Prince
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Friday, June 6th

Levi Stubbs (singer) is 72
- Lead singer for The Four Tops

Gary "U.S." Bonds (singer-songwriter) is 69
- Wrote and performed the hit song "Quarter To Three" in 1961

Joe Stampley (country singer) is 65
- Began as the lead singer for rock group The Uniques

Robert Englund (actor) is 59
"Freddy Krueger" in A Nightmare on Elm Street

Dwight Twilley (singer) is 57
- Frontman for the Dwight Twilley Band, but continued as a solo artist afterwards

Harvey Fierstein (actor-playwright) is 54
- Best known for the play and film Torch Song Trilogy

Sandra Bernhard (actress-comedian) is 53
- Frequently appears Broadway

Bjorn Borg (tennis player) is 52
- His six French Open singles titles are an all-time record

Colin Quinn (comedian) is 49
- Raised in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York

Jimmy Jam (record producer) is 49
- Creator of Flyte Tyme Records

Steve Vai (guitarist, VY) is 48
- Started his professional career working with Frank Zappa

Jason Isaacs (actor) is 45
"Lucius Malfoy" in the Harry Potter films

Sean Ysealt (bassist) is 42
- Bass player for White Zombie

Paul Giamatti (actor) is 41
"Miles" in Sideways

Max Casella (actor) is 41
"Vinnie" on Doogie Howser M.D.

Damion Hall (singer) is 40
- Singer in R & B group Guy

Bardi Martin (bassist) is 39
- Bass player for Candlebox

James "Munky" Shaffer (guitarist) is 38
- Guitarist for hard rock band Korn

Uncle Kracker (singer) is 34
- Broke into the music scene by hanging out with Kid Rock

Staci Keanan (actress) is 33
"Dana Foster" on Step By Step

Saturday, June 7th

Tom Jones (singer) is 68
- Born in Treforest, United Kingdom

Ken Osmond (actor) is 65
"Eddie" on Leave it to Beaver

Jenny Jones (talk-show host) is 62
- Her show lasted from 1991 to 2003

Liam Neeson (actor) is 56
"Daniel" in Love Actually

Johnny Clegg (singer-songwriter) is 55
- From South Africa

William Forsythe (actor) is 53
"Special Agent Ernest Paxton" in The Rock

L.A. Reid (record producer) is 52
- Founder of LaFace Records

Prince (musician) is 50
- Birth name was Prince Rogers Nelson

Gordon Gano (singer-guitarist) is 45
- Singer and guitarist for the Violent Femmes

 Ecstacy (rapper) is 44
- Part of Whodini, a hip-hop group formed in 1981

Eric Kretz (drummer) is 42
- Drummer for the recently reformed Stone Temple Pilots

Dave Navarro (guitarist) is 41
- Guitarist for Jane's Addiciton

Helen Baxendale (actress) is 38
"Emily" on Friends

Karl Urban (actor) is 36
"Eomer" in The Lord of the Rings films

Allen Iverson (basketball player) is 33
- Nicknamed "A.I." and "The Answer"

Eric Johnson (guitarist-keyboardist,) is 31
- Member of the group The Shins

Anna Kournikova (tennis player) is 27
- Dates Enrique Iglesias

Larisa Oleynik (actress) is 27
"Alex Mack" on The Secret Life of Alex Mack

Michael Cera (actor) is 20
"George Michael" on Arrested Development

Sunday, June 8th

Barbara Bush (former first lady) is 83
- Husband George Bush was president from 1988 to 1992

Jerry Stiller (comedian) is 81
"Frank Costanza" on Seinfeld

Joan Rivers (comedian, talk show host) is 75
- Hosted the Joan Rivers Show for five years in the early '90s

James Darren (actor) is 72
"Jim Corrigan" on T.J. Hooker

Bernie Casey (actor) is 69
- Famous for his role as "U.N. Jefferson" in Revenge of the Nerds

Nancy Sinatra (singer) is 68
- Daughter of Frank Sinatra

Chuck Negron (singer) 66
- Once had to go to hospital after penis exploded during intercourse

