EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY JUNE 12 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day June 12 in 1957 – Jazz musician and big band leader Jimmy Dorsey died at the age of 53. Best remembered for composing jazz standards such as ‘I’m Glad There Is You’, ‘It’s The Dreamer In Me’, ‘So Many Times’, etc.
1963 – The Beach Boys recorded the title track of their third studio album ‘Surfer Girl’ and its B-side ‘Little Deuce Coupe’. ‘Surfer Girl’ peaked at No.5 in the US while ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ became the band’s highest charting B-side peaking at No.15.
1965 – The Supremes scored their third No.1 single of the year in the US with ‘Back in My Arms Again’ on this day June 12 in music history. They previously topped the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Come See About Me’ and ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’.
1965 – The husband and wife pop duo Sonny & Cher made their US TV debut on American Bandstand while performing ‘Just You’.
1970 – David Bowie released the single ‘Memory of a Free Festival’ on this day June 12. It featured on his second self-titled studio album.
1971 – R&B and soul girl group Honey Cone went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Want Ads’.
1972 – The Plastic Ono Band released their part-studio and part-live double album ‘Some Time in New York City’.
1978 – Country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Cyrus Bond also known professionally as Johnny Bond died on this day June 12 in music history, aged 63. Best remembered for scoring seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts.
1984 – British musician Howard Jones released his debut album ‘Human’s Lib’ in the United States. Unlike the UK where the album went to number one, in the US it peaked at No.59.
1989 – American singer Louis Scaglione also known professionally as Lou Monte died at the age of 72. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘Lazy Mary’ and ‘Pepino the Italian Mouse’.
1990 – Mariah Carry released her self-titled debut studio album on this day June 12 through Columbia Records. It peaked at number one in the US and Canada.
1999 – With her debut single ‘If You Had My Love’, Jennifer Lopez topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was an international hit that year, reaching number one in seven other countries.
Jennifer Lopez – If You Had My Love
2011 – Founding member and singer of the The Coasters, Carl Gardner died on this day at the age of 83. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
2012 – Rush released their nineteenth and final studio album ‘Clockwork Angels’ on this day June 12 in music history. The album became a chart-topper in Canada and peaked at No.2 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
2020 – Welsh pop singer David Spencer also known by his stage name as Ricky Valance died on this day June 12, aged 84. Best remembered for his chart-topping and million-selling single ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’.
BORN ON THIS DAY JUNE 12 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1927 – Scottish jazz trumpeter Alastair “Al” Fairweather was born in Edinburgh on this day June 12 in music history.
1928 – American pop and big band singer Vito Farinola also known professionally as Vic Damone was born in Brooklyn, New York. Best known for his chart-topping renditions of songs such as ‘You’re Breaking My Heart’ and ‘On the Street Where You Live’.
1941 – English singer-songwriter Reginald Maurice Ball also known by his stage name as Reg Presley was born on this day June 12 in music history. He rose to fame as the lead signer of The Troggs.
1941 – Jazz composer, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Anthony “Chick” Corea was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
1941 – British singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper was born on this day June 12 in Manchester, England.
1942 – American blue-eyed soul singer-songwriter Leonard Borisoff also known professionally as Len Barry was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1949 – Singer-songwriter and bassist John Wetton was born in England on this day June 12 in music history.
1951 – American musician Bradley “Brad” Delp was born on this day in Peabody, Massachusetts. Best known as a founding member and lead singer of the rock band Boston.
1952 – Founding member and bassist of the Pretenders, Peter “Pete” Farndon was born in Hereford, England.
1950 – Founding member and drummer of the rock band Cheap Trick, Brad M. Carlson also known professionally as Bun E. Carlos was born in Rockford, Illinois.
1953 – American singer Jonathan “Rocky” Burnette was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Best known for his chart-topping 1980 hit single ‘Tired of Toein’ the Line’. He’s also the son of Johnny Burnette.
1958 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist Meredith Brooks was born on this day June 12 in Corvallis, Oregon. Best known for her Grammy nominated and chart-topping song ‘Bitch’.
1959 – One half of the alt rock band They Might Be Giants, John Linnell was born on this day June 12 in New York City.
1977 – American blues and rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.
1979 – Swedish pop singer Robin Carlsson also known as Robyn was born on this day June 12 in Stockholm. She rose to fame with her debut studio album ‘Robyn Is Here’ that features two US Top 10 singles.
