for the theme from Mission: Impossible] (93), blue grass banjo player Eddie Adcock (87), Brazilian jazz keyboardist Eumir Deodato (82), Ray Davies (81), soul singer & Motown songwriter Brenda Holloway (79), Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland (78), Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer (75), Nils Lofgren (74), Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki (68), former Shakespears Sister vocalist Marcella Detroit (66), country singer Kathy Mattea (65), French chansonnier Manu Chao (64), rapper Pete Rock (55), country singer Allison Moorer (53), Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger (49), The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers (44), Lana Del Rey (40), and Rebecca Black (28). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Johann Christoph Bach, born today in 1732... for composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who died on this date in 1908... for original Velvet Underground drummer Angus MacLise, who died in 1979... for John Lee Hooker, who passed away in 2001... and for soul & gospel singer Mary Love, who left us today in 2013.

Also on June 21st: In Munich, Richard Wagner's opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'is staged for the first time (1868)... Richard Strauss conducts the premiere performance of his own tone poem Tod und Verklärung [Death and Transfiguration] in Eisenach, the birthplace of J.S. Bach (1890)... The Byrds' debut album Mr. Tambourine Man is released (1965)... Jimmy Page makes his live debut with The Yardbirds at the Marquee Club, London... Working at Abbey Road, The Beatles record John's new song 'She Said She Said' in one extended session (1966)... Pink Floyd play two shows in one day: the first at the Commemoration Ball, Balliol College, Oxford, and the follow-up at the Middle Earth Club, Covent Garden, London. The club venue is notable for several previous drug raids by the police, during which underage revellers were arrested; on one occasion a device called the 'Trip Machine' was dismantled and taken away by police (1968)... Elton John, The Beach Boys, Joe Walsh, Rufus and The Eagles are on the bill for a one-day festival in front of 120,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, London. Tickets cost £3.50... The Captain and Tennille go to № 1 on the US singles chart with the Neil Sedaka song 'Love Will Keep Us Together'. The couple had previously worked as backup singers for Sedaka and Elton John... Ritchie Blackmore announces that he is leaving Deep Purple to form his own group called Rainbow (1975)... The musical 'Evita' has its world premiere in London's West End (1978)... French police arrest all the members of The Stranglers after a concert at the University of Nice for allegedly inciting a riot (1980)... Crosby, Stills & Nash release Daylight Again, their first album of new material in 5 years (1982)... Genesis have the № 1 album in the UK with Invisible Touch, which also produces 5 US Top 40 singles, making it the most commercially successful album of their career (1986)... The Orb release the single 'Blue Room', which clocks in at 39 minutes and 58 seconds, two seconds shorter than the maximum permitted for a single under UK chart rules. The song will peak at № 8 (1992)... Karen Jane McNeil, who claims that she is the wife of Axl Rose and communicates with the Guns N' Roses lead singer telepathically, is sentenced to a year in a secure psychiatric facility by a judge in Malibu, CA (2000)... People Magazine reports that country star Glen Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's (2011).

June 20th

Musical birthdays today include Anne Murray (80), ex-Crystals vocalist Dolores 'LaLa' Brooks (78), former Bay City Rollers bassist Alan Longmuir (77), Lionel Ritchie (76), Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony (71), Cox Family singer & guitarist Evelyn Cox (66), Duran Duran bassist John Taylor (65), Switchfoot guitarist Jerome Fontamillas (58), bluegrass singer-songwriter Dan Tyminski (58)/span>), Goon Moon lead singer & Marilyn Manson sideman Twiggy Ramirez (54), Deftones lead singer Camillo 'Chino' Moreno (52), ex-Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley (46), and Mest frontman Tony Lovato (45). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Jacques Offenbach, born on this day in 1819... for folksinger & songwriter Jimmy Driftwood, born in 1907... for country guitarist Chet Atkins, born in 1924... for Eric Dolphy, born in 1928... for former Coasters vocalist Billy Guy, who would have been 89 today... for Brian Wilson, who would have been 83... for Material Issue frontman Jim Ellison, who took his own life today in 1996 at the age of 32... for Four Tops vocalist & arranger Lawrence Payton, who died in 1997... and for Kool & the Gang lead guitarist Claydes Charles Smith, who left us in 2006.

