AMP, Alternate Music Press, The Multimedia Journal of New Music

June in Music History

This month in1956, Elvis performed Big Mama Thornton's signature tune "Hound Dog" on the Milton Berle Show, singing to a hound dog. In 1971, the two-room shack in Tupelo, Miss., where Elvis was born opened as a tourist attraction. In 1982, Graceland, Elvis' mansion in Memphis opened as a tourist attraction.

In 1992, the sod hut in Strasburg, N.D., where Lawrence Welk was born opened as a tourist attraction. In 1964, Dolly Parton graduated from high school and moved to Nashville the next day. Also in 1964, the Rolling Stones began their first U.S. tour playing at the Manning Bowl in Lynn, Massachusetts.

In 1967, the Beatles released "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", which topped the album chart for 15 months. In 1969, Blind Faith made its live debut in a London park, performing before 150,000 people. Also in1969, John and Yoko, during their well-publicized "Bed-In"joined the Smothers Brothers, Timothy Leary, Derek Taylor, and Murray the K to record "Give Peace a Chance."

In 1971, Grand Funk Railway sold out Shea Stadium within 72 hours, beating the Beatles' ticket sales record there. Also in 1971, Gladys Knight & the Pips were the musical guests on the final Ed Sullivan Show. In 1979, The Who performed its rock opera "Tommy" at the Met. In1979, Chuck Berry performed at the White House before President Carter. A month later he was in jail for income tax evasion. This month in 1984, the top Billboard hit was Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time". In1999, Junior Braithwaite, an original member of Bob Marley's Wailers, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in Jamaica, a fate experienced twelve years earlier by fellow Wailer Peter Tosh.
This month in music history in 1998, the surviving Beatles Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were joined by rock luminaries such as Sting, Pete Townshend, and Sir Elton John at London's St Martin-in-The-Fields Church to pay final respects to Linda McCartney. Attendees sang a rendition of "Let it Be". Also this month in 1998, Amazon.com expanded from its books-only offerings to include CDs...meanwhile in 1998, dozens of fans were injured by lightning at Washington DC's RFK Stadium during the Tibetan Freedom Concert. That same year in Chicago, John Fogerty canceled the first date of his U.S. tour when it conflicted with the fifth game of the NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. Fogerty said, "When we realized just what this game might mean to the folks in Chicago, it only made sense to postpone the show. Besides, it gives the band and me time to catch the game, too.".

In 1990, 25 years to the day that their dad Brian Wilson's "Help Me Rhonda" rode the top of the charts, girl trio Wilson Phillips, comprised of two of his daughters, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, together with Chyna Phillips, held down the top spot with their "Hold On"... this month in 1982 is a rough time for the Pretenders...first the group fired bass player Pete Farndon, then two days later guitarist James Honeyman-Scott died...Farndon followed his former bandmate just a year later as the result of an OD. This month in 1969, The Rolling Stones unveiled their new guitarist Mick Taylor who replaced the increasingly erratic Brian Jones, who wasa found dead in his pool. In 1965, all four Beatles were slated to receive MBEs as part of Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honors List.
This month in 1966, The Beatles released "Yesterday and Today" in a jacket featuring pictures of the Fab Four standing among beheaded baby dolls. Two years later the boys from Liverpool announced that their involvement with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was a "mistake".

In 1977, Alice Cooper's pet boa constrictor--featured on several album covers--was bitten by a rat and died. Paul McCartney climbed the charts with a musical version of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb"during this month in 1972. In 1965, "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter," put Herman's Hermits in the gold. Johnny Rotten was sliced up after angering a pack of thugs with the Sex Pistols' performance of "God Save the Queen"during this month in 1977. In 1998, early 70s teen idol David Cassidy sold a two-CD set exclusively on cable-TV's QVC. Included were his new record "Old Trick, New Dog," and "David Cassidy's Partridge Family Favorites". Jimi laid down the first tracks recorded in his Electric Ladyland dream studio in 1970, and three years earlier the Jimi Hendrix Experience makde its American debut performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. He lost a coin toss with Pete Townshend over who got to play last--they both liked to destroy things at the end of their acts and neither wanted to be a repeat--Jimi made good on his promise to let out all the stops, destroying a bunch of equipment, and setting fire to his guitar.. Simon and Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, The Byrds, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, Hugh Masakela, and Otis Redding also appeared on the show...they all played for free, but Ravi Shankar got paid.

