TODAY IN HISTORY – JULY 7TH
1940 - Born this day, Ringo Starr [Richard Starkey], in Liverpool, England, drummer, singer. The Beatles and solo. In his early years Ringo played with Rory Storm & The Hurricanes before joining The Beatles. The Beatles scored 17 UK and 21 US No.1 singles over 6 years. Ringo's biggest hit as a solo artist was his US No.1 version of the Johnny Burnette 1960 hit Your Sixteen. Also scored 10 other US solo top 40 singles.
He appeared in the 70's film That'll Be The Day, with David Essex, Keith Moon, Billy Fury and Dave Edmunds. In 1980, Ringo and Barbara were involved in a car crash less than half a mile from where Marc Bolan was killed, the car was a write-off but the couple were not seriously injured. Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends, narrated by Ringo Starr was shown for the first time on British TV during 1984. Along with his acting roles in films, Ringo has appeared in TV commercials for Pizza Hut and Schweppes. Ringo continues to tour the US with his All-Starr band, members have included Jack Bruce, Peter Frampton, Billy Preston, Dave Mason and Todd Rundgren.
1947 - Born this day, David Hodo, singer (the construction worker), The Village People, 1979 UK No.1 and US No.2 single Y.M.C.A., 1979 UK No.2 single In The Navy
1963 - Born this day, Vonda Shepard, singer, songwriter, 1998 UK No.10 single Searchin' My Soul, featured in TV show Ally McBeal.
1966 - The Kinks were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sunny Afternoon', the group's third and last UK No.1.
1967 - The Beatles All You Need is Love was released.
1968 - UK Rock group The Yardbirds disbanded. They played their last gig before splitting up when they appeared in Luton, England. Jimmy Page began forming what would become Led Zeppelin.
1969 - George Harrison recorded his new song 'Here Comes the Sun' with just two other Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Abbey Road in London. John Lennon was absent recovering from a car crash in Scotland.
1971 - 26-year-old pop star Bjorn Ulvaeus and his 21-year-old fiancee Agnetha Faltskog were married in Verum, Sweden. 3000 fans arrived and in the chaos a police horse stepped on the brides foot, causing her slight injury. (ABBA). It lasted eight years.
1980 - Led Zeppelin played their last-ever concert when they appeared at Eissporthalle, West Berlin at the end of a European tour. The set included: 'Black Dog', 'The Rain Song', 'Hot Dog', 'All My Love', 'Trampled Under Foot', 'Since I’ve Been Loving You', 'Kashmir', 'Stairway To Heaven' and 'Rock And Roll'. They finished the show with a 17-minute version of 'Whole Lotta Love'.
1984 - Bruce Springsteen went to No.1 on the US album chart with Born In The USA. It went on to spend a total of 139 weeks on the chart.
1984 - Prince started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with When Doves Cry, his first US No.1 on Billboard's record charts, which went on to sell over 2 million copies, it made No. 4 in the UK.
1999 - It was reported that to attract young people to their mobile vans UK ice cream sellers would start to play pop hits as music instead of the traditional chimes. Spice Girls and Oasis hits would be the first to be played.
2000 - Patsy Kensit confirmed her separation from Oasis singer Liam Gallagher.
2000 - Eminem's wife, Kimberly Mathers, was hospitalised after she slit her wrists following her husband's show as part of the Up in Smoke Tour at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Also on this day, Eminem scored his first UK No. single with 'The Real Slim Shady', taken from his second album The Marshall Mathers LP the song was a No.4 hit in the US.
2005 - Members of The Hollies asked High Court judge to jail one of their founder members claiming bass player Eric Haydock had flouted a court order made in 1998 not to play under their name. Haydock formed the group in Manchester, England in the early 1960’s with Allan Clarke and Graham Nash (who left in 1966). Haydock was working in a group calling itself Eric Haydock's Hollies.
2006 - Syd Barrett died from complications arising from diabetes aged 60. The singer, songwriter, guitarist was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, active as a rock musician for only about seven years before he went into seclusion. He joined Pink Floyd in 1965 but left three years later after one album. Barrett released two solo albums before going into self-imposed seclusion lasting more than thirty years, with his mental deterioration blamed on drugs.
2007 - The Live Earth concerts took place around the world with The Police closing the days events in New Jersey. The concerts were organised by former US Vice-President Al Gore, as part of his campaign to "heal the planet". Rock stars from around the world performed to hundreds of thousands of fans to highlight climate change. Concerts were held in Washington, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Shanghai and Sydney. Madonna brought London's Live Earth concert to a close, playing a song she had written for the event. Other major acts who appeared included; Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis, The Beastie Boys, James Blunt, The Foo Fighters, Duran Duran, UB40, Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias, Crowded House & Joss Stone.
2009 - Michael Jackson's family and fans said farewell to the pop superstar at an emotional memorial service. The singer's coffin was placed in front of the stage during the event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after an earlier private funeral. Jackson's daughter Paris, 11, fought back tears to describe him as "the best father you could ever imagine". Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey paid tribute before the family joined a sombre finale on stage. Motown boss Berry Gordy, who signed the Jackson Five, ended his tribute with the words: "Michael, thank you for the joy, thank you for the love. You will live in my heart forever."
2010 - Paul McCartney joined Ringo Starr onstage at a concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall to help celebrate the former Beatle drummer's 70th birthday. With Ringo's All Starr Band joined by Yoko Ono, Joe Walsh, Angus Young and Steven Van Zandt, Paul belted out "Birthday" and Ringo delivered "With A Little Help From My Friends".
