On This Day In Music 15th June

1910 David Rose born in London, England. He was an American songwriter, composer, arranger, pianist, and orchestra leader. His most famous compositions were “The Stripper”, “Holiday for Strings”, and “Calypso Melody”. He also wrote music for many television series, including It’s a Great Life, The Tony Martin Show, Little House on the Prairie, Highway to Heaven, Bonanza, and Highway Patrol under the pseudonym “Ray Llewellyn.” Rose’s work in composing music for television programs earned him four EmmysHe moved to Chicago with his parents when he was four. He died August 23, 1990 (aged 80) in Burbank, California of a heart attack. 
1929 Nigel Pickering born in Ponitac, Michigan. Bass/Guitar/Vocals with Spanky And Our Gang, (1967 US No.9 single ‘Sunday Will Never Be born in The Same Again’). 
1933 Waylon Jennings born in Littlefield, Texas. US country singer. (1980 US No.21 single ‘Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard’), plus country No.1 hits. Played bass with Buddy Holly in 1959. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died in his sleep of diabetic complications at the age of 64, in Chandler, Arizona. 
1941 Harry Nilsson, (Harry Nelson 111) born in Brooklyn, New York. US singer, songwriter, (died 15/1/94), 1972 UK & US No.1 single with his version of The Badfinger song ‘Without You’, 1969 US No.6 single ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ from the film Midnight Cowboy’. The Monkees, Three Dog Night & Ronettes all covered his songs. He died on January 15th 1994.
1941 Doug Roberts – Drummer with The Fireballs died Nov 18, 1981 (was 40)
1943 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 born in Birminham, England. Brother of Steve Winwood. Bass player with The Spencer Davis Group, (1966 UK No.1 single ‘Keep On Running)’, producer, A&R for Sony Records. 
1945 Mike Rudd born in Christchurch, NZ. Lead Singer/Guitarist with these Australian 70’sBands – Spectrum, Indelible Murtceps & Ariel. 
1947 Demis Roussos(Artemios Roussos) born in Alexandria, Egypt. The Greek Singer with the Angelic Vocie. , (1976 UK No.1 EP, featuring ‘Forever And Ever’). He died in the morning of 25 January 2015, while hospitalized at Ygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece.
1949 Russell Hitchcock born in Melbourne, Victoria. One half of the vocal duo Air Supply, (1980 UK No.11 single ‘All Out Of Love’, 1981 US No.1 single ‘The One That You Love’). 
1949 Best-known for her saucy 1977 pop smash “Telephone Man,” U.S. singer Meri Wilson was born June 15, 1949, in Nagoya, Japan.Died Dec 29, 2002 in Americus, Georgia. 
1949 Michael Lutz – US Bass Player with Brownsville Station. 
1950 Noddy Holder (Neville Holder) born in Walsall, Staffordshire, England. Lead vocalist with UK rock band Slade. 
1951 Steve Walsh born in St Joseph, Missouri. US Singer/Songwriter&Pianist with Kansas. (1978 US No.3 single ‘Dust In The Wind’, 1978 UK No.59 single ‘Carry On Wayward Son’). 
1954 Terri Gibbs born in Miami, Florida. US Country Singer & Pianist who was blind since birth. She had a hit in 1983 with “Somebody’s Knockin”. 
1956 David Hinds born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. Rhythm Guitarist and Lead Vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning reggae band Steel Pulse.(1978 UK No.35 single ‘Prodigal Son’). 
1958 The first teenage all-music TV show Oh Boy!, was broadcast for the first time in the UK. Each week Oh Boy! featured resident artists plus a selection of special guests. The residents included Cuddly Dudley, who sang on 21 shows, Cliff Richard (20 shows), The Drifters (Later to become The Shadows) (17 shows) and Marty Wilde (17 shows). Guests included Billy Fury, Tony Sheridan, Shirley Bassey and Lonnie Donegan; with occasional US stars, such as The Inkspots, Conway Twitty and Brenda Lee. 
1959 “Personality” by Lloyd Price peaked at #2 on the US singles chart.
1958 Neil Arthur born in Darwen, Lancashire UK Synthesizer player, singer, songwriter and half of Blancmange. (1982 UK No.7 single ‘Living On The Ceiling’). 
1958 The Platters went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with “Twilight Time”. Staying at No.1 for one week. 
