On This Day In Music 11th July

1931 Tab Hunter (Arthur Kelm) born in New York, New York. US Singer & Actor. Three days before his 87th birthday, Hunter died after suffering a cardiac arrest arising from complications related to deep vein thrombosis on the July 8, 2018 (aged 86).
1931 Thurston Harris born in Indianapolis, Indiana. US Singer & Saxophonist. He died of a heart attack, April 14, 1990.
1944 Bobby G. Rice born in Boscobel, Wisconsin) is an American country music singer-songwriter, known professionally as Bobby G. Rice. Between 1970 and 1988, Rice released nine albums and charted thirty songs on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. His biggest hit, “You Lay So Easy On My Mind,” peaked at Number 3 in 1973.
1946 Dean Martin begins his recording career mere weeks before teaming up with nightclub comic Jerry Lewis. 
1949 Jeff Hana born in Detroit, Michigan. Vocalist & Guitarist with US Group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, (1971 US No.9 single ‘Mr Bojangles’). His professional music career has spanned six decades.
1951 Bonnie Pointer born in East Oakland, California. US Singer with the Pointer Sisters is born in Detroit, the daughter of a minister. (1984 UK No.2 & US No.5 single ‘Automatic’). 
1951 On WJW in Cleveland, Alan Freed broadcasts his first “Moondog House Rock and Roll Party,” marking the first radio show with the phrase “Rock and Roll” and giving Freed a claim on the origin of the term. More importantly, Freed plays R&B music, which introducing the sound to a new (and mostly white) audience. 
1953 Peter Brown born in Blue Island, Illinois. US Singer, keyboard player & songwriter and sound engineer. 
1954 Benny DeFranco born in Port Colborne, Canada. Singer with The DeFranco Family, (1973 US No.3 single ‘Heartbeat-It’s A Lovebeat’, biggest selling US single of 73. Based on The Osmonds, featured 10 year-old Tony DeFranco). 
1955 Alma Cogan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Dreamboat’. Cogan went on to score over 20 UK Top 40 singles. Nicknamed ‘The Girl With the Laugh In Her Voice’, she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era. 
1957 Peter Murphy born near Northampton,England. Vocalist with the Bauhaus, (1982 UK No.15 single ‘Ziggy Stardust’). Solo. 
1958 Ray Dodds – Drummer with Fairground Attraction.
1959 Richie Sambora born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Guitarist with Bon Jovi, (1986 us No.1 album ‘Slippery When Wet’ plus 5 UK No.1 albums. 1987 US No.1 & UK No.4 single ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’). 
1959 Susanne Vega born in Santa Monica, California. US singer, songwriter, (1990 UK No.2 single ‘Tom’s Diner’, with DNA). 
1960 Hollywood Argyles went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Alley Oop’. A No.24 hit in the UK. 
1962 The Marvelettes release “Beechwood 4-5789.” 
1963 “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” album by Tony Bennett was certified Gold by the RIAA
1964 The Beatles appeared live on the ABC Television program “Lucky Stars (Summer Spin)”, performing ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, ‘Long Tall Sally’, ‘Things We Said Today’ and ‘You Can’t Do That’. To avoid the crowd of fans waiting for them, The Beatles arrived at the Teddington Studio Centre by boat, traveling down the River Thames. 
1964 “Don’t Throw Your Love Away” by The Searchers peaked at #16 on the US singles chart.
1964 “No Particular Place To Go” by Chuck Berry peaked at #10 on the US singles chart.
1964 “Memphis” by Johnny Rivers peaked at #2 on the US singles chart.
1966 Mel (Melanie Appleby) born in East London, England. (Died aged 23 of Cancer on 18th January1990) (Mel and Kim, 1987 UK No.1 single ‘Respectable’). 
