This Date in Rock Music History: June 2

1957:  Johnnie Ray had the #1 song in the U.K. with "Yes Tonight Josephine".



1962:  "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Ray Charles was the new #1 song in the United States, replacing "Stranger On The Shore".
1962:  "Stranger On The Shore" was #1 for the seventh week on the Easy Listening chart for Mr. Acker Bilk.

1964:  The Rolling Stones made their American debut at the Lynn High School football field in Lynn, Massachusetts.  Johnny Rivers and Bobby Goldsboro opened the show.
1965:  Bob Dylan and girlfriend Sara Lownds returned to the United States after living in Britain for a while.  The two would marry in November.
1966:  The Who were in concert at the Grona Lund in Stockholm, Sweden.

1967:  A historic day as the Beatles released the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in the United States.  The album had been released the previous day in the U.K.










             Unfortunately, some people didn't want to be part of the solution...

1969:  Tommy James & the Shondells released the classic single "Crystal Blue Persuasion".













1969:  Kenny Rogers & the First Edition released the single "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town".
1972:  Dion reunited with the Belmonts at Madison Square Garden in New York City.








                  Mama may not have taken the Kodachrome, but technology did...

1973:  Paul Simon watched as his "Kodachrome" rapidly moved up the chart, moving from 57 to 28.
1973:  ELO began their first tour of the United States at San Diego Stadium in San Diego, California.
1973:  "My Love" from Paul McCartney & Wings moved to #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
1973:  Red Rose Speedway, the new album from Paul McCartney & Wings, pulled away from the competition in its fourth week of release, moving from 13 to 1.  The album it displaced at #1 was the Beatles/1967-1970 (the "Blue" album).

1973:  Paul McCartney & Wings made it a triple crown with the new #1 song "My Love".  Elton John found himself at #2 with his biggest hit to that point with "Daniel".  Edgar Winter Group tumbled to 3 with "Frankenstein" while Sylvia's solo hit "Pillow Talk" was at #4.

1975:  The Bee Gees released the album that would launch them into superstardom, Main Course, on RSO Records.  (Note:  some websites naively place the date of release in the United States as "August, 1975".  This is news to the Bee Gees, their producers, RSO Records, all trade magazines, and all radio station personnel.  Main Course debuted on the Album chart on June 21--pretty tough for that to occur if it hadn't been released yet.)
1978:  Bruce Springsteen released the album Darkness on the Edge Of Town.
1978:  Crystal Gayle hosted Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on The Midnight Special on NBC-TV.

1979:  The debut album from previously unknown Rickie Lee Jones was generating talk and moved into the Top 10 on this date.











1979:  "Hot Stuff" gave Donna Summer her third #1 song after "Last Dance" and "MacArthur Park".  "Hot Stuff" was one of a select few songs I called "Disco Rock", for it really was a melding of two musical styles.  Had more songs been like this, disco would have lasted much longer.  Peaches & Herb relented from their hold on #1 with "Reunited" while the Bee Gees edged closer with "Love You Inside Out".  Supertramp had their first Top 10 with "The Logical Song".   
1984:  Wham! reached #1 in the U.K. with "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go".
1984:  "Time After Time" from newcomer Cyndi Lauper distanced itself on the Adult Contemporary chart, reaching the #1 position.
1984:  Huey Lewis & the News had the fastest-rising song within the Top 10 with "The Heart Of Rock & Roll", moving from 13 to 8.

1986:  Peter Cetera released the single "Glory Of Love".
1987:  Whitney Houston released her follow-up album Whitney on Arista Records.  (Note:  several websites claim the album was released May 28.  According to 'Billboard' magazine, the album arrived June 2.)
1989:  48 year-old Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones married 19 year-old Mandy Smith.  He couldn't find anyone close to his own age who would have him.
1990:  We were introduced to a new young singer with a powerful voice on this date as Mariah Carey first appeared on the scene with "Vision Of Love", her first chart hit.  She would give us many more great songs until she changed.








1990:  "Do You Remember" by Phil Collins moved into the #1 slot on the Adult Contemporary chart.
2008:  Bo Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida at the age of 79.
2010:  Randy Newman earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2010:  Paul McCartney received the Gershwin Prize for popular song from the Library of Congress by United States President Barack Obama at the White House.

Born This Day:

1930:  Jimmy Jones (the original version of "Handy Man" and "Good Timin'" from 1960) was born in Birmingham, Alabama; died August 2, 2012 in Aberdeen, North Carolina.  (Note:  several websites report that he was born in 1937.  According to his obituary in the newspaper 'The Aberdeen Times', he was born in 1930.  This is confirmed by a photo of Jimmy's gravestone above.)
1932:  Sammy Turner ("Lavender-Blue" from 1959) was born in Paterson, New Jersey.
1936:  Otis Williams of the Charms (six hits in the early Rock Era, including "Ivory Tower" from 1966) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.


