June 24

Births

1942: Arthur Brown (Singer for The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown)

1944: Jeff Beck (Guitar for The Yardbirds & Solo)

1944: Chris Wood (Sax & Flute for Traffic)

1945: Colin Blunstone (Guitar & Vocals for The Zombies)

1947: Mick Fleetwood (Drummer for Fleetwood Mac)

1948: Patrick Moraz (Keyboards for Yes & The Moody Blues)

1949: John Illsley (Bassist for Dire Straits)

1950: Derrick "Duckie" Simpson (Black Uhuru)

1957: Terence Wilson (Astro) (Vocals for UB40)

1959: Andy McCluskey (Vocals, Bass Guitar & Keyboards for Orchestral Manoeveres In The Dark)

1961: Curt Smith (Vocals & Bass for Tears For Fears)

1967: Jeff Cease (Guitar for The Black Crowes)

1967: Richard Zven Kruspe (Lead Guitarist for Rammstein)

1970: Glenn Medeiros (Singer)

Events

1964: Sam Cooke, preceded by a 70-foot billboard in Times Square, begins a famous two-week engagement at New York's Copacabana club that would come to define the beginning of "supper-club soul."

1966: John Lennon's second whimsical book of original prose, poetry, and drawings, entitled A Spaniard In The Works, is published in his native England.

1966: In a watershed moment for the brother/sister duo later known as the Carpenters, the jazz combo known as the Richard Carpenter Trio wins the Hollywood Bowl's "Battle of the Bands" contest.

1966: With the McCoys and the Standells opening, the Rolling Stones' 1966 tour begins at the Manning Bowl in Lynn, Massachusetts, inciting yet another crowd riot that the police counteract with tear gas. Rock concerts are banned from the venue for nearly two decades.

1967: Led by Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd make their TV debut performing their hit single "See Emily Play" on BBC's Top Of The Pops.

1967: 5th Dimension make their TV debut performing their hit single "Up, Up And Away" on ABC's American Bandstand.

1967: Guitarist Zal Yanovsky quits the Lovin' Spoonful after their gig at the Forest Hills Music Festival in New York.

1972: At tonight's show in Fort Worth, TX, the Rolling Stones film the performance that would become the quadrophonic concert documentary Ladies And Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones.

1973: After an extensive two-year investigation, 19 major music label heads, including Clive Davis of Arista and the Gamble-Huff team behind Philadelphia International, are indicted by the state of New Jersey for "payola" practices and income tax evasion.

1973: Legendary rock organist Al Kooper rejoins his first band, Blues Project, onstage during a concert in Central Park.

1977: En route to his hotel while on tour in Madison, WI, Elvis spots an altercation between two young men and a gas station attendant and immediately gets out of his limo, striking a karate pose, shouting "I'll take you on!" When all three get a glimpse of their intruder, however, they immediately forget the fight and ask for pictures and photographs.

1984: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin joins Yes onstage in Dortmund, Germany for a cover of the Beatles' "I'm Down," further fueling rumors that the guitarist will assemble a new band called XYZ (Ex-Yes and Zeppelin).

1988: UB40 bass player Earl Falconer was sent to prison for six months, with a further 12 suspended, after admitting to causing his brothers death in a car accident.

1989: The Beatles finally get a US #1 Country hit when Rosanne Cash's cover of "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" reaches the top spot.

1990: Perry Bamonte replaced Roger O'Donnell as keyboardist in The Cure.

1990: New Kids On The Block's Donnie Wahlberg spent two days in hospital after falling through an unlocked trapdoor mid-concert in Saratoga Springs, New York.

1992: Billy Joel's old alma mater, Hicksville High in Long Island, NY, awards the singer-songwriter an honorary diploma in place of the one he never stayed in school to receive.

1993: Hank Williams' illegitimate daughter Jett, is awarded a piece of the country legend's estate from his son, Hank Jr.

1998: Johnny Cash makes his first public appearance since announcing his battle with Shy-Drager Syndrome, walking onstage at Kris Kristofferson's latest Nashville concert to sing Cash's hit "Sunday Morning Coming Down," written by Kris.

1999: Eric Clapton auctions off one hundred of the guitars in his collection to raise money for his Crossroads drug rehab clinic in Antigua, with the 1956 Fender "Layla" was written on going for nearly half a million dollars, a record at the time. Five years later, a similar auction, held like the first at Christie's in New York, nets another record -- almost one million dollars for another Fender Clapton named "Blackie," making it the most expensive guitar of all time.

2000: Preparing for "retirement," KISS begin auctioning off their quarter-century of band memorabilia, netting $876,000.

2000: The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines marries actor Adrian Pasdar at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas following a Chicks concert. To celebrate, the couple hits the casinos and wins $740.

2003: Gert van der Graaf, former boyfriend of ABBA's Agnetha Faeltskog, is arrested near her home for stalking the singer, despite having received a restraining order three years earlier.