1967 Kenny Rogers formed The First Edition this day, just one day after he and members Thelma Camacho, Mike Settle and Terry Williams left The New Christy Minstrels. The First Edition hosted a syndicated TV variety show in 1972. Hits made popular by the group include: “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)”, “But You Know I Love You”, “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”, “Ruben James”, and “Something’s Burning”.
1969 ‘Space Oddity’ by David Bowie was released in the UK for the first time. It was timed to coincide with the Apollo moon landing but had to be re-released before it became a hit, later in the year in the UK (but not until 1973 in the US). 
1969 The Rolling Stones released the single ‘Honky Tonk Women’ in the UK. 
1970 Self Portrait gave Bob Dylan his fifth UK No.1 album. Released by Columbia Records, his tenth studio album was Dylan’s second double album, and featured mostly cover versions of well-known pop and folk songs. 
1970 “Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)” by Melanie with The Edwin Hawkins Singers peaked at #6 on the US singles chart.
1970 The soundtrack album ‘Woodstock’ started a four-week run at No.1 on the US album chart. 
1970 Three Dog Night started a two-week run at No.1 in the US with their version of the Randy Newman song ‘Mama Told Me Not To Come’, which was also a No.3 hit in the UK. The song was first covered by Eric Burdon on his first solo album in 1966 and gave Tom Jones & Stereophonics a No.4 hit on the UK Singles Chart in 2000. 
1970 “Mississippi Queen” by Mountain peaked at #21 on the US singles chart.
1970 “Ride Captain Ride” by Blues Image peaked at #4 on the US singles chart.
1971 The Bruce Springsteen Band opened for Humble Pie at the Sunshine In, Asbury Park in New Jersey. After the show an impressed Peter Frampton from Humble Pie, tells Springsteen and the band he’d like to have them open for them on a national basis. Frampton also said he would be happy to get the band an audition with his record label, A & M Records. For no logical reason Springsteen’s manager Tinker West declined both offers on the spot. 
1975 Lil’ Kim (Kimberly Jones) born in New York City, New York. US singer born in Brooklyn, New York. 1997 UK No.11 single ‘Not Tonight’, 2001 US & UK No.1 single with Christina Aguilera, Mya and Pink, ‘Lady Marmalade’). 
1975 Rick McMurray, drums, Ash, (1995 UK No.11 single ‘Girl From Mars’, 1996 UK No.1 album ‘1977’).

1975 Samer El Nahhal born in Espoo, Finland. The current bassist of the Finnish hard rock band Lordi. Finland’s first ever Eurovision Song Contest winners after their song ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ won the contest held in Athens in 2006.He goes by the stage name of OX (both letters capitalized). He studied in Musicians Institute in Los Angeles.Became
1977 “Angel In Your Arms” single by Hot was certified Gold by the RIAA
1977 Tonight saw the opening night of a new punk venue, The Vortex Club, on Wardour Street, London with Siouxise, Adam And The Ants, The Slits and Sham 69. 
1979 “Get The Knack” album by The Knack was certified Gold by the RIAA. Including ‘My Sharona’ & ‘Good Girls Don’t. 
1981 Cliff Richard started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Love Songs’, his fifth No.1 album. 
1981 The Specials had their second and final UK No.1 single with ‘Ghost Town’. Despite being a song about Coventry, the band chose to film the video of themselves driving a Vauxhall Cresta around some empty London streets. 
1982 Phil Collen, former guitarist with the glam rock band Girl, replaced Pete Willis in Def Leppard who was fired due to excessive alcohol consumption on the job. 
1983 “Electric Avenue” single by Eddy Grant was certified Gold by the RIAA
1984 Canadian musician Tobias Jesso Jr. who was a member of The Sessions. He has also worked with Adele co-writing ‘When We Were Young’ from her album 25. 
1985 “Be Yourself Tonight” album by Eurythmics was certified Gold by the RIAA. Including ‘Its Alright Babys Coming Back’, ‘Would I Lie To You’, ‘There Must Be An Angel’ & ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves’. 
