July 3rd: The Biggest Music Headlines
Scroll down the page to see all the music headlines, stories and events for July 3 throughout music history
The Doors’ Jim Morrison Dies at 27
On this day in music, July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison, the 27-year-old frontman of The Doors, was found dead in his Paris apartment. The influential singer, songwriter, and poet co-founded the Los Angeles rock band in 1965; rising to fame two years later with the chart-topping hit, “Light My Fire.” Before Morrison’s untimely passing, The Doors would become one of the biggest bands in the world, releasing six albums over five years and placing multiple singles on the Billboard Hot 100. As a frontman, Morrison captivated audiences with his commanding vocals, wild persona, and spoken-word improvisations. His songs, meanwhile, captured the collective feelings of the counterculture generation.
In 1969, 27-year-old singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Brian Jones, drowned. Best known as a founding member of The Rolling Stones, Jones began his career in the London blues scene, playing alongside Alexis Korner and such future stars as Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) and Jack Bruce (Cream). In 1962, he sought to form an R&B group, placing an ad in a local paper for musicians. Before long, they became The Rolling Stones. While he was a talented and versatile musician, whose brilliant work can be heard on such albums as Aftermath and Between The Buttons, Jones struggled with addiction. His demons, as well as growing tensions with his bandmates, led to his dismissal in June 1969.
In 1973, David Bowie figuratively killed his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, during the final show of his UK Aladdin Sane tour. Just before launching into “Rock‘n’Roll Suicide,” Bowie delivered a vague farewell speech, shocking the audience at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, as well as the majority of his band and crew, who all assumed that the artist himself was retiring from the limelight. Bowie would, however, disband the Spiders from Mars (with the exception of guitarist Mick Ronson), and assemble a new ensemble ahead of his North American tour that fall.
In 1968, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash all played together for the first time, during an impromptu jam session at Joni Mitchell’s Laurel Canyon house. The three musicians would officially become a group later that year, releasing their self-titled debut in 1969.
Looking for more things that happened on this day in music?
Keep scrolling for all of the headlines for July 3.
BORN ON JULY 3:
1929: David Lynch (The Platters)
1930: Tommy Tedesco (Guitarist)
1940: Fontella Bass
1943: Judith Durham (The Seekers)
1948: Paul Barrere (Little Feat)
1952: Andy Fraser (Free, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)
1957: Laura Branigan
1960: Vince Clarke (Erasure, Depeche Mode)
1969: Kevin Hearn (Barenaked Ladies)
1976: Shane Lynch (Boyzone)
Looking for more artists born on this day?
Keep scrolling for all of our July 3 birthdays.
What to find another day?
July 3rd
3
Jul
2023
English multi-instrumentalist Mo Foster died from liver and bile duct cancer at the age of 78. As a session musician Foster played on over 350 recordings including artists as varied as: Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Meat Loaf and Ringo Starr.
|
3
Jul
2021
Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton married at Shelton's ranch in Oklahoma. They met in 2014 when they were judges on the TV show The Voice and started dating a year later. In 2020, their duets 'Nobody But You' and 'Happy Anywhere' both reached No. 1 on the Billboard US Country Airplay chart. Stefani was previously married to Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale, the couple divorced in April 2016.
|
3
Jul
2017
Singer Tony Hadley said he had left 1980s group Spandau Ballet, and "will not be performing" with them in the future.
In an oddly-worded statement, the star said: "I am required to state that I am no longer a member of the band". He did not indicate why he was leaving, but blamed "circumstances beyond my control".
|
3
Jul
2012
Kiss announced that they were set to release a guitar size book containing unseen photographs from their 40-year career. The limited edition called Monster would have a $4,299 price tag and at 3 feet tall, 2.5 feet wide, was reported to be the largest music book ever published.
|
3
Jul
2008
Kylie Minogue received an OBE for services to music from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, England. Earlier this year, she was also presented with the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government for her "contribution to the enrichment of French culture".
|
3
Jul
2007
Pete Doherty escaped jail after a judge decided to defer sentencing him for drugs offences on condition he went into rehab. Doherty pleaded guilty to possessing crack cocaine and heroin at West London Magistrates' Court. He was warned by Judge Davinder Lachhar that he would go into custody if he failed to take up a place he was offered on a detox programme.