2003: Beyoncé Knowles released her debut solo album "Dangerously in Love".

2004: US President George W. Bush awards the Medal of Freedom to Doris Day.

June 23

Births

1929: June Carter Cash (Country Singer)

1940: Stu Sutcliffe (Original Bassist for The Beatles)

1941: Robert Hunter (Singer & Guitar for Grateful Dead & Solo)

1955: Glenn Danzig (Vocals for Misfits, Samhain & Danzig)

1956: Randy Darius Jackson (Bass Player & American Idol Judge)

1962: Steve Shelley (Drums for Sonic Youth)

1962: Chuck Billy (Vocals for Testament)

1964: Joey Allen (Guitar for Warrant)

1965: Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs (Rhythm Guitar for Oasis)

1966: James MacPherson (Drummer for Guided By Voices & The Breeders)

1975: KT Tunstall (Singer / Songwriter)

1977: Jason Mraz (Singer/Songwriter & Guitarist)

1978: Memphis Bleek (Malik Cox) (Rapper)

1978: Frédéric Leclercq (Bass for Dragon Force)

1984: Duffy (Aimee Anne Duffy) (Singer)

Events

1960: Paul Anka opens at New York's Copacabana nightclub, the youngest act ever to do so at the time.

1963: Del Shannon's cover of the Beatles' "From Me To You" hits the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100, thus becoming the first Lennon-McCartney composition to ever make the US charts.

1967: John Entwistle ,Bassist for The Who, marries his first wife childhood sweetheart Alison Wise.

1970: Chubby Checker and three passengers are arrested in Niagara Falls after police discover marijuana and other, unidentified capsules in the rocker's car. The charges are later dropped, however.

1972: Smokey Robinson appears onstage for the last time with his group The Miracles in Washington, DC.

1975: Alice Cooper falls off the stage during his Welcome To My Nightmare tour stop in Vancouver, breaking six ribs in the process.

1976: Paul McCartney wraps up the Wings Over America tour at the Forum in Los Angeles, marking last time the ex-Beatle would tour until 1989.

1977: Who drummer Keith Moon joins Led Zeppelin onstage in Los Angeles for rousing versions of "Rock And Roll" and a drum duet on "Moby Dick," both pounded out on tympani.

1979: The Charlie Daniels Band released "The Devil Went Down To Georgia".

1979: The Knack released the single “My Sharona”.

1984: Duran Duran started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Reflex', the group's first US No.1.

1990: Actor Gary Busey, best-known for his lead role in the controversial 1978 biopic The Buddy Holly Story, purchases one of Buddy's guitars, complete with tooled leather case made by the rocker, in auction for approximately $240,000.

1990: 13-year-old Keith Sorrentino filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Madonna, claiming he suffered nightmares and bed-wetting problems after an incident outside Madonna’s home when she allegedly flung him to the ground.

2000: Michael Jackson is sued by a German promoter for $21 million after the singer cancels two once-in-a-lifetime millennial New Year's concerts.

2003: Diana Ross pleads not guilty to drunk driving charges in Tucson after being discovered with a 0.2 BAC, claiming that the arresting officer threatened her with injury if she didn't take the breath test.

2003: In London, Eminem gave a $450,000 necklace to a fan in the front row of a concert. He had announced while from the stage that "I'm going to give this to the sexiest woman I see."

2004: St. Andrews University in Scotland presents Bob Dylan with an honorary doctorate in Music.

2009: Chris Brown pleaded guilty to one count of assault on his former girlfriend, Rihanna. The 19 year-old R&B singer was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to do six months community service. Brown had faced charges of assaulting Rihanna, 21, during a fight in February. The last-minute plea deal came before a hearing at a Los Angeles court at which Rihanna was due to give evidence. The Los Angeles County Superior Court judge also ordered Brown and Rihanna to stay at least 50 yards from each other, except at entertainment industry events when the distance is reduced to 10 yards.

2010: 62-year-old Gregg Allman underwent a successful liver transplant operation at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Allman had begun a series of treatments for Hepatitis C, but chronic damage of his liver led doctors to recommend a transplant. In a statement to the press, Allman said "I changed my ways years ago, but we can't turn back time. Every day is a gift."

June 22

Births

1936: Kris Kristofferson (Country Singer / Songwriter & Guitarist)

1939: Bobby Harrison (Drums for Procol Harum)

1944: Peter Asher (Vocals for Peter and Gordon)

1947: Howard Kaylan (Lead Singer for The Turtles)

1948: Todd Rundgren (Singer, Keyboards & Guitar)

1949: Larry Junstrom (Bass for .38 Special & Lynyrd Skynyrd)

1953: Cyndi Lauper (Pop Singer)

1955: Green Gartside (Singer for Scritti Politti)

1957: Gary Beers (Bass for INXS)

1961: Jimmy Somerville (Singer for Bronski Beat)

1962: Bobby Gillespie (Guitar & Vocals for Primal Scream & Drums for The Jesus & Mary Chain)

1964: Mike Edwards (Lead Vocals, Guitar & Keyboards for Jesus Jones)

1970: Steven Page (Guitar & Vocals for Barenaked Ladies)

1973: Carson Daly (Late Night Host & TRL Host)

1976: Gordon Moakes (Multi-instrumentalist with Bloc Party)

1981: Chris Urbanowicz (Lead Guitar for Editors)

Events

1846: Adolphe Sax patents his new musical instrument in Paris, a new style of woodwind called the Saxophone that would function more as a member of the brass family. Although his patent would be challenged by other craftsmen, his instrument became an integral part of jazz, rock and roll, and ska.

