June 11

Births

1946: John Lawton (Singer for Uriah Heep)

1947: Glenn Leonard (Vocals for The Temptations)

1948: Skip Alan (Drummer for Them & The Pretty Things)

1949: Frank Beard (Drummer for ZZ Top)

1952: Donnie Van Zant (Singer in .38 Special)

1961: Robert Birch (Vocals for Stereo MC's)

1969: Steven Drozd (Drummer for The Flaming Lips)

1969: Dan Lavery (Bass for Tonic & The Fray)

Events

1949: Hank Williams shoots into superstardom overnight when he performs his new single, "Lovesick Blues," at Nashville's "Grand Old Opry." He's called back for a record six encores.

1958: Jerry Lee Lewis finds that the marriage scandal involving his 14-year-old second cousin has migrated back to the States when he is booed off a New York stage. The second show is canceled due to poor ticket sales, and Lewis' career, for the time being anyway, is ruined.

1964: The Rolling Stones hold an attention-grabbing "press conference" in the middle of Michigan Avenue in Chicago, just outside Chess Studios; it's promptly broken up by the local police.

1964: Queen Elizabeth orders Beatles to her birthday party, they attend.

1965: Buckingham Palace announces that the Beatles are to be awarded the MBE (Members of the British Empire) award by Queen Elizabeth II, an award traditionally only presented to upper-crust members of the community. Several members immediately return their awards, complaining that they have become "debased."

1966: Britain's Melody Maker reports that one of the first "supergroups," Cream, has formed from former members of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, and the Graham Bond Organization.

1966: European radio is abuzz with rumors that Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, has been killed in an auto accident days earlier. In fact, guitarist Pete Townshend was in the wreck, but survived with minor injuries.

1968: During the recording of the Rolling Stones' new song, "Sympathy For The Devil," London's Olympic Studio mysteriously catches fire.

1969: David Bowie releases the single "Space Oddity" to coincide with the first lunar landing.

1971: A drunken Dennis Wilson, drummer for the Beach Boys, accidentally puts his hand through the glass door of his home, severing nerves that keep him from his instrument for the better part of three years.

1976: Wild Cherry releases the single "Play That Funky Music".

1977: Joe Strummer and Topper Headon were detained overnight in prison in Newcastle upon Tyne having failed to appear at Morpeth Magistrates on May 21st.  Both Clash members were to answer a charge relating to the theft of a Holiday Inn pillowcase. They were both fined $170.

1977: KC and the Sunshine Band became only the second group after The Jackson Five to achieve four US No.1's when 'I'm Your Boogie Man' went to the top of the charts.

1978: The Rolling Stones released the Album "Some Girls."

1983: Drummer Alex Van Halen married Valeri Kendall in Los Angeles, California. Brother Eddie Van Halen was best man.

1988: Nelson Mandellas 70th birthday tribute took place at Wembley Stadium, London, featuring Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman, George Michael, Eric Clapton, UB40, The Eurythmics and Simple Minds. The event was broadcast live on BBC 2 to 40 different countries with an estimated audience of 1 billion.

1990: The United Nations appoints Olivia Newton-John as its first Goodwill Ambassador to the environment.

1992: U2 has ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson join them onstage at their concert in Stockholm for a rendition of ABBA's 1975 smash "Dancing Queen."

1998: Scott Weiland (Singer for Stone Temple Pilots) skipped a scheduled court date and checked himself into a drug treatment facility.

2000: Aaliyah went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Try Again'. It became the first "airplay-only" song to reach No.1 on the US singles chart (no points from a commercial single release).

2002: Three hundred guests, including Elton John, David Gilmour, Chrissie Hynde, and former bandmate Ringo Starr, attend the wedding of Paul McCartney to former model and current activist Heather Mills at St. Salvator Church in Glaslough, Ireland. Paul's three children from his first marriage all attend; Mills walks down the aisle holding eleven "McCartney" roses specially developed for the occasion. The couple would divorce in 2008.

2003: Adam Ant was arrested after going berserk and stripping off in a London cafe. The former 1980's pop star had thrown stones at neighbour's homes smashing windows before going to the nearby cafe.

2004: Courtney Love surrendered to US police after allegedly assaulting a woman at the home of her former manager and ex-boyfriend. Ms Love was charged with assault with a deadly weapon. She was later released on bail. The charges related to an incident on 25 April 2004, when Ms Love allegedly assaulted a woman with a bottle and a torch at the LA home of Jim Barber.