1961 On this weeks UK singles chart: No.5, Clarence Frogman Henry, ‘But I Do’, No.4, Ricky Nelson, ‘Hello Marylou’, No.3, The Shadows, ‘The Frightened City’, No.2, Del Shannon, ‘Runaway’, No.1, Elvis Presley, ‘Surrender.’ 
1963 “You Can’t Sit Down” by The Dovells peaked at #3 on the US singles chart.
1963 Kyu Sakamoto started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Sukiyaki’, the first-ever Japanese song to do so. It made No.6 on the UK chart in 1963 and was also a No.10 UK single for Kenny Ball in the same year. 
1965 Bob Dylan recorded his first ‘electric’ hit, ‘Like A Rolling Stone’. It became his first top ten hit in Australia and his first million selling single. 
1966 The Beatles album, “Yesterday & Today” is released by Capitol in the controversial “butcher” sleeve, with the Beatles smiling amongst a group of decapitated baby dolls. The original photo quickly became a problem for Capitol, so it was pulled and replaced by a more conventional cover. 
1966 Michael Britt born in Ft. Worth, Texas. Guitarist with Lonestar, (2000 US No.1 & UK No. 21 single ‘Amazed’). 
1966 Rob Mitchell – Drummer, of Sixpence None The Richer 
1966 Verdelle Smith went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with “Tar And Cement”. Staying at No.1 for one week. 
1967 Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Peter Green quit the John Mayall Band. Green went on to form Fleetwood Mac. 
1967 “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album by The Beatles was certified Gold by the RIAA
1968 “Yummy Yummy Yummy” by Ohio Express peaked at #4 on the US singles chart. 
1968 “Mony Mony” by Tommy James & The Shondells peaked at #3 on the US singles chart.
1968 “Think” by Aretha Franklin peaked at #7 on the US singles chart.
1968 ARETHA FRANKLIN HAS THE NUMBER-ONE R&B HIT “THINK” starts a three week run atop Billboard’s R&B chart 
1969 The Doors appeared at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

 
1969 Ice Cube, rapper, 1994 UK No.22 single Bop Gun, (1992, US No.1 US album ‘The Predator’). NWA, (1990 UK No.26 single ‘Express Yourself’). 
1972 Roberta Flack went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. Staying at No.1 for three weeks in a row. 
1973 “There Goes Rhymin’ Simon” album by Paul Simon was certified Gold by the RIAA. Including “Kodachrome”, “Loves Me Like a Rock” and “Something So Right” .
1974 ABBA’s second album (but first UK release), ‘Waterloo’ entered the UK chart for the first time peaking at No.28. The album’s title track won ABBA the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. The album also included “Hasta Mañana”, “My Mama Said” and “Honey, Honey”.
1974 Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Billy Don’t Be A Hero’, The song was a UK No.1 for Paper Lace. 
1974 “The Streak” by Ray Stevens peaked at #1 on the U.K. pop singles chart.
1974 “For The Love Of Money” by O’Jays peaked at #9 on the US singles chart.
1974 “You Make Me Feel Brand New” by The Stylistics peaked at #2 on the US singles chart.
1974 Elvis Presley played the first night of an 18 date US tour by playing four shows at the Tarrant County Center, Forth Worth, Texas. 
1976 Gary Lightbody born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Guitarist/Vocalist with Snow Patrol, (2006 UK No.1 album ‘Eyes Open’, 2006 UK No.6 single ‘Chasing Cars’). 
1976 Dryden Vera Mitchell, US singer, Alien Ant Farm, (2001 Australian No.1 & UK No.3 single ‘Smooth Criminal’). 
1976 The Sex Pistols recorded their first demos in Clapham’s Majestic studios followed by a gig that night at The 100 club, London. 
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. 
1978 During a European tour Bob Dylan played the first of six sold out nights at London’s Earl Court. 
1981 Billy Martin, guitarist, Good Charlotte, (2002 US No.7 album, ‘The Young And The Hopeless’, 2003 UK No.6 single ‘Girls and Boys’). 
1982 Pete Farndon bass player with The Pretenders was fired from the group, he went to form a group with Topper Headon from The Clash, he was found dead in his bath on 14/4/83. 
1983 “Living In Oz” album by Rick Springfield was certified Gold by the RIAA. Including the hit single “Affair Of The Heart”. 
