June 2, 1978 – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers make their American television debut on The Midnight Special.
June 2, 1989 – Bill Wyman (52) of the Rolling Stones secretly marries Mandy Smith (19). They had been dating since she was 13 and he was 47. Just prior to the couple being divorced in 1993, things got even stranger when Wyman’s oldest son, Stephen, announced his engagement to Mandy Smith’s mother, Patsy. They were married for about 2 years.
June 2, 2004 – Rob Halford rejoins Judas Priest after a 10-year hiatus when the band kicks off their reunion tour in Hanover, Germany.
June 2, 2006 – Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama is added to the National Historic Register. The studio opened in 1969 and many famous acts, including Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Rolling Stones recorded there in the 70’s. After being abandoned, the studio was bought in 1999 and two Grammy-nominated albums were recorded there in 2010. Currently, the goal is to turn the building into a music museum.
Backstage Access:
The Hidden Secret Musicians of Our Legendary Hits
Classic Rock Birthdays
June 2, 1941 – Charlie Watts, drums (The Rolling Stones) (d. 2021)
June 2, 1951 – Steve Brookins, drums (38 Special)
June 2, 1952 – Pete Farndon, bass (The Pretenders) (d. 1983)
June 2, 1939 – Charles Miller, flute, saxophone (War) (d. 1980)
June 2, 1955 – Michael Steele (born Susan Nancy Thomas), bass, vocals (The Runaways, The Bangles)
June 2, 1961 – Dez Cadena, vocals, guitar (Black Flag)
50 Years On: Fascinating Facts About the Rolling Stones ‘Sticky Fingers’
Rock Remembrances
June 2, 2008 – Bo Diddley (born Ellas Otha Bates) dies of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida. He was 79. Also known as “The Originator”, Diddley was a key musical figure in the transition from blues to rock and roll. He heavily influenced almost all of the early English rock bands, including The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who and many others. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
June 2, 2006 – Vince Welnick, keyboardist for The Tubes and the Grateful Dead, dies by suicide by slitting his own throat. He was allegedly despondent over not being included in a “Grateful Dead Family Reunion” concert. Welnick was 55. After battling depression for over 10 years, this was Welnick’s second known suicide attempt. In 1994, he was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead.
June 2, 1999 – Junior Braithwaite (born Franklin Delano Alexander Braithwaite) original lead vocalist of Bob Marley’s Wailers, is shot and killed in Kingston, Jamaica. He was 47. Braithwaite had recently returned to Jamaica after more than 20 years in Chicago.
Backstage Access:
Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution
