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June 26
This date in musical history
In 1963, singer George Michael, one of the biggest rock stars of the late 1980's, was born in London. Michael and Andrew Ridgeley formed the pop duo Wham!, which hit the British chart in 1982 with "Young Guns (Go For It)." North American success followed in 1984, with three straight number-ones - "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Careless Whisper" and "Everything She Wants."
Michael was clearly the mastermind behind the duo. When they broke up in 1986, he began a highly successful solo career. He duetted with Aretha Franklin on "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," which went to number one. Then came the multi-million selling "Faith" album, which yielded such charttoppers as the title song, "Father Figure" and "One More Try." The album also contained "I Want Your Sex," which some radio stations refused to play despite Michael's claim it endorsed monogamy. In 1990, Michael released "Listen Without Prejudice, Volume One." Although it made the top 10, the album did not match the sales figures of his solo debut.
Other musical milestones on this date:
In 1964, the first Beatles album on which they wrote all the songs, "A Hard Day's Night," was released in North America.
Also on this date in 1964, "It's All Over Now" by the Rolling Stones was released. The song, written by American soul singer Bobby Womack, was the first Stones' record to reach number one in Britain.
In 1965, the Byrds, the group which pioneered folk rock, hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Mr. Tambourine Man," written by Bob Dylan. The Byrds had met Dylan six months earlier, and he publicly endorsed the group. The recording of "Mr. Tambourine Man" was actually cut by studio musicians, with guitarist Roger McGuinn the only member of the Byrds actually playing on the record. The group did, however, provide the vocals.
In 1971, promoter Bill Graham announced the closing of his Fillmore East and West concert halls in New York and San Francisco. The Fillmore East had operated for three years, and its last concert the following night included performances by the Beach Boys and the Allman Brothers Band. Graham had begun producing rock concerts at the Fillmore West in 1965. The San Francisco club was a prime venue for such psychedelic superstars as the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane.
In 1975, Sonny and Cher Bono's divorce was made final by a court in Santa Monica, California. They had married in 1964. Four days after the divorce, Cher married Greg Allman of the Allman Brothers. That marriage lasted only a short time.
In 1977, Elvis Presley gave his last performance - at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. His final song - "Can't Help Falling in Love." Less than two months later, Presley was found dead in his bathroom at Graceland. The cause of death was at first given as congestive heart failure, but later investigation revealed that drug abuse may have played a part.
In 1980, Ron Wood, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones turned up at a New York nightclub for a show by Jim Carroll, a former poet and novelist turned rock singer. Richards joined Carroll on stage to perform "People Who Died," which was a minor hit for Carroll.
In 1987, Canadian rock star Corey Hart collapsed from exhaustion following a performance in Sudbury, Ontario. The remainder of his Canadian tour was cancelled six days later after his doctors ordered Hart to rest for ten to 12 weeks.
In 1996, Van Halen announced that lead singer Sammy Hagar had left the band and that it was working on a greatest hits album with former frontman David Lee Roth. The reunion with Roth would last only a matter of weeks and ended in a public trading of insults. Hagar said he left the band after a decade because of "creative differences."
Born on this date:
In 1910, Colonel Tom Parker, who managed Elvis Presley for much of his career, was born. Parker took over from Memphis disc jockey Bob Neal in 1955, signing a managerial contract with Presley for 25% of the singer's earnings. The contract lasted until well after Presley's death in 1977. In 1983, after 21 months of litigation, Parker turned over most of his interest in Presley's audio and video recordings to RCA and the Presley family in return for a large monetary settlement. Parker died of complications from a stroke on January 21st, 1997, in Las Vegas.
In 1943, British singer Georgie Fame, whose real name is Clive Powell, was born in Leigh, England. Fame is best known in North America for his 1968 ragtime novelty hit, "Bonnie and Clyde." But in Britain, he's known primarily as a R'n'B singer. With his band, the Blue Flames, he had number-one British hits with "Yeh Yeh" in 1965 and "Get Away" in 1966.
In 1934, movie score composer and keyboardist Dave Grusin.
In 1940, singer Billy Davis, formerly of the Fifth Dimension.
In 1942, Larry Taylor, bass player with the blues-rock group Canned Heat.
In 1943, Canadian pop composer and lyricist Cliff Jones, in Toronto.
In 1955, Mick Jones of the Clash and Big Audio Dynamite.
In 1956, singer, songwriter and actor Chris Isaak.
In 1957, singer Patty Smyth, whose duet with Don Henley, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," made number-two on the Billboard chart in 1992.
In 1961, singer Terri Nunn of Berlin, primarily known for the "Top Gun" theme "Take My Breath Away."
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George Michael.
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