June 10th: The Biggest Music Headlines

Scroll down the page to see all the music headlines, stories and events for June 10 throughout music history

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Pioneering Singer, Songwriter, and Pianist, Ray Charles Dies

On this day in music, June 10, 2004, singer, songwriter, and pianist Ray Charles died at the age of 73. One of the most influential artists of all time, Charles (also known as “The Genius”) pioneered the sound of soul music with his blend of R&B, jazz, blues, and gospel. In the 50s and 60s, Charles broke several glass ceilings as a Black artist, as he found crossover success on the pop charts and fought successfully to gain artistic control over his recordings. A Kennedy Center Honoree and an inaugural inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Charles won 18 Grammys (including a Lifetime Achievement Award and five posthumous awards) and scored countless Top 40 hits, including his signature chart-topper, “Georgia on My Mind.”

In 1975, the Eagles released their fourth studio album, One of These Nights. Featuring the US Top Ten hits “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Take It to the Limit,” and the title track, One of These Nights also became the band’s first album to top the Billboard 200.

In 2007, Rihanna scored her first No.1 album in the UK with Good Girl Gone Bad. The album was bolstered by the artist’s No.1 hit, “Umbrella,” which spent an astonishing 10 consecutive weeks at the top of the UK pop chart.

In 1989, actor Jason Donovan became the first Australian to debut at the top of the UK pop chart with a cover of Brian Hyland’s “Sealed with a Kiss.” Donovan would go on to hit No.1 three more times.

In 1978, Grease stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John scored a No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “You’re the One that I Want,” a single from the blockbuster film’s soundtrack. The song also topped the charts in the UK, Australia, Israel, and West Germany, among other territories.

In 1966, The Monkees entered Los Angeles’ RCA Studios for their first recording session. Joined by backing band The Wrecking Crew, plus legendary singer-songwriter Leon Russell (who served as a co-producer alongside Snuff Garrett), the band recorded “Take a Giant Step” and “Let’s Dance On.”

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BORN ON JUNE 10:

1910: Howlin’ Wolf
1922: Judy Garland
1941: Shirley Owens (The Shirelles)
1961: Kelley Deal (The Breeders)
1961: Kim Deal (Pixies, The Breeders)
1964: Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins)
1965: Joey Santiago (Pixies)
1967: Darren “Big Buff” Robinson (The Fat Boys)
1973: Faith Evans
2004: GAYLE