Also on June 20th: A production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance at NYC's Town Hall is broadcast by experimental TV station W2XBS and becomes the first televised opera (1937)... Edward Wallerstein of Columbia Records gives the first public demonstration of the company's new 33 1/3 RPM long-playing record at a press conference at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel... Toast Of The Town, which will later be renamed The Ed Sullivan Show, premieres on CBS-TV. The first show is produced on a budget of $1,375. Only $375 has been allocated for talent and $200 of that is shared by the young stars of the evening's program, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (1948)... The Beatles begin a 14-day European tour with two performances at the Palais des Sports in Paris (1965)... David Bowie records 'Space Oddity' at Trident Studios in London (1969)... A three day festival in Newport, CA opens featuring Ike And Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, The Rascals, Steppenwolf, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Eric Burdon and Love. A three day ticket costs $15. Hendrix receives $125,000, at the time the highest fee ever paid to a rock act for a single appearance (1969)... Neil Diamond headlines the 20th anniversary show of American Bandstand (1973)... Asylum Records release Before the Flood, a double album of recordings from Bob Dylan's triumphant US tour with The band earlier in the year... (1974)... Neil Young's Tonight's the Night is released nearly two years after it was originally recorded (1975)... Aerosmith open their 147-date 'Permanent Vacation' world tour at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX (1987)... Mariah Carey scores his sixth US № 1 with 'I'll Be There', which was also a chart-topper for The Jackson Five in 1970 (1992)... The promoters of an outdoor Paul McCartney concert in Petersburg, Russia hire three jets to spray dry ice into the clouds so it will not rain during the show. The gig is McCartney's 3,000th concert appearance. He has performed 2,535 times with the Quarrymen and the Beatles, 140 gigs with Wings and 325 solo shows (2004).

June 19th

Musical birthdays today include Heart lead singer Ann Wilson (75), singer-songwriter Patty Larkin (74), former Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Larry Dunn (72), ex-AC/DC drummer Simon Wright (72), .38 Special guitarist Danny Chauncey (69), Mark DeBarge (66), The Union lead guitarist Luke Morley (65), Paula Abdul (62), The Verve Pipe lead singer Brian Vander Ark (60), and Korn guitarist Brian Welch (54). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for bandleader Guy Lombardo, born on this day in 1902... for bluegrass guitarist Lester Flatt, born today in 1914... for jazz singer Dave Lambert, born in 1917... for Four Seasons lead guitarist Tommy DeVito, born in 1928... for Shirley & Lee vocalist Shirley Goodman, who would have been 89 today... for Camel keyboardist Peter Bardens, who would have been 80... for Nick Drake, who would have been 77... for country singer Bobby Helms, who died on this date in 1997... and for Slim Whitman, who left us today in 2014. 

Also on June 19th: In Paris, George Antheil's Ballet mécanique is performed for the first time (1926)... The Who, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money, Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Spencer Davis Group, Marianne Faithful, Long John Baldry, The Birds, [featuring a young Ronnie Wood], Dave Witting and The Ray Martin Group all appear at the Uxbridge Blues Festival in England... The Four Tops go to № 1 on the US singles chart with 'I Can't Help Myself'. Lead singer Levi Stubbs was not been satisfied with the recording of the track and was promised that he could do it again the following day, but no other session ever took place. The version that became a hit was just the second take of the song... The Kinks play the Academy of Music in NYC with the Moody Blues as their opening act. It is the American debut for both groups (1965)... Having admitted in an interview with Life Magazine to taking LSD on four occasions, Paul McCartney tells The Daily Mirror that he doesn't regret that he spoke out and hopes that his fans will understand (1967)... Motown releases the self-titled debut album of Diana Ross (1970)... Edgar Winter's US № 1 
hit 'Frankenstein' is awarded a Gold record. Winter named the song because of how many cuts and patches were contained in the original studio tape (1973)... The Delinquents, a band featuring future Clash guitarist Mick Jones, make their debut at the Student Union bar of Queen Elizabeth College in Kensington, London (1974)... Future Smiths singer Steven Morrissey has a letter published in this weeks music magazine Record Mirror and Disc asking the editor why the paper has not yet included any stories on The Sex Pistols (1976)... Donna Summer becomes the first artist signed by David Geffen to his new label, Geffen Records (1980)... Guns N' Roses make their UK live debut at a sold out Marquee Club in London (1987)... The Greenpeace Stop Sellafield [a nuclear waste reprocessing site under construction on the NW coast of England] campaign concert takes place at G-Mex in Manchester with U2, Big Audio Dynamite II, Public Enemy and Kraftwerk (1992)... Eminem is to be immortalised in animation, with a new cartoon series which will be hosted on a new web site. 26 weekly 'webisodes' would be broadcast on the site, with the rapper providing all the voices (2000)... Lawyers for Britney Spears demand that a Florida radio station remove 'offensive' advertisements, which feature her with a shaved head. The WFLZ billboards include the slogans 'Total nut jobs', 'Shock therapy' and 'Certifiable', which run across pictures of a bald Spears taken after she shaved her head on Los Angeles early this year. The law firm Lavely & Singer demand the 'immediate removal' of the banners in a letter to the station (2007)... Loretta Lynn is inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in NYC. Anne Murray also receives the 'Hitmaker Award' (2008)... Amy Winehouse is frequently booed by crowds in Serbia's capital Belgrade after appearing to be too drunk to perform. The concert, the first on the singer's 12-day European tour, sees Winehouse mumble her way through parts of songs, leave the stage altogether and at one point throw her microphone to the floor (2011).