1985 Nadine Coyle, Girls Aloud, (2002 UK No.1 single ‘Sound Of The Underground’, and over 20 UK Top 20 singles.). 
1985 Bryan Ferry went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Boys And Girls’ his first solo No.1 LP. Containing ‘Sensation’, ‘Don’t Stop The Dance’ & ‘Slave To Love’. 
1985 Dire Straits started a nine-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with, ‘Brothers In Arms’. The album is the seventh best-selling album in UK chart history and won two Grammy Awards at the 28th Grammy Awards, and also won Best British Album at the 1987 Brit Awards. 
1985 “Things Can Only Get Better” by Howard Jones peaked at #5 on the US singles chart.
1985 You’ll Never Walk Alone” by The Crowd peaked at #1 on the U.K. pop singles chart.
1985 “Neverending Story” by Limahl peaked at #17 on the US singles chart.
1986 U2 and Sting headlined a concert in New Jersey celebrating 25 years of Amnesty International. 
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. 
1989 Nirvana’s debut album ‘Bleach’ was released in the US. The title for the album came from a poster ‘Bleach Your Works’ urging drug users to bleach their needles. Kurt Cobain claimed 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. 
1990 “Changesbowie” album by David Bowie was certified Gold by the RIAA. It was a greatest hits compilation.
1991 Paula Abdul started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Rush Rush’, her 5th US No.1, a No.6 hit in the UK. 
1991 “Couple Days Off” by Huey Lewis & The News peaked at #11 on the US singles chart.
1992 Kris Kross went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with “Jump”. Staying at No.1 for 5 weeks. 
1996 US jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died aged 78. (1960 US No.27 & UK No.19 single ‘Mack The Knife’). 
2002 A rare autographed copy of The Beatles’ album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band sold at auction for £34,000 ($57,800), more than five times the estimated price. 
2003 Radiohead scored their fourth UK No.1 with their sixth studio album ‘Hail To The Thief’. The title Hail to the Thief – a phrase used by anti-George W. Bush activists during the controversy surrounding the 2000 US presidential election was a play on ‘Hail to the Chief’, a march played to announce the arrival of the President of the United States.
2003 Metallica were at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘St Anger’, the bands fourth US No.1, a No.3 hit in the UK.
2005 2005, Coldplay went straight to No.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. javascript:void(0)
2005 The Black Eyed Peas went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with “Don’t Phunk With My Heart”. Staying at No.1 for one week. 
2008 Liverpool was voted England’s most musical city in a national campaign set up by the Arts Council. The home of The Beatles, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, OMD and The Zutons took 49% of the vote in an online poll set up by the funding body. Sheffield – which brought the world the Arctic Monkeys and Pulp – came second, while Manchester with Oasis, Stone Roses and The Smiths came third. javascript:void(0)
2008 Coldplay went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their fourth studio album ‘Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends’.
2010 A case against a man accused of threatening Elton John’s life was 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 writing an angry online response entitled “Why Elton John Must Die”. After being held in an Atlanta, Georgia jail since last March, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams dismissed the case against Horsley because his actions did not warrant criminal charges.
2011 Two men from Manchester were held on suspicion of conspiracy to rob and murder after being arrested close to the Devon home of the singer Joss Stone. The men, aged 33 and 30, were arrested after residents reported a suspicious looking vehicle in the Cullompton area. A UK police source said they were found with swords, and a body bag, as well as detailed maps and aerial photos of Stone’s property. 
2013 A 24-year-old woman died in hospital after falling at the Stone Roses concert in Glasgow. The woman was among 50,000 fans who attended a gig at Glasgow Green to hear the Manchester indie band. Police also Police made a total of 24 arrests during and after the concert for anti-social and drugs offences. 
2016 Led Zeppelin’s guitarist Jimmy Page denied stealing the riff to ‘Stairway To Heaven’ when he took the stand at a copyright trial in the US. The band were accused of lifting the opening guitar line from ‘Taurus’, a 1968 track by the band Spirit. Page testified that he had never heard the song until people started posting comparisons online a few years ago. Page admitted to owning several Spirit albums, but only remembered buying two of them, neither of which contained Taurus. Under questioning, he conceded that he did own a copy of the band’s self-titled debut, on which the track appears, but could not recall how it came to be part of his collection.