This Date in Rock Music History: June 23

1958:  A new singer named Bobby Darin debuted on the charts with his first hit song--"Splish Splash", which eventually landed in the Top 10.

1960:  Paul Anka became the youngest performer (age 20) to perform at the Copacabana in New York City.
1960:  Eddie Cochran hit #1 in the U.K. with "Three Steps To Heaven" a little over two months after he had been killed in a car crash.  (Note:  Some websites claim the song reached #1 three months after Cochran died.  Eddie died April 17, which is barely over two months before the song hit #1.)
1962:  Orlons moved from 60 to 30 with "The Wah Watusi".
1962:  The Soundtrack to "West Side Story" was #1 on the U.K. Album chart.





1962:  Ray Charles made it four straight weeks at #1 for "I Can't Stop Loving You". 
1965:  The Supremes recorded the track "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart".









1965:  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles released the single "Tracks Of My Tears".
1965:  The television favorite Shindig! featured the Byrds, the Kingsmen and Billy Preston.
1965:  The Yardbirds were in concert at City Hall in Salisbury, England.
1966:  The Beatles flew from London to Munich, Germany for the start of what would be their final world tour.
1966:  The Beatles made it 10 #1 songs in their native U.K. as "Paperback Writer"/"Rain" reached the top spot.
1967:  Aretha Franklin recorded "Chain Of Fools" at Atlantic Studios in New York City.

1967:  John Entwistle of the Who married Alison Wise.

1969:  Neil Diamond released the single "Sweet Caroline".  (Note:  one naive website claims the single was released September 16, while another says it was released June 28.  "Sweet Caroline" debuted on the Singles chart on June 28.  It is physically impossible for a record company to mail a single to radio stations, be received by radio stations, listened to and added to station playlists, reported to the trade papers and the trade papers printed and published, all on the same day, and even more impossible for a song to be included on the Singles chart if it has not yet been released as a single.  "Sweet Caroline" was released June 23.)
1970:  Chubby Checker was arrested in Niagara Falls after marijuana and drug capsules were discovered in Checker's car.









1972:  Johnny Nash released the single "I Can See Clearly Now".
1972:  Smokey Robinson performed with the Miracles for the final time in Washington, D.C.
1973:  B.W. Stephenson recorded the great song "My Maria".
1973:  "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by Bette Midler took over at the top of the Easy Listening chart.








1973:  The Spinners remained on top of the R&B chart for a third week with their great song "One Of A Kind (Love Affair)".

 

    "Great Gig in the Sky" from 'Dark Side of the Moon'...That's Clare Torry on vocal...

1973:  George Harrison's album Living in the Material World became the new #1, taking the place of Red Rose Speedway from Paul McCartney & Wings.  Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin was #3 with There Goes Rhymin' Simon from Paul Simon fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Beatles 1967-1970 (The Blue Album) was #5, Diamond Girl from Seals & Crofts was at 6, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon was in its 15th week on the chart, Made in Japan by Deep Purple was #8, They Only Come Out At Night by the Edgar Winter Group was #9 and Call Me from Al Green was #10.








1973:  The Doobie Brothers' smash "Long Train Runnin'" first hit the Top 10 on this date.
1973:  Paul McCartney & Wings remained at #1 for a fourth week with "My Love".
1975:  Jefferson Starship released the album Red Octopus.










1975:  Elton John released the single "Someone Saved My Life Tonight".
1975:  Alice Cooper fell off the stage in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and broke six ribs.  Welcome to his nightmare.
1976:  Paul McCartney & Wings performed at the Forum in Inglewood, California.  It would be Sir Paul's last live appearance for 13 years.








1977:  Keith Moon of the Who joined Led Zeppelin onstage in Los Angeles, playing tympani on "Moby Dick" and "Rock And Roll".
1977:  The Eagles performed in concert at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.










1979:  "Shadows In The Moonlight" by Anne Murray remained at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart
1979:  After a week at #2 on the Album chart, Supertramp wasn't going away; they returned to #1 with Breakfast in America.











                                                  The Ya-Ya's of sisterhood...

1979:  Donna Summer was about the hottest thing going, keeping her single "Hot Stuff" at #1 while also seeing the follow-up "Bad Girls" move from 11-5.  Sister Sledge had the #2 song "We Are Family", Anita Ward had #3 with "Ring My Bell" and Randy Vanwarmer had his only hit with "Just When I Needed You Most".  The rest of the Top 10:  Supertramp at 6 with "The Logical Song", Rickie Lee Jones had #7--"Chuck E.'s In Love", Kenny Rogers remained at #8 with "She Believes In Me", Earth, Wind & Fire and the Emotions teamed for the #9 song "Boogie Wonderland" and Rex Smith moved into the Top 10 with "You Take My Breath Away".
1981:  Robert Fripp announced a new King Crimson lineup as Bill Bruford, Adrian Belew and Tony Levin join Fripp in the group.

1984:  The late great Dan Fogelberg had the #1 Adult Contemporary song on this date--"Believe In Me".

      
                   "You Might Think", one of the top tracks on 'Heartbeat City'...

1984:  The album Born in the U.S.A. debuted at #9 on the Album chart, kickstarting Bruce Springsteen's career.  In fact, there were some great albums out at the same time (competition is important in evaluating success).  The Soundtrack to "Footloose" was #1, followed closely by Sports from Huey Lewis & the News at #2 after 38 weeks of release.  Can't Slow Down, the solid winner from Lionel Richie, was #3 with Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual sitting at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Cars' great album Heartbeat City was at #5, Love at First Sting from the Scorpions was at #6, followed by Van Halen with 1984 (MCMLXXXIV), Thriller, still at #8 for Michael Jackson after 79 weeks, and Duran Duran remained at 10 with Seven and the Ragged Tiger.







