Music Almanac: July 3

Birthdays

• 1893 - Mississippi John Hurt (d. 1966) (other sources have birthday as March 8, 1892)
• 1927 - Boots Randolph (d. 2007)
• 1929 - David Lynch (Platters) (d. 1981)
• 1930 - Tommy Tedesco (d. 1997)
• 1940 - Fontella Bass (72)
• 1943 - Judith Durham (Seekers) (69)
• 1946 - Michael Clarke (Byrds) (d. 1993)
• 1948 - Paul Barrere (Little Feat) (64)
• 1949 - Johnnie Wilder, Jr. (Heatwave) (63)
• 1949 - John Verity (Argent) (63)
• 1950 - Suzi Quatro (62)
• 1951 - Michael Corby (Babys) (61)
• 1957 - Laura Branigan (d. 2004)
• 1958 - Aaron Tippin (54)
• 1958 - Neil Clark (Lloyd Cole & the Commotions) (54)
• 1959 - Stephen Pearcy (Ratt) (53)
• 1960 - Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure) (52)
• 1961 - Tim Smith (Cardiacs) (51)
• 1962 - Taylor Dayne (50)
• 1964 - Gary Ryan (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts) (48)
• 1969 - Kevin Hearn (Barenaked Ladies) (43)
• 1969 - Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler (Digable Planets) (43)
• 1975 - Javier Weyler (Stereophonics) (37)
• 1976 - Shane Lynch (Boyzone) (36)

Deaths

• 1969 - Brian Jones (Rolling Stones) - Drowned (27)
• 1971 - Jim Morrison (Doors) - No autopsy performed (27)
• 1972 - Mississippi Fred McDowell - Cancer (68)
• 1973 - Laurens Hammond (inventor of the Hammond organ) (78)
• 1986 - Rudy Vallee - Cancer (84)
• 2001 - Johnny Russell - Diabetes (61)
• 2006 - Johnny Grande (Bill Haley & the Comets) - Cancer (76)
• 2007 - Boots Randolph - Brain hemorrhage (80)

On This Day

• 1949 - Hank Williams gave his last performance on the Louisiana Hayride before moving to Nashville.
• 1967 - A private party was held in London for the Monkees with guests John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Lulu, Dusty Springfield, Manfred Mann, the Who and Procol Harum.
• 1968 - Crosby, Stills and Nash played together for the first time at a party at Joni Mitchell's house.
• 1969 - The Newport Jazz Festival included appearances by Led Zeppelin, Sly and the Family Stone, Jeff Beck, Jethro Tull, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, the Mothers of Invention, Savoy Brown and Ten Years After.
• 1969 - Ringo Starr has to fill in for John Lennon at a press conference announcing the release of Give Peace a Chance. Lennon was recovering from a car accident.
• 1973 - David Bowie announced he was retiring from live performing. Only later was it revealed that he was retiring the character Ziggy Stardust.
• 1975 - Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night was arrested and charged with cocaine possession.
• 1981 - A graveside memorial is held in Paris for Jim Morrison led by his former bandmates Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and John Densmore.
• 1986 - U2 crew member Greg Carroll was killed in a motorcycle accident leading to the recording of the song One Tree Hill. 
• 1995 - Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots plead not guilty to drug possession.
• 1996 - Layne Staley performed for the last time with Alice in Chains.
• 1998 - The group Westlife was officially formed and signed to BMG.
• 2002 - Elton John became the first person in the history of the Royal Academy of Music to receive an honorary doctorate.
• 2002 - Sharon Osbourne underwent an emergency operation for colon cancer.
• 2003 - Jack White announced he was producing music for Loretta Lynn.
• 2003 - Pete Doherty (then of the Libertines) was arrested when he broke into bandmate Carl Barat's apartment and stole a computer and a guitar.
• 2004 - David Crosby was fined $5,000 for criminal possession of a weapon.
• 2007 - Pete Doherty agreed to go into rehab instead of jail for a drug charge.

Marriages

• 1960 - Vernon Presley (Elvis' father) and Dee Alliot
• 1989 - Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock

Releases

• 1980 - Triumph - Jacksons
• 1990 - Seven Turns - Allman Brothers Band
• 1990 - Spirits Dancing in the Flesh - Santana
• 2001 - Lil' Romeo - Lil' Romeo (debut)
• 2001 - White Blood Cells - White Stripes

Broadcasts

• 1958 - American Bandstand - Connie & Lee, Frank Sardo
• 1959 - American Bandstand - Ray Peterson
• 1961 - American Bandstand - Eddie Hodges & Sonny Nichols
• 1962 - American Bandstand - Ruth Brown
• 1963 - American Bandstand - Dean Randoph
• 1965 - American Bandstand - Terry Black, Bryan Hyland
• 1971 - American Bandstand - Jerry Reed, Raelettes
• 1976 - American Bandstand - Muglestons, Paul Jabara
• 1982 - American Bandstand - Franke and the Knockouts

Number Ones – U.S. Singles

• 1943 - Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer - Song Spinners (3 weeks)
• 1948 - Woody Wood-Pecker - Kay Kyser (6 weeks)
• 1965 - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) - Four Tops(1 week)
• 1982 - Don't You Want Me - Human League (3 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Albums

• 2004 - To the 5 Boroughs - Beastie Boys (1 week)
• 2010 - Thank Me Later - Drake (1 week)

Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles

• 1961 - Tossin' and Turnin' - Bobby Lewis (10 weeks)
• 1971 - Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight (5 weeks)
• 1982 - Let It Whip - Dazz Band (1 week (4 previous weeks at number 1)
• 1993 - Weak - SWV (2 weeks)
• 2004 - If I Ain't Go You - Alicia Keys (1 week)

Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles

• 1948 - Texarkana Baby - Eddy Arnold (1 week (2 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1954 - Even Tho - Webb Pierce (2 weeks)
• 1982 - Any Day Now - Ronnie Milsap (1 week)
• 1993 - That Summer - Garth Brooks (1 week)
• 2004 - If You Ever Stop Loving Me - Montgomery Gentry (1 week)

Number Ones – U.K. Singles

• 1953 - I Believe - Frankie Laine (6 weeks)
• 1959 - Dream Lover - Bobby Darin (4 weeks)
• 1982 - Happy Talk - Captain Sensible (2 weeks)

Number Ones – U.K. Albums

• 1971 - Bridge Over Troubled Waters - Simon & Garfunkel (5 weeks (27 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1982 - The Lexicon of Love - ABC (4 weeks)