1949 : Elvis Presley received an ‘A’ in language but only a ‘C’ in music on his 8th grade report card at Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee.

1953 : Elvis Presley graduated from J.C. Hulmes High School in Memphis; his graduation photo shows him to have a split curl in the middle of his forehead, later to become his trademark. He was the first member of his family to graduate high school.

1955 : Buddy Holly opens for Elvis Presley at a matinee concert in Lubbock, Texas. After the show, they sign autographs in a promotional appearance at the Johnson-Connelley Pontiac car dealership.

1957 : Pat Boone’s “Love Letters In The Sand” hits #1.

1959 : Billboard Magazine responds to the growing popularity of stereophonic recordings by splitting its album chart in two: one chart for mono, one for stereo.

1964 : During a photo session Ringo Starr was taken ill suffering from tonsillitis and pharyngitis, days before a world tour was about to start. After a last-minute phone call from George Martin, session drummer Jimmy Nichol rushed over to EMI Studios, where he and The Beatles ran through six songs from their tour repertoire in a quick rehearsal. Nichol replaced Ringo and became a Beatle for eleven days.

1964 : The Rolling Stones make their U.S. debut performance at the Manning Bowl in Lynn, MA.

1967 : Aretha Franklin went to No.1 on the US singles chart with her version of the Otis Redding hit ‘Respect’. A No.10 hit on the UK chart. Aretha scored her first UK No.1 20 years later with a duet with George Michael ‘I Knew You Were Waiting’.

1967 : The Doors ‘Light My Fire’ was released in the US, where it went on to be No.1 on the singles chart two months later. When The Doors were booked to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show they were asked to change the line “girl, we couldn’t get much higher”, as the sponsors were uncomfortable with the possible reference to drug-taking. The band agreed to do so, and did a rehearsal using the amended lyrics; however, during the live performance, lead singer Jim Morrison sang the original lyric, after which they were informed they would never appear on the Ed Sullivan show again.

1968 : Valerie Solanas shot Andy Warhol and art critic and curator Mario Amaya at Warhol’s studio in New York City. Solanas had been to see Warhol after asking for the return of a script which had apparently, been misplaced. Warhol was seriously wounded in the attack and barely survived.

1969 : Released on this day in the UK, Elton John’s first album – “Empty Sky”, is released; it sells four thousand copies.

1970 : Jimi Hendrix’ Band Of Gypsies is certified gold.

1970 : With the BBC refusing to air The Kinks new single “Lola” because of its reference to “Coca-Cola” (brand names being a no-no for the corporation), lead singer Ray Davies was forced to make a 6,000 mile round trip from New York to London to re-record the line as “Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry-cola.”

1970 : Deep Purple released their fourth studio album ‘Deep Purple In Rock’. This was the first album to feature the classic Mk II lineup of – Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice.

1970 : Stevie Wonder releases “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” as a 45RPM vinyl single. The single reached #3 on Billboard’s Hot R&B charts, and was later played following rally speeches by American presidential candidate Barack Obama.

1971 : The Band appear at London’s Royal Albert Hall during a European tour.

1972 : With Martha Reeves and Stevie Wonder opening, The Rolling Stones kicked off their “Exile On Main Street”, North American tour at the Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada. The 32 date tour grossed $4 million, making it the richest rock tour in history.

1972 : Jethro Tull started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Thick As A Brick’.

1972 : Pink Floyd released Obscured By Clouds in the UK. The album which was recorded in Paris France in less than two weeks peaked at No.6 on the UK chart and No.46 on the US chart.

1972 : Joe Cocker, The Beach Boys, Melanie, Richie Havens and Sha Na Na all appear at the Crystal Palace Garden Party, England.

1972 : The Staple Singers’ I’ll Take You There hits #1.

1982 : Elvis Presley’s fabled home, Graceland, is opened to the public.

1983 : US session drummer Jim Gordon murdered his mother by pounding her head with a hammer. A diagnosed schizophrenic, it was not until his trial in 1984 that he was properly diagnosed. Due to the fact that his attorney was unable to use the insanity defense, Gordon was sentenced to sixteen years-to-life in prison in 1984. A Grammy Award winner for co-writing Layla with Eric Clapton, Gordon worked with The Beach Boys, John Lennon, George Harrison Frank Zappa and many other artists.

1988 : A judge rejects the defense of James Brown’s wife Adrienne, who claims diplomatic immunity in an effort to get out of traffic tickets. Her reasoning is that two years earlier, Congressman Douglas Bernard, Jr. called her husband the “#1 Ambassador” as part of James Brown Appreciation Day. The judge didn’t go for it.

1989 : Queen’s The Miracle hits #1 on the UK album charts.

1989 : The Fine Young Cannibals started a seven-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘The Raw & The Cooked’.

1990 : The Big Day, free festival took place in Glasgow, Scotland with Wet Wet Wet, Deacon Blue, Hothouse Flowers, Sheena Easton, Texas, Hue and Cry, John Martyn, Eddi Reader, The Average White Band and others. Channel 4 TV ran a six-hour live broadcast from the event.

1992 : Bill Clinton, campaigning for US president, makes a whistle stop on The Arsenio Hall Show where he plays the Elvis Presley hit “Heartbreak Hotel” on the saxophone to a cheering, youthful audience. The appearance is later seen by historians as the definitive moment when Clinton captured the trust and support of young voters, and locked the election on charisma points. Amongst many cultural references, the opening theme to the WB Network cartoon Animaniacs includes the line “while Bill Clinton plays the sax” at the start of every episode.

1995 : Bryan Adams started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman’ Taken from the film ‘Don Juan De Marco’ it became Adams third US solo No.1, a No.4 hit in the UK.

2000 : Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts is arrested after allegedly trashing his house, threatening his wife’s life, and then disappearing. He is captured and ordered to get psychiatric help.

2002 : Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Elton John, Brian Wilson, Cliff Richard, Ozzy Osbourne, The Corrs, Will Young, Atomic Kitten and S Club 7 all appeared at The Queen’s Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace, London celebrating the 50th year of her reign.

2003 : Barry Manilow suffered a broken nose after he accidentally walked into a wall at his home in Palm Springs, California and knocked himself unconscious. Although he passed out for four hours, he didn’t endure any lasting effects as doctors determined that surgery was not necessary.

2006 : Red Hot Chili Peppers were at No.1 on the UK and US album charts with Stadium Arcadium the bands ninth studio album.

2010 : “It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty delta day,” as Billie Joe McAllister jumps off the Tallahatchee Bridge, according to the Bobbie Gentry song, Ode To Billie Joe.

2011 : American singer, songwriter Andrew Gold died in his sleep aged 59 from a heart attack. Had the 1977 US No.7 single ‘Lonely Boy’, 1978 UK No.5 single ‘Never Let Her Slip Away’ and as a member of Wax the 1987 UK No.12 single ‘Bridge To Your Heart’.