Music History on July 2

Finlandia

1900 Jean Sibelius' musical tone poem "Finlandia" premieres in Helsinki

Music History

1941 Noël Coward's "Blithe Spirit" premieres in London

  • 1949 "High Button Shoes" closes at Century Theater NYC after 727 performances
  • 1955 "7th Heaven" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 44 performances
  • 1955 Portia Nelson, Raymond Taylor and James Shelton's musical revue "Almost Crazy" closes at Longacre Theater, NYC, after 16 performances

Hound Dog

1956 Elvis Presley records "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel" at RCA studio in New York City

  • 1958 Musical drama Film "King Creole" starring Elvis Presley based on a novel by Harold Robbins premieres

Once Upon A Mattress

1960 Mary Rodgers & Marshall Barer's musical "Once Upon A Mattress", starring Carol Burnett and directed by George Abbott, closes at St. James Theater, NYC, after 470 performances

It's For You

1964 Cilla Black records Lennon/McCartney song "It's For You", Paul McCartney plays piano

  • 1969 American guitarist Leslie West and producer, bassist Felix Pappalardi form rock group Mountain

Musical Finale

1972 Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's musical "Fiddler on the Roof" with Zero Mostel, closes at the Broadway Theater, NYC, after 3,242 performances and 9 Tony Award wins

You've Never Been This Far Before

1973 "You've Never Been This Far Before" single released by Conway Twitty (Billboard Song of the Year, 1973)

  • 1980 Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, drummer Mickey Hart, and manager Danny Rifkin arrested for "suspicion of inciting a riot" after a concert in San Diego, California
  • 1989 South African Mbongeni Ngema and Hugh Masekela's musical "Sarafina!", based on the Soweto Uprising against apartheid, closes at the Cort Theater, NYC, after 597 performances

Boyz n the Hood

1991 Film "Boyz n the Hood" directed by John Singleton, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube is released

  • 1995 "The Rose Tattoo" closes at Circle in the Square NYC after 80 performances

Music Concert

1995 Ringo Starr's third All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include: Randy Bachman, Mark Farner, Billy Preston, Felix Cavaliere, John Entwistle, Zak Starkey, and Mark Rivera

Live 8 Concert

2005 10 Live 8 concerts held around the world organised by Bob Geldof to raise awareness of poverty

Live 8 Concert

2005 Live 8 concert at Chateau de Versailles, Paris, France; performers include Andrea Bocelli, Dido, Sahakira, Youssou N'Dour, The Cure, and Zucchero

Live 8 Concert

2005 Live 8 concert at Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy; performers include Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, and Zucchero

Live 8 Concert

2005 Live 8 concert at Hyde Park, London, England; performers include Paul McCartney, U2, Coldplay, Elton John, Sting, Madonna, The Who, Pink Floyd, and R.E.M.

Live 8 Concert

2005 Live 8 concert at Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan; performers include Björk, Good Charlotte, Dreams Come True, Do As Infinity, and McFly

Live 8 Concert

2005 Live 8 concert at Park Place in Barrie, Ontario, Canada; performers include Neil Young, Bryan Adams; The Tragically Hip; Motley Crue; Gordon Lightfoot; Deep Purple, and Bruce Cockburn

Live 8 Concert

2005 Live 8 concert at the Eden Project, Cornwall, England; performers included Daara J, Thomas Mapfumo, Youssou N'Dour, Angelique Kidjo, and Coco Mbassi

Live 8 Concert

2005 Live 8 concert at the Victory Column in Tiergarten Park, Berlin, Germany; performers include Green Day; a-ha; Brian Wilson, Roxy Music, Audioslave, and Herbert Grönemeyer

Live 8 Concert

2005 Live 8 concert in front of Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; performers include Stevie Wonder, Bon Jovi, The Black-Eyed Peas, Keith Urban, Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, and Linkin Park

  • 2005 Live 8 concert In Mercy Fitzgerald Square, Johannesburg, South Africa; performers include Lucky Dube, Mahotella Queens, Orchestra Baobob, Zola, and Vusi Mahlasela

Music History

2018 Singers Cheryl and Liam Payne announce they are splitting up after two years

  • 2020 Funeral for slain Ethiopian singer Hachalu Hundessa in Ambo amid nationwide unrest at his death that has killed over 80 people
  • 2022 Largest ever exhibition on African fashion "Africa Fashion" opens at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London [1]