2008: Nancy Sinatra appears before the US Congress pleading for legislation that would require all performers, not just songwriters, to get paid for songs played on commercial analog radio.

2009: Pete Doherty was released on $80,000 bail to await trial accused of driving dangerously after a gig. The Babyshambles frontman was stopped after police saw a car being driven erratically in Gloucester. The 30-year-old appeared at Stroud Magistrates' Court and pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and to having no driving license or insurance.

2011: Singer Lily Allen marries long time fiancé Sam Cooper in Gloucestershire, England.

June 10

Births

1910: Howlin' Wolf (Chester Arthur Burnet) (Blues Singer & Guitarist)

1922: Judy Garland (Singer)

1961: Kim Deal (Bass & vocals for Pixies)

1961: Kelley Deal (Vocals & Guitar for The Breeders)

1961: Maxi Priest (Max Elliott) (Reggae Singer)

1964: Emma Anderson (Guitar for Lush)

1964: Jimmy Chamberlin (Drums for The Smashing Pumpkins)

1967: Darren Robinson (Human Beatbox) (Rapper in The Fat Boys)

1968: The D.O.C (Tracy Lynn Curry) (Rapper)

1970: Mike Doughty (Vocals & Guitar for Soul Coughing)

1971: JoJo (Joel Hailey) (Vocals for Jodeci)

1973: Faith Evans (R&B Singer)

1977: Nergal (Adam Darski) (Lead Vocals for Behemoth)

Events

1931: In a country-music milestone, Jimmie Rodgers records in a Nashville studio with gospel harmony legends The Carter Family.

1964: The first edition of the official Rolling Stones book was issued. Also on this day, The Stones recorded 'It's All Over Now', and ‘Time Is On My Side' during their first session at Chess studios in Chicago.

1966: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band celebrates its 20th anniversary with a concert of 10,000 in their hometown of Denver.

1966: While performing with the Small Faces on the ITV show Ready Steady Go!, lead singer Steve Marriott collapses and falls on the stage from exhaustion, forcing the band to cancel a week of upcoming shows.

1971: Police fire tear gas into the rowdy crowd at tonight's Jethro Tull concert in Denver, but the band continues playing even though some of them have trouble seeing their instruments.

1972: Sammy Davis Jr started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Candy Man', his only US No.1. The song was taken from the film 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'.

1977: Joe Strummer and Nicky Headon from The Clash were each fined $8.50 by a London court for spray-painting “The Clash” on a wall.

1982: Addie Harris from The Shirelles died of a heart attack after a show in Atlanta. They became the first all girl group to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100.

1986: Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia slips into a diabetic coma for five days, resulting in the cancellation of the remainder of the band's tour.

1990: Two members of 2 Live Crew were arrested in Hollywood, FL, on obscenity charges. The album had been judged as obscene by a federal judge.

1991: Temptation David Ruffin's funeral is held in Detroit, with attendees including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and former bandmate Eddie Kendricks, who is arrested at the service for failure to pay child support.

1992: Model Kelly Emberg has her palimony suit against Rod Stewart thrown out.

1993: Irish singer Sinead O'Connor took out a full-page ad in the Irish Times asking the public to "stop hurting me please." She blamed her troubles on abuse she suffered as a child. O'Connor was still being criticized for ripping up a picture of the Pope during an appearance on Saturday Night Live the previous October.

1998: Rapper DMX was arrested in New York on charges of rape, sodomy and unlawful imprisonment. DMX denied the charges.

1998: Steve Sanders (Oak Ridge Boys) was found dead at the age of 45. He had apparently died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

2003: Kim Mathers, the ex-wife of rapper Eminem, was arrested and released pending further investigation in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, for driving with a revoked license. Two Ziploc bags containing a 'white powdery substance' were found in the glove box of her white Cadillac.

2004: Ray Charles died at 11:35 a.m. of liver cancer at his home in Beverly Hills, California, surrounded by family and friends. He was 73 years old.

2005: Ottawa Governor General Adrienne Clarkson officially makes Paul Anka an Officer of the Order of Canada.

