TODAY IN HISTORY – 1st July
1945 - Born this day, [Deborah Ann] Debbie Harry, singer, in Miami, Florida, Blondie, 1978 UK No.2 single Denis Denis, 1978 UK No.10 single (I'm always touched by your) Presence Dear, 1978 UK No.12 single Picture This, 1978 UK No.5 single Hanging on the Telephone, 1979 UK and US No.1 single Heart of glass, 1979 UK No.1 single Sunday Girl, 1979 UK No.2 single Dreaming, 1980 UK No.1 single Atomic, 1980 UK No.1 single Call Me, 1980 UK No.1 single The Tide Is High, 1981 UK No.5 single Rapture, plus other chart entries in the UK. 1978 UK No.10 album Plastic Letters, 1978 world-wide No.1 album Parallel Lines, 1979 UK No.1 album Eat To The Beat, 1980 UK No.3 album AutoAmerican, 1981 UK No.4 album Best of Blondie, plus other UK album chart entries.
1949 - Born this day, John Farnham, singer, songwriter, 1987 UK No.6 single You're The Voice.
1951 - Born this day, Fred Schneider, musician, keyboardist, singer, The B52s, 1979 UK No.37 single Rock Lobster, 1990 UK No.2 and US No.3 single Love Shack, 1994 UK No.3 single (Meet) The Flintstones.
1952 - Born this day, Dan Ackroyd, comedian, actor, in Ottawa, Canada, (SNL, Dragnet, Ghostbusters, The Blues Brothers). 1990 UK No.12 single Everybody Needs Somebody To Love. Was part of the Toronto comedy troupe Second City before he became a star as one of the original cast members of TV's Saturday Night Live in 1975. From there he began a film career and had two huge successes: The Blues Brothers in 1980 playing Elwood Blues, with John Belushi, and in Ghostbusters (1984), both of which launched franchises that are still going. Has appeared in dozens of films, in both comedy and dramatic roles, including Trading Places in 1983, with Eddie Murphy, Driving Miss Daisy in 1989, for which he was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Sneakers in 1992, with Robert Redford, Grosse Pointe Blank in 1997, and The House of Mirth in 2000, with Gillian Anderson.
1961 - Born this day, Princess Diana [Spencer], Princess of Wales, near Sandringham, England. Died 31 August 1997.
1967 - Scott McKenzie scored his first hit with the single, San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair). The song became an anthem for the Love Generation and the young people of flower power. McKenzie also co-wrote a hit for the Beach Boys in 1988, called Kokomo. He was born, Philip Blondheim, in Jacksonville, Florida. Phil thought the name Scott McKenzie was better for a music biz career. His songs, San Francisco and Like an Old Time Movie, were written and produced by John Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas.
1967 - The Beatles started a 15 week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', the group's 10th US No.1 album. Recorded over a 129-day period beginning in December 1966, the album widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, includes songs such as 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' and 'A Day in the Life'.
1967 - Born this day, Pamela Lee Anderson, pin-up and actress, playmate for February 1990 (Home Improvement, Baywatch). Born in Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada. Say’s she is happy to use her body in any which way if it means stopping cruelty to animals. Made famous appearance in the 2007 smash hit comedy “Borat”.
1968 - The Band released their debut album Music From Big Pink. The album, which features their first hit single The Weight, was recorded in studios in New York and Los Angeles in 1968, and followed the group's backing of Bob Dylan on his 1966 tour (as The Hawks).
1969 - In Scotland, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and their children Julian and Kyoko (from their previous marriages) were in a car crash. John, who was driving, received 20 stitches in his chin and Yoko was treated for a concussion and a fractured back. The children's injuries were minor.
1972 - Neil Diamond went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Song Sung Blue', his second US No.1. A No.14 hit in the UK.
1975 - 10CC were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with I'm Not In Love.
1976 - Paul McCartney purchased the rights to the entire Buddy Holly song catalogue.
1981 - Rushton Moreve, bass player with Steppenwolf was killed in motorcycle accident Santa Barbara, California, aged 32. Had the 1968 US No.2 single 'Born To Be Wild' and he co-wrote their hit ‘Magic Carpet Ride.’
1983 - A New Jersey based quintet calling themselves Bon Jovi signed to Phonogram's Mercury records. The group have since sold over 130 million records worldwide, and performed more than 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans.
1989 - Milli Vanilli scored their first US No.1 single with Baby Don't Forget My Number, a No.16 hit in the UK.
1990 - Over a lunch meeting Mark Knopfler, John Illsley and Dire Straits manager, Ed Bicknell decided to reform the group, record an album and plan a world tour.
1995 - Died this day, DJ Wolfman Jack [Robert Smith], in Belvidere, North Carolina, of a heart attack, he was 57.