1941:  Charlie Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones, was born in London.












1944:  Marvin Hamlisch, pianist and composer, was born in Manhattan, New York; died August 6, 2012 of respiratory arrest in Los Angeles.  (Note:  some websites lazily say Hamlisch was born in New York City.  New York is of course made up of independent boroughs, each of which is a separate county of New York State, and Marvin was born on the island of Manhattan.)
1950:  Antone Tavares of the sibling group Tavares was born in Providence, Rhode Island.
1951:  Steve Brookins of .38 Special








1954:  Michael Steele (real name Susan Thomas) of the Runaways and the Bangles was born in Pasadena, California.
1960:  Tony Hadley, vocalist of Spandau Ballet, was born in Islington, London, England.
1962:  Thor Eldon Jonsson, co-founder and guitarist of the Sugarcubes, was born in Reykjavik, Iceland.
1970:  B-Real (real name Louis Freese) of Cypress Hill was born in South Gate, California.

Live In Concert: Richard Marx--"Right Here Waiting"

One of the top singer-songwriters of the late 80's was this guy who proceeded to hit #3 with every one of his first six releases.  His biggest hit was captured live at the Rock Palast in 1992:

This Date in Rock Music History: June 1

1956:  Doris Day signed a five-year recording contract with Columbia Records in excess of $1 million, which at the time was the biggest deal in Columbia history.
1957:  Sam Cooke recorded "Summertime" at Radio Recorders in West Hollywood, California.
1957:  Nat King Cole, Andy Williams, Ricky Nelson and Patti Page starred in the television special Five Stars for Springtime on NBC.

1598:  Private Elvis Presley arrived home at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee on two weeks furlough from the United States Army.  He later returned for advanced tank training on June 14.  (Note:  many websites incorrectly say he completed the training on June 1.  By June 1, Presley was already at his Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee, according to the book 'The Elvis Archives' by Todd Slaughter.  Presley arrived at Fort Hood on March 28 to begin the training, and according to the magazine 'Texas Monthly', Presley completed his training on May 31.)  

1959:  "The Battle Of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton moved into the #1 position vacated by Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City".  Bobby Darin owned #3 with "Dream Lover".  

1961:  Elvis Presley posted his eighth #1 song in the U.K. with "Surrender".






1963:  "It's My Party" shot up from #9 to #1, giving Lesley Gore her only #1 song.  Jimmy Soul dropped to 2 with "If You Wanna' Be Happy" and Al Martino closed with "I Love You Because".  The Beach Boys were on their way down with "Surfin' U.S.A." and the Crystals had a monster hit moving from 13 to 5--"Da Doo Ron Ron".  The rest of the Top 10:  Lou Christie at 6 with "Two Faces Have I", the Dovells "You Can't Sit Down" entering the Top 10 at #7, Little Peggy March with her former #1 "I Will Follow Him", Brenda Lee had #9--"Losing You" and Kyu Sakamoto's "Sukiyaki" moved from 20 to 10.
1964:  Dolly Parton knew where she wanted to be.  She moved to Nashville, Tennessee one day after she graduated from high school.
1964:  The Rolling Stones arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York City to begin their first tour of the United States.
1966:  The Beatles recorded overdubs on "Yellow Submarine".
1967:  Fairport Convention debuted live at St. Michael's Church Hall in Golders Green, London.
1967:  The Beatles released the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in Britain.  The album was certified Gold on its first day.  The group released the album in the United States on June 2.
1968:  John Sebastian left the group Lovin' Spoonful to pursue a solo career.  (Note:  some websites report that he left on October 12, but both the official group website and the book 'Echoes of the Sixties' by Marti Similey Childs and Jeff March state that Sebastian left in June.)
1968:  Guitarist Dave Mason rejoined Traffic after quitting the group just six months prior.
1968:  Hugo Montenegro held down #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for a third week with "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly".

1968:  A very famous day in the Rock Era as "Mrs. Robinson", one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*, reached #1 for Simon & Garfunkel.  Hugo Montenegro had a winner with "The Good, the Bad And The Ugly".  The Rascals remained at 3 with "A Beautiful Morning" and former #1 "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell & the Drells found itself at #4.  Another classic--"Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro was still in the Top 10 and Ohio Express moved from 24-6 with their hit "Yummy Yummy Yummy".  Tommy James & the Shondells entered the Top 10 with "Mony Mony".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" from Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, "Cowboys To Girls" by the Intruders at #9 and Dionne Warwick was stuck at 10 with "Do You Know The Way To San Jose".