|
3
Jul
2004
David Crosby was fined $5,000 (£2,745) by a US court after admitting attempted criminal possession of a weapon. It followed his arrest in New York in March when a gun, knife and marijuana were found in his luggage.
|
3
Jul
2002
Three diners at a newly opened Britney Spears owned restaurant suffered food poisoning. The three students who had eaten wild striped bass at the New York restaurant made official complaints and vowed never to eat there again.
|
3
Jul
2002
Session violinist Bobby Valentino serenaded a High Court judge during a copyright battle worth an estimated £100,000. The case was over the rights to The Bluebells version of Young At Heart. Valentino’s case hinged on convincing the judge that he, rather than the song's co Robert Hodgens, had composed the song’s distinctive violin part and that the violin part made a significant enough difference to the song to be considered an original contribution. Valentino was paid a session fee of £75. Valentino won his case as joint owner of the song.
|
3
Jul
2001
American singer, songwriter Johnny Russell died aged 61. He wrote 'Act Naturally' covered by The Beatles and Buck Owens. Jim Reeves, Jerry Garcia, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt had all covered his songs.
|
3
Jul
2000
Harvard professor Ronald Ferguson accused the culture of hip-hop and rap music of stalling academic progress among young American blacks. He claimed time spent learning intricate rhyming lyrics detracted from reading.
|
3
Jul
1986
U2 crew member Greg Carroll was killed in a motorcycle accident in Dublin while running an errand for Bono. The song 'One Tree Hill' on the bands Joshua Tree album is dedicated to Carroll.
|
3
Jul
1982
After a record breaking jump from No.33 on the UK singles charts, The Damned's guitarist Captain Sensible started a two week run at No.1 with his version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein song 'Happy Talk' from the 1949 musical South Pacific.
|
3
Jul
1975
Lead singer from Three Dog Night Chuck Negron was arrested at his Louisville hotel room on the opening night of the bands tour and charged with possession of cocaine.
|
3
Jul
1973
After 182 Ziggy Stardust concert performances, David Bowie announced he was about to retire from live performing, although it eventually transpires that the stage persona is being retired and not Bowie himself. Only his guitarist Mick Ronson knew about the announcement, which came as a complete shock not only to the audience but the rest of Bowie's band and crew.
|
3
Jul
1973
Laurens Hammond the inventor of the Hammond organ died aged 73. Many rock artists including Procol Harum, Keith Emerson, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Allman Brothers Band and the Faces featured the sound of the Hammond. He also invented a silent spring-driven clock and during the second world war he helped design guided missile systems.
|
3
Jul
1972
Blues singer, guitarist Mississippi Fred McDowell died of cancer aged 68. The Rolling Stones covered his 'You Got To Move' on their Sticky Fingers album. He coached Bonnie Raitt on slide guitar technique.
|
3
Jul
1971
American singer, songwriter and poet, Jim Morrison of The Doors was found dead in a bathtub in Paris, France, the cause of death was given as a heart attack. He co-wrote some of the group's biggest hits, including ‘Light My Fire’, ‘Love Me Two Times’, and ‘Love Her Madly.’ On the 25th anniversary of his death an estimated 15,000 fans gathered at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France to pay their respects.
|
3
Jul
1969
Brian Jones drowned while under the influence of drugs and alcohol after taking a midnight swim in his pool, aged 27. His body was found at the bottom of the pool by his Swedish girlfriend Anna Wohlin. The coroner's report stated "Death by misadventure", and noted his liver and heart were heavily enlarged by drug and alcohol abuse. Jones was one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones and in the early 60’s used the name "Elmo Lewis."
|
3
Jul
1968
At an impromptu gathering at Joni Mitchell's house in Lookout Mountain, Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash played together for the very first time. The trio went on to form Crosby, Stills and Nash.
|
3
Jul
1968
The Equals were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Baby Come Back'. The group's only UK No.1. The song was first released in 1966 but did not chart. The song was covered by and became a No.1 hit for Pato Banton in 1994, (with Robin and Ali Campbell of UB40).
|
3
Jul
1967
A private party was held at the Speakeasy Club in London, England for The Monkees. Guests included: John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Dusty Springfield, Eric Clapton, Lulu and all the members from Manfred Mann, The Who and Procol Harum.