Boz Scaggs (singer/guitarist) is 64
- Singer/guitarist for the Steve Miller Band

Don Grady (actor) is 64
"Robbie" on My Three Sons

Mick Box (guitarist) is 61
- Guitarist for Uriah Heep

Sonia Braga (actress) is 58
"Sophia Vargas" on Alias

Kathy Baker (actress) is 58
"Dr. Jill Brock" on Picket Fences

Tony Rice (country guitarist) is 57
- Guitarist for country music band Bluegrass Alliance

Bonnie Tyler (singer) is 55
- Famous for her hit single "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Griffin Dunne (actor, director) is 52
- Starred in Addicted to Love

Scott Adams (cartoonist) is 50
- Creator of the cartoon Dilbert

Keenen Ivory Wayans (actor, director) is 49
- Star of hit sketch-comedy show In Living Color

Nick Rhodes (keyboardist) is 45
- Keyboardist for Duran Duran

 Julianna Margulies (actress) is 41
"Nurse Carol Hathaway" on ER

Dan Futterman (actor) is 41
"Vincent Gray" on Judging Amy

David Sutcliffe (actor) is 39
"Christopher Hayden" on Gilmore Girls

Nicci Gilbert (singer, Brownstone) is 38
- Her groups was founded in Los Angeles

Kelli Williams (actress) is 38
"Lindsay Dole" on The Practice

Mark Feuerstein (actor) is 37
"Simon Stein" in In Her Shoes

Mike Scheuchzer (guitarist) is 33
- Guitarist for MercyMe

Kanye West (rapper) is 30
- Released his first album The College Dropout in 2004

Sara Watkins (fiddler) is 27
- Plays the fiddle in Nickel Creek

ON JUNE 6th...
In 1962...In London, The Beatles auditioned for EMI's George Martin at the Abbey Road studios. They played their compositions "Love Me Do" and "Ask Me Why."

In 1968...The Rolling Stones added new lyrics to their soon-to-be-released single "Sympathy for the Devil," which referred to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

In 1969...Rod Stewart signed as a solo artist to Mercury Records.

In 1970...Syd Barrett played his first solo concert since leaving Pink Floyd.

In 1971...Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were joined onstage at the Fillmore East by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

In 1971...The last broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show aired. Ed's final musical guest was Gladys Knight & the Pips.

In 1977...The Doobie Brothers pioneered the Fairway to Heaven format with a golf classic and concert to benefit The United Way.

In 1982...Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks and Bonnie Raitt played The Peace Sunday: We Have a Dream concert for nuclear disarmament at Pasadena, California's Rose Bowl.

In 1986...Bob Dylan performed at the Amnesty International concert at Los Angeles' Forum.

In 1987...Michael Jackson officially severed his ties with the Jehovah's Witnesses.

In 1992...After it had been determined that the vows they traded in Switzerland did not constitute a legal marriage, David Bowie and his supermodel spouse Iman repeated their wedding ceremony in Florence, Italy.

In 1993...At the Tony Awards, Pete Townshend picked up a Best Original Score award for Tommy.  The show also won the Best Director, Scenic Design, Lighting Design and Choreography awards.

In 1997...Following Phil Collins' departure, Genesis announced that his replacement was Ray Wilson, formerly with the band Stiltskin.

In 2003...A fan was electrocuted and died while walking barefoot on a wet concrete stairway at a Red Hot Chili Peppers/Snoop Dogg concert in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In 2003...Dave Rowberry, keyboardist with '60s hitmakers The Animals, was found dead in his East London flat. He was 62.

In 2003...Officials at Six Flags in Darien Lakes, New York banned Marilyn Manson's Ozzfest appearance in August. The amusement park invoked a contract clause that allows them to restrict artists from performing.

In 2004...ZZ Top was nearly swept offstage by a rainstorm at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival in Dallas. Other performers included James Taylor, Santana, John Mayer and Robert Randolph, as well as Clapton himself.

In 2005...Something Corporate singer Andrew McMahon announced he was being treated for leukemia. The band canceled their Warped Tour appearance.

In 2006...Billy Preston, the so-called "Fifth Beatle" died aged 59. Preston played keyboards on "Get Back," and during the 1970's, scored solo number ones with "Nothing From Nothing" and "Will It Go Round in Circles."

