July 5th: The Biggest Music Headlines

Scroll down the page to see all the music headlines, stories and events for July 5 throughout music history

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Janet Jackson Takes ‘Control’ with Her Breakthrough Album

In 1986, Janet Jackson scored her first No.1 on the Billboard 200 with her third album, Control. The LP, which marked her commercial breakthrough, established Jackson as a force in pop and R&B music and marked her first release with her longtime collaborators, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Control featured a record-breaking five Top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Nasty,” “When I Think of You,” and “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” while the Grammy-nominated album remained on the US charts for more than two years. Today, it remains a definitive title in the American pop canon.

In 2003, country icon Johnny Cash played his final concert – a 30-minute set at the Carter Family Fold in VA. During the performance, which featured classics like “Folsom Prison Blues” and “I Walk The Line,” the 71-year-old artist paid tribute to his late wife, singer-songwriter June Carter Cash, who had passed away weeks earlier. “We connect somewhere between here and Heaven,” he said. “She came down for a short visit, I guess, from Heaven to visit with me tonight to give me courage and inspiration like she always has.” Cash passed away less than two months later.

In 1966, Animals bassist Chas Chandler attended a Jimi Hendrix concert at New York’s Cafe Wha. He was immediately taken with the talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist – so much so that he became his manager. Within months, at Chandler’s suggestion, Hendrix relocated to London, where he would form his band (The Experience) and find initial success.

In 1969, two days after the death of their former bandmate, Brian Jones, The Rolling Stones played a free tribute concert in London’s Hyde Park. Approximately 250,000 fans showed up to watch the performance, which also marked guitarist Mick Taylor’s debut with the group.

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Keep scrolling for all of the headlines for July 5.

BORN ON JULY 5:

1943: Robbie Robertson (The Band)
1950: Huey Lewis (Huey Lewis and the News)
1959: Marc Cohn
1973: Roisin Murphy (Moloko)
1979: Shane Filan (Westlife)
1980: Jason Wade (Lifehouse)
1982: Dave Haywood (Lady A)
1985: Nick O’Malley (Arctic Monkeys)
1986: Adam Young (Owl City)

