Music Almanac: July 15

Birthdays

• 1913 - Cowboy Copas (d. 1963)
• 1944 - Millie Jackson (68)
• 1945 - Peter Lewis (Moby Grape) (67)
• 1946 - Linda Ronstadt (66)
• 1947 - Peter Banks (Yes) (65)
• 1948 - Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (64)
• 1948 - Twinkle (born Lynn Ripley) (64)
• 1949 - Trevor Horn (61)
• 1951 - Gregory Isaacs (d. 2010)
• 1952 - Jeff Carlisli (.38 Special) (60)
• 1952 - David Pack (Ambrosia) (60)
• 1952 - Johnny Thunders (d. 1991)
• 1953 - Alicia Bridges (59)
• 1956 - Joe Satriani (56)
• 1956 - Marky Ramone (Ramones) (56)
• 1956 - Ian Curtis (Joy Division) (d. 1980)
• 1966 - Jason Bonham (Black Country Communion, Led Zeppelin reunion) (46)
• 1970 - Chi Cheng (Deftones) (42)
• 1972 - John Dolmayan (System of a Down) (40)
• 1973 - Buju Banton (39)
• 1976 - Jim Jones (36)
• 1977 - Ray Toro (My Chemical Romance) (35)

Deaths

• 1958 - Julia Lennon (mother of John Lennon) - Car driven by drunk driver (44)
• 1973 - Clarence White (Byrds) - Hit by drunk driver while loading equipment (29)
• 1982 - Bill Justis - Cancer (55)
• 1990 - Trouble T Roy (born Troy Dixon) (Heavy D and the Boyz) - Accidental fall (22)
• 1997 - Ary Groenhuijzen (Teddy Bears)
• 2000 - Paul Young (Sad Cafe, Mike & the Mechanics) - Heart attack (53)
• 2001 - Poetic (born Anthony Berkeley) (Gravediggaz) - Colon cancer (36)
• 2007 - Kelly Johnson (Girlschool) - Spinal cancer (49)
• 2010 - Hank Cochran (74)

On This Day

• 1952 - Gladys Knight won $2,000 on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour singing Too Young. She was eight years old.
• 1952 - Patti Page made her TV debut as a summer replacement for Perry Como.
• 1963 - Elvis Presley began filming Viva Las Vegas.
• 1973 - While on stage at The Great Western Express festival in White City, England, Ray Davies announces his retirement (his wife had recently left him). He then went to the hospital for an overdose of tranquilizers. 
• 1974 - Elton John resigned with MCA in a five-album/$8 million deal.
• 1978 - Bob Dylan played for an audience of 200,000 at Blackbushe Airport in England.
• 1980 - Linda Ronstadt premiered on Broadway in the Pirates of Penzance.
• 1986 - Columbia Records dropped Johnny Cash after 28 years.
• 1989 - Pink Floyd appeared at Canal di San Marco in Venice, Italy in front of over 200,000 with the show broadcast to over 20 countries. The crowd did extensive damage to buildings and bridges in the area.
• 1992 - Aretha Franklin sang the National Anthem at the Democratic National Convention in New York.
• 1995 - Sinead O'Connor dropped out of the Lollapalooza tour, announcing she was pregnant.
• 1998 - Tori Amos opened her From the Choirgirl Hotel tour in Milwaukee, WI.
• 1998 - Aerosmith cancelled a U.S. tour after Joey Kramer's car caught on fire, giving him second degree burns.
• 1999 - Tommy Lee was allowed to perform at venues that served alcohol after successfully abstaining from drugs and drink while on probation for spousal abuse.
• 1999 - Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band opened their reunion tour.
• 2001 - Police ended an Insane Clown Posse show in Toledo, Ohio after over 100 fans went on the stage. Most of the bands equipment is destroyed in the melee.
• 2007 - Prince was the target of criticism from the British music industry after he agreed to give away his new album, Planet Earth, for free with the Mail on Sunday newspaper. It wouldn't hit stores until July 24.
• 2010 - Joe Perry's motorcycle was rear-ended by a car in Massachusetts. 
• 2010 - Take That announced that Robbie Williams was rejoining for a new album.

Marriages

• 1999 - Bob Weir and Natasha
• 2006 - Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley (Sum 41)

Divorces

• 1994 - Phil Collins and Jill Collins (announced)

Recorded

• 1954 - Say Hay (The Willie Mays Song) - Trenners (produced by Quincy Jones)

Released

• 1966 - Yardbirds (aka Roger the Engineer and Over Under Sideways Down) - Yardbirds
• 1968 - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Creedence Clearwater Revival (debut album)
• 1972 - Moods - Neil Diamond
• 1985 - Little Creatures - Talking Heads
• 1986 - Dancing on the Ceiling - Lionel Richie
• 1997 - Surfacing - Sarah McLachlan
• 1997 - Supa Dupa Fly - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott (debut)
• 2002 - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - Flaming Lips

Broadcasts

• 1959 - American Bandstand - Duane Eddy, Johnny Johns
• 1960 - American Bandstand - Johnny Horton
• 1965 - Where the Action Is - Jan and Dean, Lenny Welch, Paul Revere & the Raiders
• 1966 - Where the Action Is - Jimmie Rodgers, Swingin' Medallions, Robbs, Steve Alaimo, Paul Revere & the Raiders
• 1967 - American Bandstand - Tommy Roe, Impressions
• 1972 - American Bandstand - Davy Jones (host), Osmond Brothers, Sunday's Child, Mike Curb Congregation, Michael Gray, Hudson & Landry
• 1978 - American Bandstand - Cory Wells
• 1989 - American Bandstand - Waterfront
• 1999 - Today Show - Drifters

Number Ones – U.S. Singles

• 1944 - I'll Be Seeing You - Bing Crosby (3 weeks (1 previous week at number 1))
• 1950 - Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole (5 weeks)
• 1989 - If You Don't Know Me By Now - Simply Red (1 week)
• 2000 - Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon (1 week)

Number Ones – U.S. Albums

• 1950 - Young Man With a Horn - Doris Day and Harry James (1 weeks (3 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1972 - Honky Chateau - Elton John (5 weeks)
• 1978 - Some Girls - Rolling Stones (2 weeks)
• 2006 - Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship - India Arie (1 week)

Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles

• 1944 - G.I. Give - Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (6 weeks)
• 1967 - I Was Made to Love Her - Stevie Wonder (1 week)
• 2000 - Let's Get Married - Jagged Edge (3 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles

• 1944 - So Long Pal - Al Dexter (1 week (11 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1950 - Mississippi - Red Foley (1 week)
• 1957 - Bye Bye Love - Everly Brothers (7 weeks)
• 1972 - Made in Japan - Buck Owens (1 week)
• 1978 - Only One Love in My Life - Ronnie Milsap (3 weeks)
• 1989 - In a Letter to You - Eddy Raven (1 week)

Number Ones – U.K. Singles

• 1955 - Dreamboat - Alma Cogan (2 weeks)
• 2001 - Eternity/The Road to Mandalay - Robbie Williams (2 weeks)

Number Ones – U.K. Albums

• 1989 - Club Classics, Volume 1 - Soul II Soul (1 week)
• 2001 - 8701 - Usher (1 week)
• 2007 - We'll Live and Die in These Towns - Enemy (1 week)