ON JUNE 7TH...
In 1963...In England, The Rolling Stones released their first single - a cover of Chuck Berry's "Come On" backed with Willie Dixon's "I Wanna Be Loved." The band had to change Berry's line "some stupid jerk" to "some stupid guy" in order to get the song played on the radio.

In 1964...The Rolling Stones suffered a disappointment at the San Antonio Teen Fair in Texas. Only three thousand of 20-thousand seats were sold in the venue for their appearance.

In 1969...Blind Faith made their live debut at London's Hyde Park. 120-thousand people turned up to see the super-group of Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech strut their stuff at the free show.

In 1969...Bob Dylan played with Johnny Cash on the debut of ABC's The Johnny Cash Show.

In 1970...The Who played Tommy at New York's Metropolitan Opera House.

In 1972...Grease opened on Broadway. "Danny Zuko" was played by an unknown Richard Gere. John Travolta made his debut in the musical at age 17 playing "Doody."

In 1979...Chuck Berry played the White House. A week later he was in court to face income tax evasion charges. He served a four-month jail sentence.

In 1988...Bob Dylan performed at the Concord Pavilion in California with Neil Young on electric guitar. It was the beginning of what would become known as the Interstate 88 tour after the design on the backstage passes. However, considering Dylan's prolific roadwork since this date, the tour was later referred to as the Neverending Tour.

In 1991...Alan Jackson was made a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

In 1993...Prince declared he was changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol. He was soon referred to at "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince," and later as simply "The Artist." He reverted to Prince several years later.

In 1993...Sam Phillips, Chuck Berry, Billy Joel and Pete Townshend were all on hand as the ground was broken for Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1998...Country music's first stadium tour featured Tim McGraw, John Michael Montgomery, Faith Hill, Lee Ann Womack and Asleep at the Wheel.

In 1999...Rod Stewart was supposed to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange but he arrived late and decided to toss some soccer balls onto the trading floor instead.

In 2003...Beck pulled out of the inaugural Field Day Festival at New Jersey's Giants Stadium after a stagehand accidentally hit him in the ribs. Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Blur and Underworld performed.

In 2004...Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry canceled two fundraising concerts featuring supporters like Jon Bon Jovi, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Wyclef Jean, Barbra Streisand and Willie Nelson, out of respect for the passing of President Ronald Reagan.

In 2004...P. Diddy was named the top menswear designer of the year at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards for his Sean John clothing line.

In 2006...Country singer Mindy McCready sued her former boyfriend William McKnight for three-million dollars, claiming his physical abuse harmed her music career

ON JUNE 8TH...
In 1960...Roy Orbison released "Only The Lonely."

In 1966...The Elvis movie Paradise Hawaiian Style was released.

In 1967...The Beatles were in studio when Rolling Stone Brian Jones joined them to play sax on "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)."

In 1969...Brian Jones left The Rolling Stones, to be replaced by Mick Taylor. Jones explained his departure by saying, "I no longer see eye to eye with the discs we are cutting."

In 1970...Bob Dylan released his Self Portrait album. Critic Greil Marcus, upon hearing it, was moved to publish an article titled "What Is This Sh*t?"

In 1974...Rick Wakeman, keyboard wizard, left Yes.

In 1982...Having temporarily reunited, Simon & Garfunkel began their European tour in Paris.

In 1985..."Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears topped the charts and stayed there for two weeks.

In 1987...Tragedy struck Luther Vandross' band as his drummer, Yogi Horton - who also played on albums by Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross - jumped to his death from the window of a New York hotel.

In 2003...Former Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett was made a member of the Order of Australia by Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2003...Evanescence went to number one in the U-K with "Bring Me to Life."

In 2003...Papa Roach drummer Dave Buckner announced his engagement to Mia Tyler, daughter of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler.

In 2005...A warrant was issued for the arrest of rapper Cassidy in connection with the shooting death of a man in his northwest Philadelphia neighborhood. Cassidy was wanted on charges of homicide, conspiracy and weapons possession.

DEEP THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEKEND

A lot of times when you first start out on a project you think, "This is never going to be finished."  But then it is, and you think, "Wow, that wasn't even worth it."

 "Deep Thoughts... for the Weekend" courtesy of Jack Handey (as seen on Saturday Night Live)