TODAY IN HISTORY – June 4th
1937 – Born this day, Freddy Fender (Baldemar Huerta), singer (Wasted Days and Wasted Nights). Died October 14th 2006.
1944 – Born this day, Michelle Phillips, singer with Mamas & Papas.
1952 – Born this day, Jimmy McCulloch, guitarist with Thunderclap Newman, UK #1 single 1969 “Something in the Air”. Wings lead guitarist 1974-1977. Died 27 September 1979 at the age of 26 from a heroin overdose.
1967 – The Monkees TV show won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.
1969 - Seven years after his first hit Tommy Roe was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Dizzy' his only No.1 hit. Also a UK No. 1 for Vic Reeves and Wonder Stuff in 1991.
1969 - In Glenrowan, Australia, hundreds of people signed a petition protesting against the casting of Mick Jagger in the role of the Australian folk hero Ned Kelly in the film of the same name. The film, directed by Tony Richardson, was released in October 1970.
1970 – Carlos Santana began recording Black Magic Woman.
1975 - The Rolling Stones became the first rock band to receive royalties for sales of their records in Russia.
1976 - The Sex Pistols appeared at The Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England. The now legendary night is regarded as a catalyst to the punk rock movement. In the audience was, Morrissey, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook (soon to form Joy Division) and Mark E Smith, (The Fall). Tickets cost £1.
1977 - The Jam's debut single 'In The City' made No.40 on the UK singles chart. They went on to score 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four No.1 hits.
1983 – The Police started a 4 week run at #1 in the UK with “Every Breath You Take, the group’s fifth and final #1 single.
1984 - Bruce Springsteen released the album, 'Born In The USA', which became the best-selling album of 1985 in the United States (and also Springsteen's most successful album ever). The album produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles (tied with Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814).
1985 - Elton John began a high court battle with Dick James Music, seeking the rights to early songs and recordings plus damages estimated at more than £30 million ($51 million). The singer lost a six-month court battle to recover the copyright to 169 songs however, the court ordered Dick James to cough up millions in unpaid royalties.
1992 – US postal officials announced that the young, 1950’s era Elvis Presley portrait was chosen overwhelmingly over the older, Las Vegas-style Elvis in a nationwide vote for a new postage stamp honouring “The King”.
1992 - Smokey Robinson's half sister, Rose Ella Jones field a suit against Smokey claiming she had been cheated out of royalty payments from songs written during the 1980's.
1993 – Kurt Cobain was arrested after a dispute at his house in Seattle. The disagreement allegedly concerned Cobains collection of firearms.
1994 – Wet Wet Wet started a 15 week at #1 on the UK singles chart with “Love is all around”, written by Reg Presley of The Troggs.
1996 – Crowded House announced they had split up.
1997 - Jeff Buckley's body was discovered floating in the Mississippi River. Buckley had disappeared when swimming on May 29th in Wolf River Harbor, while wearing boots, all of his clothing, and singing the chorus of "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. A roadie in Buckley's band, had remained on shore. After moving a radio and guitar out of reach of the wake from a passing tugboat, he looked up to see that Buckley had vanished.
2002 - George Michael was jeered and heckled by the audience of a CNN news show as he took part in a phone interview. George was defending the content of the video to his new single 'Shoot The Dog' in which US President George Bush was shown in bed with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. George said this was an attack on Blair and not President Bush.
2006 - Sandi Thom was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker, (with flowers in My Hair'). The song was originally released in October 2005 by Viking Legacy records, where it reached No.55.
1937 – Born this day, Freddy Fender (Baldemar Huerta), singer (Wasted Days and Wasted Nights). Died October 14th 2006.
1944 – Born this day, Michelle Phillips, singer with Mamas & Papas.
1952 – Born this day, Jimmy McCulloch, guitarist with Thunderclap Newman, UK #1 single 1969 “Something in the Air”. Wings lead guitarist 1974-1977. Died 27 September 1979 at the age of 26 from a heroin overdose.
1967 – The Monkees TV show won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.
1969 - Seven years after his first hit Tommy Roe was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Dizzy' his only No.1 hit. Also a UK No. 1 for Vic Reeves and Wonder Stuff in 1991.
1969 - In Glenrowan, Australia, hundreds of people signed a petition protesting against the casting of Mick Jagger in the role of the Australian folk hero Ned Kelly in the film of the same name. The film, directed by Tony Richardson, was released in October 1970.
1970 – Carlos Santana began recording Black Magic Woman.
1975 - The Rolling Stones became the first rock band to receive royalties for sales of their records in Russia.
1976 - The Sex Pistols appeared at The Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England. The now legendary night is regarded as a catalyst to the punk rock movement. In the audience was, Morrissey, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook (soon to form Joy Division) and Mark E Smith, (The Fall). Tickets cost £1.
1977 - The Jam's debut single 'In The City' made No.40 on the UK singles chart. They went on to score 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four No.1 hits.
1983 – The Police started a 4 week run at #1 in the UK with “Every Breath You Take, the group’s fifth and final #1 single.
1984 - Bruce Springsteen released the album, 'Born In The USA', which became the best-selling album of 1985 in the United States (and also Springsteen's most successful album ever). The album produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles (tied with Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814).
1985 - Elton John began a high court battle with Dick James Music, seeking the rights to early songs and recordings plus damages estimated at more than £30 million ($51 million). The singer lost a six-month court battle to recover the copyright to 169 songs however, the court ordered Dick James to cough up millions in unpaid royalties.
1992 – US postal officials announced that the young, 1950’s era Elvis Presley portrait was chosen overwhelmingly over the older, Las Vegas-style Elvis in a nationwide vote for a new postage stamp honouring “The King”.
1992 - Smokey Robinson's half sister, Rose Ella Jones field a suit against Smokey claiming she had been cheated out of royalty payments from songs written during the 1980's.
1993 – Kurt Cobain was arrested after a dispute at his house in Seattle. The disagreement allegedly concerned Cobains collection of firearms.
1994 – Wet Wet Wet started a 15 week at #1 on the UK singles chart with “Love is all around”, written by Reg Presley of The Troggs.
1996 – Crowded House announced they had split up.
1997 - Jeff Buckley's body was discovered floating in the Mississippi River. Buckley had disappeared when swimming on May 29th in Wolf River Harbor, while wearing boots, all of his clothing, and singing the chorus of "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. A roadie in Buckley's band, had remained on shore. After moving a radio and guitar out of reach of the wake from a passing tugboat, he looked up to see that Buckley had vanished.
2002 - George Michael was jeered and heckled by the audience of a CNN news show as he took part in a phone interview. George was defending the content of the video to his new single 'Shoot The Dog' in which US President George Bush was shown in bed with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. George said this was an attack on Blair and not President Bush.
2006 - Sandi Thom was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker, (with flowers in My Hair'). The song was originally released in October 2005 by Viking Legacy records, where it reached No.55.