What Happened Today In Music

June 30th

1966 - The Beatles

The Beatles played the first of three concerts at the Nippon Budokan Hall, Japan. The concert was filmed with The Beatles wearing black suits. The following day's first performance was also filmed; with The Beatles wearing white suits. There was a strict police presence with 3,000 police observing each concert played in front of 10,000 fans.

1973 - George Harrison

George Harrison knocked Paul McCartney from the top of the US singles chart with 'Give Me Love, Give Me Peace On Earth'. His second US No.1, a No.8 hit in the UK was the opening track on his 1973 album Living in the Material World.

1973 - Slade

Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Skweeze Me Pleeze Me', the group's fifth UK No.1 and second single to enter the chart at No.1.

1975 - The Jackson Five

The Jackson Five announced that they were leaving MotownRecords for Epic Records. The brothers were forced to change their name to The Jacksons since Motown owned the other name.

1975 - Cher

Cher married Greg Allman four days after her divorcing Sonny Bono, the couple split after ten days, followed by a three year on and off marriage.

1976 - Neil Diamond

Police raided the home of Neil Diamond searching for drugs, they found less than one ounce of marijuana.

1976 - Adam Ant

Stuart Goddard, (Adam Ant), placed the following ad in the classified section of the Melody Maker, 'Beat on a bass, with the B-Sides.' Andy Warren answered the ad and the pair went on to form Adam and The Ants.

1977 - Kiss

Marvel Comics launched a comic book based on the rock group Kiss.  Blood from each band member was drawn by a registered nurse, witnessed by a notary public, and poured into the vats of red ink used for printing the comic at Marvel's Borden Ink plant in Depew, New York.

1978 - Buzzcocks

United Artists released The Buzzcocks single 'Love You More', at 1 minute 29 seconds it was the second shortest single ever released. Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs 1960 hit 'Stay' was the shortest hit at one minute 28 seconds. 

1979 - Tubeway Army

Tubeway Army started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Are 'Friends' Electric'. The song by Gary Numan was the first electronic/synthesizer-based record to become a hit in the post-punk era.

1979 - Anita Ward

One Hit Wonder Anita Ward started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Ring My Bell', also a UK No.1.

1984 - Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen's 'Dancing In The Dark' peaked at No.2 on the US chart, the first of six singles from his seventh studio album Born In The U.S.A. which all hit the US Top 10. The video was shot at the Saint Paul Civic Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and shows Springsteen pulling a young Courteney Cox from the audience to dance along with him on the stage.

1989 - Bobby Brown

Police were called in to control over 4,000 Bobby Brown fans trying to see him at the HMV Record store in London's Oxford Street, six fans were hospitalised and one had to be given the kiss of life.

1990 - New Kids On The Block

New Kids On The Block started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Step By Step'. The group's third US No.1, a No.2 hit in the UK. Their album 'Step By Step' also went to No.1 on the UK album chart today.

1995 - Phyllis Hyman

American soul singer Phyllis Hyman committed suicide by overdosing on pentobarbital and secobarbital in her New York City apartment aged 45. She was found hours before she was scheduled to perform at the Apollo Theatre, in New York.

2000 - Pearl Jam

Eight men were trampled to death during Pearl Jam's performance at The Roskilde festival, near Copenhagen. Police said the victims had all slipped or fallen in the mud in front of the stage.

2001 - Lady Marmalade

Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Lady Marmalade.' A hit for LaBelle in 1975; then it was at No 1 in 1998 for All Saints. This version was from the Baz Luhrmann film Moulin Rouge.

2001 - Al Jardine

Beach Boys member Al Jardine went to court in a bid to sue his former band mates, claiming he had been frozen out of the Beach Boys. The $4 million (£2.35 million) suit was filed against Mike Love, Brian Wilson, the Carl Wilson Trust and Brother Records Incorporated in a New York Superior Court. In 1998 a US judge temporarily barred Jardine from performing under the name Beach Boys Family And Friends after representations from Mike Love and Brother Records. Jardine lost the case in 2003.

2001 - Chet Atkins

American guitarist and producer Chet Atkins died in Nashville aged 77. Recorded over 100 albums during his career, produced records for Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves and Waylon Jennings. He was a major influence on  George Harrison and Mark Knopler.

2004 - Dave Davies

Kinks founder member Dave Davies was left paralysed on the right-hand side of his body after suffering a stroke. The 57-year-old guitarist and brother of fellow Kinks star Ray Davies had been promoting his solo material when he collapsed.