June 18th

Musical birthdays today include Sir Paul McCartney CH MBE (83), operatic soprano Éva Marton (77), classical pianist Peter Donohoe (72), Stryper lead guitarist Oz Fox (64), Alison Moyet (64), Guns N' Roses keyboardist Darren 'Dizzy' Reed (62), Boyz II Men vocalist Nathan Morris (54), Ray LaMontagne (52), and country singer Blake Shelton (48).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer & piano manufacturer Ignaz Pleyel, born on this day in 1757... for drummer & Glenn Miller sideman Ray McKinley, born in 1910... for songwriter Sammy Cahn, born in 1913... for ex-Derek & the Dominoes bassist Carl Radle, who would have been 83... for reggae singer-songwriter Lincoln 'Sax' Thompson, who would have been 76... for former Doll by Doll frontman Jackie Leven, who would have been 75... for trombonist, marching band composer & John Philip Sousa collaborator Arthur Pryor, who died on this day in 1942... for producer and ex-Tokens vocalist Hank Medress, who passed away in 2006... and for E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who left us today in 2011. 

Also on June 18th: At the Königliches Schauspielhause in Berlin, Carl Maria von Weber's opera Der Freischutz is produced for the first time (1821)... Columbia Records launches the first mass production of the 33 RPM LP. The new format can contain a maximum of 23 minutes of music per side versus the three minutes that could be squeezed on to a 78 RPM disc (1948)... Continuing their Australian tour, The Beatles play at Sydney Stadium. It is Paul McCartney's 22nd birthday, and after the show his guests include 17 girls who were winners of the Sydney Daily Mirror's 'Why I would like to be a guest at a Beatles birthday party' essay competition (1964)... 'Paperback Writer' is the № 2 song in the UK, kept from the top spot by Frank Sinatra's 'Strangers in the Night' (1966)... Elvis has a face-lift at Mid South Hospital in Memphis, TN (1975)... Abba give a special live performance in Stockholm for Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath on the eve of their wedding (1976)... Fleetwood Mac have their only № 1 US single with 'Dreams', which Stevie Nicks says she wrote before a session at the Record Plant studio in Sausalito, CA in about 10 minutes...  Johnny Rotten and Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols are beaten and receive superficial stab wounds when they are attacked by members of the British National Front in a car park outside a London pub. The members of the far-right organisation objected to the Pistols' anti-monarchist song 'God Save the Queen'. The next day, Paul Cook is attacked again by an unidentified gang armed with iron pipes (1977)... King Crimson release the album Beat on EG Records (1982)... The № 1 single on the UK chart is 'Doctorin' the Tardis' by The Timelords, a Scottish duo made up of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty. The song is a mash-up of the Doctor Who theme music, Gary Glitter's 'Rock and Roll (Part Two)' with sections from 'Blockbuster!' by Sweet (1988)... A&M Records chairman Jerry Moss and vice-chairman Herb Alpert announce that they are leaving the company they founded more than 30 years earlier. They sold A&M in 1990 to Polygram for $500 million. Moss and Alpert started the label in the garage of Alpert's Los Angeles home in 1962. The label was the home to such acts as The Police, Bryan Adams, Joan Baez, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Carpenters, Joe Cocker, Supertramp and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (1993)... U2 lose a bid to prevent the demolition of Hanover Quay studio in Dublin. Over 8,000 fans signed an online petition to preserve the studio, where the group recorded ‘All That You Can't Leave Behind’ and some of their 'Pop' album (2002)... A Los Angeles hotel files a lawsuit against Phil Spector for failing to pay more than $100,000 in outstanding bills for lawyers and expert witnesses in his murder trial. The Westin Bonaventure claims that by the time Spector's trial ended with a hung jury, the defendants owed the hotel more than $104,000 (2008)... John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to 'A Day In The Life' sell for $1.2 million at an auction at Sotheby's in NYC. The double-sided sheet of paper with notes written in felt marker and blue ink also contains some corrections and other notes penned in red ink (2010).