1969:  John Lennon recorded "Give Peace A Chance" in his  hotel room (room 1742 of the La Hotel Reine Elizabeth in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.)  Lennon finished the song about 3 A.M. the next morning, and the song lives on to this day.  (Note:  several websites claim that Lennon recorded the song on April 7 in a hotel room in Toronto.  According to Christie's auction house, the song was recorded June 1 in room 1742 of the La Hotel Reine Elizabeth in Montreal.  This information is confirmed by the newspapers 'The Star' and 'The Seattle Times'.)
1970:  Black Sabbath released their debut album in the United States.  It had been released February 13 in the U.K.

1971:  Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel remained #1 on the album chart and the Soundtrack to "The Graduate" was still #2.
1971:  Harry Nilsson began recording his great album Nilsson Schmilsson in London.
1971:  The birthplace of Elvis Presley, a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi was opened to the public.
1971:  Chicago began a world tour at the Royal Albert Hall on London.
1972:  Pink Floyd began recording Dark Side of the Moon at the Abbey Road studios in London.  (Note:  many websites say the recording began January 18, 1973, but Pink Floyd first recorded "Us And Them" on June 1, 1972.)
1974:  Linda Ronstadt began recording her album Heart Like a Wheel in Los Angeles, California.

1974:  Gordon Lightfoot had his second Top 10 song with "Sundown".
1974:  Bachman-Turner Overdrive finally reached the Top 10 with Bachman-Turner Overdrive II in its 20th week on the Album chart.  The album contained the hit "Takin' Care Of Business".








1974:  The Carpenters' great song "I Won't Last A Day Without You" was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1975:  The Rolling Stones introduced their new guitarist Ron Wood on his first tour with the Stones, playing their first show at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1977:  James Taylor released the album JT.
1978:  U2 performed outdoors in the parking lot of the Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, Ireland.
1980:  Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin bought actor Michael Caine's mansion for 900,000 pounds (in excess of $1.25 million).
1982:  Madness had the #1 U.K. song with "House Of Fun".
1983:  The Police released the album Synchronicity in the United States.  It was released June 17 in the U.K.
1984:  Nate Nelson, lead singer for the Flamingos "(I Only Have Eyes For You", before joining the Platters in 1964, died of heart disease in Boston, Massachusetts at the age of 52.  (Note:  several websites claim he died June 2.  When stories appear in newspapers, they are about news that happened the previous day.  According to 'The New York Times', Nelson died June 1.)
1985:  Sting released his solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles.
1985:  Bruce Springsteen kicked off the European leg of his Born in the U.S.A. Tour at the Slane Castle in Slane, County Meath, Ireland.  (Note:  several websites incorrectly say that Slane Castle is in Dublin.  The Castle is in Slane, a village in the County of Meath, about 47 kilometers from Dublin.)

                        Sade had her first hit...


1985:  It was a pretty solid Top 10 on this date.  Wham! had #1 with "Everything She Wants" but Tears For Fears were headed there with "Everybody Wants To Rule The World".  Harold Faltermeyer stood ready at #3 with "Axel F".  Simple Minds' song from The Breakfast Club was on its way down at #4 while the smooth voice of Billy Ocean was evident on "Suddenly".  Talking about smooth, Sade's "Smooth Operator" was at #6 and Bryan Adams burst into the Top 10 with "Heaven".  Howard Jones had song #8--"Things Can Only Get Better" while Mary Jane Girls were at 9 with "In My House" and Kool & the Gang" slipped inside the Top 10 with "Fresh".
1985:  "Suddenly" by Billy Ocean was #1 for a second week on the Adult Contemporary chart.

1991:  Paul Abdul's album Spellbound debuted at #5.
1991:  R.E.M. had a #1 album in Out Of Time.  Time, Love & Tenderness, the great Michael Bolton album, fell to #2 and Mariah Carey was still there at #3 after 49 weeks on the chart.
1991:  Seal owned the #1 album in the U.K. with his self-titled album.
1991:  Sting was a guest on the debut of a new Soviet television show Rock Steady.
1991:  Mariah Carey held on to #1 for a second week with her great song "I Don't Wanna' Cry".  Extreme was making their move with "More Than Words" at #3.  
1991:  David Ruffin of the Temptations and a solo artist, died from cocaine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1994:  Matt Sorum, drummer of the Cult and Guns N' Roses, filed for divorce from wife Kai.








