June 28

Births

1902: Richard Rodgers (Composer)

1954: Steven Morse (Guitarist for The Dixie Dregs & Deep Purple)

1959: Oran "Juice" Jones (R&B Singer)

1963: Charles Clouser (Keyboardist & Drummer for Nine Inch Nails)

1965: Saul Davis (Guitar & Violin for James)

1971: Ray Slijngaard (Vocals for 2 Unlimited)

1977: Mark Stoermer (Bass Guitarist for The Killers)

1986: Kellie Pickler (Country Singer)

Events

1957: Jerry Lee Lewis makes his US television debut, performing "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On on NBC's Steve Allen Show and making himself a superstar overnight.

1959: Bobby Darin was at No.1 on the singles chart with 'Dream Lover'. It was the singers first No.1 and the song featured Neil Sedaka on piano.

1962: The Drifters recorded "Up On The Roof".

1965: Dick Clark's latest rock n' roll variety show, Where The Action Is, premieres on ABC-TV, featuring performances by Jan & Dean, Dee Dee Sharp and Linda Scott, and also introducing a new house band called Paul Revere and the Raiders. Meanwhile, over on CBS, influential DJ Murray The K's variety special It's What's Happening, Baby! features performances by The Supremes, The Ronettes, The Drifters, The Miracles, The Temptations, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Martha and the Vandellas, The Righteous Brothers, Tom Jones, The Dave Clark Five, Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles, and Gary Lewis and the Playboys.

1968: At NBC Studios in Hollywood, Elvis Presley tapes the "gospel medley" portion of what would later be known as his "'68 Comeback Special," as well as a controversial "bordello" scene that was never broadcast: NBC censors had no objections, but the sponsor, Singer Sewing Machines, didn't want to upset viewers.

1968: Aretha Franklin is featured on the cover of Time magazine, under a banner headed "The Sound Of Soul."

1973: Following its highly successful "Fifties revival" oldies show the year before, Madison Square Garden holds a British Invasion-themed version, featuring Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, The Searchers, and Wayne Fontana.

1975: American singer songwriter Tim Buckley completed the last show of a tour in Dallas, Texas, playing to a sold-out crowd of 1,800 people. This was Buckley’s last ever show, he died the following day of a heroin and morphine overdose aged 28.

1977: Elton John achieved a life long ambition when he became the Chairman of Watford Football Club.

1980: Roy Orbison begins an amazing Eighties comeback by making the country music charts with "That Lovin' You Feeling Again," a duet with Emmylou Harris.

1986: Wham! played their farewell concert in front of 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, London.

1990: At today's concert in Liverpool, Paul McCartney plays John Lennon-written Beatles songs for the first time: "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Help!" and Lennon's solo "Give Peace A Chance."

1993: Wilson Pickett pleads guilty to drunk driving in New Jersey after hitting an elderly pedestrian in April of the previous year. He is sentenced to a year in jail and five years' probation, as well as a $5,000 fine and 200 hours of community service.

1997: George Harrison secretly undergoes surgery to have a cancerous lump removed from his throat. Though it turns out to be benign, the ex-Beatle will eventually succumb to the disease in 2001.

1997: The classic Pink Floyd album ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ spent its 1056th week on the US album chart. It was rumored at the time that if the album was played while watching The Wizard of Oz movie, and started exactly when the MGM lion roared the third time during the movie’s intro, very interesting connections could be made between the two.

1997: Bob Seger crashed in his BMW on the Trans-Canada Highway in Nipigon, Ontario. The singer later appeared in court charged with dangerous driving.

1999: The home of DMX (Earl Simmons) was searched as part of an investigation into the shooting of Ray Copeland. Copeland is the uncle and manager of DMX. Copeland was wounded in the foot the previous day.