June 17th

Musical birthdays today include Barry Manilow (82), session guitarist Chris Spedding (81), original Santana lead singer Greg Rollie (78), Dead Kennedys lead singer Jello Biafra [né Eric Boucher] (67), former Hanoi Rocks lead singer Michael Monroe [né Matti Fagerholm] (63), No Doubt founder Eric Stefani (58), rapper Krayzie Bone [né Anthony Henderson] (51), Blue vocalist Lee Ryan (42), Kendrick Lamar (38), and English popular singer Laura Wright (35). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Charles Gounod, born on this day in 1818... for Igor Stravinsky, born in 1882... for country singer Red Foley, born in 1910... for film score composer Martin Böttcher, born in 1927... for classical violinist Christan Ferras, who would have been 81 today... for Paul Young, who would have been 76... for Residents multi-instrumentalist Philip 'Snakefinger' Lithman, who would have been 76... for ex-Pogues singer & guitarist Philip Chevron, who would have been 68... for Bill Haley & His Comets guitarist Danny Cedrone, who died on this date in 1954... for Kate Smith, who passed away in 1986... and for Soul Asylum bassist Karl Mueller, who left us today in 2005.

Also on June 17th: In Chicago, Victor Herbert's Babes in Toyland is performed for the first time (1903)... Finnish composer Jean Sibelius is awarded an honorary doctorate in music by Yale University (1914)... Colonel Tom Parker takes over from Bob Neal as the manager of Elvis Presley (1955)... 
Working at Abbey Road studios, The Beatles complete work on Paul's new song ‘Yesterday’ with the overdubbing of an additional vocal track by McCartney and a string quartet. They also record ‘Act Naturally’ for Ringo's vocal contribution on the Help! album and the song ‘Wait’, in four takes. ‘Wait’ will be left off of Help!, but will be included on the following LP, Rubber Soul... (1965)... Carole King starts a 15-week run at № 1 on the US album chart with Tapestry (1971)... The Eagles release their self-titled debut album on Asylum Records (1972)... After US soul singer Jimmy Helms is taken ill just before a gig at Shoreditch College, London, the members of the social committee decide to call upon Elton John, who lives just up the road, to ask him to perform. Elton agrees to do the gig for two bottles of wine (1977)... The John Travolta-Olivia Newton-John duet  'You're the One That I Want' from the Grease soundtrack goes to № 1 in the UK (1978)... Florida real estate agent Vittoria Holman sues Mötley Crüe and their concert promoter for hearing loss allegedly incurred at a concert in December 1985. Holman and her daughter had front row seats less than 10 feet from the speakers. The case will be settled out of court with the band's insurance company paying Holman over $30,000 (1987)... Garth Brooks is signed to Capitol Records (1988)... 60-year-old Billy Joel and his third wife, 27-year-old Katie Lee Joel announce that they are splitting up after nearly five years of marriage. Joel's nine-year union with model Christie Brinkley ended in 1994. His nine-year marriage to Elizabeth Weber, for whom he wrote 'Just The Way You Are', ended in 1982 (2009)... Bruce Springsteen plays the longest live show of his career when he turns in a 3-hour-and-48-minute, 32-song set at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. [This surpasses his previous record, a show on December 31, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum, NY which clocked in at 3:43](2012).