1996:  Jewel debuted on the Singles chart with "Who Will Save Your Soul", her first career release.  The song had originally been released as a single to coincide with the release of the album Pieces of You in February of 1995.  But it did not catch on until 15 months later.  (Note:  some websites claim that the song was released June 1 or June 4 of 1996.  As stated above, the song was initially released in 1995, and it was re-released, but much earlier than June.  It is physically impossible for a song to be included on the Singles chart if it has not been released as a single.  The song had already been released as a single by May 4, according to an article in 'The Los Angeles Times'.)
1997:  Kenny Rogers married Wanda Miller in Athens, Georgia.  (Note:  some websites report the marriage took place in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was on Rogers' ranch near Athens, according to 'People' magazine.)
1998:  Deja vu for Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots.  He was arrested again for drug possession in Manhattan, New York.
1999:  Blink 182 released their great album Enema of the State on MCA Records.
2000:  The movie Honest, starring three members of All Saints, was pulled from theaters after disastrous box office results.
2000:  The Dixie Chicks performed at the Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
2003:  Paul McCartney finished a world tour at the place where it all started for the Beatles--Liverpool, England.  McCartney played before fans at King's Dock.
2003:  Paul Gray, bass guitarist of Slipknot, was arrested in multiple drug and alcohol charges after running a red light and hitting another car in Des Moines, Iowa.  Gray failed two alcohol tests and was arrested for not only drunk driving but possession of marijuana, cocaine and drug paraphernalia.  In other words, a little more than license, registration and proof of insurance was found in his car.

2004:  Sum 41, trying to help the Congo by making a documentary drawing attention to that country's problems, were forced to leave after an outbreak of rebel violence in the Congo's civil war.
2006:  Jack White of the White Stripes married Karen Elson, a model who appeared in the "Blue Orchid" video.  The couple was married in a canoe at the confluence of the Rio Negro and Rio Solimões rivers.  (Note:  some websites report that the wedding took place at the confluence of the Amazon, Rio Negro and Solimones rivers.  The confluence of the rivers is called the Meeting of Waters, but it isn't the confluence of three rivers, but rather two.  The correct spelling of the name is Rio Solimões, which is the name given to the upper section of the Amazon River in Brazil--it is not a separate river.  For six kilometers (about 3.7 miles), the two rivers run side by side without mixing until they meet up at the Meeting of Waters.)
2006:  Snow Patrol had to cancel three dates after singer Gary Lightbody got laryngitis.
2006:  Chamillionaire had the #1 song with "Ridin'".
2007:  Artists including Bryan Adams, Oasis and the Fray worked with original engineer Geoff Emerick to record their own versions of the songs on the epic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its release.

Born This Day:
1921:  Nelson Riddle, the trombonist-arranger for several orchestras including Tommy Dorsey's, who arranged for Frank Sinatra, worked with Linda Ronstadt, was an Oscar-winning composer and wrote the theme to the "Batman" television show, was born in Oradell, New Jersey; died October 6, 1985 of cardiac and kidney failure in Los Angeles.

1934:  Pat Boone was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
1965:  Linda Scott, who had 11 hits early in the Rock Era, including "I've Told Every Little Star" from 1961 (#3), was born in Queens, New York.
1945:  James William McCarty, who played guitar for Bob Seger and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, was born in Detroit, Michigan.

1947:  Ron Wood, guitarist of the Jeff Beck Group, Faces and later the Rolling Stones, was born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England.  (Note:  some websites naively say Wood was born in Hillingdon, London.  Hillingdon was historically in the county of Middlesex until the London Government Act of 1963 made Hillingdon a borough of Greater London, a law which took effect in 1965.  As Wood was born in 1947, it is impossible for him to have been born in the County of London, and you will never see London listed as his county of birth on an official birth certificate.)
1959:  Alan Wilder, vocalist of Depeche Mode, was born in Acton, Middlesex, England.  (Note:  some websites report Wilder was born in London, but he was born in Acton, according to a quote from him in the book 'Stripped:  Depeche Mode' by Jonathan Miller.  Acton was a town in the county of Middlesex until 1965, when the London Government Act of 1963 placed it within the borough of Ealing in Greater London.  Since Wilder was born six years prior to the change, he was born in the county of Middlesex, and you will never see London listed as his county of birth on an official birth certificate.)  
1960:  Simon Gallup, bass guitarist of the Cure, was born in Duxhurst, Surrey, England.
1963:  Mike Joyce, drummer of the Smiths, was born in Fallowfield, Lancashire, England.  (Note:  some websites lazily say Joyce was born in Manchester, which is both a city and a county in England.  He was born in Fallowfield, Manchester, according to the official website for the Smiths.  Further, the listing of Manchester as the county of Fallowfield in 1963 is inaccurate.  Up until the Local Government Act of 1972, Fallowfield was located in the county of Lancashire, and the change to Manchester did not take effect until 1974.  Thus, when Joyce was born, he was born in the county of Lancashire, and you will never see Manchester listed as the county on his official birth certificate.)





