It’s June 7th and these are some of the things that happened on this day in pop music history:
- In 1958, Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis. He was just seven years old when he wrote his first song but also showed an early interest in playing basketball. He went on to become one of the most successful recording artists in music with hits like “Purple Rain” and “Raspberry Beret.” Prince died in 2016 at the age of 57.
- In 1993, Prince used the occasion of his 35th birthday to announce that he was changing his professional name to an unpronounceable symbol.
- In 2002, All Saints singer Natalie Appleton of Hamilton, Ont. married Liam Howlett of The Prodigy in a ceremony in France. The couple welcomed a son, Ace, in 2004.
- In 2009, Poison frontman Bret Michaels was injured on the Tony Awards after performing “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” As he left the stage, Michaels was struck by a set piece that was coming down. The singer later settled a lawsuit he filed against CBS.
- In 2002, R&B singer R Kelly was booked on child pornography charges in Chicago and released after posting a $75,000 U.S. bond. At trial six years later, Kelly was acquitted of all charges.
- In 1975, Elton John’s Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy became the first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The singer’s ninth studio album, it spent six weeks at the top of the chart.
And that’s what popped on this day.