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June 10th

On this day in music

10 Jun 2022 Justin Bieber announced he had Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological condition that had caused parts of his face to become paralyzed. He cancelled the rest of his current tour to focus on treatment and later returned to the stage in August at a festival in Budapest.
10 Jun 2020 During the COVID-19 pandemic, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne took innovative social-distancing measures on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: The band performed their song 'Race For The Prize' from inside massive plastic bubbles. Each audience member was also enclosed in a bubble to keep the coronavirus at bay.
10 Jun 2019 Ed Sheeran was the most-played artist in the UK in 2018, while ‘Feel It Still’ by Portugal The Man was 2018's most-played song. Sheeran topped the chart despite not releasing new music; and without an entry in the Top 10 most-played tracks, suggesting his entire catalogue of hits remains on rotation on the radio. It was the third time in four years that he's been the UK's most-played artist. Calvin Harris came second and Little Mix were third.
10 Jun 2016 Rod Stewart was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to music and charity. Stewart said: "I've led a wonderful life and have had a tremendous career thanks to the generous support of the great British public. This monumental honour has topped it off and I couldn't ask for anything more."
10 Jun 2009 Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page was inducted into the Mojo Hall Of Fame at the magazine's award ceremony. Singer Richard Hawley won the best album prize, while Kasabian's single ‘Fire’ was named song of the year. Mojo had become the best-selling music magazine in the UK, selling more than twice as many copies as NME. A further 16 honorary prizes were handed out. They included the classic album award, which went to The Stone Roses for their 1989 self-titled debut LP and veteran space rockers Hawkwind accepted the Mojo Maverick honour.
10 Jun 2007 Rihanna went to No.1 on the UK album chart with her third album Good Girl Gone Bad, featuring the single ‘Umbrella’ which spent 10 consecutive weeks at No.1 in the UK making it the longest running No.1 single since Wet Wet Wet's 1994 hit Love Is All Around. The album stayed on the UK chart for a total of 177 weeks.
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10 Jun 2007 R. Kelly was at No.1 on the US album chart with Double Up. His eleventh studio album featured guest appearances by Snoop Dogg, Nelly, T.I., Usher, Huey, Ludacris and Kid Rock.
10 Jun 2007 The Rolling Stones played their first UK festival in over 30 years when they appeared at the Isle of Wight Festival. The Stones arrived at the Isle of Wight on their own privately chartered ferry for their 200-strong entourage including five Winnebago trailers and private security team. The Stones last UK festival appearance was Knebworth Fair in 1976.
10 Jun 2006 The surviving members of Led Zeppelin met at a secret rehearsal space in England to run through songs for the forthcoming 02 Arena benefit tribute to Atlantic Records co-founder, the late Ahmet Ertegun. It was the first time the three members had been in the same room with instruments since their four-song set at Led Zeppelin's 1995 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
10 Jun 2004 US singer, songwriter Ray Charles died aged 73. Glaucoma rendered Charles blind at the age of six. He scored the 1962 UK & US No.1 single 'I Can't Stop Loving You' plus over 30 other US Top 40 singles and the 2005 US No.1 album 'Genius Loves Company.' Charles who was married twice and fathered twelve children by nine different women appeared in the 1980 hit movie, The Blues Brothers was also the winner of 17 Grammy Awards.
10 Jun 2001 Radiohead went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Amnesiac'. The band's fifth studio album debuted at No.2 on the US Billboard 200 and produced three singles, 'Pyramid Song', 'I Might Be Wrong' and 'Knives Out'.
10 Jun 1993 Irish singer Sinead O’Connor took out a full-page ad in the Irish Times asking the public to "stop hurting me please." She blamed her troubles on abuse she suffered as a child. O'Connor was still being criticized for ripping up a picture of the Pope during an appearance on Saturday Night Live the previous October.
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10 Jun 1991 Temptations member Eddie Kendricks was arrested while attending the funeral of soul singer David Ruffin in Detroit on charges of owing $26,000 ($15,294) in child support.
10 Jun 1989 Jason Donovan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of the Brian Hyland 1962 hit 'Sealed With A Kiss'. Donovan became the first Australian act to enter the UK charts at No.1.
10 Jun 1983 Chris Sievey of UK group The Freshies released the first computer game single. When played on a Sinclair ZX 81 computer via a record deck the lyrics of the song came on the screen.
10 Jun 1982 Addie Harris from The Shirelles died of a heart attack after a show in Atlanta. 1961 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow'. Became the first all girl group to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100.
10 Jun 1978 John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John went to No.1 on the US singles chart with You’re the One That I Want. ‘You’re the One That I Want’ was one of the two singles, along with ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’, written by Australian producer and musician John Farrar specifically for Newton-John’s appearance in the 1978 film version of the musical Grease.
10 Jun 1977 Joe Strummer and Nicky Headon from The Clash were each fined £5 ($8.50) by a London court for spray-painting The Clash on a wall.
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10 Jun 1975 The Eagles released their fourth studio album One of These Nights which became the Eagles' first No.1 album on Billboard's chart. The album produced three top 10 singles 'One of These Nights', 'Lyin' Eyes' and 'Take It to the Limit'.
10 Jun 1972 The Rolling Stones double album Exile on Main Street went to No.1 on the UK chart, the bands seventh UK No.1 album. In 2010, the re-released album entered the UK chart at No.1, almost 38 years to the week after it first occupied that position. The Rolling Stones are the first act to ever have a studio album return to No.1 after it was first released.
10 Jun 1967 The Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band went to No.1 in the UK. Costing £25,000 ($42,500) to produce the album was recorded over 700 hours of studio time. It was also the first album to print the lyrics on the sleeve. The album spent 27 weeks at No.1 on the UK chart.
10 Jun 1966 The Monkees first recording sessions took place. These sessions featured members of the Wrecking Crew, a group of studio musicians in Los Angeles but proved to be unsuccessful.
10 Jun 1966 Steve Marriott of the Small Faces collapsed while performing on UK TV show Ready Steady Go! The group were forced to cancel the following weeks gigs.
10 Jun 1964 On their first world tour The Beatles took a flight from Hong Kong to Australia making an unscheduled fuel stop in Darwin, where over 400 fans greeted their aircraft. The Beatles then flew on to Sydney, where they arrive in the middle of a heavy downpour. The group were required to appear in an open-top truck in the pouring rain to wave at the 1,000's of fans greeting them at the airport.
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10 Jun 1964 The first edition of the official The Rolling Stones book was issued, priced at one and six, (the publication ran for 30 issues). Also on this day, at producers Phil Spector’s suggestion, The Stones recorded 'It's All Over Now', 'I Can’t Be Satisfied' and 'Time Is On My Side' at Chess studios in Chicago. During the day, the Stones got to meet, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy and Chuck Berry.
10 Jun 1956 American singer, actor Pat Boone was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I'll Be Home.' Boone scored over 30 UK Top 40 hit singles during the 50s and early 60s and was the second biggest charting artist behind only Elvis Presley.