1956: Elvis Presley started a three-day run playing 10 shows at the Paramount Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. The stage manager was told; "Pull all white lights. Presley works all in color, Presley act has no encore. When he leaves the stage, immediately close curtains.”

1957: Liverpool skiffle group The Quarrymen, later to morph into the Beatles, play their first major gig at a local gig by performing on the back of a coal truck. Four years later to the day, the Beatles (with Pete Best on drums) would have their first formal recording session, performing "My Bonnie," "When The Saints Go Marching In," "Why Can't You Love Me Again," "Nobody's Child," and "Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby" while backing singer Tony Sheridan. The sessions, produced by Bert Kaempfert in Hamburg, Germany, also feature "Ain't She Sweet" and the instrumental "Cry For A Shadow," which are both performed by the group alone.

1963: The Surfaris released the single "Wipe Out".

1963: 13-year old Stevie Wonder first entered the US singles chart as Little Stevie Wonder with 'Fingertips Parts One and Two.'

1964: Barbra Streisand signs a $200,000 ten-year contract with CBS for a series of television specials.

1967: The drug possession trial of Rolling Stone members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards opened in London.

1968: The Jeff Beck Group makes its US stage debut in New York at the Fillmore East ballroom.

1968: Rolling Stone first reports on the existence of an unissued Bob Dylan album recorded with The Band during his extended convalescence at Woodstock, NY; it would finally see the light of day in 1975 as The Basement Tapes.

1969: Blind Faith's first and only LP was released.  The band consisted of Eric Clapton on guitar & vocals, Steve Winwood on keyboards and Ginger Baker on drums.

1969: Judy Garland was found dead in the bathroom of a rented Chelsea, London house. The coroner, Gavin Thursdon, stated at the inquest that the cause of death was "an incautious self-overdosage" of barbiturates at age 47.

1975: Eric Clapton joins the Rolling Stones for a version of "Sympathy For The Devil" during the band's Madison Square Garden concert.

1981: John Lennon's murderer pleads guilty to his crime and is sentenced to 20 Years to Life in New York's Attica State prison. He has since been up for parole five times, and has been denied every time.

1985: Bryan Adams started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Heaven', his first No.1 single. The song had been featured in the film 'Night In Heaven'.

1987: Singer & Dancer Fred Astaire died from pneumonia ay 88 years old.

1988: Peter Tosh's murderer, Dennis Lobban, is sentenced to hanging by a court in his native Jamaica. Lobban, who was known to Tosh, and two others had murdered the reggae star in his home the previous year after a failed robbery.

1988: American session guitarist Jesse Ed Davis died of a heroin overdose after collapsing in a laundry room in Venice, California, aged 43. Worked with Conway Twitty, The Monkees, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Leonard Cohen, Keith Moon, Jackson Browne, Steve Miller, Harry Nilsson and Taj Mahal.

1990: Billy Joel performs a concert at Yankee Stadium, the first rocker ever to do so.

1992: Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was rushed to hospital after a gig in Belfast, Northern Ireland suffering from acute stomach pains brought on by ulcers.

1992: Three members of M.C. Hammer's tour crew were wounded in a drive in shooting incident, three days later Joseph Mack, a dancer in Hammer's entourage was shot on stage during a concert in Nevada.

1996: The brother of singer Diana Ross, Arthur Ross and his wife were murdered by suffocation in the basement of their rented Detroit home. The badly decomposed bodies were discovered after neighbors complained of a foul odor coming from the house. Two men were later charged with murder and robbery. Arthur Ross had written songs for Marvin Gaye, The Miracles and Madonna.

2000: After giving himself various new identities' during the 90's, The Artist Formally Known As Prince announced he wanted to be known as Prince again.

2002: U2 guitarist 'The Edge' married his girlfriend of ten years Morleigh Steinberg in Eze in the south of France. The couple first met when she was a belly dancer on the bands Zoo TV tour. Guest's included Bono, Eurythmics Dave Stewart and Lenny Kravitz.

2005: Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill opens in Oklahoma City. The singer is on hand for an opening-day ribbon-cutting ceremony.

2008: Coldplay went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Viva La Vida', their first UK No.1. History was made by this single, as it had no physical CD-single release in the UK, being available by internet download only. The song won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2009.