1974:  Alanis Morissette was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

This Date in Rock Music History: May 31

 1956:  After seeing the movie The Searchers starring John Wayne, Buddy Holly was inspired to write "That'll Be The Day".

1961:  Chuck Berry opened Berry Park, an amusement park in Wentzville, Missouri.
1964:  The Dave Clark Five appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.
1965:  Johnny Rivers released the single "Seventh Son".
1966:  Filming began for the Monkees on their television series.

1969:  John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded "Give Peace a Chance" during their bed-in in Montreal.
1969:  The Supremes hosted the television show Hollywood Palace on ABC-TV.
1969:  The 5th Dimension released the album The Age of Aquarius.
1969:  The Rolling Stones recorded "Honky Tonk Women".
1969:  Elvis Presley had the biggest mover within the Top 10 with his great song "In the Ghetto".  It climbed from 17 to 9 on this date, giving Elvis 34 Top 10 songs.  The Beatles finished with 34 in their fabulous career, but Elvis would go on to register four more for the Rock Era record.
1973:  Robert Plant led the audience at the Felt Forum in Los Angeles, California in singing "Happy Birthday" to Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, who was 25.
1975:  America had the hottest song within the Top 10 with "Sister Golden Hair", which moved from 11-5.
1975:  Earth, Wind & Fire continued to have the #1 album with That's the Way of the World, while the Soundtrack to "Tommy" edged closer.  Straight Shooter from Bad Company was #3 with Chicago VIII on its way down to #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Blow By Blow from Jeff Beck, Hearts by America, Alice Cooper's Welcome To My Nightmare at #7, Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin slipping to #8 in only its 12th week, Nuthin' Fancy from Lynyrd Skynyrd at #9 and Carly Simon moving to #10 with Playing Possum.

               We've got volume, yes we do.  We've got volume, how 'bout you?

1976:  The Who set a mark in the Guinness Book of World Records for the loudest rock band ever at a concert at the Charlton Athletic Grounds in England.  The concert was over 120 decibels.
1977:  The Police performed at the Railway Hotel in Putney, London.
1977:  Emerson, Lake & Palmer began a tour with a 70-piece orchestra.
1980:  We had officially arrived in "Funkytown" as Lipps, Inc. reached the summit.  Blondie had one of the Top Songs of the Rock Era* with "Call Me" but did not make it 7 weeks in a row.

1980:  Bette Midler's "The Rose" was #1 for the fourth week on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1980:  The great album Against the Wind from Bob Seger, which had moved The Wall aside earlier in the month, spent a fifth week at #1.  Glass Houses from Billy Joel was second while Pink Floyd had to settle for #3.  Just One Night by Eric Clapton came in fourth with Lipps, Inc. moving to #5 with Mouth To Mouth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Women and Children First from Van Halen at #6, Christopher Cross at 7, Go All the Way from the Isley Brothers, Mad Love by Linda Ronstadt on its way down at #9 and the ground-breaking Pretenders album at #10.

1982:  R.E.M. signed a five-album record company contract with I.R.S. Records.












1983:  Bonnie Tyler released the single "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" in the United States. 
1986:  "On My Own" by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald was #1 on the R&B chart for a third week.  














                                                           Level 42 had a big hit...

1986:  "Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston was #1 for a third week, holding off Madonna's "Live To Tell".  Michael McDonald & Patti LaBelle teamed for the third-rated song "On My Own" while Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark moved up with "If You Leave".  The rest of the Top 10:  "I Can't Wait" from Nu Shooz, Mike + the Mechanics moved from 10-6 with "All I Need Is A Miracle", Level 42 moved impressively from 12 to 7 with "Something About You", Mr. Mister scored their third Top 10 with "Is It Love", Journey entered the list with "Be Good To Yourself" and Janet Jackson tumbled with "What Have You Done For Me Lately".