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July 5th

On this day in music

5 Jul 2023 Adele voiced her concerns about audiences throwing objects on stage saying that people have forgotten "show etiquette". During this year Bebe Rexha was injured and taken to hospital after being hit by a phone while performing, Harry Styles was hit in the eye with a sweet at a gig and Pink looked uncomfortable when a bag of human ashes was thrown on stage at a show. Lil Nas X seemed amused when a sex toy landed on stage while he was performing in Sweden.
5 Jul 2022 Scottish musician Manny Charlton died aged 80. He was a founding member of the influential Scottish hard rock band Nazareth and was their lead guitarist from 1968 to 1990. They had the 1973 UK No.9 single 'Broken Down Angel', and the 1976 US No.8 single, 'Love Hurts'. He produced tracks for what would become Guns N’ Roses breakthrough album Appetite for Destruction. Charlton got the request from Geffen Records and produced several recordings at Sound City Studios (Los Angeles) in June 1986.
5 Jul 2019 Madonna was at No.1 on the US album chart with her fourteenth studio album Madame X. It became Madonna's ninth No.1 album in the US.
5 Jul 2014 The four surviving members of the Grateful Dead gave what they said would be their final performance, playing to over 70,000 fans at Chicago's Soldier Field. The shows came 20 years after the death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, who played his last show in the nation's third-largest city in 1995.
5 Jul 2012 For the second year in a row, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood was honoured in two categories at the annual Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards. The 65-year-old won the specialist programme of the year award for his Absolute Radio show, and saw his weekly guest slot named best feature. Absolute also took the station of the year award.
5 Jul 2009 Michael Jackson started a seven week run at No.1 on the UK album charts with The Essential Michael Jackson and was one of eight Jackson albums in the top twenty after the singers death on 25th June.
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5 Jul 2007 English jazz and blues singer and film critic George Melly died at his London home at the age of 80 of lung cancer and vascular dementia. His final concert took place at the 100 Club in London on 10th June of this year in aid of Admiral Nurses, part of the charity for Dementia.
5 Jul 2005 Pink Floyd's David Gilmour said artists who had seen album sales soar after the Live 8 concerts should donate their profits to charity, saying: "This is money that should be used to save lives." UK sales figures released two days after the London concert showed Pink Floyd's Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd had risen by 1343%, The Who - Then and Now by 863% and Annie Lennox - Eurythmics Greatest Hits by 500%.
5 Jul 2003 The Daily Star ran a front-page story claiming that the body of Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards had been found. Fishermen in an angling contest discovered bones half buried in mud on the riverbank near Avonmouth. Edwards disappeared in Feb 1995, his car was found at a service station at the Seven Bridge a well-known suicide spot.
5 Jul 2003 Johnny Cash made his last ever live performance when he appeared at the Carter Ranch. Before singing "Ring of Fire", Cash read a statement about his late wife that he had written shortly before taking the stage: "The spirit of June Carter overshadows me tonight with the love she had for me and the love I have for her. We connect somewhere between here and heaven. She came down for a short visit, I guess, from heaven to visit with me tonight to give me courage and inspiration like she always has." Cash died on Sept 12th of this year.
5 Jul 2002 It was reported that Dr Dre had become the richest music star after earning £62m in the last year, £37m from his own earnings plus £25m from his record label Aftermath.
5 Jul 2000 Cub Koda (Michael "Cub" Koda), founder member of Brownsville Station died of complications from kidney failure. Wrote the 2 million selling 1974 hit 'Smokin' In The Boys Room', (which Motley Crue covered). He took his nickname from Cubby on television's Mickey Mouse Club.
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5 Jul 1999 The Eurythmics announced their first world tour for more than 10 years and that all profits would be given to charity. The duo made the announcement from the Greenpeace boat 'Rainbow Warrior' moored on the River Thames in London.
5 Jul 1995 More than 100 Grateful Dead fans were hurt when a wooden deck collapsed at a campground lodge in Wentzville, Missouri. Hundreds of people were on or under the deck sheltering from heavy rain. More than 4,000 Deadheads were staying at the campground while attending Grateful Dead concerts in the St. Louis suburb.
5 Jul 1986 Janet Jackson started a two-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Control'. The album featured the hit singles: 'What Have You Done for Me Lately', 'Nasty', 'Control', 'When I Think of You', and 'Let's Wait Awhile'.
5 Jul 1982 Sun records musical director Bill Justis died of cancer aged 55. He worked with Sam Phillips at Sun Records, worked with also worked with Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis. Had the 1957 US No. 2 single 'Raunchy' (the first Rock and Roll instrumental hit). Also had a No.1 hit in Australia in 1963 with ‘Tamoure.’
5 Jul 1978 The manufacturing of Some Girls the new album by The Rolling Stones was halted at EMI's pressing plant after complaints from celebrities including Lucille Ball who were featured in mock advertisements on the album sleeve.
5 Jul 1975 Pink Floyd, Captain Beefheart, Steve Miller and Roy Harper all appeared at The Knebworth Festival, England, tickets cost £3.50. Pink Floyd premiered their new album Wish You Were Here with the help of Spitfires, pyrotechnics and an exploding plane which flies into the stage.
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5 Jul 1975 Rolling Stone Keith Richards was arrested by the highway patrol in Arkansas on charges of reckless driving and possessing an offensive weapon, a seven-inch hunting knife.
5 Jul 1969 The Rolling Stones gave a free concert in London's Hyde Park before an audience of 250,000, as a tribute to Brian Jones who had died two days earlier. Mick Jagger read an extract from Percy Bysshe Shelley's 'Adonais' and released 3,500 butterflies; it was also guitarist's Mick Taylor's debut with the Stones, King Crimson, Family, The Third Ear Band, Screw and Alexis Korner's New Church also appeared on the day.
5 Jul 1966 On the recommendation of Rolling Stone Keith Richards' girlfriend, Chas Chandler from The Animals went to see Jimi Hendrix play at The Cafe Wha in New York City. Chandler suggests that Hendrix should come to England, which he does and Chandler became his manager.
5 Jul 1965 Marty Balin and Paul Kantner formed a Folk-Rock group that would evolve into the Jefferson Airplane, the premier San Francisco psychedelic band of the late '60s. The Airplane made its debut the following month at a Haight-Ashbury club, and was signed to RCA later in the year.
5 Jul 1963 The Beatles played at the Plaza Ballroom in Dudley in the West Midlands. Appearing The Beatles was Denny and the Diplomats, led by Denny Laine, who went on to join the Moody Blues and eventually, Paul McCartney's group Wings.
5 Jul 1954 Working together for the first time in a recording studio with Scotty Moore and Bill Black, Elvis Presley fools around during a break with an up-tempo version of 'That's All Right.' Producer Sam Phillips has them repeat the jam and records it. It became Presley's first release on Sun Records.
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Born on this day in music