June 16th

Musical birthdays today include rockabilly singer Billy 'Crash' Craddock (82), Motown songwriter & producer Lamont Dozier (80), O'Jays lead singer Eddie Levert (79), singer-songwriter Iain Matthews (75), Marillion drummer Ian Mosley (72), Afrobeat saxophonist Femi Kuti (59), Super Furry Animals keyboardist Cian Ciaran (45),Semi Precious Weapons lead singer Justin Tranter (41), and singer-songwriter & ex-Radish guitarist Ben Kweller (40).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for  jazz saxophonist Eli 'Lucky' Thompson, born on this day in 1924... for Dream Theater vocalist Charlie Dominici, who would have been 74 today... for Tupac Shakur, who would have been 54.. for early New orleans jazz cornet player Emmett Hardy, who passed away today in 1925 at the age of 22... for drummer & bandleader Chick Webb, who died on this date in 1939... for Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, who died of a drug overdose today in 1982 at the age of 25... for composer Maurice Duruflé, who passed away in 1986... for rocker and politician Screaming Lord Sutch [né David Sutch], who took his own life today in 1999 at the age of 58... and for operatic contralto Maureen Forrester, who left us today in 2010.

Also on June 16th: A gala programme of ballet and music by composer Edward Strauss opens the original Madison Square Garden (1890)... Antonin Dvořák receives an honorary doctorate in music from Cambridge University (1891)... 
Orson Welles' production of Marc Blitzstein's allegorical musical 'The Cradle Will Rock' opens on Broadway with the composer himself at the piano (1937)... Rudolf Nureyev defects to the West in Paris (1961)... The Konrads, with lead singer Dave Jay [who will later change his name to David Bowie] make their live debut as the band for a dance at the Bromley Technical School in Kent (1962)... Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers record the album Ugetsu live at Birdland, the Riverside label's first recording at the venue (1963)... Bob Dylan and sidemen record the definitive version of 'Like a Rolling Stone' (1965)... The Beatles make a surprise appearance on Top of the Pops, performing ‘Paperback Writer’ and ‘Rain’. It will be The Beatles' penultimate live musical television appearance before the June 1967 worldwide transmission of ‘All You Need Is Love' (1966)... The three day Monterey Pop Festival begins. In the spirit of the Summer of Love, the proceeds will go to charity, all the artists having agreed to perform for free. The California festival sees the first major US appearances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Also on the bill are The Byrds, The Grateful Dead, Otis Redding, Simon & Garfunkel, The Steve Miller Band, Canned Heat, The Mamas And The Papas, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield and The Electric Flag. John Phillips, of The Mamas and The Papas later writes, 'San Francisco, (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)' about the festival, which becomes a hit for Scott McKenzie (1967)... Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band's Trout Mask Replica is released (1969)... Mungo Jerry have the first UK № 1 hit of the post-Beatles era with 'Summertime' (1970)... David Bowie releases Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars (1972)... The Jackson Five's four-week summer variety show premieres on CBS- TV featuring The Jacksons plus sisters Latoya, Rebbie and Janet (1976)... The musical 'Beatlemania' opens on Broadway (1977)... The Blues Brothers film starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd has its world premiere in Chicago. The film also features cameos by Aretha Franklin and James Brown, and Ray Charles in the role of a streetwise store owner (1980)... Frankie Goes To Hollywood become the first band to have their first two singles go to the top of the UK chart, as 'Two Tribes' arrives at № 1. Buoyed by the momentum, the group's previous single 'Relax' climbs back up the chart to the second spot (1984)... Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe marries mud wrestler Sharisse Rudell (1988)... Unofficial sound systems are allowed at Glastonbury for the first time as the 20th edition of the 3-day festival opens. On the bill this year are Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Throwing Muses, The Pixies, All About Eve, Hot House Flowers, The Waterboys, Suzanne Vega and Fairground Attraction. Tickets cost £28 (1989)... Oasis play their first show outside the UK, at the Erotika Club in Paris (1994)... Rage Against The Machine, The Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, The Fugees, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Lee Hooker, Beck, Sonic Youth, Yoko Ono, De La Soul and Richie Havens all appear at the two-day Tibetan Freedom Concert in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco; a sell-out crowd of over 100,000 makes it the largest US benefit concert since Live Aid in 1985 (1996)... Rod Stewart marries model girlfriend Penny Lancaster on the Italian Riviera just outside the resort of Portofino. The 62 year old singer was previously married to models Alana Hamilton and Rachel Hunter and has seven children in total (2007).