2005 - Nick Carter

Nick Carter from The Backstreet Boys was fined $1,200 (£664) after admitting to drink-driving in California. The 25-year-old singer was also put on probation for three years, ordered to attend an alcohol education course and banned from driving for 90 days.

2007 - R.E.M.

R.E.M. played a five-night series of shows at Dublin's Olympia Theatre. Dubbed ‘working rehearsals’ by the band, many songs from their forthcoming album ‘Accelerate’ were debuted, with many of them still as works in progress.

2014 - Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran's second album X became the fastest-selling UK album of the year so far after selling 182,000 copies in its first week, 14,000 more than Coldplay managed with Ghost Stories which was released in May.

2019 - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's former label, Big Machine, was sold to Scooter Braun's company for an estimated $300 million, giving him control of her back catalog, including the master recordings. In response, Swift accused Braun of bullying her and said she would re-record all her old albums to devalue his purchase.

Born Today In Music

June 30th

1936 - Dave Van Ronk

Bon on this day, American folk singer Dave Van Ronk who was an important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the Sixties, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of MacDougal Street". Bob Dylan recorded Van Ronk's arrangement of the traditional song ‘House of the Rising Sun’ on his first album, which The Animals turned into a No.1 UK single in 1964, helping inaugurate the folk-rock movement. He died on 10 February 2002 aged 65.

1943 - Florence Ballard

American vocalist Florence Ballard, The Supremes (1964 US & UK No.1 single 'Baby Love' plus 11 other US No.1 singles). Ballard sang on 16 top forty singles with the group, including ten No.1 hits. She died February 21st 1976. 

1944 - Glenn Shorrock

Glenn Shorrock, from Australian group, Little River Band who scored the 1978 US No.3 single 'Reminiscing' plus 12 other US Top 40 singles selling more than 30 million records.

1946 - Billy Brown

American singer Billy Brown from The Moments who had the 1970 US No. 3 single ' 'Love on a Two-Way Street'. For contractual reasons they changed their name to Ray, Goodman & Brown and had further hits, including 'Special Lady'.

1949 - Andy Scott

Andy Scott, guitarist with English group Sweet, who had the 1973 UK No.1 single 'Blockbuster', plus 14 other UK Top 40 singles. Sweet scored four top-ten hits in the US: 'Little Willy', 'Ballroom Blitz', 'Fox On The Run', and 'Love Is Like Oxygen'.

1951 - Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke, jazz bassist who has worked with Chick Corea, Santana, Keith Richards, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney and the fusion band Return to Forever.

1956 - Adrian Wright

Adrian Wright, The Human League. Formed in Sheffield, England in 1977 the group attained widespread commercial success with their third album Dare in 1981. The album contained four hit singles, including the UK/US No.1 hit 'Don't You Want Me'.

1962 - Julianne Regan

Julianne Regan, singer, songwriter from English group All About Eve, who had the 1988 UK No.10 single 'Martha's Harbour'.

1963 - Yngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie Malmsteen, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and bandleader. Malmsteen first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical metal playing style in heavy metal.

1967 - Peter Camell

Peter James Camell, guitarist with Liverpool group The La's, who scored the 1990 UK No.13 single 'There She Goes'.

1968 - Philip Anselmo

Philip Anselmo, from American heavy metal band, Pantera, who had the 1994 UK hit single 'I'm Broken'. Pantera released four albums during the 1980s. Anselmo is the frontman for the Louisiana-based heavy metal supergroup Down and is also the owner of Housecore Records.

1979 - Andrew Burrows

Andrew Burrows, drummer, with English indie rock band Razorlight who had the 2006, UK No.1 single ‘America’ and their 2006 UK No.1 self titled album.

1983 - Anton Gordon

Anton Gordon, from British boy band One True Voice, created on the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals who had the 2002 UK No.2 single 'Sacred Trust / After You're Gone'.

1983 - Cheryl Cole

Cheryl Cole, from English-Irish pop girl group Girls Aloud, which was created through the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. They scored the 2002 UK No.1 single 'Sound Of The Underground' and over 20 UK Top 20 singles. They hold the record for "Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group. Became a judge on the UK version of The X Factor in 2008. Scored the 2009 UK No.1 solo single 'Fight For This Love.'

1984 - Fantasia Barrino

Fantasia Barrino, singer, American Idol winner, (2004 US No.1 single ‘I Believe’). The first time in US history a debut single has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

1985 - T-Pain

T-Pain, (Faheem Najm), American hip-hop and R&B singer, who scored the 2007 US No.1 ‘Buy U a Drank, Shawty Snappin'.