This Date In Music History-June 15

Birthdays:

Billy Martin - Good Charlotte (1981)

Gary Lightbody - Snow Patrol (1976)

Dryden Vera Mitchell - Alien Ant Farm (1976)

Michael Britt – Lonestar (1966)

Steve Walsh – Kansas (1951)

Russell Hitchcock - Air Supply (1949)

Noddy Holder – Slade (1946)

Scott Rockenfield - Queensryche (1963)

Born on this day in 1943, Johnny Halliday, 'the French Elvis', major star in Europe. Jimmy Page, Peter Frampton and Foreigner's Mick Jones have played on his records.

Muff Winwood - Spencer Davis Group (1943) Became a producer and A&R man for Sony Records.

Nigel Pickering - Spanky And Our Gang (1929)

Ice Cube (1969)


They Are Missed:

Born today in 1941, Harry Nilsson, good friend of John Lennon. The Monkees, Three Dog Night & Ronettes all covered his songs. He died on January 15, 1994.

Jazz master Erroll Garner was born in 1921.

Born on this day in 1933, Country rebel Waylon Jennings. Jennings died on February 13, 2002.

In 1996, iconic jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died in Beverly Hills, California at age 79. Winner of 13 Grammy Awards, the 1956 “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook” was the first of eight "Songbook" sets. Appeared in the TV commercial for Memorex, where she sang a note that shattered a glass while being recorded on a Memorex cassette tape. The tape was played back and the recording also broke the glass, asking "Is it live, or is it Memorex?"


History:

It was on this day in 1956 that John Lennon first met Paul McCartney at a church dinner in Liverpool, England. He invited McCartney to join his group the Quarrymen, and pop music was never the same again.

In 1966, the Beatles released their album Yesterday & Today, featuring the band wearing butcher's aprons on the front cover surrounded by decapitated baby dolls. Capitol Records quickly withdrew the sleeve, making it one of the most prized Beatles collectibles.

In 1963, Kyu Sakamoto started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Sukiyaki,” the first-ever Japanese song to do so.

In 1965, Bob Dylan recorded what would be his first ‘electric' hit, “Like A Rolling Stone” which peaked at #2 in the US and #4 in the UK.

In 1970, Jimi Hendrix spent his first day recording at Electric Ladyland in New York. Named after his 1968 album, the studio was designed according to his exact specifications.

Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1974 with the insipid “Billy Don't Be A Hero.” The song was a UK #1 for Paper Lace.

Hawkwind fired bassist Lemmy Kilmister in 1975 after he was mistakenly arrested for drug possession at the US/Canada border. Lemmy returned to the UK and formed Motorhead.

In 1976, the Sex Pistols recorded their first demos in Clapham's Majestic studios followed by a gig that night at The 100 club, London.

Dire Straits started a nine-week run at #1 on the US album chart in 1985 with “Brothers In Arms.”

Nirvana's debut album “Bleach” was released in 1989. The title for the album came from a poster 'Bleach Your Works' urging drug users to bleach their needles.

In 1987, Hipgnosis designer Storm Thorgerson photographed the cover of Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason in Saunton Sands, England. He had 30 helpers move 800 rented beds onto the beach to shoot the album cover.

In 2002, a rare autographed copy of The Beatles’ album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band sold at auction for $57,800, more than five times the estimated price.