What Happened Today In Music

June 19th

1961 - Pat Boone

Pat Boone went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Moody River', the single reached No.18 in the UK. A tongue-in-cheek, heavy metal "comeback" was attempted by Boone in 1997 with an album called 'In a Metal Mood (No More Mr. Nice Guy)'.

1964 - Martha and the Vandellas

Martha and the Vandellas recored one of Motown's signature songs 'Dancing in the Street' at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, Michigan. Written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter the song reached No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No.4 in the UK. Many artists have covered the song including, the Mamas & the Papas, David Bowie and Mick Jagger, The Kinks, Grateful Dead and Little Richard. 

1965 - Marianne Faithfull

The Who, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Spencer Davis Group, Marianne Faithful, Long John Baldry, The Birds, (featuring a young Ronnie Wood), Dave Witting and the Ray Martin Group all appeared at Uxbridge Blues Festival, England. Tickets cost from 7/6 to 10/6.

1965 - Four Tops

The Four Tops went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Can't Help Myself'. Lead singer Levi Stubbs had not been satisfied with the recording session and was promised that he could do it again the following day, but no other session ever took place. The track that became a hit was just the second take of the song.

1967 - Paul McCartney

Having admitted to taking LSD four times during an interview with Life Magazine, Beatle Paul McCartney told The Daily Mirror that he didn't regret that he'd spoken out and hoped that his fans would understand.

1968 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones scored their seventh UK No.1 single when 'Jumpin Jack Flash' hit the top of the charts. Keith Richards has stated that he and Jagger wrote the lyrics while staying at Richards' country house, where they were awoken one morning by the sound of gardener Jack Dyer walking past the window. When Jagger asked what the noise was, Richards responded: "Oh, that's Jack – that's jumpin' Jack."

1971 - Carole King

Carole King started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'It's Too Late / I Feel The Earth Move'. Both songs were from her million selling Tapestry album.

1973 - Edgar Winter

Edgar Winter's US No.1 hit 'Frankenstein' was awarded a Gold record. Winter named the song because of how many cuts and patches were contained in the original studio tape.

1974 - Mick Jones

The Delinquents a band featuring Mick Jones (later of The Clash) made their debut at the Students union bar, Queen Elizabeth College, Kensington.

1976 - Steve Morrissey

Future Smiths singer Steve Morrissey had a letter published in this weeks music magazine Record Mirror and Disc asking the editor why the paper had not included any stories on The Sex Pistols.

1977 - Paul Cook

Six men wielding knives and iron bars outside Shepherd's Bush underground station beat up Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols. Cook required 15 stitches to a head wound.

1987 - Guns N' Roses

Guns N' Roses made their UK live debut at a sold out The Marquee Club in London.

1990 - Prince

Prince played the first of 12 sold-out nights at Wembley Arena in London, England on his current Nude European tour.

2003 - G- Man

G-Man from So Solid Crew was jailed for four years for possessing a loaded handgun. The 24 year-old dumped a loaded gun during a police chase in London last November. He'd always denied it, as well as denying knowing anything about 11 other bullets that were found in a flat in south London. The jury in London's Southwark Crown Court heard evidence that DNA found on the weapon matched his, and found him guilty.

2006 - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift released her debut single 'Tim McGraw' as the lead single from her self-titled debut album. The track peaked at No.40 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

2007 - Britney Spears

Lawyers for Britney Spears demanded a Florida radio station remove "offensive" advertisements, which featured her with a shaved head. The WFLZ billboards included the slogans "Total nut jobs", "Shock Therapy" and "Certifiable", which ran across pictures of a bald Spears. Law firm Lavely and Singer demanded the "immediate removal" of the banners in a letter to the station. Spears was photographed shaving her own head in a Californian hair salon earlier this year.

2011 - Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse was booed by crowds in Serbia's capital Belgrade after appearing to be too drunk to perform. The concert - the first on the singers 12-day European tour, saw Winehouse mumble her way through parts of songs, leave the stage altogether and at one point she threw her microphone to the floor. She was frequently booed by the crowd, who had paid up to £45 to see her in a country in which wages are some of the lowest in Europe.

2012 - Pearl Jam

The former chief financial officer for Pearl Jam was charged with 33 counts of theft for allegedly stealing at least $380,000 from the Seattle band's management company. According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Rickey Goodrich allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of several years, spending the money on lavish family vacations, spa treatments, life insurance and pricey California wines.

2013 - Slim Whitman

Slim Whitman the American country music and western music singer/songwriter and instrumentalist died aged 90. Known for his yodeling abilities and his smooth high octave falsetto, he sold in excess of 120 million records during his career. Michael Jacksoncited Whitman as one of his ten favorite vocalists and Beatle George Harrison cited Whitman as an early influence. Paul McCartney credited a poster of Whitman with giving him the idea of playing his guitar left-handed with his guitar strung the opposite way to a right-handed player's.