1989:  Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was given a Living Legend Award at the first International Rock Awards ceremony in New York City.
1993:  Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Hurley had their first daughter, Stephanie Rose, in Red Bank, New Jersey.
1994:  The Eagles performed at the Irvine Meadows Theater in Irvine, California during their fabulous reunion tour.
1996:  Elsbeary Hobbs, bassist for the Drifters, died of throat and lung cancer at the age of 59 in Manhattan, New York.  (Note:  some websites lazily say Hobbs died in New York City.  The city of course is made up of several independent boroughs, and according to the newspaper 'The New York Times', Elsbeary died in Manhattan.)
1997:  Bob Dylan left an English hospital after being treated for histoplasmosis, which is a potentially life threatening fungal infection that causes swelling of the sac around the heart.  (Note:  several websites exist which claim Dylan was hospitalized in England and that he left the hospital on May 31, while other sites say he was released from a Los Angeles hospital.  The correct news is that Dylan had to cancel a two-week European tour before it started, and was hospitalized in New York City, according to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times'.  He was discharged on June 1, according to an exhibit and timeline in Dylan's hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota.)  

          
                                     Paula Cole with this provocative song...

1997:  As long as people chew bubblegum....Hanson could be #1 with "MMMBop".  "Hypnotize" by the Notorious B.I.G. was second followed by "Say You'll Be There" from the Spice Girls.  Mark Morrison dropped with "Return Of The Mack" and Jewel's great song "You Were Meant For Me" remained in the Top 10 after 27 weeks.  The rest of the Top 10:  Monica's "For You I Will" at #6, Rome with "I Belong To You", "The Freshmen" by the Verve Pipe at #8, Savage Garden with "I Want You" and Paula Cole slid to #10 with "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?".

1997:  Spice continued to reign supreme as the #1 album for the Spice Girls.  Bob Carlisle had one of the most unexpected and meteoric rises of the Rock Era when he moved from 95 to 2 with Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace).
1998:  Simply Red had the #1 U.K. album with Blue.
1998:  Geri Halliwell left the Spice Girls.
2000:  Johnnie Taylor ("Disco Lady") died in Dallas, Texas of a heart attack at the age of 62.  (Note:  some websites claim Taylor died at the age of 66.  He was 62, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times'.)

2005:  The Salvation Army closed Strawberry Field, the children's home in Liverpool that had inspired the Beatles' song "Strawberry Fields Forever".
2006:  The Dixie Chicks had the #1 album with Taking the Long Way.


Born This Day:
1927:  Red Holloway, who played sax and harmonica for B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Billie Holliday, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and George Benson, was born in Helena, Arkansas; died February 25, 2012 of kidney failure complicated by several strokes in San Luis Obispo, California.

1938:  Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary was born in Manhattan, New York.  (Note:  several websites lazily say Yarrow was born in New York City.  He was born in Manhattan, New York.)
1938:  Lenny Welch, who had a Top 5 song with "Since I Fell For You" in 1963, was born in Manhattan, New York. (Note:  many websites still insist Welch was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey, or lazily say he was born in New York City.  Welch was born in Harlem Hospital, which of course is in Manhattan, New York, according to the book 'Setting the Record Straight:  The Music and Careers of Recording Artists from the 1950s and Early 1960s...In Their Own Words' by Anthony M. Musso.)
1944: Mick Ralphs, guitarist and songwriter and founder of both Mott the Hoople and Bad Company, was born in Hereford, Herefordshire, England.  (Note:  several websites, including the notorious 'Allmusic.com', incorrectly say that Ralphs was born in Hereford, Hereford & Worcester, England.   Some websites claim he was born in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England.  Historically, Hereford was included in the county of Herefordshire until the Local Government Act of 1972 which reformed local government in 1974 and changed the county name to Hereford & Worcester.  As Ralphs was born in 1944, it is thus impossible for him to have been born in a county called Hereford & Worcester, and you will never see that listed as his county of birth on his official birth certificate.  This correct birthplace is listed in the book 'Legends of Rock Guitar:  The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists' by Pete Prown and Harvey P. Newquist.)

1947: Junior Campbell, founding member, lead guitarist, pianist and singer with Marmalade ("Reflections Of My Life"), was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

1948:  John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin, was born in Redditch, Worcestershire, England; died September 25, 1980 when he choked on his own vomit after consuming 1-1.25 liters of vodka the previous day while rehearsing for an upcoming U.S. tour at the home of Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page's house, the Old Mill House in Clewer, Windsor, England.  (Note:  some websites say Bonham was born in Birmingham, England.  He was born in Redditch, according to his official website and the 'BBC'.) 
1952:  Carl Bartos of Kraftwerk ("Autobahn" from 1975) was born in Berchtesgaden, Germany.








1954:  Vicki Sue Robinson ("Turn The Beat Around" from 1976) was born in Manhattan, New York; died of cancer in Wilton, Connecticut April 27, 2000.  (Note:  many websites make the mistake of saying Vicki Sue was born in Harlem.  Harlem is and has always been a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, and a neighborhood will never be listed as the birthplace on an official birth certificate.)