1999 - American singer Guy Mitchell, (born Albert George Cernik) died aged 72 at Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas. He had the 1957 UK & US No.1 single 'Singing The Blues' plus over 10 other UK Top 40 singles. Mitchell also appeared as George Romack in the 1961 NBC western detective series Whispering Smith.
2000 - Kylie Minogue was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Spinning Around', the singers 5th No 1 which was co-written by Paula Abdul, (it was originally intended for Abdul's "comeback" album). 'Spinning Around' gave Minogue the honor of being one of three artists (the others being Madonna and U2) to have a No.1 in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
2001 - Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood was commissioned to paint a group portrait of diners who are regulars at the West End London restaurant The Ivy. Elton John and Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant were two pop stars to be included in the portrait.
2004 - Glen Campbell began serving 10 nights in jail along with two years of probation for a November 2003 drink-driving, hit-and-run collision. The 68 year old entertainer was also sentenced to 75 hours of community service and fined $900.
2005 - Four Tops singer Renaldo "Obie" Benson died aged 69 in a Detroit hospital from lung cancer. He was diagnosed after having a leg amputated due to circulation problems. The Four Tops sold over 50 million records and had hits including 'Reach Out (I'll be There)' and 'I Can't Help Myself.' Benson also co-wrote 'What's Going On' which became a No.2 hit for Marvin Gaye.
2005 - American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer Luther Vandross died at the age of 54 at the JFK Medical Centre in New Jersey, two years after suffering a major stroke. His 'Never Too Much', was a No.1 R&B hit, worked with Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey and David Bowie. Vandross had won four Grammys for his final album ‘Dance With My Father.’
2009 - Sir Cliff Richard was ordered to demolish a £30,000 conservatory at his home in Surrey after the local council ruled that the conservatory should never have been built. The planning committee said the building contravened policy on green belt areas because it added more than 30% extra floor space.
2009 - The week after Michael Jackson's death, The King Of Pop dominated the Top Ten of Billboard's album chart. Leading the pack was Number Ones, followed by The Essential Michael Jackson at No.2, Thriller was No.3 and Off The Wall was No.4. The Jackson 5's Ultimate Collection held the No.5 spot, Bad was No.6, Dangerous was No.7, Greatest Hits - HIStory - Vol. 1 came in at No.8 and Michael's Ultimate Collection occupied the No.9 position. Collectively, Jackson's solo albums sold 415,000 copies for the week, 58% of which were digital downloads. The week before his death, his titles sold a combined 10,000 units.
1945 - Born this day, [Deborah Ann] Debbie Harry, singer, in Miami, Florida, Blondie, 1978 UK No.2 single Denis Denis, 1978 UK No.10 single (I'm always touched by your) Presence Dear, 1978 UK No.12 single Picture This, 1978 UK No.5 single Hanging on the Telephone, 1979 UK and US No.1 single Heart of glass, 1979 UK No.1 single Sunday Girl, 1979 UK No.2 single Dreaming, 1980 UK No.1 single Atomic, 1980 UK No.1 single Call Me, 1980 UK No.1 single The Tide Is High, 1981 UK No.5 single Rapture, plus other chart entries in the UK. 1978 UK No.10 album Plastic Letters, 1978 world-wide No.1 album Parallel Lines, 1979 UK No.1 album Eat To The Beat, 1980 UK No.3 album AutoAmerican, 1981 UK No.4 album Best of Blondie, plus other UK album chart entries.
1949 - Born this day, John Farnham, singer, songwriter, 1987 UK No.6 single You're The Voice.
1951 - Born this day, Fred Schneider, musician, keyboardist, singer, The B52s, 1979 UK No.37 single Rock Lobster, 1990 UK No.2 and US No.3 single Love Shack, 1994 UK No.3 single (Meet) The Flintstones.
1952 - Born this day, Dan Ackroyd, comedian, actor, in Ottawa, Canada, (SNL, Dragnet, Ghostbusters, The Blues Brothers). 1990 UK No.12 single Everybody Needs Somebody To Love. Was part of the Toronto comedy troupe Second City before he became a star as one of the original cast members of TV's Saturday Night Live in 1975. From there he began a film career and had two huge successes: The Blues Brothers in 1980 playing Elwood Blues, with John Belushi, and in Ghostbusters (1984), both of which launched franchises that are still going. Has appeared in dozens of films, in both comedy and dramatic roles, including Trading Places in 1983, with Eddie Murphy, Driving Miss Daisy in 1989, for which he was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Sneakers in 1992, with Robert Redford, Grosse Pointe Blank in 1997, and The House of Mirth in 2000, with Gillian Anderson.
1961 - Born this day, Princess Diana [Spencer], Princess of Wales, near Sandringham, England. Died 31 August 1997.
