This Date In Music History-July 21

Birthdays:


Kay Starr ("Rock & Roll Waltz") turns 87.

Producer Kim Fowley ("Alley-Oop", "Nutrocker" and the Runaways) is 67.

Barry Whitham - Herman's Hermits (1946)

Cat Stevens (1947)

Howie Epstein - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1955)

Guitarist Jim Martin - formerly of Faith No More (1961)

Emerson Hart – Tonic (1969)

Rosie Hamlin of Rosie & the Originals ("Angel Baby") is 62.




They Are Missed:

Producer Gus Dudgeon was killed in a car accident in 2002. Best known for his work with Elton John, also produced David Bowie, The Beach Boys, Zombies, Kiki Dee, Strawbs, XTC, Joan Armatrading.

Composer Jerry Goldsmith died in 2004 after a long battle with cancer (age 75). Created the music for scores of classic movies and television shows such as Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Dr. Kildare.

Influential British Blues musician Long John Baldry died in Vancouver, B.C. in 2005 (age 64). Baldry's long and storied career included 40 albums. He was also a mentor to Rod Stewart, Jimmy Page and Mick Jagger. Baldry's band, Bluesology, had a young pianist named Reginald Dwight, who went on to become Elton John.

In 2007, Sharon Osbourne's music mogul father Don Arden died in a Los Angeles nursing home at the age of 81. Dubbed the Al Capone of Pop for his uncompromising business practices, he steered The Small Faces, Black Sabbath and ELO to stardom.


History:

In 1956, Johnny Cash went to #1 on the country chart with "I Walk the Line."

In 1956, Billboard called Elvis Presley "the most controversial entertainer since Liberace." The article also noted that Ed Sullivan, who once said Presley would never appear on his show, just signed the singer for three appearances.

Today in 1958, the song "Yakety Yak" by the Coasters topped the charts and stayed there for a week.

In 1969, the Beatles started work on the John Lennon song “Come Together” at Abbey Road studios in London.

Rod Stewart released “Never a Dull Moment” in 1972. The album peaked at #2 and has two top 40 hits, "You Wear it Well" and a re-make of Jimi Hendrix's "Angel."

Jim Croce started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1973 with “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” Croce was killed in a plane crash three months later.

Robert Palmer's "Bad Case Of Loving You" was released in 1979.

In 1980, Keith Godchaux (Grateful Dead) was injured in a car accident. He died two days later.

Guns 'n Roses released their debut album, “Appetite For Destruction” in 1987.

In 1990, Roger Waters performed The Wall at Potsdamer Platz, Germany — the site of the former Berlin Wall. Other artists making guest appearances include Cyndi Lauper, Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams and Phil Collins. At the end of the concert, a mock wall made of plastic foam fell. Proceeds from ticket sales went to an international fund for disaster relief.

In 1995, a judge in Los Angeles threw out a lawsuit against Michael Jackson by five of his former security guards. The guards had claimed they were fired for knowing too much about night-time visits by young boys to Jackson's estate. The singer denied any improprieties.

In 2008, the Police played the first of two nights at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado during the final leg of their 152-date world Reunion tour. The tour became the third highest grossing tour of all time, with revenues reaching over $340 million.