July 16

Births

1925: Cal Tjader (Latin Jazz Musician)

1942: Desmond Dekker (Reggae & Ska Singer)

1948: Rubén Blades (Salsa Singer)

1949: Alan "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Keyboards for Night Ranger)

1952: Stewart Copeland (Drummer for The Police)

1967: Will Ferrell (Cowbell)

1971: Ed Kowalczyk (Singer for Live)

Events

1900: His Master's Voice, the logo of the Victor Recording Company and later RCA Victor, was registered with the US Patent Office. The logo shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone.

1955: Elvis Presley makes his first appearance on the national charts as "Baby, Let's Play House" enters the Cash Box country charts at #15.

1962: The Beach Boys sign to Capitol Records following the success of their independently released 45, "Surfin'," and a four-song demo recorded the previous month, featuring work versions of "Surfer Girl," "409" and "Surfin' Safari."

1966: Ex-Yardbirds guitarist Eric Clapton forms Cream, the original "power trio," with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker of the Graham Bond Organization.

1969: During recordings at Abbey Road studio's in London The Beatles worked on two new George Harrison songs, 'Here Comes The Sun' and 'Something.'

1972: Smokey Robinson performs his final show with the Miracles at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, DC. At the end of the show, Smokey introduces his replacement, 20-year-old Billy Griffin.

1976: After six years, Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina decide to split up their partnership, which had three big hits in "Thinking Of You," "My Music," and "Your Mama Don't Dance."

1976: Due the bi-coastal distance (and increasing differences) between Gregg Allman and the other band members, the Allman Brothers call it quits.

1980: Singer Donna Summer marries Bruce Sudano, former member of Brooklyn Dreams, who appeared on her 1979's hit "Heaven Knows."

1981: Singer / Songwriter Harry Chapin died in a car accident on the way to perform a charity concert.  He was 38.

1995: Rapper Queen Latifah was the victim of a car-jacking attempt that went wrong, leaving her bodyguard shot and wounded.

1996: Michael Jackson receives somewhere between $15 and 20 million for his performance at the Sultan of Brunei's private birthday party.

1996: Drummer John Panozzo (Styx) died of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging after years of heavy drinking; he was 47 years old.

2003: Salsa singer Celia Cruz died of brain cancer at age 77.

2009: A stage being built in France for a concert by Madonna collapsed, killing two workers and injuring six others. Technicians had been setting up the stage at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille when the partially-built roof fell in, bringing down a crane.