2000 Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks weds actor Adrian Pasdar in Las Vegas.
1999 Eric Clapton parts with 100 of his guitars and generates over $5 million for his Crossroads Centre at Antigua, and alcohol and drug-dependency treatment center in the West Indies. Among the stringed beauties auctioned off is “Brownie,” a 1956 sunburst Fender upon which he recorded his hit “Layla”; the instrument goes for a record-breaking $497,500. The previous record holder was an axe of Jimi Hendrix’s that went for $320,000.
1998 Johnny Cash returns to a Nashville stage and performs for the first time since has was stricken with Shy-Drager Syndrome the preceding October. Cash joins a surprised Kris Kristofferson, who is singing Cash’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down” at “Witness History II,” a tribute to Cash and Waylon Jennings at the Ryman Auditorium.
1998 The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band starts a run of 12 European dates in London. Stops include Helsinki, Brussels, Paris, and Munich, as well as shows July 7 and 8 at the Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival.
1992 Billy Joel receives his high school diploma from Hicksville High School on Long Island, N.Y. He failed to graduate with his class in
1967 because of missed gym and English credits. The school choir sings Joel’s song “Summer, Highland Falls“ at the ceremony.
1979 No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Ring My Bell,“ Anita Ward.
1973 The Blues Project holds a reunion concert in Central Park, New York.
1969 No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet,“ Henry Mancini.
1961 Bass player Curt Smith of Tears for Fears is born in Bath, England. The group has two No. 1 hits in 1985: “Shout“ and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.“
1945 Vocalist Colin Blunstone of the Zombies is born in Hatfield, England. The group’s biggest hits are “She’s Not There,“ a No. 2 song in 1964, and “Time of the Season,“ a million-selling No. 3 hit in 1969.
1944 Jeff Beck is born in Surrey, England. He is a member of the Yardbirds from 1964-66. He is joined by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood in the Jeff Beck Group from 1967-69. He joins other rock superstars in the Honeydrippers, which has a No. 3 song, “Sea of Love,“ in 1984.
1942 Drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac is born in London. The group’s biggest hit is “Dreams,“ a million-selling No. 1 song in 1977. Billboard ranks the group’s “Rumours“ as the No. 1 album of 1977; it tops the album chart for 31 weeks.