1940 - Born this day, Ringo Starr [Richard Starkey], in Liverpool, England, drummer, singer. The Beatles and solo. In his early years Ringo played with Rory Storm & The Hurricanes before joining The Beatles. The Beatles scored 17 UK and 21 US No.1 singles over 6 years. Ringo's biggest hit as a solo artist was his US No.1 version of the Johnny Burnette 1960 hit Your Sixteen. Also scored 10 other US solo top 40 singles.
He appeared in the 70's film That'll Be The Day, with David Essex, Keith Moon, Billy Fury and Dave Edmunds. In 1980, Ringo and Barbara were involved in a car crash less than half a mile from where Marc Bolan was killed, the car was a write-off but the couple were not seriously injured. Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends, narrated by Ringo Starr was shown for the first time on British TV during 1984. Along with his acting roles in films, Ringo has appeared in TV commercials for Pizza Hut and Schweppes. Ringo continues to tour the US with his All-Starr band, members have included Jack Bruce, Peter Frampton, Billy Preston, Dave Mason and Todd Rundgren.
1947 - Born this day, David Hodo, singer (the construction worker), The Village People, 1979 UK No.1 and US No.2 single Y.M.C.A., 1979 UK No.2 single In The Navy
1963 - Born this day, Vonda Shepard, singer, songwriter, 1998 UK No.10 single Searchin' My Soul, featured in TV show Ally McBeal.
1966 - The Kinks were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Sunny Afternoon', the group's third and last UK No.1.
1967 - The Beatles All You Need is Love was released.
1968 - UK Rock group The Yardbirds disbanded. They played their last gig before splitting up when they appeared in Luton, England. Jimmy Page began forming what would become Led Zeppelin.
1969 - George Harrison recorded his new song 'Here Comes the Sun' with just two other Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Abbey Road in London. John Lennon was absent recovering from a car crash in Scotland.
1971 - 26-year-old pop star Bjorn Ulvaeus and his 21-year-old fiancee Agnetha Faltskog were married in Verum, Sweden. 3000 fans arrived and in the chaos a police horse stepped on the brides foot, causing her slight injury. (ABBA). It lasted eight years.
1980 - Led Zeppelin played their last-ever concert when they appeared at Eissporthalle, West Berlin at the end of a European tour. The set included: 'Black Dog', 'The Rain Song', 'Hot Dog', 'All My Love', 'Trampled Under Foot', 'Since I’ve Been Loving You', 'Kashmir', 'Stairway To Heaven' and 'Rock And Roll'. They finished the show with a 17-minute version of 'Whole Lotta Love'.
1984 - Bruce Springsteen went to No.1 on the US album chart with Born In The USA. It went on to spend a total of 139 weeks on the chart.
1984 - Prince started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with When Doves Cry, his first US No.1 on Billboard's record charts, which went on to sell over 2 million copies, it made No. 4 in the UK.
1999 - It was reported that to attract young people to their mobile vans UK ice cream sellers would start to play pop hits as music instead of the traditional chimes. Spice Girls and Oasis hits would be the first to be played.
2000 - Patsy Kensit confirmed her separation from Oasis singer Liam Gallagher.
2000 - Eminem's wife, Kimberly Mathers, was hospitalised after she slit her wrists following her husband's show as part of the Up in Smoke Tour at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Also on this day, Eminem scored his first UK No. single with 'The Real Slim Shady', taken from his second album The Marshall Mathers LP the song was a No.4 hit in the US.
2005 - Members of The Hollies asked High Court judge to jail one of their founder members claiming bass player Eric Haydock had flouted a court order made in 1998 not to play under their name. Haydock formed the group in Manchester, England in the early 1960’s with Allan Clarke and Graham Nash (who left in 1966). Haydock was working in a group calling itself Eric Haydock's Hollies.
2006 - Syd Barrett died from complications arising from diabetes aged 60. The singer, songwriter, guitarist was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, active as a rock musician for only about seven years before he went into seclusion. He joined Pink Floyd in 1965 but left three years later after one album. Barrett released two solo albums before going into self-imposed seclusion lasting more than thirty years, with his mental deterioration blamed on drugs.
2007 - The Live Earth concerts took place around the world with The Police closing the days events in New Jersey. The concerts were organised by former US Vice-President Al Gore, as part of his campaign to "heal the planet". Rock stars from around the world performed to hundreds of thousands of fans to highlight climate change. Concerts were held in Washington, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Shanghai and Sydney. Madonna brought London's Live Earth concert to a close, playing a song she had written for the event. Other major acts who appeared included; Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis, The Beastie Boys, James Blunt, The Foo Fighters, Duran Duran, UB40, Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias, Crowded House & Joss Stone.
2009 - Michael Jackson's family and fans said farewell to the pop superstar at an emotional memorial service. The singer's coffin was placed in front of the stage during the event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after an earlier private funeral. Jackson's daughter Paris, 11, fought back tears to describe him as "the best father you could ever imagine". Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey paid tribute before the family joined a sombre finale on stage. Motown boss Berry Gordy, who signed the Jackson Five, ended his tribute with the words: "Michael, thank you for the joy, thank you for the love. You will live in my heart forever."
2010 - Paul McCartney joined Ringo Starr onstage at a concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall to help celebrate the former Beatle drummer's 70th birthday. With Ringo's All Starr Band joined by Yoko Ono, Joe Walsh, Angus Young and Steven Van Zandt, Paul belted out "Birthday" and Ringo delivered "With A Little Help From My Friends".