June 9

Births

1891: Cole Porter (Singer & Composer)

1915: Les Paul (Guitarist)

1934: Jackie Wilson (R&B Singer)

1951: James Newton Howard (Composer)

1954: Pete Byrne (Lead Vocals for Naked Eyes)

1967: Dean Felber (Bass for Hootie & The Blowfish)

1970: Ed Simons (Keyboards for The Chemical Brothers)

1972: Wesley Reid Scantlin (Singer & Guitarist for Puddle Of Mudd)

1978: Matthew Bellamy (Guitar, Vocals & Keyboards for Muse)

Events

1958: In hopes of derailing the controversy building over Jerry Lee Lewis' recent marriage to his 14-year-old second cousin Myra Gale Brown, Sun Records head Sam Phillips takes out a full-page ad in Billboard so that the Killer can explain his actions. It doesn't help.

1959: Bobby Darin plays his first Las Vegas gig at the Sahara, opening for comedian George Burns.

1962: Tony Bennett plays his first concert in Carnegie Hall, a move designed by promoter Sid Bernstein to revive the crooner's career. With the subsequent release of the single "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," it does just that.

1964: During an evening session Bob Dylan recorded ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City.

1966: The Beatles debut a "promotional film" of their latest b-side, "Rain," on BBC-TV's Top Of The Pops.

1969: The final nail in the coffin of Moby Grape is driven in when bassist Bob Mosley leaves to become a Marine.

1969: The Rolling Stones invite Mick Taylor, guitarist with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, to join the group as a replacement for recently deceased founder Brian Jones.

1970: Princeton University awards Bob Dylan an honorary Doctorate of Music.

1972: Elvis Presley begins the first of an unprecedented four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, his first-ever New York City concert. Two Beatles were in attendance -- George and John -- as well as Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Art Garfunkel. Selections from the shows eventually made up the album Elvis: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden.

1972: John Hammond's latest discovery, Bruce Springsteen, signs with him at Columbia. Bruce immediately begins to put together his famous E Street Band from the sidemen in his various Asbury Park, NJ bar bands.

1977: George Harrison is divorced from Pattie "Layla" Harrison, his wife of eleven years.

1978: Siouxsie And The Banshees signed to Polydor records in the UK.

1989: The Doobie Brothers reunite to begin their first tour in eight years, and the first reunion tour with their famous 1972-1975 lineup.

1990: M.C. Hammer's album “Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em” started a record breaking 21 week stay at the top of the US album charts, making it the longest uninterrupted stay at the top since the album charts started.

1990: Michael Jackson was admitted to a hospital with a mystery illness. It was later diagnosed as an inflamed cartilage in his rib cage.

1990: Wilson Phillips went to No.1 on the US with 'Hold On'. 25 years earlier to the day Wendy and Carnies father Beach Boy Brian had been at No.1 with 'Help Me Rhonda'.

1993: The US Postal Service introduces a new series of stamps called "Legends Of American Music," its first to feature rock and R&B stars, featuring Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Bill Haley, Clyde McPhatter, Ritchie Valens, and Dinah Washington.

1993: R&B Singer Arthur Alexander suffered a fatal heart attack three days after performing in Nashville with his new band at age 53.

1993: The Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got To Do With It? opens in US theaters.

1994: After an argument TLC singer Left Eye set fire to her boyfriend’s Atlanta mansion, worth $2 million, burning it to the ground. She was charged with arson and fined $10,000 with five years probation.

1997: Carl Perkins enters a Memphis hospital to have surgery on blocked arteries in his neck.

1997: The Spice Girls started filming 'Spice World The Movie'.

1998: The Ronettes are awarded $12 million in back payments from producer Phil Spector in a case brought to the New York State Supreme Court, claiming the infamous producer had not paid them royalties since their big 1963 hits were issued. Unfortunately, the verdict was overturned on appeal four years later.

1998: Oasis singer Liam Gallagher and Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall were involved in a brawl at The Metropolitan Hotel, London.

2002: It was announced that Rolling Stone Mick Jagger was to be given a knighthood for his services to music.

2007: George Michael became the first music artist to perform at the new Wembley Stadium in London when he played the first of two shows at the venue during his ‘25 Live Tour’.

2009: The Library of Congress gives 25 records the nod as this year's entrance into the National Recording Registry, including The Who's "My Generation," Link Wray's "Rumble," and the Kingston Trio's "Tom Dooley."