The Answer to this Week’s Question: David Bowie plays a show in West Berlin with the speakers pointed towards the Berlin Wall which is close by. Thousands of young East Berliners stood by and heard the music: June 7, 1987. Be sure to check out other cool things that happened this week on “This Week In Rock!”
Born this Week in Rock History June 3 – June 9
Jimmy Rogers: June 3, 1924 (blues guitarist/harmonica player, Muddy Waters)
Ian Hunter: June 3, 1939 (Mott The Hoople, Lead Singer)
Curtis Mayfield: June 3, 1942 (Pivotal Soul Musician)
Mike Gordon: June 3, 1965 (Phish, bass)
Dave Alexander: June 3, 1947 (The Stooges, bass)
Billy Powell: June 3, 1952 (Lynyrd Skynyrd, keyboards)
Michelle Phillips: June 4, 1944 (The Mamas and the Papas, Vocals)
Freddie Stone: June 5, 1947 (Sly and the Family Stone, Guitar)
Tom Evans: June 5, 1947 (Badfinger, bass)
Niko McBrain: June 5, 1952 (Iron Maiden, Drums)
Peter Erskine: June 5, 1954 (Weather Report, jazz drummer)
Tony Levin, June 6, 1946 (King Crimson, Bass)
Steve Vai: June 6, 1960 (Rock guitarist)
Tal Farlow: June 7, 1921 (Jazz guitarist)
Prince: June 7, 1958 (Multi-instrumentalist/performer)
Michael Cartellone June 7, 1962 (Lynyrd Skynyrd, drums)
Elvis Presley: June 8, 1935
James Harman: June 8, 1946 (Blues harmonica player)
Derek Trucks: June 8, 1979 (blues slide player)
Skip James: June 9, 1902 (blues guitarist)
Les Paul: June 9, 1915 (Guitar Pioneer, Jazz, Country, and Blues)
Johnny Ace: June 9, 1929 (R&B singer)
John Lord: June 9, 1941 (Deep Purple, keyboards)
Died this Week in Rock History
Koko Taylor: June 3, 2009 (Blues Vocalist)
Ronnie Lane: June 4, 1997 (Faces, bass)
Joey Covington: June 4, 2013 (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, Drums)
Jim Hodder: June 5, 1990 (Steely Dan, drums)
Dee Dee Ramone: June 5, 2002 (The Ramones, bass)
Stan Getz: June 6, 1991 (Jazz Saxophonist)
Dave Rowberry: June 6, 2003 (The Animals, piano and organ)
Alan Rubin: June 8, 2011 (The Blues Brothers, trumpet)
Music releases and the top of the charts
Jethro Tull’s hit album Thick As A Brick Hits #1: June 3, 1972
The Doors, “Light My Fire” was released: June 3, 1967
Elton John Releases “Empty Sky”: June 3,1969
‘Band of Gypsies” Awarded Gold: June 3, 1970
The Eagles, “Take It Easy” was released: June 3, 1972
“The Miracle” by Queen hits #1 in UK: June 3, 1989
Carlos Santana records his cover of “Black Magic Woman” – June 4, 1970
Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA is released: June 4, 1984
James Taylor, “You’ve Got A Friend” was released: June 5, 1971
Roy Orbison’s “Running Scared” hits #1: June 5, 1961
Heart’s ninth album Bad Animals is released: June 6, 1987
The Rolling Stones release “Come On”: June 7, 1963
Elton John’s, “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboys” debuts at #1 on the charts: June 7, 1975
The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was released: June 8, 1968
Wings hits #1 with “Band On the Run”: June 8, 1974
The debut album KISS is certified gold: June 8, 1977
Led Zeppelin tops the charts with How the West Was Won: June 8, 2003
Paul McCartney’s second solo album, Ram, is certified Gold: June 9, 1971
The Rolling Stones release Some Girls, June 9, 1978
Genesis release Invisible Touch: June 9, 1986
This week in Rock History
Elvis’ home in Graceland is opened to the public: June 3, 1982
Buddy Holly opens for Elvis at a concert in Texas: June 3, 1955
The Rolling Stones appear on US television for the first time: June 3, 1964
A truly surreal edition of ABC-TV’s American Bandstand features Jefferson Airplane performing “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit”: June 3, 1967
Aretha Franklin gets her “only solo #1 hit on the Billboard Pop charts with Otis Redding’s Respect.”: June 3, 1967