Three years later Woodstock Ventures, who underwrote the original Woodstock festival, announced that it lost $1.2 million on the show. They hope to make up the loss selling the album and memorabilia. In 1955, on the other side of the musical universe, Johnny Cash released his first single, "Cry, Cry, Cry". In 1980, "The Blues Brothers" with John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd hit the silver screen. It featured cameos by Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, and John Lee Hooker.

In1988 the fat fingers of the West slid behind the Iron Curtain as over 3,000 East Berliners gathered to hear Michael Jackson, who performed on the other side of the Berlin Wall. In 1969, Hendrix broke the record by bringing down $125,000 for playing the Newport '69 Festival, which also featured CCR, Ike & Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, and Steppenwolf, to mention a few. In 1972, the Tallahatchie Bridge--the inspiration for Bobby Gentry's ill-fated character Billy Joe McAllister jumped from, collapsed into the river.
This month in 1955, Decca Records announced that Bill Haley & The Comets have sold more than three million records in thirteen months. In 1956, in an interview for Time Magazine, Benny Goodman commented on rock and roll: "I guess it's OK, man. At least it has a beat." In 1959, Chuck Berry's "Memphis" was released. In 1963, The Surfaris released "Wipe Out". In 1965, the TV show "Where the Action Is" premiered. This month in 1968, crowd violence, police clubs, and tear gas highlighted the Denver Pop Festival, along with the final performance by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In 1968, the Jeff Beck group made its debut in New York at Fillmore East. Also in 1968, Elvis began taping his first television special at NBC studios in Burbank, CA. Public response was seen as the start of his comeback. In 1969, Mick Taylor made his first concert appearance with The Rolling Stones, replacing Brian Jones.

Blind Faith released its one and only LP in 1969. Also that year, Crosby, Stills, & Nash released their first album and decide to tour when they found another guitarist, and Ahmet Ertegun suggested Neal Young. In 1970, Chubby Checker was arrested for marijuana possession. In 1971, The Fillmore East night club in New York closed. In 1975, Alice Cooper fell off the stage at his "Welcome to My Nightmare Tour" show in Vancouver and broke six ribs.

In 1977, Elvis made his last public appearance with a concert at Indianapolis' Market Square Arena. Also in 1977 "The Hustle" went gold as the dance craze swept the nation.
In 1981, Mark David Chapman plead guilty to first-degree murder for killing John Lennon six months earlier. In 1988, MCA Records purchased Motown Records for $61 million. In 1990, actor Gary Busey paid $242,000 for one of Buddy Holly's guitars at an auction in New York.
In 1999, Eric Clapton put 100 of his guitars up for auction at Christie's to raise money for his drug rehab clinic in Antigua. His '56 Strat, "Brownie," used to record "Layla," sold for $497,000 and the sale brought in $5 million overall