                   People were getting out of their seats to dance to this one...

1984:  Duran Duran reached #1 with "The Reflex" in a pretty good Top 10.  Cyndi Lauper slipped after three weeks at the top with "Time After Time", Deniece Williams had #3 with "Let's Hear It For The Boy" and Bruce Springsteen moved from 9-4 with "Dancing In The Dark".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Self Control" from Laura Branigan, Huey Lewis & the News held steady at #6 with "The Heart Of Rock & Roll", the Pointer Sisters were climbing with "Jump (For My Love)", Prince was up 9 spots with "When Doves Cry", Steve Perry's first solo hit "Oh Sherrie" was at #9 and Billy Idol edged into the Top 10 with his great song "Eyes Without A Face".
1987:  Tiffany appeared in concert at the Bergen Mall in Paramus, New Jersey.  (Note:  several websites incorrectly report Tiffany was at the Paramus Park Mall.  She performed at the Bergen Mall, according to her official website.)
1989:  George Michael received the Silver Clef Award for outstanding contributions to British music.
1990:  "U (sp) Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer was #1 on the R&B chart.
1990:  Elton John reached #1 in the U.K. when the double-sided "Sacrifice" and "Healing Hands" topped the chart.
1990:  Actor Gary Busey, who played Buddy Holly in the movie The Buddy Holly Story, purchased one of Holly's guitars that was offered in an auction for $242,200.
1990:  "Across the River" was the highest debuting song (#63) by Bruce Hornsby & the Range.
1990: M.C. Hammer remained at #1 with the album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em.  The Soundtrack to "I'm Breathless" turned up #2 with Sinead O'Connor chasing with I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.  Another Soundtrack, "Pretty Woman", remained at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe, Brigade from Heart, Paul Abdul held steady at #7 with Shut Up and Dance (The Dance Mixes), the great Wilson Phillips debut was at #8, Depeche Mode checked in with Violator and Soul Provider from Michael Bolton remained in the #10 spot.










1991:  C + C Music Factory released the single "Things That Make You Go Hmmmm..."
1994:  Copacabana, a musical based on the career of Barry Manilow, opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London.
1996:  Bryan Adams had the top album in the U.K. with 18 'Til I Die.
2000:  Neil Young and Joni Mitchell were honored with a star on the Canada Walk of Fame.
2002:  Nelly began seven weeks at #1 with "Hot In Here".
2004:  Dave Navarro's website put forth a statement that Jane's Addiction had split for good.
2004:  The debuting was easy by this time in the Rock Era as the Beastie Boys had no problem getting to #1 on the Album chart with To the 5 Boroughs in its first week.
2004:  Bob Dylan was made a Doctor of Music by St. Andrews University in Scotland.
2009:  Chris Brown pleaded guilty to assault on his former girlfriend Rihanna.  Brown was sentenced to five years probation and six months community service. 
2010:  Gregg Allman had a liver transplant in Jacksonville, Florida.
2013:  Bobby Bland, who had 37 hits from 1957-1974, who also worked with Van Morrison and B.B. King, died in Germantown, Tennessee at the age of 83.  (Note:  some websites claim Bland died in Memphis, Tennessee.  He died in Germantown, according to his son in an interview with 'CNN'.)

2015:  James Horner, who wrote music for over 100 movies, died at age 61 in Los Padres National Forest in California when the plane he was piloting crashed.  Horner composed music for movies such as Titanic, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind , Avatar, Field of Dreams, The Lady In Red, Patriot Games, Star Trek II:  The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III:  The Search for Spock and Aliens just to name a few.  Horner won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, shared with lyricist Will Jennings, for "My Heart Will Go On", and another Oscar for Original Dramatic Score.

Horner also wrote the songs "Somewhere Out There" for Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram and "Where Are You, Christmas?" for Faith Hill.


Born This Day:
1937:  Niki Sullivan, one of the members of Buddy Holly's backing band the Crickets, who co-wrote several of Buddy's hits, was born in South Gate, California; died April 6, 2004 of a heart attack at his home in Sugar Creek, Missouri.  (Note:  several websites claim Sullivan died in Independence, Missouri.  He died in Sugar Creek, according to Colin Larkin in the book 'The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'.)

1940:  Stuart Sutcliffe, bassist and the "fifth Beatle", was born in Edinburgh, Scotland; died of a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg, Germany on April 10, 1962.
1941:  Robert Hunter, who wrote the lyrics for Grateful Dead, was born in Arroyo Grande, California.  (Note:  some websites incorrectly say Hunter was born in San Luis Obispo, California.  According to the book 'The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics:  The Collected Lyrics of Grateful Dead' by Hunter, David G. Dodd and John Barlow, Robert was born in Arroyo Grande.)
1944:  Rosetta Hightower, lead singer of Orlons (biggest hit:  "The Wah Watusi"), was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died August 2, 2014 in Clapham, London, England.
1962:  Steve Shelley, drummer of Sonic Youth, was born in Midland, Michigan.
1965:  Paul Arthurs, guitarist for Oasis, was born in Burnage, Manchester, England.



1977:  Jason Mraz, who has charted several hits including "I'm Yours" from 2008, was born in Mechanicsville, West Virginia.