June 15th

Musical birthdays today include jazz drummer Tony Oxley (87), ex-Spencer Davis Group bassist Muff Winwood (82), former Slade frontman Neville 'Noddy' Holder (79), ex-Aphrodite's Child lead singer Demis Roussos (79), Air Supply singer & drummer Russell Hitchcock (76), Kansas lead singer Steve Walsh (74), cellist Raphael Wallfisch (72), Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis (68), singer-songwriter Vicki Genfan (66), Ice Cube [né O'Shea Jackson] (56), former Boston drummer Jeff Neal (56), Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody (49), Good Charlotte guitarist & keyboardist Billy Martin (44), Laura Imbruglia (42), and ex-Girls Aloud vocalist Nadine Coyle (40).  

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Edvard Grieg, born on this day in 1843... for jazz pianist Erroll Garner, born in 1921... for Waylon Jennings, who would have been 87 today... for Harry Nilsson, who would have been 83... for French rock icon Johnny Hallyday [né Jean-Philippe Smet], who would have been 82... for jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, who died on this date in 1968... for Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff, who died on this day in 1994 at the age of 27... and for Ella Fitzgerald, who left us today in 1996. 

Also on June 15th: Britain's first teenage all-music TV show Oh Boy!, premieres. Each week the show will feature resident artists plus a selection of special guests. The residents will include Cliff Richard and the Shadows, and among the guests will be Billy Fury, Tony Sheridan, Shirley Bassey and Lonnie Donegan, with occasional US stars such as The Inkspots, Conway Twitty and Brenda Lee (1958)... Kyu Sakamoto starts a three week run at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Sukiyaki', the first and still only Japanese language song to do so... The Sound of Music closes on Broadway after 1,443 performances (1963)... Bob Dylan and sidemen go into Columbia Studio A in NYC to begin working on 'Like a Rolling Stone'. The session will yield no usable takes, however... The Rolling Stones kick off an 8-date mini-European tour at The Odeon Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland, with The Hollies as their opening act (1965)... The Sex Pistols record their first demos at Majestic Studios in Clapham, London, before playing a gig at the 100 Club (1976)... The Pistols hold a party on a boat as it sails down the River Thames. The band perform 'Anarchy in the UK' outside The Houses Of Parliament, resulting in members of the party being arrested for disturbing the peace when the boat docks later that day (1977)... Columbia Records release Bob Dylan's Street-Legal. On tour in Europe in support of the album, Dylan plays the first of six sold out nights at Earl's Court in London (1978)... Duran Duran's eponymous debut album is released (1981)... Dire Straits have the № 1 album in the US with Brothers in Arms (1985)... U2 and Sting headline a concert at the Meadowlands celebrating the 25th anniversary of Amnesty International (1986)... During Bruce Springsteen's stay in Rome during the Tunnel of Love world tour, a tabloid photographer takes a shot of the Boss in his bathing suit sharing an intimate moment poolside with his backing singer Patti Scialfa. The picture confirms the rumours that Bruce and Patti are having an affair (1988)... Nirvana's debut album 'Bleach' is released in the US. The title for the album came from a poster saying 'Bleach Your Works', urging drug users to bleach their needles. Kurt Cobain would later claim that most of the lyrics on the album were written the night before recording while he was feeling "pissed off", and that he did not regard them highly (1989)... 
A copy of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band signed by the four Beatles and George Martin sells at auction in London for £34,00 (2002)... Coldplay go directly to № 1 on the US album chart with their third album X&Y, having already achieved the same success in the UK. The last time a British artist had a simultaneous US and UK number one was in November 2000 with 1, a compilation of hits by The Beatles. The last studio album to reach № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic was Radiohead's Kid A in October 2000. X&Y will go on to top over 30 national charts worldwide (2005)... A case against a man accused of threatening Elton John's life is withdrawn just hours before his trial was due to begin. Neal Horsley had responded to Elton's suggestion that Jesus Christ was gay in a Parade magazine interview by posting an online response entitled 'Why Elton John Must Die'. After being held in an Atlanta, GA jail since March, Horsley hears his case dismissed by Fulton Co. Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams on the grounds that his actions do not warrant criminal charges (2010).