1962:  Corey Hart was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
1964:  Darryl McDaniels of Run-D.M.C. was born in Manhattan, New York.  (Note:  some websites say Darryl was born in Queens, New York while others say he was born in Harlem.  Originally, McDaniels believed he was born in Queens, but while he was researching information for his autobiography, he learned that he was born in the neighborhood of Harlem.  Harlem was not a city when he was born and never has been--the official birthplace is Manhattan.)

1965:  Steve White, drummer of the Style Council ("My Ever Changing Moods") was born in Southwark, London.  (Note:  some websites report that Steve was born in Bermondsey, London.  The borough of Bermondsey existed until the Greater London reorganisation (English spelling) of 1964, when it was absorbed into the London borough of Southwark.  White was born one year later, which makes his official birthplace as Southwark.)

1980:  Andrew John Hurley, drummer of Fall Out Boy, was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Five Best: Art Garfunkel

The amazing tenor featured in one of The Top Duos of the Rock Era* enjoyed most of his success on the Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary charts, but he did have a few songs cross over and become popular with the masses.  Here are the Five Best* from Art Garfunkel, with a couple of extras:

1.  All I Know

 

2.  I Only Have Eyes For You
 

 

3. A Heart in New York

 

4.  Bright Eyes

 

5. Since I Don't Have You

 

 

6.  Break Away

 

7. I Shall Sing

This Date in Rock Music History: May 30

1955:  Elvis Presley was at the Fair Park Auditorium in Abilene, Texas.
1960:  One of the Top Instrumentals of the Rock Era*, "Because They're Young" from Duane Eddy was the biggest mover of the week, jumping up from 85 to 42.
1963:  Lesley Gore made her first television appearance on American Bandstand on ABC.  (Note:  some websites claim Gore appeared on the 'Bandstand' on March 30, and some say it was May 1, but the correct date is May 30, according to 'The History Channel' and other "television history websites".)

1964:  "Love Me Do" gave the Beatles their fourth #1 song of the year.  "Chapel Of Love" by the Dixie Cups was runner-up, followed by the former #1 "My Guy" from Mary Wells.

1964:  The Rolling Stones released the album England's Newest Hitmakers in the United States to coincide with their arrival in New York City on June 1.
1966:  Dolly Parton married Carl Dean in Ringgold, Georgia.
1966:  The Doors were at the Hullabaloo in West Hollywood, California.
1966:  The Who headlined the Lincoln Pop Festival at the Sincil Bank Football Ground in Lincoln, England.  The Kinks, Small Faces, the Yardbirds, Georgie Fame and Crispian St. Peters also performed.
1966:  Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company and Quicksilver Messenger Service performed at a benefit for the Haight-Ashbury Legal Organization at Winterland in San Francisco, California.
1968:  The Beatles began to record the White Album, recording "Revolution" on this date at EMI Studios in London.
1969:  Led Zeppelin appeared at the Fillmore East in New York City.
1970:  The Moments had the #1 R& song for the third week with "Love On A Two-Way Street".
1970:  The Temptations had a huge mover on the chart.  "Ball Of Confusion" shot up from 80 to 41 on this date.



  1970:  Ray Stevens had the surprise new #1--"Everything Is Beautiful", finally unseating "American Woman" by the Guess Who.

1975:  Joan Baez was the guest host on The Midnight Special with Kool & the Gang performing.
1977:  Elvis Presley performed at the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville in what would turn out to be his last Florida concert.
1978:  Led Zeppelin began recording the great album In Through the Out Door.
1980:  The Temptations hosted The Midnight Special with guests Firefall and Robbie Dupree.
1980:  Carl Radle, bassist of Derek & the Dominos, died of a kidney ailment caused by alcoholism and drug addiction at the age of 37.
1981:  Kim Carnes had her first and only Top 10 album with Mistaken Identity.

1981:  Marty Balin had the week's fastest-rising song, moving from 86 to 62 with the great "Hearts".















1981:  Kim Carnes had an absolute smash, and "Bette Davis Eyes" posted a third week at #1.  Smokey Robinson was right behind with "Being With You" while the "Stars On 45" medley was third.  










1981:  Champaign reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with the great song "How 'Bout Us".
1987:  "Head To Toe" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam was the new #1 on the R&B chart.










1987:  The classic "With Or Without You" by U2 was #1 for a third week, holding off Kim Wilde's cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On".  Chris DeBurgh was drawing attention with "The Lady In Red" at #3 and Atlantic Starr was moving towards the top with their classic "Always".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Big Love" from Fleetwood Mac, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam were up from 15 to 6 with "Head To Toe", the Breakfast Club had their only Top 10 with "Right On Track" moving in, Bryan Adams had #8 with "Heat Of The Night", Huey Lewis & the News scored another Top 10 with "I Know What I Like" from their great album Fore! and Bon Jovi moved into the Top 10 with "Wanted Dead Or Alive".







