July 10

Births

1942: Ronnie James Dio (Singer for Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath & Solo)

1947: Arlo Guthrie (Folk Singer)

1949: Greg Kihn (Guitarist & Singer)

1953: Rik "The Rocket" Emmett (Vocals & Guitar for Triumph)

1954: Neil Tennant (Vocals for Pet Shop Boys)

1958: Béla Fleck (Bluegrass Artist)

1959: Sandy West (Drummer for The Runaways)

1965: Peter DiStefano (Guitar for Porno For Pyros)

1970: Gary LeVox (Singer for Rascal Flatts)

1980: Jessica Simpson (Singer)

Events

1941: Jazz pianist Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton dies in LA at 56 from an asthma affliction.

1950: The Victor Talking Machine Company, later to become RCA Victor and the world's first great record label, trademarks its slogan "His Master's Voice," which referred to the iconic image of the Victor dog, Nipper, cocking an ear to the gramophone as if his master were actually in the room.

1954: WINS AM in New York hires legendary DJ Alan Freed away from his home at Cleveland's WJW, where, among other things, he helped popularize the term "rock and roll." Freed would move across town to WABC two years later, where he would eventually be fired for his participation in the "payola scandal."

1959: One of the most popular Fifties "rock and roll movies," Alan Freed's Go, Johnny, Go! opens nationwide, featuring Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson, Eddie Cochran, Sandy Stewart, the Cadillacs, Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows, Jimmy Clanton, and -- in his one and only film appearance -- Ritchie Valens.

1964: The Beatles A Hard Day's Night film has its Liverpool premiere, with over 200,000 locals (!) turning up to celebrate their hometown boys making good.

1965: The Rolling Stones started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', the group's first US No.1. Some US stations cut out the last verse believing it referred to women's 'time of the month'.

1967: Singer Kenny Rogers leaves the folk group The New Christy Minstrels and, the next day, forms the First Edition.

1967: Bobbie Gentry recorded "Ode to Billie Joe."

1968: Eric Clapton announces the breakup of the supergroup Cream, currently finishing up its last tour.

1968: Early prog-rockers The Nice (Featuring Keith Emerson) are banned from London's Royal Albert Hall after burning an American flag on stage.

1969: The Rolling Stones founding member, Brian Jones, is laid to rest at Hatherley Road Parish Church in his hometown of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, after drowning (or, some say, being drowned) in a swimming pool a few days earlier. Brian is buried 12 feet in the ground so as to discourage trophy-seeking fans. His epitaph: "Please don't judge me too harshly."  Bill Wyman, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts from The Stones attended the funeral, not Mick Jagger.

1975: Gregg Allman and Cher's famously rocky marriage almost ends in divorce after only ten days.

1975: Gladys Knight and the Pips debut their own summer variety music show on NBC TV.

1976: Vernon Presley, at the behest of his son Elvis, fires longtime "Memphis Mafia" members Sonny West, his cousin Red West, and Dave Hebler -- not coincidentally the three most adamant about getting him off his addiction to prescription drugs. Red would eventually write a book called Elvis: What Happened? which would alert the public to the King's drug problem for the first time.

1977: Cher gives birth to Elijah Blue Allman, her first and only child with Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers.

1978: Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman falls from the stage at a gig St. Paul, MN and is knocked unconscious.

1979: Chuck Berry is sentenced to jail for the second time, this time a tax-evasion charge that nets him four months (for allegedly bilking Uncle Sam out of $200,000 back in 1973).

1979: Orchestra leader Arthur Fiedler dies at 84 after having a heart seizure. He was in his 50th year as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.

1981: Jerry Lee Lewis enters a Memphis hospital for the first of two emergency operations to counteract a bleeding ulcer.

1986: Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead slips into a diabetic coma. He recovers five days later.

1989: The Monkees get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the ceremony, all four Monkees reunite for the first time.

1989: David F Pearsall age 18 from Manchester, New Jersey was charged with theft after stealing a guitar at a concert in Riverfront Park belonging to Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi.

1993: Bob Seger marries his third and current wife, Juanita Dorricott.

1994: Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian weds Debbie Leavitt.

1997: Chrissie Hynde (Singer for The Pretenders) and Lucho Brieva were married.

1998:  Singer Sheena Easton filed for divorce from her husband of 11 months, Timothy Delarm.

2000: A much-ballyhooed Supremes "reunion" tour, "Return To Love," which features only Diana Ross from the original group, is canceled after initial ticket sales don't match expectations.

