Music Almanac: July 12

Birthdays

• 1942 - Swamp Dogg (born Jerry Williams, Jr.) (70)
• 1942 - Steve Young (70)
• 1943 - Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac) (69)
• 1945 - Butch Hancock (Flatlanders) (67)
• 1947 - Wilko Johnson (Dr. Feelgood) (65)
• 1948 - Walter Egan (64)
• 1949 - John Wetton (King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Roxy Music, Asia) (63)
• 1950 - Eric Carr (Kiss) (d. 1991)
• 1952 - Liz Mitchell (Boney M) (60)
• 1952 - Phillip Kramer (Iron Butterfly) (d. 1995)
• 1953 - Billy Alessi (59)
• 1953 - Bobby Alessi (59)
• 1956 - Sandi Patty (56)
• 1959 - Ray Gillen (Black Sabbath) (d. 1993)
• 1962 - Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) (50)
• 1964 - Tim Gane (Stereolab) (48)
• 1965 - Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms) (47)
• 1967 - John Petrucci (Dream Theater) (45)
• 1970 - MC Breed (born Eric Breed) (d. 2008)
• 1972 - Brett Reed (Rancid) (40)
• 1976 - Tracie Spencer (36)
• 1977 - Airin Older (Sugarcult) (35)
• 1984 - Gareth Gates (28)

Deaths

• 1979 - Minnie Ripperton - Cancer (31)
• 1983 - Chris Wood (Traffic) - Pneumonia (39)
• 1996 - John Panozzo (Styx) - Gastrointestinal hemorrhaging (47)
• 1997 - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Respiratory illness (38)
• 1998 - Jimmy Driftwood - Heart attack (91)
• 2004 - Ersel Hickey - During bladder surgery (70)
• 2008 - Earl Nelson (Bob & Earl) (79)

On This Day

• 1954 - Elvis Presley (19) signed with Sun Records and quit his day job with The Crown Electric Company.
• 1961 - Pat Boone began a 10-day tour of South Africa.
• 1961 - Bill Anderson joined the Grand Ole Opry.
• 1962 - The Rolling Stones played their first live show in London.
• 1969 - Blind Faith made their live U.S. debut at Madison Square Garden.
• 1970 - Janis Joplin played her first show with the Full Tilt Boogie Band in Louisville, KY.
• 1979 - Disco Demolition Night was held by a Chicago station at a major league baseball game. Between games of a double header, a pile of disco records was exploded on the field causing a near-riot and leading to the cancellation of the second game.
• 1979 - Ian Paice, ex-Deep Purple, joins Whitesnake.
• 1986 - Boy George was arrested in London for drug possession.
• 1988 - Michael Jackson went to the U.K. for his first ever live shows in Britain. Over eight nights, he performed for 794,000 people.
• 1992 - Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses is arrested on charges stemming from a 1991 St. Louis show where he allegedly started a riot by diving into the crowd. 
• 1992 - A memorial to Buddy Holly was unveiled in Dallas, TX.
• 1993 - Prince performed a show at his Paisley Park Studio to benefit a local community radio station.
• 1996 - Jimmy Chamberlin of Smashing Pumpkins was charged with drug possession after he involvement in the overdose death of band member Jonathan Melvoin.
• 1999 - Fred Durst of Limp Bizket is arrested in St. Paul, MN after kicking a security guard in the head during a show.
• 1999 - DMX was arrested during a concert in Trinidad for using obscene language.
• 1999 - Gregg Alexander issued a press release saying the New Radicals had broken up.
• 2000 - Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) denied that he had ever supported the militant group Hamas.
• 2003 - Rob Halford announced he was rejoining Judas Priest after 13 years apart.
• 2005 - INXS tried to come back with a new record deal and a reality show to choose a new lead singer.
• 2008 - Ron Wood left his wife of 23 years to move in with an 18-year-old Russian woman.

Marriages

• 1968 - Mickey Dolenz (Monkees) and Samantha Juste

Released

• 1978 - Nightwatch - Kenny Loggins
• 1986 - Revenge - Eurythmics

Broadcasts

• 1960 - American Bandstand - Frankie Lymon
• 1961 - American Bandstand - Bob Halley
• 1964 - Ed Sullivan - Beatles (rebroadcast)
• 1965 - Where the Action Is - Mel Carter, Ian Whitcomb, Steve Alaimo, Linda Scott
• 1966 - Where the Action Is - Gene Pitney, Standels, Keith Allison
• 1969 - American Bandstand - Jackie DeShannon, Winstons
• 1974 - Midnight Special - Bobby Womack (host), Chi Coltrane, David Essex, Kool & the Gang, Elliott Murphy, Tim Weisberg
• 1975 - American Bandstand - Gwen McCrae, Sparks
• 1980 - American Bandstand - Whispers
• 1986 - American Bandstand - Giuffria

Number Ones – U.S. Singles

• 1941 – Daddy – Sammy Kaye (7 weeks)
• 1952 - Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart - Vera Lynn (9 weeks)
• 1969 - In the Year 2525 - Zager & Evans (6 weeks)
• 1986 - Holding Back the Years - Simply Red (1 week)
• 2003 - Crazy in Love - Beyonce Featuring Jay-Z (8 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Albums

• 1958 - Johnny's Greatest Hits - Johnny Mathis (1 week (2 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1997 - Spice - Spice Girls (1 week (4 previous weeks at number 1))
• 2003 - Dangerously in Love - Beyonce (1 week)

Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles

• 1952 - Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Lloyd Price (7 weeks)
• 1975 - The Hustle - Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony (1 week)
• 1986 - Who's Johnny - El DeBarge (1 week)

Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles

• 1952 - That Heart Belongs to Me - Webb Pierce (4 weeks)
• 1975 - Movin' On - Merle Haggard (1 week)
• 1980 - You Win Again - Charley Pride (1 week)
• 1986 - Hearts Aren't Made to Break (They're Made to Love) - Lee Greenwood (1 week)
• 2008 - Back When I Knew It All - Montgomery Gentry (1 week)

Number Ones – U.K. Singles

• 1957 - All Shook Up - Elvis Presley (7 weeks)
• 1962 - I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles (2 weeks)
• 1975 - Tears on My Pillow - Johnny Nash (1 week)
• 1980 - Xanadu - Olivia Newton-John & the Electric Light Orchestra (2 weeks)
• 1986 - Papa Don't Preach - Madonna (3 weeks)
• 1992 - Ain't No Doubt - Jimmy Nail (3 weeks)
• 1998 - Freak Me - Another Level (1 week)

Number Ones – U.K. Albums

• 1969 - According to My Heart - Jim Reeves (4 weeks)
• 1986 - True Blue - Madonna (6 weeks)
• 1997 - The Fat of the Land - Prodigy (6 weeks)
• 1998 - Talk on Corners - Coors (1 week)