BIRTHDAYS

June 1: Nelson Riddle (1921)
Pat Boone (1934)
Ron Wood of Small Faces/Rolling Stones (1947)
Graham Russell of Air Supply (1950)
June 2: William Guest of the Pips (1941)
Charlie Watts (1941)
June 3: Curtis Mayfield (1942)
Michael Clarke of The Birds (1943)
John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin (1946)
Suzie Quatro (1950)
June 4: Freddy Fender (1937)
Roger Ball of the Average White Band (1944)
Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas (1945)
Gordon Waller of Peter & Gordon (1945)
June 5: Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden (1952)
June 6: Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops (1936)
Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream (1944)
June 8: Nancy Sinatra (1940)
Boz Scaggs AKA William Boyce Scaggs (1944)
Mick Box of Uriah Heep (1947)
Simply Red's Mick Hucknall (1960)
Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran (1962)
Neil Mitchell of Wet Wet Wet (1967)
June 9: Les Paul AKA Lester Polfuss (1916)
R&B singer and Russian Rouletteist Johnny Ace AKA John Marshall Alexander Jr. (1929)
JackieWilson (1932)
blues guitarist Wild Jimmy Spruill (1934)
Everett Dean Felber of Hootie and The Blowfish (1967)
June 10: Howlin' Wolf AKA Chester Burnett (1910)
Shirley Owens Alston of The Shirelles (1941)
Rick Price of The Move (1944)
June 11: Skip Allen of The Pretty Things
June 12: Rockabilly star Charlie Feathers (1932)
Roy Harper (1941)
Reg Presley of The Troggs (1934)
Boston's Brad Delp (1951)
Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick (1953)
June 13: Bobby ("Do You Want to Dance") Freeman (1940)
soul singer and intermittent insane asylum inmate James Carr(1942)
Dr. Hook's Dennis Locorriere (1949)
June 14: Burl Ives (1909)
Muff Winwood (Steve's brother) (1943)
RodArgent of The Zombies and Argent (1945)
Boy George born George Alan O'Dowd (1961)
June 15: Waylon Jennings (1937)
Harry Nilsson (1941)
Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply (1949)
June 16: Lamont Dozier, Motown songwriter/producer (1941)
June 17: Chris Spedding (1944)
Barry Manilow born Barry Alan Pinkus (1946)
June 18: Paul McCartney (1942)
Tom Bailey of The Thompson Twins (1957)
Alison Moyet (1961)
June 19: Guy Lombardo (1902)
Tommy Devito of The Four Seasons (1936)
Ann Wilson (1950)
Paula Abdul (1962)
June 20:
Chet Atkins (1924)
Billy Guy (1936)
Brian Wilson (1942)
Anne Murray (1945)
Lionel Richie (1949)
Cyndi Lauper (1953)
Alan Longmuir of the Bay City Rollers (1953)
Michael Anthony of Van Halen (1955)
John Taylor of Duran Duran (1960)
June 21:
Lalo Schifrin composer of the Mission Impossible theme (1932)
RayDavies of the Kinks (1944)
Joey Molland of Badfinger (1948)
JoeyKramer of Aerosmith (1950)
Nils Lofgren (1951 )
June 22: Kris Kristofferson (1936)
Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon (1944)
Howard Kaylan (Howard Kaplan) of the Turtles (1947)
Todd Rundgren (1948)
Alan Osmond of The Osmonds (1949)
Cyndi Lauper (1953)
Derek Forbes of Simple Minds (1956)
Tom Cunningham of Wet Wet Wet (1965)
June 23: June Carter (1929)
Paul Goddard of Atlanta Rhythm Section (1945)
June 24: Mick Fleetwood (1942)
Arthur Brown (1942)
Jeff Beck (1944)
Chris Wood (1944)
Colin Blunstone of the Zombies (1945)
John Illsley of Dire Straits (1949)
Astro of UB.40 born Terry Wilson (1957)
Curt Smith of Tears for Fears (1961)
June 25: Clifton Chenier (1925)
Eddie Floyd (1935)
Carly Simon (1945)
Ian McDonald of Foreigner (1946)
Clint Warwick of the Moody Blues (1949)
David Paich of Toto (1954)
George Michael born Georgious Panayitou (1963)
June 26: Bluesman Big Bill Broonzy (1893)
Colonel Tom Parker (1910)
Larry Taylor of Canned Heat (1942)
Mick Jones of The Clash (1955)
June 27: Song writer "Doc" Pomus (1925)
Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys (1944)
June 28: Conductor Sergiu Celibidache (1912)
Bobby Harrison of Procol Harum (1943)
David Knights of Procol Harum (1945)

OBITUARIES:

June 1: Andres Segovia(1987)
David Ruffin of the Temptations (1991)
jazz musician Don Grolnick (1996)
jazz trumpeter Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham (1997)
June 2: Junior Braithwaite of the Wailers (1999)
jazz bassist AndySimpkins (1999)
June 3: Mississippi Fred McDowell (1971)
June 4: Ronnie Lane, bassist for Small Faces (1997)
June 5: "Sleepy" John Estes (1977)
accordianist and father of modernTejano music Narciso Martinez (1992)
Conway Twitty (1993)
Count Basie arranger Ernie Wilkins (1999)
Mel Torme (1999)
June 6: Stan Getz (1991)
June 7: Claudette Orbison, Roy's wife, died in a head-on motorcycle crash in front of him (1966)
jazz clarinetist and singer James Eugene "Rosy" McHargue who played with Benny Goodman (1999)
June 8: Jazz singer Jimmy "Mr.Four by Four" Rushing (1972)
June 9: Carpenter and folk singer Walter Pardon (1996)
June 10 Steve Sanders of The Oak Ridge Boys (1998)
Addie "Mickey" Harris of The Shirelles (1982)
June 12: Jazz band leader Jimmy Dorsey (1957)
June 13: Swing band leader and clarinetist Benny Goodman (1986)
Clyde McPhatter (1972)
June 14: Irish rocker Rory Gallagher (1995)
composer Henry Mancini (1994)
R&B vocalist and Rock 'n' Roll progenitor Wynonie Harris (1969)
June 15: Ella Fitzgerald (1996)
Wes Montgomery (1968)
June 16: Jack McFadden, Nashville manager (1998)
Kristen Pfaff of Hole (1994)
James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders (1982)
Lonnie Johnson (1970)
June 19: Clarence White of the Byrds (1973)
June 20: Lawrence Payton (1997)
June 25: Bradley Noel of Sublime (1996)