5 Jul 1986 Adam Young, keyboards, vocals, Owl City, 2009 / 2010 worldwide No.1 single ‘Fireflies’, 2009 debut album Ocean Eyes.
5 Jul 1985 Nick O'Malley, bassist with English rock band Arctic Monkeys who had the 2005, UK No.1 single ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’, and the 2006 UK No.1 album Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not. The band has won six Brit Awards – winning both Best British Group and Best British Album three times, and have been nominated for three Grammy Awards.
5 Jul 1982 American country music singer-songwriter, Dave Haywood from Lady A. Their debut album included the trio's debut hit, 'Love Don't Live Here', along with the singles, 'Lookin' for a Good Time' and 'I Run to You'.
5 Jul 1980 Jason Wade, guitar, vocals, with American rock band Lifehouse who had the 2001 US No.10 & UK No.25 single 'Hanging By A Moment' from their debut studio album, No Name Face.
5 Jul 1979 Shane Filan, from Irish pop vocal group Westlife who scored 14 UK No.1 singles, and have sold over 50 million records worldwide. Despite their success worldwide, Westlife never managed to break into the US market, achieving only one hit single in 2000, 'Swear It Again'.
5 Jul 1973 Bengt Fredrik Lagerburg, drummer with Swedish rock band The Cardigans who had the 1997 UK No.2 single 'Lovefool' which was included in the soundtrack to the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet.
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5 Jul 1973 Roisin Murphy, Irish singer, Moloko (1999 UK No.4 single ‘Sing It Back’), now solo.
5 Jul 1969 Aled Richards, drummer with alternative rock band Catatonia who had the 1998 UK No.3 single 'Mulder And Scully'.
5 Jul 1959 Marc Cohn, US singer, songwriter, (1991 UK No. 22 single 'Walking In Memphis').
5 Jul 1954 Jimmy Crespo, American guitarist for Aerosmith from 1979 until 1984. He co-wrote 'Rock in a Hard Place' with Steven Tyler, and has also worked with Rod Stewart, Billy Squier, Meat Loaf and Stevie Nicks.
5 Jul 1953 American guitarist, singer and songwriter Ron Thompson. He released nine albums and worked with Little Joe Blue, John Lee Hooker, Lowell Fulson, Etta James and Big Mama Thornton. His second album Resister Twister released in 1987 was nominated for a Grammy Award. He died on 15 February 2020 age 66.
5 Jul 1950 Andy Ellison, John's Children, (with Marc Bolan 1967-68).
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5 Jul 1950 American singer, songwriter and actor Huey Lewis from Huey Lewis and the News, who had the 1985 UK No.11 & US No.1 single 'The Power Of Love'. Their third, and best-selling, album was 1983’s ‘Sports,’ and they contributed to the soundtrack of the 1985 feature film ‘Back to the Future.’ Lewis previously played with the band Clover from 1972 to 1979.
5 Jul 1948 Cassie Gaines, backing singer best known for her work with Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Gaines was killed in a plane crash on 20th October 1977 with two other members of the band.
5 Jul 1946 Michael Monarch, guitarist from Steppenwolf who had the 1969 US No.2 hit single 'Born To Be Wild' which is sometimes described as the first heavy metal song. Steppenwolf sold over 25 million records worldwide, released eight gold albums and scored 12 Billboard Hot 100 singles.
5 Jul 1945 Dick Scoppettone, Harpers Bizarre, (1967 US No. 13 & UK No.34 single 'The 59th Street Bridge Song, Feelin' Groovy').
5 Jul 1943 Canadian musician, songwriter, film composer, producer, actor, Robbie Robertson. He joined The Hawks in 1962 who became known as The Band. Bob Dylan and the Hawks toured the United States throughout 1965 and a world tour the following year. As a songwriter, Robertson is credited for writing 'The Weight', 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down', 'Up on Cripple Creek', 'Broken Arrow' and 'Somewhere Down the Crazy River'. Robertson died in Los Angeles on 9 August 2023, at the age of 80, after a year-long battle with prostate cancer.
5 Jul 1920 Smiley Lewis, R&B singer. Wrote 'One Night' covered by Elvis Presley and 'I Hear You Knocking' 1955 US No.2 for Gale Storm & UK No.1 & US No.2 for Dave Edmunds'. Lewis died on 20th October 1966.
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