Today in rock history 3rd July

1951 – Born on this day, Mike Corby, The Babys 1965 – The Beatles played the final night of a two week European tour at the Plaza de Toros Monumental in Barcelona, Spain. 1967 – Beatles John, George, and Paul turn up at a party thrown in the Monkees’ honour in London. 1969 – Brian Jones is found dead in his swimming pool in Hartford, England. The Rolling Stones founder’s death was later ruled to be an accident. 1969 – Some 78,000 people show up for this year’s Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island. The big crowd may have had a bit to do with the non-jazz headliners James Brown, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Winter, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. 1969 – John Lennon holds a press conference to announce the release of “Give Peace a Chance,” but can’t show up as he and Yoko are recovering from a car crash in Scotland. Ringo fills in instead. 1970 – The Allman Brothers Band appears at the Atlanta Pop Festival. 1971 – Jim Morrison of the Doors dies of a heart attack in Paris at the age of 27. 1973 – As the Ziggy Stardust tour comes to a close David Bowie announces, “it is the last show I will ever do.” 1981 – Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman releases the single “(Si Si) Je Suis un Rock Star” on his own label. 1981 – Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and John Densmore lead fans in a graveside memorial for Jim Morrison in Paris. 1982 – Van Halen hits #38 with “Dancin’ in the Street”. 1988 - The final Texas Jam took place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas which featured the U.S. Monsters of Rock tour which included Van Halen, the Scorpions & Metallica. During Van Halen’s set, Sammy Hagar lost his voice & promised to play a free concert in Dallas which they did three years later. 1995 – Stone Temple Pilot Scott Weiland is in court pleading not guilty to drug charges. 2000 – DirecTV broadcasts the 1939 film “The Wizard Of Oz,” with Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” in sync on the alternate Second Audio Program (SAP). While no one involved with Pink Floyd has ever admitted to any link between the bands seminal 1973 album and the classic film, urban legend purports that the album was conceived as an alternate soundtrack to Dorothy’s adventures in Oz. 2002 – Sir Elton John became the first person to be made an honorary doctorate from the Royal Academy Of Music. 2002 – The wife of Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne underwent an emergency operation after being diagnosed with cancer. 2003 – The White Stripes’ Jack White (the talented one with the guitar) announces he’s producing tracks for C&W legend Loretta Lynn. 2004 – David Crosby was fined $5,000 (£2,745) by a US court after admitting attempted criminal possession of a weapon. 2007 – Pete Doherty escaped jail after a judge decided to defer sentencing him for drugs offences on condition he went into rehab.