This Date In Music History - June 15

Birthdays:

Nigel Pickering - Spanky And Our Gang (1929)

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

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

Noddy Holder - Slade (1946)

Russell Hitchcock - Air Supply (1949)

Steve Walsh - Kansas (1951)



Scott Rockenfield - Queensryche (1963)

Michael Britt - Lonestar (1966)

Ice Cube (1969)

Gary Lightbody - Snow Patrol (1976)

Dryden Vera Mitchell - Alien Ant Farm (1976)

Billy Martin - Good Charlotte (1981)


They Are Missed:

In 1982, Pete Farndon, bass player with The Pretenders, was fired from the group, he went on to form a group with Topper Headon from The Clash. Farndon was found dead in his bath on April 14, 1983.

David Rose was born in 1910. He was the composer of "Little House on the Prairie" and "Bonanza." He won four Emmys and 22 Grammys in his career and was musical director for the Red Skelton show during its 21-year-run on the CBS and NBC networks. Died August 23, 1990.

Born on this day in 1941, Harry Nilsson, US singer, songwriter. The Monkees, Three Dog Night & Ronettes all covered his songs. He died on January 15, 1994.



Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died in Beverly Hills, California in 1996 (age 79). Already blinded by the effects of diabetes, Fitzgerald had both her legs amputated in 1993. 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?"

Born today in 1933, Waylon Jennings, US country singer. Played bass with Buddy Holly in 1959. Jennings died on February 13, 2002.

Keyboardist Richard Bell, one-time member of Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, died in Toronto in 2007 at age 62. Bell is heard on Joplin's "Pearl" album. He also recorded with Joe Walsh and Bonnie Raitt.


History:

The Platters sang "Twilight Time" on Ed Sullivan in 1958.

Jan & Dean's "Surf City" was released in 1963.

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

Bob Dylan recorded "Like A Rolling Stone" in 1965.

In 1966 - The Beatles album, "Yesterday & Today" was released by Capitol Records. Ticked that Capitol Records U.S. has been leaving off a track or two from previous Beatles albums and now has enough for this compilation, the group poses for the notorious “butcher block” cover with them sitting among cuts of raw meat and decapitated dolls. Public outcry gets the cover changed to a standard group photo (three Beatles standing around a upright open trunk with Paul actually sitting in it).




Guitarist Peter Green quit the John Mayall Band in 1967. Green went on to form Fleetwood Mac.

The Beatles' announced the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as a public mistake at a press conference in New York in 1968.

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.

In 1977, The Sex Pistols held a party on a boat as it sailed down The River Thames in London. The Pistols performed "Anarchy In The UK" outside The Houses Of Parliament resulting in members from the party being arrested when the boat docked later that day.

Future MTV parents Ozzy Osbourne and the former Sharon Arden got hitched in 1982. She already was his personal manager.

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

In 1986, U2 and Sting headlined a concert in New Jersey celebrating 25 years of Amnesty International.

In 1988, during Bruce Springsteen's stay in Rome during a world tour a photographer took a shot of Bruce in his underpants sharing an intimate moment with his backing singer Patti Scialfa. The picture confirmed the rumours that Bruce and Patti were having an affair.

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

In 1989, Pink Floyd appeared in Canal di San Marco, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy on a floating stage. Over 200,000 people attended the gig causing damage to buildings and bridges.

Paula Abdul started a five week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1991 with "Rush Rush," her 5th US #1.

Carlos Santana’s “comeback” album, “Supernatural” was released in 1999. The set features matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas on the hit “Smooth.”



Jack and Meg make their debut on "The White Stripes" in 1999.

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.

Metallica were at #1 on the US album chart in 2003 with ‘St Anger’, the bands fourth US #1.

The iTunes Music Store was launched in France, Germany and the UK in 2004.

Velvet Revolver’s debut album 'Contraband' sells 256,000 copies in its first week of release to nail the top spot on the Billboard 200 Album Chart in 2004.

In 2005, Coldplay went straight to #1 on US album chart with their third album 'X&Y', having already entered at number one 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 number one on both sides of the Atlantic was Radiohead's 'Kid A' in October 2000. 'X&Y' went on to top over 30 global charts.

Also in 2005, Destiny's Child announced they would disband upon completion of their current world tour.

In 2007, strong winds cause amplification towers to fall canceling performances by Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, the Killers and My Chemical Romance on the second day of the Heineken Jammin' Festival in Venice, Italy. The towers crash into the crowd sending nineteen fans to the hospital. Only one person suffers a serious injury. The rest of the four-day festival was canceled.

Following a 17 year lapse without a studio album, the Steve Miller Band returns with “Bingo!” in 2010. "This is a party record, man,” says Miller. “It's about getting up and getting ready to dance. It's like the fraternity party gigs I used to play in college. I went through and picked all my favorite tunes that I really, really loved.”

Also in 2010 - Metallica rolled out a vinyl version of ‘96 album “Load.” It’s available either in a two-disc gatefold package for the 33.3 version or a four-disc box set, 180-gram, 45-rpm deluxe edition.