1987:  "Always" reached the top spot on the Adult Contemporary chart for Atlantic Starr.
1987:  Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys gave a good example of how not to act.  He was arrested in Liverpool, England for assaulting a female fan during a riot at a Beastie Boys concert.










  1988:  We were about to be introduced to a woman whose biting lyrics would be acclaimed the world over.  On this date, Tracy Chapman released her first single--"Fast Car".
1989:  Cliff Richard released the 100th single of his career "The Best Of Me".

                 Midnight Oil had it right--the sooner we go to electric cars, the better


1990:  Midnight Oil played a protest concert in front of Exxon offices on 6th Avenue in New York City to protest the Exxon Valdez oil disaster.
1992:  Genesis remained #1 on the AC chart with "Hold On My Heart".
1992:  Mariah Carey's remake of the Jackson 5 classic "I'll Be There" debuted at #13.








1992:  Paul Simon married Edie Brickell.
1997:  West Arkeen, guitarist on the two Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion albums, died in Los Angeles of a drug overdose at the age of 36.
1998:  After debuting at #1 the previous week, The Limited Series by Garth Brooks held on to #1 on the Album chart.  The Soundtrack to the great movie "City of Angels" was #2.
2000:  Jailbird Tommy Lee of Motley Crue had to serve five more days in the Los Angeles County Jail after violating his parole.  The Los Angeles Superior Court Judge also extended Lee's parole to May 26, 2003.  (Note:  some websites get confused with the dates involved, reporting that he began serving extra jail time on May 26, 2003, or that the five days ended on May 26.  According to "MTV", the L.A. Superior Court ordered him back to jail on May 30, 2000 after discovering he had been drinking, a violation of his parole agreement, and extended his parole to May 26, 2003.  The loser had originally been thrown in jail in 1998 after admitting he kicked his wife, Pamela Anderson)
2002:  It can happen to the best of people.  The best people will admit they have a problem and seek help.  On this date, Diana Ross entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Malibu, California.  (Note:  several websites report that Ross began treatment on June 6.  She entered the facility on May 30, according to 'CBS News'.)

                Micky Most had what it took...

2003:  Famed producer Mickie Most, who produced songs for Herman's Hermits, the Animals and Hot Chocolate, among others, died of peritoneal mesothelioma in London at the age of 64.
2004:  Avril Lavigne took her album Under My Skin to #1 in the U.K.
2008:  Green Day reached #1 on the Album chart with 21st Century Breakdown.
2009:  Little Richard was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
2010:  Anita Humes, lead singer of Essex ("Easier Said Than Done) passed away of natural causes at the age of 69 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
2012:  Robert Nix, drummer with the Atlanta Rhythm Section, died at age 67 in Memphis, Tennessee from complications following surgery the previous month.  (Note:  some websites claim Nix died May 30.  The correct date is May 20, according to the official obituary from Wells Funeral Home in Memphis.)



Born This Day:
1944:  Lenny Davidson, guitarist of the Dave Clark Five, was born in Enfield, Middlesex, England.
1945:  Kathy Post, who with husband Jim formed the duo Friend and Lover ("Reach Out Of The Darkness" in 1968), was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1955:  Nicky "Topper" Headon of the Clash was born in Bromley, Kent, England.
1958:  Marie Fredriksson of Roxette was born in Össjö, Sweden.
1960:  Stephen Duffy, singer, songwriter and guitarist of Duran Duran, was born in Alum Rock, Birmingham, England.  (Note:  some websites, including the notorious 'Allmusic.com', report Duffy was born in Birmingham, England, which implies that he was born in the city of Birmingham.  Birmingham is also a county, and Duffy was born in the city of Alum Rock (a suburb of Birmingham), according to the 'BBC'.)

1964:  Tom Morello, elite guitarist of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, was born in Manhattan, New York.  (Note:  several websites lazily say Tom was born in New York City, which of course encompasses several boroughs.  Some websites claim he was born in Harlem, New York.  Harlem is not a city; rather, it is a neighborhood on the island of Manhattan.  You will never see Harlem listed on anyone's official birth certificate.)  
1967:  Sven Pipien, bass guitarist of the Black Crowes, was born in Hanover, Germany.
1971:  Patrick Dalheimer, bass guitarist for Live ("I Alone" and "Lightning Crashes", was born in York, Pennsylvania.