June 17 - On this day in 1818, composer Charles Gounod was born in Paris, France. He became an officer of the Legion of Honour and founded the Gounod Choir which was later renamed as Royal Choral Society. Also on this day in 1882, composer Igor Stravinsky was born in Lomonosov, near St. Petersburg, Russia. He wrote several scores for the impresario and founder of the Ballet Russes, Sergei Diagheliv; these include "The Firebird," "Petrushka" and "The Rite of Spring."
June 18, 2004 - The funeral of Ray Charles was held at the First AME Church in Los Angeles. Among the musicians who paid their respects were Stevie Wonder, B.B. King and Willie Nelson.
June 19, 1971 - The song "It's Too Late" by singer-songwriter Carole King was on top of the charts. The said song was from her album Tapestry which earned 4 Grammy's and was on the chart for almost 6 years.
June 20, 1819 - Composer Jacques Offenbach was born in Cologne, Germany. He managed the Bouffes-Parisiens from 1855 to 1866 and it was here where many of his operettas were performed.
June 21, 1948 - On this day the Columbia label announced its newest breakthrough - a long-playing vinyl phonograph record.
June 22 - On this day in 1830, pianist and educator Theodor Leschetizky was born in Lancut, Poland. He devised exercises to help his students overcome technical difficulties when playing the piano. Also on this day in 1974, composer Darius Milhaud died in Geneva, Switzerland. He collaborated with the playwright and his close friend Paul Claudel.
June 23, 1951 - The song "Too Young" by Nat King Cole was a No. 1 Billboard Pop hit. He received several posthumous awards including the NARAS Hall of Fame Award for "A Christmas Song" (1974), Lifetime Achievement Award (1990) and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000).
June 24, 1999 - On this day, Eric Clapton auctioned off one hundred guitars in his collection to raise money for Crossroads, a drug rehab clinic in Antigua. He's a triple inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.
June 25 - On this day in 1767, composer Georg Philipp Telemann died in Hamburg, Germany. He was primarily self-taught and could play several instruments including the oboe, recorder and violin. He was also fluent in three languages - French, German and Italian. Also on this day in 1945, singer-songwriter Carly Simon was born in New York City. Her third album, No Secrets was a huge hit with the song "You're So Vain" becoming a chart-topper.
June 26, 1975 - On this day, Bob Dylan and the Band released their album The Basement Tapes. He was injured in a motorcycle accident on July 29, 1966. He disappeared from limelight after the accident but continued to record demoes with his band. Their recording sessions later came out in the album The Basement Tapes.
June 27, 1729 - Composer Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre died in Paris. She had a son who died in the early 1700s, followed by her husband's death in 1704. Perhaps as a way to overcome her grief, she decided to hold concerts in her home. The concerts were well-attended and she continued to perform before retiring in 1717.
June 28 - On this day in 1831, composer Joseph Joachim was born in Kittsee, Austria (Hungary). He founded the Joachim Quartet in 1869 which became a leading quartet in Europe especially known for their performance of Beethoven's works. Also on this day in 1902, composer Richard Rodgers was born in New York City. Oklahoma!, a musical collaboration with Hammerstein, was based on a play by Lynn Riggs titled Green Grow the Lilacs.
June 29, 1966 - Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond made his first television appearance singing "Cherry, Cherry" in the show American Bandstand. In 1999, Amusement Business Magazine named him one of the Top 5 concert artists. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984.
June 30, 1963 - On this day, James Brown released the album Live at the Apollo, Vol. 1. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000.
Special Celebrations in June
Black Music Month - whole month of June (check out Famous Black Musicians)
International Surf Music Month - whole month of June (check out What is Surf Music?)
National Accordion Awareness Month - whole month of June
Flag Day - June 14 (check out Flag Day)
Happy Birthday to You Day - June 27 (check out History of the "Happy Birthday to You" Song)