2014 - Gerry Goffin

Gerry Goffin, who penned chart-topping songs with his then-wife Carole King died at the age of 75 in Los Angeles. He wrote dozens of hits over two decades, including 'The Loco-Motion', 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' and '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman'. After their divorce in 1968, Goffin continued writing songs, including a hit for Whitney Houston 'Saving All My Love for You' in 1985.

2015 - Wendell Holmes

Blues musician Wendell Holmes died aged 71. He released 12 albums as part of The Holmes Brothers, a family band that included his siblings Sherman and Willie. During their career, the brothers played with many artists including Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel, Rosanne Cash, Levon Helm and Willie Nelson.

2016 - Digital Millennium Copyright Act 

Artists including Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, Pearl Jam, U2 and Sir Paul McCartney called for online copyright laws to be reformed. More than 180 artists signed an open letter criticising the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). They claimed the law benefits companies that "exploit music for their financial enrichment", but not artists.

2020 - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan released his 39th studio album Rough and Rowdy Ways. It beame Dylan's highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 in more than a decade and it marked his seventh consecutive decade of charting top 40 albums, making him the only artist to date to accomplish this feat. 

Born Today In Music

June 19th

1930 - Tommy Devito

Tommy Devito, from American rock and pop band The Four Seasons who had the 1960s hits 'Sherry', 'Big Girls Don't Cry', 'Walk Like a Man', and the 1976 UK & US No.1 single 'December 1963, (Oh What A Night'). They are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time, having sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide. Devito died on 20 Sept 2020 age 92 after contracting COVID-19. 

1939 - Al Wilson

American soul singer Al Wilson who had the 1974 US No.1 single 'Show And Tell' and the Northern soul anthem, 'The Snake'. Wilson died on April 21, 2008, of kidney failure, at the age of 68.

1942 - Elaine McFarlane

Elaine McFarlane, from American 1960s sunshine pop band Spanky And Our Gang, who had the 1967 US No.9 single 'Sunday Will Never Be The Same Again'. She joined the re- formed Mama and the Papas in 1982.

1944 - Robin Box

Robin Box, from British pop group White Plains who had the 1970 UK No.8 single 'Julie Do Ya Love Me' and four other hit singles.

1944 - Peter Bardens

English keyboardist Peter Bardens a founder member of the British progressive rock group Camel. During his career, Bardens worked alongside Rod Stewart, Mick Fleetwood and Van Morrison, and recorded solo albums. Bardens died aged 57 on 22 January 2002.

1948 - Nick Drake

English singer-songwriter and musician, Nick Drake. He signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old and released his debut album, Five Leaves Left, in 1969. By 1972, he had recorded two more albums, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. Drake committed suicide on November 25th 1974 aged 26 from an overdose of amitriptyline, a type of antidepressant.

1950 - Ann Wilson

Ann Wilson, from American rock band Heart who scored the 1987 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Alone'. Heart has sold over 35 million records worldwide.

1957 - Maxi Jazz

Maxi Jazz (Maxwell Fraser), rapper, from British electronica band Faithless who had the 1996 UK No.3 album Insomnia.

1959 - Mark Debarge

Mark DeBarge singer from American family group DeBarge who had the 1983 US No.17 single 'All This Love', and the 1985 UK No.4 single 'Rhythm Of The Night'.

1960 - Dennis Fuller

Dennis Fuller, from German-based English dance-pop duo The London Boys who had the UK No.2 single 'London Nights'. He was killed in a car crash with London Boy partner Edem Ephraim on January 21st 1996.

1963 - Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul, American singer, songwriter, voice actress, dancer, choreographer who had the 1990 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Opposites Attract' plus five other US No.1 singles. Her 1989 album Forever Your Girl spent ten weeks as US No.1. Became a judge on American Idol TV show.

1963 - Simon Wright

Simon Wright, drummer, AC/DC, joined in 1983. Joined Dio in 1989.

1970 - Brian Welch

Brian Welch, guitarist from American nu metal band Korn who scored the 1998 US No.1 album, Follow The Leader. Twelve of the band's official releases have peaked in the top ten of the Billboard Chart.

1976 - Scott Avett

Scott Avett, lead singer and founding member of the folk-rock band The Avett Brothers. Had the 2013 US No.5 album 'Magpie And The Dandelion'.

1983 - Ben Haggerty

American rapper, Ben Haggerty, known by his stage name Macklemore. The Macklemore's and Lewis single 'Thrift Shop' reached No.1 on the US singles chart in 2013 and their second single, 'Can't Hold Us' also peaked at No.1, making Macklemore and Lewis the first duo in the chart's history to have their first two singles both reach the top of the US charts.