2002: Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli announced that they had secretly separated 10 months before. They divorced in 2007. 

2008: The drum skin used on the cover of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album sold for $1 M at Christie's Memorabilia auction in London. Other items sold included John Lennon's lyrics for ‘Give Peace a Chance’ which sold for $832,257 and a pair of tinted prescription sunglasses belonging to Lennon, which he wore for the cover of the single ‘Mind Games’, sold for $79,000. A rare 1/4 inch reel to-reel master tape recording of the Jimi Hendrix Experience performing at the Woburn Music Festival in 1968 went for $95,000, a Marshall amplifier used by Hendrix in concert fetched $50,000 and a pair of his stripy flared trousers made $49,000.

2010: Carrie Underwood marries hockey player Mike Fisher at the Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia. Attending celebs include Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.

July 7

Births

1927: Doc Severinson (Trumpet for Tonight Show with Johnny Carson)

1927: Charlie Louvin (Singer for The Louvin Brothers)

1932: Joe Zawinul (Pianist for Miles Davis band & Weather Report)

1940: Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) (Drums for The Beatles)

1941: Jim Rodford (Guitar for Argent & Kinks)

1944: Warren Entner (Singer & Guitar for The Grass Roots)

1948: Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt (Guitarist for Iron Butterfly)

1950: David Hodo (Construction worker in The Village People)

1981: Synyster Gates (Lead Guitar for Avenged Sevenfold)

1982: Cassidy (Barry Adrian Reese) (Rapper)

Events

1954: Memphis D.J. Dewey Phillips of WHBQ became the first D.J. to play an Elvis Presley record.

1956: A riot breaks out at a Fats Domino concert in San Jose, CA, with twelve injured.

1956: Johnny Cash makes his first appearance on the Grand Old Opry show in Nashville.

1962: David Rose's single "The Stripper" hits #1.

1963: The Rolling Stones made their UK TV debut when they appeared on 'Thank Your Lucky Stars.' Also appearing on the show were Mickie Most, The Cadets, Helen Shapiro and Gordon Mills. The group made a total of 13 appearances on the show between 1963 and 1966.

1968: The folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary appear as the "mystery guest" on CBS-TV's What's My Line?

1968: The Yardbirds disband immediately after a gig in Luton, England.

1969: George Harrison recorded his new song ‘Here Comes the Sun’ with just two other Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, at Abbey Road in London. John Lennon was absent recovering from a car crash in Scotland.

1971: ABBA members 26-year-old Bjorn Ulvaeus and 21-year-old Agnetha Faltskog married in Verum, Sweden. 3000 fans arrived and in the chaos a police horse stepped on the brides foot, causing her slight injury.

1971: The Carpenters debut their variety summer replacement series, Make Your Own Kind Of Music, on NBC.

1975: The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards is arrested in Arkansas for reckless driving and firearm possession.

1980: The original lineup of Led Zeppelin played their last-ever concert when they appeared in West Berlin at the end of a European tour. The set included ‘Black Dog’, ‘Rock and Roll’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘Trampled Underfoot’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’. They finished the show with ‘Whole Lotta Love’.

1984: Bruce Springsteen went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Born In The USA'. The album went on to spend a total of 139 weeks on the US chart. It’s also one of three albums (Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814) to produce seven Top-ten US singles.

1984: Prince started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'When Doves Cry', his first US No.1 which went on to sell over 2 million copies.

1984: The song "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, became the biggest selling single of all time in Britain.

1987: Eric B. & Rakim release their debut album “Paid In Full”.

1989: Compact discs begin to outsell vinyl records for the first time.

1998: Along with his financial partner Don Barden, Michael Jackson announces plans to build an entertainment complex in Detroit called "The Majestic Kingdom." It never materializes.

1999: Coolio was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 40 hours of community service and two years probation after he pled guilty to a charge of illegal gun possession.

2000: Eminem's wife, Kimberly Mathers, was hospitalized after she slit her wrists following her husband's show as part of the Up in Smoke Tour at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

2000: Patsy Kensit confirmed her separation from Oasis singer Liam Gallagher.

2001: The Pointer Sisters' June Pointer completes her court-ordered rehab for cocaine.

2006: After suffering from diabetes for several years, Pink Floyd original singer & Guitarist Syd Barrett died at his home in Cambridge. He was 60 years old. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer. The occupation on his death certificate was given as "retired musician”.