June 14th

Musical birthdays today include folk singer Julie Felix (87), session keyboardist Dewey 'Spooner' Oldham (82), Zombies keyboardist & singer Rod Argent (80), original Country Joe & the Fish lead guitarist Barry Melton (77), former Slade bassist Jim Lea (75), Pere Ubu lead singer David Thomas (70), jazz bassist Marcus Miller (64), Boy George [né George O'Dowd] (63), rapper MC Ren [né Lorenzo Patterson] (54), Joshua Radin (49), and ex-Sugababes vocalist Siobhán Donaghy (39).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Burl Ives, born on this day in 1909... for conductor Rudolf Kempe, born in 1910... for jazz pianist Cy Coleman, born in 1929... for Motown singer & saxophonist Junior Walker [né Autry Mixon, Jr.], born in 1931... for Four Tops bass vocalist Renaldo Benson, who would have been 87 today... for Yes drummer Alan White, who would have been 75... for Ministry lead guitarist Mike Scaccia, who would have been 57... for War sax & flute player Charles Miller, who died on this date on 1980... for lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, who died in 1986... for Henry Mancini, who passed away in 1994... for blues rock multi-instrumentalist Rory Gallagher, who died in 1995... and for Ventures guitarist Bob Bogle, who left us today in 2009.

Also on June 14th: The player piano is patented by John McTamanny of Cambridge, MA (1881)... Fiddlin' John Carson records 'The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane', considered by many to be the first country record (1923)... Patsy Cline is seriously injured in a car accident outside Nashville. During her two-month stay in hospital, 'I Fall to Pieces' becomes her first № 1 on the Billboard country chart (1961)... Continuing their Australian tour, The Beatles arrive in Melbourne and are greeted at the airport by over 5,000 fans. Another 20,000 fans line the route from the airport to the hotel; army and navy units are brought in to help control the crowds, cars are crushed, hundreds of girls fainted and over 50 people are admitted to hospital with broken bones... The Mannish Boys and their lead singer David Bowie audition for the UK TV show Opportunity Knocks (1964)... Jimi Hendrix is in the audience for The Doors' gig at Steve Paul's Scene in NYC (1967)... At London's Lyceum, Derek & the Dominoes play their first live show... The Grateful Dead release Workingman's Dead (1970)... Billy Joel has the № 1 album in the US with Glass Houses (1980)... A model of Culture Club's Boy George is unveiled at Madame Tussaud's Waxworks in London on the singer's 23rd birthday (1984)... Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald go to № 1 on the US singles chart with 'On My Own'. The pair recorded their vocal parts separately and met for the first time only when they attended a ceremony to receive a gold record for the song (1986)... Madonna opens her Who's That Girl? World Tour at Osaka Stadium in Japan... 30 hired hands move 800 rented NHS beds onto Saunton Sands in North Devon for the cover photo of the forthcoming Pink Floyd album A Momentary Lapse Of Reason. Torrential rains interrupt the shoot, and the team will be forced to repeat the exercise two weeks later (1987)... Diane Sawyer interviews Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley on ABC's Prime Time Live. It is the couple's first interview since their surprise marriage a year earlier and is part of the publicity push for Jackson's album HIStory ~ Past, Present and Future: Book One. Jackson and Presley declare that they were a "normal married couple who hope to have a baby". When asked if they have sex, they replied "Yes, yes, yes!" They also confirm that a prenuptial agreement had been signed (1995)... Puff Daddy and Faith Evans are at № 1 on the US & UK singles charts with 'I'll Be Missing You', a tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G. (1997)... Mick Jagger is knighted in the Queen's birthday honours (2002)... Bob Dylan wins Spain's Prince of Asturias Arts Award, one of the country's most prestigious honours. Jury chairman Jose Llado calls Dylan a "living legend of popular music and the guiding star of a generation that dreamed of changing the world" (2007)... Ringo Starr's birthplace in Liverpool is saved from the threat of demolition. The house, a run-down three-bedroom Victorian terrace, is one of 400 buildings marked for demolition in the Dingle area of the city, but Beatles fans and city residents successfully lobbied to save the house, along with 15 others in the area. The Liverpool City Council have agreed to give locals the opportunity to fix up the properties (2012)... Merle Haggard is awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by California State University-Bakersfield (2013).