07/07/2025
ADVANCED MUSIC HISTORY // July 7
In 1954, By performing the simple act of playing a single by an unknown artist that he happened to like, WHBQ Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips became a star in his own right. That unknown artist was Elvis Presley, and the song Phillips premiered on the airwaves was “That’s All Right.”
In 1963, The Rolling Stones made their UK TV debut when they appeared on Thank Your Lucky Stars.
In 1966, Steve Boone and Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin’ Spoonful were busted for drugs in San Francisco.
In 1967, The Monkees began a 29-date tour with The Jimi Hendrix Experience as support act. Hendrix was dropped after six shows after being told his act was not suitable for their teenybopper audience.
In 1967, The Beatles’ single “All You Need Is Love” was released.
In 1968, The Yardbirds disbanded, but guitarist Jimmy Page put together a new lineup to fulfill some contractually obligated concerts and began referring to the group as The New Yardbirds. The Who drummer Keith Moon, dubious about the band’s prospects, jokingly suggested that they change their name to “Led Zeppelin,” as in, “They’ll go over like a lead balloon.” The New Yardbirds — Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones — soon did, in fact, change their name to Led Zeppelin.
In 1969, George Harrison recorded his new song “Here Comes The Sun” with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Abbey Road in London. John Lennon was absent, recovering from his recent car accident in Scotland.
In 1973, Paul McCartney’s theme song to the James Bond flick Live And Let Die was released.
In 1973, Billy Preston started a two-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Will It Go Round In Circles,” his first of two US chart toppers.
In 1977, The Grand Illusion, the seventh album by Styx, was released (7/7/77). It was a smash worldwide, and launched Styx to stardom thanks to hit singles “Come Sail Away” and “Fooling Yourself.”
In 1978, Talking Heads released their second studio album, More Songs About Buildings And Food.
In 1980, Led Zeppelin played their last-ever concert with drummer John Bonham when they appeared in West Berlin at the end of a European tour.
In 1984, Bruce Springsteen went to #1 on the US album chart with Born In The USA. The album went on to spend a total of 139 weeks on the US chart and it became one of three albums (along with Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814) to produce seven Top-10 US singles.
In 1984, Prince started a five-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “When Doves Cry,” his first US #1.
In 1989, It was announced that for the first time compact discs were outselling vinyl albums.
In 1995, The jet carrying Rod Stewart had to make an emergency landing because of a mid-air collision with a large bird. Aviation officials described the incident as minor, but Stewart’s feathers were ruffled. “We almost crashed,” an upset Stewart blurted to reporters as he emerged from the plane.
In 2001, Folk singer/songwriter Fred Neil died while suffering from cancer at his home in Summerland Key, Florida. Neil influenced musicians such as John Sebastian and the Jefferson Airplane, and Nilsson had a smash hit with Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’,” the theme for the hit 1969 Midnight Cowboy film.
In 2005, Members of The Hollies asked a High Court judge to jail one of their founding members, claiming bass player Eric Haydock had flouted a 1998 court order to not play under the Hollies name. Haydock had formed the group in Manchester, England, in the early 1960s with Allan Clarke and Graham Nash, and he was currently playing as Eric Haydock’s Hollies.
In 2006, Syd Barrett, 60, died from complications arising from diabetes. The singer/songwriter/guitarist was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, making one album with them.
In 2007, The Live Earth concerts took place around the world with The Police closing the day’s events in New Jersey. The concerts were organized by former US Vice President Al Gore, with concerts highlighting climate change performed to hundreds of thousands of fans in Washington, DC, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Sydney. Among the artists who appeared were Madonna, Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis, The Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, Duran Duran, Snoop Dogg, Crowded House, and Joss Stone.
In 2009, Michael Jackson’s family and fans said farewell to the pop superstar at an emotional memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after an earlier private funeral.
In 2010, Paul McCartney joined Ringo Starr onstage at a concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall to help celebrate Starr’s 70th birthday. With Ringo’s All-Starr Band joined by Yoko Ono, Joe Walsh, Angus Young, and Little Steven, Paul belted out “Birthday” and Ringo delivered “With A Little Help From My Friends.”
In 2015, Climate scientists from five leading universities found that 163 of Bob Dylan’s 542 songs reference the climate — almost a third — making him the musician most likely to mention the weather in his lyrics. The Beatles came in at number two, mentioning the weather in 48 of the 308 songs they wrote.
In 2022, A new recording of “Blowin’ in the Wind” that Bob Dylan made in 2021 with producer and longtime collaborator T Bone Burnett sold at Christie’s London-based auction house for roughly $1.8 million. The recording had been etched onto a one-of-a-kind Ionic Original disc — a new high-quality analog format developed by Burnett — so it is the sole copy.
