8 June

Pick a Day

8 JUNE

In Music History

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2020 Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters dies of a heart attack at 69.

2017 Country songwriter/producer Norro Wilson, who penned hits for George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Charley Pride, and others, dies at age 79.

2016 Brian May of Queen posts a note on his website objecting to Donald Trump's use of "We Are The Champions" at campaign events. "Regardless of our views on Mr. Trump's platform, it has always been against our policy to allow Queen music to be used as a political campaigning tool," May writes. The following month, Trump uses the song as his entrance music when he makes his first appearance at the Republican convention.

2012 Nat Reese, noted blues guitarist from West Virginia, dies at age 88.

2010 Olivia Newton-John plays a celebrity judge on the Glee episode "Journey To Regionals."

2004 Bad Religion release their 13th full-length studio album, The Empire Strikes First.

2000 Sinead O'Connor comes out as a lesbian during an interview with Curve magazine, saying, "I would say that I'm a lesbian. Although I haven't been very open about that and throughout most of my life I've gone out with blokes because I haven't necessarily been terribly comfortable about being a lesbian. But I actually am a lesbian." She marries a man the following year and says she's "three-quarters heterosexual, a quarter gay."

1996 "Mother Mother" by Tracy Bonham goes to #1 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart. She's the last female solo artist to top the chart until 2013, when Lorde claims the top spot with "Royals."

1996 The Fugees' reworking of "Killing Me Softly," featuring lead vocals by Lauryn Hill, goes to #1 in the UK, where it becomes the top-selling single of 1996.

1991 Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound, hits #1 in America. The ballad "Rush, Rush" and the rosy "The Promise of a New Day" both go to #1 on the Hot 100.

1985 Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" hits #1 in the US for the first of two weeks.

1984 Bruce Springsteen plays a surprise gig at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, going on after the scheduled act to warm up for his Born In The U.S.A. tour.

1984 The movie Beat Street opens in theaters. One of the first films with a hip-hop backdrop, it features appearances by Doug E. Fresh, Melle Mel and Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force.

1981 Alex Band (vocalist for The Calling) is born in Los Angeles, California. His father is horror film director Charles Band, known for the Puppet Master franchise.

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Velvet Revolver Release Contraband, Made With Scott Weiland In Rehab

2004

Velvet Revolver release their first album, Contraband. The group is made up of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan, along with Scott Weiland and Dave Kushner.


The band formed in 2002 when the ex-gunners played a benefit concert for Randy Castillo, a drummer who died of cancer. Stone Temple Pilots had split up, so they courted Scott Weiland as lead singer (guitarist Dave Kushner was the fifth member). Convinced they could pull it off, Clive Davis signed the band to RCA Records, and protocols were put in place to keep everyone as sober as possible while they recorded the album. Slash, Sorum and McKagan were liberated from Axl Rose, but Weiland came with a different set of issues. When they recorded the album, he was confined to court-ordered rehab; he was allowed out in four-hour supervised increments so he could work in the studio. Somehow, it worked: Weiland delivered the potent lyrics and searing lead vocals the band needed. With STP and GnR both in limbo, Velvet Revolver fills the void with Contraband, which goes to #1 in America and sells over 2 million copies. The band manages one more album (Libertad in 2007), but falls apart after Weiland leaves in 2008.

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