1861 – Composer Anton Stepanovich Arensky was born.

1885 – Composer George Sainton Kaye Butterworth was born.

1954 – Elvis Presley signed his first recording contract and quit his job as a truck driver. The contract was with Sun Records.

1959 – Alan Freed began a 13 week Rock & Roll show on ABC-TV.

1961 – Pat Boone began a 10-day tour of South Africa.

1962 – The Rolling Stones made their performance debut at the Marquee Club in London.

1969 – Blind Faith began their one and only tour with a sold-out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

1992 – A memorial to Buddy Holly was unveiled in Dallas, TX.

1992 – Axl Rose (Guns N’ Roses) was arrested at New York’s JFK airport on a warrant from St. Louis, MO. Rose was wanted on charges stemming from a 1991 Guns N’ Roses concert.

1996 – Jonathan Melvoin (Smashing Pumpkins) was found dead in a New York City hotel of a heroin overdose.

1997 – Anthony Keidis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) suffered a broken wrist in a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles, CA.

1998 – It was announced by Toronto’s Mayor Mel Lastman that the Spice Girls had backed out of a promise to perform at a free outdoor event at Toronto’s City Hall. The Spice Girls had decided instead to appear on the Canadian TV show MuchMusic.

1999 – DMX was arrested in Trinidad in mid-concert for using obscene language.

1999 – Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) was arrested in St. Paul, MN, for allegedly kicking a local securit guard in the head during the band’s performance.

http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/jul12.htm