June 1, 1975 – Ronnie Wood performs his first official gig as a Rolling Stones guitarist on his 28th birthday.
June 1, 2008 – A massive fire at the 22,320-square-foot warehouse on the lot of Universal Studios Hollywood destroys thousands of master tapes including recordings by Aerosmith, Don Henley, the Eagles, Eric Clapton Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Nirvana and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Also destroyed were classics like most of Chuck Berry’s Chess masters, almost all of Buddy Holly’s masters, original recordings from Aretha Franklin and hundreds if not thousands of others. Although initially downplayed by Universal, it has now been recognized as perhaps the biggest disaster in the history of the music business.
June 1, 2003 – Paul Gray, Slipknot bassist, is arrested in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa after crashing into another car. Gray is charged with possession of marijuana, cocaine and drug paraphernalia, and failure to obey a traffic signal for running a red light. He later dies in 2010 of an accidental drug overdose.
June 1, 1967 – David Bowie releases his self-titled debut album, David Bowie.
June 1, 1982 – The Rolling Stones release their live album, Still Life. It’s certified platinum in the U.S.
June 1, 1985 – Sting releases his first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. It sells over 3 million copies in the U.S. and is nominated for two Grammy Awards.
June 1, 1998 – Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots is arrested for possession of $100 worth of heroin in New York City. He had just released his first solo album, 12 Bar Blues. He later dies of a drug overdose in December 2015.
June 1, 1976 – The Runaways (Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Sandy West and Jackie Fox) release their eponymous debut album. It receives generally positive critical reviews, and although it became a minor success in the U.S., it made the band huge stars overseas, especially in Japan. Their story became a movie in 2010, starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Riley Keough.
11 Badass Women Who Changed the Face of Rock Music
Classic Rock Birthdays
June 1, 1949 – Mike Levine, bass, keyboards (Triumph)
June 1, 1947 – Ron Wood, guitar, vocals (The Faces, The Rolling Stones)
June 1, 1974 – Alanis Morissette, vocals, piano, guitar
June 1, 1959 – Alan Wilder, keyboards (Depeche Mode)
June 1, 1960 – Simon Gallup, bass, keyboards, vocals (The Cure)
June 1, 1963 – Mike Joyce, drums (The Smiths)
Backstage Access:
Where the Ronnie Wood Doc Missed the Mark, and Why It’s Still Worth the Watch
Rock Remembrances
June 1, 1969 – Martin Lamble, drummer for Fairport Convention, dies in a van crash in England. He was 19. Lamble and most of the band were traveling back to London from a gig in Birmingham when their van veered off the road and crashed down an embankment. Fashion designer and magazine columnist, Jeannie Franklyn, who’d been dating guitarist Richard Thompson, was also killed.
June 1, 2008 – Alton Kelley, best known in the 60’s San Francisco rock scene for his psychedelic art, dies after a long illness. He was 67. Along with fellow artist Stanley Mouse, Kelley is credited with creating the wings and beetles on all Journey album covers as well as the skull and roses image for the Grateful Dead.