|
3
Jul
1976
Shane Lynch, vocals, Boyzone, who have had 21 UK hit singles, including 6 UK No.1 singles. Their breakthrough hit was their second single and cover version of the classic Osmonds hit, 'Love Me for a Reason', which peaked at No.2 on the UK Singles Chart.
|
3
Jul
1975
Javier Weyler, drummer from Welsh rock band, Stereophonics, who replaced Richard Cable in 2003. Their 1999 UK No.1 album, Performance and Cocktails spent 97 weeks on the UK chart.
|
3
Jul
1969
Kevin Hearn, keyboards, guitar, accordion, with Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies who scored the 1998 US No.1 & UK No.5 single 'One Week'. The group has sold over 15 million records including albums and singles, and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in March of 2018.
|
3
Jul
1968
Martyn Walsh, bassist from English alternative rock band Inspiral Carpets who had the 1990 UK No.14 single 'This Is How It Feels'.
|
3
Jul
1960
English synthpop musician and songwriter Vince Clarke, who with Depeche Mode had the 1981 UK No.8 single 'Just Can't Get Enough'. With Yazoo the 1982 UK No.2 single 'Only You', and with Erasure, the 1992 UK No.1 single 'Abba-Esque EP'. Clarke was also a member of The Assembly.
|
3
Jul
1957
Laura Branigan, US singer, (1982 US No.2 & UK No.6 hit ‘Gloria,’ 1984 US No.4 & UK No.5 single 'Self Control'). Died of a brain aneurysm 26th Aug 2004.
|
3
Jul
1955
British guitarist and keyboardist Mike Corby, The Babys who had two hits on the US chart, 'Isn't It Time' (1977) and 'Everytime I Think of You' (1979).
|
3
Jul
1955
Neil Clark, guitarist from British pop band Lloyd Cole And The Commotions who had the 1985 UK hit single 'Brand New Friend'. Between 1984 and 1989, the band scored four Top 20 albums and five Top 40 singles in the UK.
|
3
Jul
1952
English musician Andy Fraser. He joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers when he ws 15 years old. He joined Free when he was aged 16 and co-wrote the band's 1970 UK No.2 & US No.4 single ‘All Right Now'. He wrote hits for Robert Palmer, ('Every Kinda People'), Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Rod Stewart and Paul Young. He died of a heart attack on 16 March 2015 at his home in California.
|
3
Jul
1949
Johnnie Wilder, singer from funk, disco band Heatwave who scored the 1977 UK No.2 single 'Boogie Nights' and the hits 'The Groove Line', and 'Always and Forever'.
|
3
Jul
1948
Paul Barrere, guitar, Little Feat, who scored two Top 40 albums during the 70s, best known songs, 'Dixie Chicken' and 'Sailin Shoes'. Barrere later played with Phil Lesh and Friends and also toured with Bob Dylan. He died on 26 October 2019 age 71.
|
3
Jul
1947
English musician Top Topham best known as a blues guitarist and also for being the first lead guitarist of The Yardbirds. Topham left the band before they achieved mainstream popularity and was replaced by Eric Clapton. Topham died on 23 January 2023, at the age of 75.
|
3
Jul
1946
Victor Unitt, from English psychedelic rock group Edgar Broughton Band who had the 1970 UK hit single 'Out Demons Out'.
|
3
Jul
1943
Judith Durham, singer from Australian folk-influenced pop quartet The Seekers who scored the 1965 UK No.1 single 'I'll Never Find Another You'. They were the first Australian group to achieve major chart and sales success in the UK and the US and sold over 50 million records worldwide. Durham died in Melbourne, Australia on 5 August 2022, at age 79.
|
3
Jul
1940
Fontella Bass, US female singer, pianist, who had the 1965 US No.4 and UK No.11 single 'Rescue Me'. Bass died on 26th Dec 2012 of complications following a heart attack aged 72.
|
3
Jul
1930
Tommy Tedesco, American session guitarist. Described by Guitar Player magazine as the most recorded guitarist in history recording with The Beach Boys, Everly Brothers, The Supremes, The Monkees, The Association, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, Sam Cooke, Cher, and Nancy and Frank Sinatra. He died on 10th Nov 1997.
|
3
Jul
1929
David Lynch, from American vocal group The Platters who had the 1959 UK & US No.1 single 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes'. The group had 40 charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1955 and 1967. Lynch died of cancer on 2nd January 1981.
|