Born on this day in music

10 Jun 2004 American pop singer Taylor Gayle Rutherfurd, better known by her mononym Gayle (stylized as GAYLE). She released the single 'ABCDEFU' in 2021, which charted worldwide, including reaching No.1 in the United Kingdom.
10 Jun 1989 Joel Corry, British DJ, producer and television personality. ‘Head & Heart’ which features MNEK on vocals, spent six weeks at No.1 in the UK Singles Chart in 2020.
10 Jun 1987 Ghanaian-English rapper, singer, Tinchy Stryder, (Kwasi Danquah). Stryder has released three solo studio albums, Star in the Hood (2007), Catch 22 (2009), and Third Strike (2010). Stryder's business ventures include the clothing line Star in the Hood, the Cloud 9 X Goji headphone and audio equipment range in collaboration with Goji Electronics.
10 Jun 1973 American singer-songwriter Faith Evans who had the 1997 US & UK No.1 single with Puff Daddy 'I'll Be Missing You', and the 2000 UK hit single with Whitney Houston 'Heartbreak Hotel'.
10 Jun 1967 Darren Robinson, (Human Breathbox), Rapper, The Fat Boys, (1988 UK No.2 single 'Wipe-out'). He was also known as Buffy, The Human Beat Box, and DJ Doctor Nice. He, along with Doug E. Fresh and others, were pioneers of beatboxing, a form of vocal percussion used in many rap groups throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He died on 10th December 1995 age 28.
10 Jun 1965 Joey Santiago, guitarist with American alternative rock band Pixies, who released the 1988 album Surfer Rosa. They influenced bands such as Nirvana, Radiohead, Bush, Blur and Weezer.
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10 Jun 1964 Emma Anderson, guitarist with the British alternative rock band Lush who had the 1996 UK No.21 single 'Single Girl'.
10 Jun 1964 Jimmy Chamberlin, drummer with American alternative rock band, Smashing Pumpkins who had the 1995 US No.1 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
10 Jun 1961 Kim Deal, American singer, songwriter and musician who with American alternative rock band Pixies, released the 1988 album Surfer Rosa. She was also a member of The Breeders, with Tanya Donelly, Josephine Wiggs and her identical twin sister Kelley Deal and later performed with The Amps.
10 Jun 1961 Mark Shaw, singer, with English rock band Then Jerico who had the 1989 UK No.13 single 'Big Area'.
10 Jun 1944 British bassist Rick Price who with British rock band The Move had the 1969 UK No.1 single 'Blackberry Way' and the hits with 'I Can Hear The Grass Grow', 'Flowers in the Rain' and 'Fire Brigade'. He was also a member of Wizzard (1972–1975). Price worked with the 1970s duo Peters and Lee beginning in 1976 eventually marrying Lee and working with her as a performing duo. He died on 17 May 2022, at the age of 77.
10 Jun 1941 Shirley Owens, singer with American girl group The Shirelles, notable for their popularity in the early 1960s. They were the first all-female black group to have a No.1 hit record with 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' in 1961.
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10 Jun 1934 American singer Gerald Gregory from Fifties doo-wop group The Spaniels. Their 1954 hit 'Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite' was featured in such films as Three Men and a Baby and American Graffiti. The Spaniels became one of the first artists to sign with Vee-Jay Records, the first large, independent Afro-American owned record label. He died on 12 February 1999.
10 Jun 1922 Judy Garland, singer, actress. Played Dorothy in the 1939 film 'Wizard Of Oz' sang 'Over The Rainbow' in the film, 1961 US No.1 comeback album 'Judy At Carnegie Hall'. 'Over The Rainbow' was voted the 'Song Of The Century' in a 2001 poll published in America. She died June 22nd 1969 of a barbiturate overdose.
10 Jun 1910 Chester Burnett, (Howlin Wolf) Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. Several of his songs, including 'Smokestack Lightnin'', 'Back Door Man', 'Killing Floor' and 'Spoonful', have become blues and blues rock standards. He died from cancer on January 10th 1976.