Pick a Day

4 JUNE

In Music History

2000 In Atlanta, Bruce Springsteen debuts "American Skin (41 Shots)," a song he wrote about the New York police killing of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed suspect. Eight days later, he performs the song at his concert in Madison Square Garden, which is protested by some members of the NYPD.More

1999 As he predicted on the title track, Kid Rock goes Platinum with his album Devil Without A Cause. It goes on to sell another 10 million copies.

1998 Ray Charles reunites with his legendary touring band to perform in celebration of his 50th year in show business at the 15th annual Chicago Blues Festival in Grant Park.

1997 Ronnie Lane (bass guitarist of The Small Faces, The Faces) dies at age 51 after a 21-year battle with multiple sclerosis.

1996 Metallica release Load, their first album in five years.More

1996 After 10 years together, Crowded House announce they are splitting up. They reunite in 2007.

1994 Derek Leckenby (lead guitarist for Herman's Hermits) dies of non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 51.

1994 Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around" starts a 15-week run at #1 on the UK singles chart.

1994 The soundtrack from the film The Crow hits #1 on the US Albums chart.

1993 Police are called to a domestic dispute at the house of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, and the Nirvana lead singer is arrested. Cobain claims that reports of him choking his wife are false, and that police were called because they were playing music too loud.

1992 Iron Maiden play a gig at the Oval pub in Norwich before 400 fans as The Nodding Donkeys, as a thank you to the pub's landlord, Chris Hiles.

1992 Smokey Robinson's half sister, Rose Ella Jones, files a suit against Smokey claiming she had been cheated out of royalty payments from songs written during the 1980s.

1992 The Children Of The Night foundation opens a shelter in Van Nuys, California for teenagers who have been forced into prostitution. It is funded in part from proceeds from Richard Marx' song "Children Of The Night," which he wrote after spending time with kids who were helped by the organization.

1990 Stiv Bators (frontman for The Dead Boys, The Lords of the New Church), age 40, dies of a concussion in his sleep hours after being struck by a taxi.

1986 After a years-long court battle, the producers of The Beatles' tribute Beatlemania! are forced to pay Apple $10 million in royalties.