1964, Roy Orbison was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘It’s Over’, his second UK No.1. Orbison was the first American artist to score a UK No.1 in the past 47 weeks.
1966, The Beatles started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Paperback Writer’, the group’s 12th US No.1. The track is marked by the boosted bass guitar sound throughout, partly in response to John Lennon demanding to know why the bass on a certain Wilson Pickett record far exceeded the bass on any Beatles records. It was also cut louder than any other Beatles record, due to a new piece of equipment used in the mastering process.
1966, Jackie Wilson was arrested for inciting a riot and refusing to obey a police order at a nightclub in Port Arthur, Texas. Wilson had a crowd of 400 whipped into a frenzy and refused to stop singing when requested to do so by police. He was later convicted of drunkenness and fined $30.
1967, During a north American tour The Jimi Hendrix Experience gave a free afternoon concert in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. They then played another two shows that evening at the Fillmore West.
1967, 200 million people saw The Beatles perform ‘All You Need Is Love’, live via satellite as part of the TV global link- up, ‘Our World’, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Graham Nash, Keith Moon and Gary Leeds provided backing vocals.
1969, The Hollies recorded ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’. The ballad was written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell (who was dying of cancer of the lymph nodes). The pair met in person only three times, but managed to collaborate on the song. The track which features Elton John on piano was re-released in late 1988 in the UK following its use in a television advertisement for Miller Lite beer, where it reached No.1.
1977, Marvin Gaye went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Got To Give It Up’, his third US No.1.
1983, The Police scored their fourth UK No.1 album with ‘Synchronicity’, also No.1 in the US and featuring the singles ‘Every Breath You Take’ and ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger’.
1984, Prince released his sixth studio album Purple Rain the first to feature his band the Revolution, and the soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. The first two singles from the album, ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, topped the US singles charts, and were hits around the world, while the title track went to No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1987, Songwriter Boudleaux Bryant died. Wrote with his wife Felice, The Everly Brothers hits, ‘Bye Bye Love’, ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’, ‘Wake Up Little Susie’ and ‘Raining In My Heart’ a hit for Buddy Holly. Other acts to record their song include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, the Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles.
1988, Hillel Slovak original guitarist and founding member of Red Hot Chili Peppers died from a heroin overdose shortly after the band returned from a European tour. Slovak recorded two albums with the band, Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.
1988, Debbie Gibson went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Foolish Beat’, making Debbie (aged 17), the youngest female to write, produce and record a US No.1 single. A No.9 hit in the UK.
1993, The first of the three day Glastonbury Festival in England featured Suede, Belly, Lemonheads, The Orb, Red Hot Chili Peppers The Black Crowes, Lenny Kravitz, Verve, Porno For Pyros and Teenage Fan Club. Tickets cost £58 ($98.60) for the three days.
1994, Five people attending this years UK Glastonbury Festival were shot and injured when a lone madman pulled a gun and started shooting into the crowd.
2004, Rapper DMX was arrested on charges that he and another man tried to steal a car from New York’s Kennedy airport. DMX – real name is Earl Simmons – and Jackie Hudgins were held after the city’s Port Authority police interrupted a dispute. The pair were arrested on charges of attempted robbery, criminal impersonation and criminal mischief. A spokesman said a preliminary investigation indicated that Mr Simmons may have identified himself as a federal agent.
2006, Turkish-American music producer and arranger Arif Mardin died aged 74 from pancreatic cancer. He worked at Atlantic Records for over 30 years, before moving to EMI. The winner of 11 Grammy Awards, he worked with Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Wilson Pickett, Average White Band, The Bee Gees, Barbra Streisand and Norah Jones.
2009, Michael Jackson died at the age of 50, after suffering heart failure at his home in Beverly Hills. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964. Jackson is credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool, four of his solo albums are among the world’s best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), while his 1982 Thriller is the world’s best-selling record of all time with sales of over 50 million.
2009, A Sgt. Pepper souvenir poster bearing the signatures of all four Beatles sold for $52,500 at a pop memorabilia auction in New York City. Other musical items that went under the hammer were a set of Bob Dylan’s handwritten lyrics, which made $25,000 and a bass guitar owned by Kurt Cobain sold for $43,750.
2014, Amnesty International apologised to Iggy Pop after it had used an image of the singer in its latest anti-torture campaign without the singer’s permission. The Belgian advert featured the Stooges frontman’s face bloodied and beaten, quoting him as saying Justin Bieber was “the future of rock and roll” and the slogan: “Torture a man and he will tell you anything.”
2016, The Yellow Cloud guitar owned by Prince and said to be one of his favorites was bought at auction for $137,500, by the owner of the American Football team Indianapolis Colts. A lock of David Bowie’s hair also sold for $18,750 at the same auction.