With the BBC refusing to air the Kinks’ new single, “Lola,” due to its reference to “Coca-Cola” lead singer Ray Davies is forced to fly all the way from London to New York to record the words “cherry cola” for an alternate release: June 3, 1970
Rock Band Jethro Tull’s “Thick As A Brick” remained #1 on the US album chart for two weeks: June 3, 1972
With Martha Reeves and Stevie Wonder opening, The Rolling Stones kick off their Exile On Main Street tour in Vancouver, BC: June 3, 1972
Already undergoing psychiatric treatment and suffering from, among other things, voices in his head, Derek and the Dominos drummer Jim Gordon brutally murders his own mother with a hammer and knife in their home. Gordon, who co-wrote the band’s biggest hit, “Layla,” is sentenced to life in prison: June 3, 1983
Janis Joplin arrives in San Francisco, having been invited there by Big Brother and the Holding Company in order to become their new lead singer: June 4, 1966
The Monkees win an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series: June 4, 1967
The Rolling Stones become the first rock band to receive royalties for sales of their records in Russia: June 4, 1975
US President Jimmy Carter hosts Chuck Berry, who plays a concert for The First Family at the White House: June 4, 1979
Syd Barrett, ex-Pink Floyd member and founder who was forced from the band after becoming an acid casualty, quietly appears in the Abbey Road studios during recording of the band’s album Wish You Were Here, which was largely written about him: June 5, 1975
Muddy Waters, 64, marries his third wife, 25-year-old Marva Jean Brooks, in Chicago with Eric Clapton as best man: June 5, 1979
John Lennon and Yoko Ono join Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention onstage at the Fillmore East in New York for a set of lengthy, chaotic, screeching jams later release as a bonus disc with the Lennon/Ono album Some Time In New York City: June 6, 1971
Pink Floyd begin their ill-fated American tour in support of their album Animals, an event which would directly inspire the soul-searching of the next LP, The Wall: June 6, 1975
The Velvet Underground reform for the first time in 24 years for a show at London’s Wembley Arena: June 6, 1993
The Who’s famous rock opera “Tommy” officially receives 5 Tony Awards: June 6, 1993
The Johnny Cash show debuts on ABC TV with guests Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Bob Dylan sang three songs: “I Threw It All Away,” “Living the Blues,” and “Girl From the North Country,” the last of which was a duet with Cash: June 7, 1969
Led Zeppelin begins a sold-out 6-night stand at iconic Madison Square Garden. This was part of their 11th and final North American Tour. The set lasted 3 hours and tickets cost between $8.50 – $10.50, so think about that the next time you go to a concert: June 7, 1977
David Bowie plays a show in West Berlin with the speakers pointed towards the Berlin Wall which is close by. Thousands of young East Berliners stood by and heard the music: June 7, 1987
Chuck Berry, Sam Phillips, Pete Townshend, and Billy Joel are among the rock immortals present at the groundbreaking ceremony for Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: June 7, 1993
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Charlie Watts went to the home of Brian Jones for a meeting about the future of Jones’ affiliation with the band. The eventual outcome would be the end of Jones’ tenure with the group: June 8, 1969
Bob Dylan records a song called “Mr. Tambourine Man” during an evening recording session at Columbia Recording Studios in NYC. June 9, 1964.
Pink Floyd plays two gigs in one day: one in Hull and one in London. Attending two Pink Floyd gigs in one day would essentially be “the best day of our lives.” June 9, 1967.
A young man named Bruce Springsteen signs a record deal with Columbia Records. June 9, 1972