1987 Heart started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Alone’, it made No.3 in the UK. 
1987 “Songbird” instrumental hit by Kenny G peaked at #4 on the US singles chart.
1987 “Every Little Kiss” (remix) by Bruce Hornsby & The Range peaked at #14 on the US singles chart.
1989 “The Other Side Of The Mirror” album by Stevie Nicks was certified Gold by the RIAA. Including ‘Rooms On Fire’. 
1989 “This Time I Know It’s For Real” single by Donna Summer was certified Gold by the RIAA
1991 American singer and lyricist Roger Christian died. Worked with The Beach Boys and co-wrote songs recorded by Jan and Dean. Christian worked as a radio personality in the 1960s. 
1992 “If You Asked Me To” by Celine Dion peaked at #4 on the US singles chart.
1992 A range of eight ‘ties’, designed by Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead went on sale in the US. President Bill Clinton bought a set. The collection grossed millions in the US by the end of the year. 
1996 Jonathan Melvoin keyboard player with the Smashing Pumpkins died from a drug overdose in New York City aged 34. Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin who was with Melvoin tried but failed to revive him after Chamberlin was allegedly advised by 911 operators to put Melvoin’s head in the shower. Several songs were inspired by his death, including Sarah McLachlan’s hit single ‘Angel.’ He was the brother of Susannah and Wendy Melvoin of Prince and the Revolution. Melvoin had also been a member of The Dickies. 
1996 “Macarena” single by Los Del Rio was certified Platinum by the RIAA
1998 Billie went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Because We Want To’. The 15 year old made chart history by becoming the second youngest female to score a No.1; Helen Shapiro was the youngest at 14 with the 1961 No.1 single ‘You Don’t Know’. 
1999 Ricky Martin started a three week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’. A US No.1 for 5 weeks. The song was the first No.1 song to be recorded, edited, and mixed totally on a DAW (digital audio workstation). 
1999 Limp Bizkit started a three week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Significant Other’ the bands first US No.1. 
2000 After being sacked ‘out of the blue’ last year, Richard Ashcroft’s ex- manger Jazz Summers issued a writ citing breach of contract for an undisclosed sum said to be ‘in excess of £50,000’. 
2002 The funeral of The Who’s bass player John Entwistle took place at a church in The Cotswolds. More than 200 mourners filed into the 12th century church of St Edward in Stow-on-the-wold 
2004 UK band McFly went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Room On The 3rd Floor.’ They broke the record set by The Beatles as the youngest group ever to debut at No.1 on the album charts.
2004 The Darkness replaced David Bowie at this years T In The Park Scottish festival following his heart operation. Other acts appearing included Muse, Franz Ferdinard, Faithless, Scissor Sisters, Black Eyed Peas and Pink.
2009 The Black Eyes Peas ‘I Gotta Feeling’ started a 14-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart ending the 12-week run of the band’s previous single ‘Boom Boom Pow’. It made the band only the fourth to replace themselves at No.1 in chart history, following The Beatles, Boyz II Men, and OutKast. 
2011 Rob Grill died. while in the arms of his wife Nancy, in an Orlando, Florida hospital from complications after a stroke. He was an American lead singer, songwriter and bass guitarist, best known as a member of the rock and roll group The Grass Roots.
2013 Pearl Jam released their tenth studio album ‘Lightning Bolt’ which went to No.1 on the US album chart. 
2014 Producer and drummer Tommy Ramone (Thomas Erdelyi), from the influential punk rock band the Ramones died aged 65 following unsuccessful treatment for bile duct cancer. In 1970, Erdelyi was an assistant engineer for the production of the Jimi Hendrix album Band of Gypsys. 
2015 James McElvar the singer in the Scottish boy band Rewind was said to be lucky to be alive after collapsing with heat exhaustion on board a flight travelling from Stansted to Glasgow. The singer became ill after wearing 12 layers of clothing to avoid paying the £45 ($66), extra baggage fee.