1967 - Scott McKenzie scored his first hit with the single, San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair). The song became an anthem for the Love Generation and the young people of flower power. McKenzie also co-wrote a hit for the Beach Boys in 1988, called Kokomo. He was born, Philip Blondheim, in Jacksonville, Florida. Phil thought the name Scott McKenzie was better for a music biz career. His songs, San Francisco and Like an Old Time Movie, were written and produced by John Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas.
1967 - The Beatles started a 15 week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', the group's 10th US No.1 album. Recorded over a 129-day period beginning in December 1966, the album widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, includes songs such as 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' and 'A Day in the Life'.
1967 - Born this day, Pamela Lee Anderson, pin-up and actress, playmate for February 1990 (Home Improvement, Baywatch). Born in Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada. Say’s she is happy to use her body in any which way if it means stopping cruelty to animals. Made famous appearance in the 2007 smash hit comedy “Borat”.
1968 - The Band released their debut album Music From Big Pink. The album, which features their first hit single The Weight, was recorded in studios in New York and Los Angeles in 1968, and followed the group's backing of Bob Dylan on his 1966 tour (as The Hawks).
1969 - In Scotland, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and their children Julian and Kyoko (from their previous marriages) were in a car crash. John, who was driving, received 20 stitches in his chin and Yoko was treated for a concussion and a fractured back. The children's injuries were minor.
1972 - Neil Diamond went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Song Sung Blue', his second US No.1. A No.14 hit in the UK.
1975 - 10CC were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with I'm Not In Love.
1976 - Paul McCartney purchased the rights to the entire Buddy Holly song catalogue.
1981 - Rushton Moreve, bass player with Steppenwolf was killed in motorcycle accident Santa Barbara, California, aged 32. Had the 1968 US No.2 single 'Born To Be Wild' and he co-wrote their hit ‘Magic Carpet Ride.’
1983 - A New Jersey based quintet calling themselves Bon Jovi signed to Phonogram's Mercury records. The group have since sold over 130 million records worldwide, and performed more than 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans.
1989 - Milli Vanilli scored their first US No.1 single with Baby Don't Forget My Number, a No.16 hit in the UK.
1990 - Over a lunch meeting Mark Knopfler, John Illsley and Dire Straits manager, Ed Bicknell decided to reform the group, record an album and plan a world tour.
1995 - Died this day, DJ Wolfman Jack [Robert Smith], in Belvidere, North Carolina, of a heart attack, he was 57.
1999 - American singer Guy Mitchell, (born Albert George Cernik) died aged 72 at Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas. He had the 1957 UK & US No.1 single 'Singing The Blues' plus over 10 other UK Top 40 singles. Mitchell also appeared as George Romack in the 1961 NBC western detective series Whispering Smith.
2000 - Kylie Minogue was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Spinning Around', the singers 5th No 1 which was co-written by Paula Abdul, (it was originally intended for Abdul's "comeback" album). 'Spinning Around' gave Minogue the honor of being one of three artists (the others being Madonna and U2) to have a No.1 in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
2001 - Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood was commissioned to paint a group portrait of diners who are regulars at the West End London restaurant The Ivy. Elton John and Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant were two pop stars to be included in the portrait.
2004 - Glen Campbell began serving 10 nights in jail along with two years of probation for a November 2003 drink-driving, hit-and-run collision. The 68 year old entertainer was also sentenced to 75 hours of community service and fined $900.
2005 - Four Tops singer Renaldo "Obie" Benson died aged 69 in a Detroit hospital from lung cancer. He was diagnosed after having a leg amputated due to circulation problems. The Four Tops sold over 50 million records and had hits including 'Reach Out (I'll be There)' and 'I Can't Help Myself.' Benson also co-wrote 'What's Going On' which became a No.2 hit for Marvin Gaye.
2005 - American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer Luther Vandross died at the age of 54 at the JFK Medical Centre in New Jersey, two years after suffering a major stroke. His 'Never Too Much', was a No.1 R&B hit, worked with Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey and David Bowie. Vandross had won four Grammys for his final album ‘Dance With My Father.’
2009 - Sir Cliff Richard was ordered to demolish a £30,000 conservatory at his home in Surrey after the local council ruled that the conservatory should never have been built. The planning committee said the building contravened policy on green belt areas because it added more than 30% extra floor space.
2009 - The week after Michael Jackson's death, The King Of Pop dominated the Top Ten of Billboard's album chart. Leading the pack was Number Ones, followed by The Essential Michael Jackson at No.2, Thriller was No.3 and Off The Wall was No.4. The Jackson 5's Ultimate Collection held the No.5 spot, Bad was No.6, Dangerous was No.7, Greatest Hits - HIStory - Vol. 1 came in at No.8 and Michael's Ultimate Collection occupied the No.9 position. Collectively, Jackson's solo albums sold 415,000 copies for the week, 58% of which were digital downloads. The week before his death, his titles sold a combined 10,000 units.