2007: Snow Patrol Keyboard player Tom Simpson was arrested in connection with a failed court appearance in Glasgow. He was later released and the band went on to headline the T in the Park festival in Scotland. Amy Winehouse pulled out of her slot from the event suffering from "exhaustion".

2008: Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman welcome a daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.

2009: Michael Jackson's family and fans said farewell to the pop superstar at an emotional memorial service. The singer's coffin was placed in front of the stage during the event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after an earlier private funeral. Jackson's daughter Paris, 11, fought back tears to describe him as "the best father you could ever imagine". Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey paid tribute before the family joined a sombre finale on stage. Motown boss Berry Gordy, who signed the Jackson Five, ended his tribute with the words: "Michael, thank you for the joy, thank you for the love. You will live in my heart forever."

July 6

Births

1925: Bill Haley (William John Clifton Haley) (Singer & Guitarist)

1937: Gene Chandler (Eugene Dixon) (R&B Singer)

1949: Mike Shrieve (Drums for Santana)

1949: Phyllis Hyman (Jazz Singer)

1952: Graham Oliver (Guitar for Saxon)

1953: Nanci Griffith (Singer / Songwriter)

1963: Tim Bricheno (Guitar for The Sisters Of Mercy)

1967: Heather Nova (Singer / Songwriter)

1970: Inspectah Deck (Rapper in The Wu-Tang Clan)

1975: 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) (Rapper)

1979: Nic Cester (Singer & Guitarist for Jet)

Events

1937: "Sing, Sing, Sing" was recorded by Benny Goodman and his band.

1965: Rock group "Jefferson Airplane" forms.

1967: Pink Floyd made their first appearance on BBC TV music show Top Of The Pops to promote their new single ‘See Emily Play’.  A badly damaged home video recording recovered by the British Film Institute of this show was given a public screening in London on 9th January 2010 at an event called "Missing Believed Wiped" devoted to recovered TV shows. It was the first time any footage was seen of the performance since its original broadcast.

1971: American jazz trumpeter, singer and bandleader, Louis Armstrong died of a heart attack at 69 years old.

1973: Queen released their debut single ‘Keep Yourself Alive’ in the UK.

1975: Rolling Stone Keith Richards was arrested by the highway patrol in Arkansas on charges of reckless driving and possessing an offensive weapon, a seven-inch hunting knife.

1976: The Damned made their debut performance at the 100 Club in London.

1992: David Gates from Gateshead, Northumberland was given one year's probation after being convicted of stealing guitars from the back of a van belonging to The Bay City Rollers.

1998: Roy Rogers dies of heart failure in Apple Valley, California. The King of the Cowboys was the only performer elected twice to the Country Music Hall of Fame--once as a solo artist, once as a member of The Sons Of The Pioneers.

1999: Keyboard player with Third World Michael Wallace was shot dead in Kingston Jamaica, aged 43.

2001: A pair of Sir Elton John's sandals were set to become the most expensive shoes in history when they went under the hammer for charity. Offers over $40,000 were invited for the Salvatore Ferragamo sandals to raise funds for Elton's Aid Trust .

2002: George Harrison's widow Olivia put the couple's home up for sale for $40m saying she couldn't bear to live with the memories of the attack by schizophrenic Michael Abram who broke into the house in 1999.

2003: Skip Battin, bassist and songwriter with The Byrds, died of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He also played with New Riders Of The Purple Sage and The Flying Burrito Brothers.

2005: Grammy award winning Rap star Lil' Kim who was convicted of perjury and conspiracy in March 2005, was sentenced to a year in jail for lying to a grand jury to protect friends. Kim told the court "I testified falsely to the grand jury and during the trial. At the time I thought it was the right thing to do. Now I know it was wrong." Lil' Kim (real name Kimberley Jones) was also fined $50,000. Charges were brought against her after a gunfight erupted outside a New York radio station in 2001 as a rival rap group was arriving.

2007: Avril Lavigne was facing legal action by members of 1970s rock band The Rubinoos, who claimed she had copied one of their songs. Songwriters Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer alleged Lavigne's hit ‘Girlfriend’ was lifted from their 1979 song ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.’

2007: Britney Spears apologized for attacking a photographer's car with an umbrella earlier this year. Pictures of the 25-year-old lashing out appeared in several newspapers shortly after photos emerged of her shaving her head in a hair salon. In a message on her website, she said: "I apologize to the pap for a stunt that was done four months ago." She said she got "carried away" preparing for a film part but added that she did not get the role.

2008: Kix Brooks runs with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

2009: Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley marries Nashville publicist Cassie McConnell in the Bahamas.