On July 3, 1969, former Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones was found dead in his swimming pool at his home in England at the age of 27. The coroner's report ruled the death accidental.
Also in 1969, John Wayne won his first Oscar after 200 films for his role as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit.
It was also in 1969 that the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island hosted rock artists for the first time. Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin and Ten Years After were among the artists who performed there.
In 1971, Doors singer Jim Morrison died of a heart attack in Paris at the age of 27. He was found in his bathtub. News of Morrison's death was not made public until a few days after he was buried in a Paris cemetery, leading many fans to believe that he was still alive.
In 1973, David Bowie retired for the first time in London.
In 1986, singer Rudy Vallee died at the age of 84 at his home near Los Angeles.
In 1986, singer Teddy Pendergrass was seriously injured when the specially equipped van he was driving struck a utility pole in Philadelphia. Pendergrass was paralyzed in a car accident in 1982.
In 1989, actor Jim Backus died. He is best known for playing Thurston Howell on Castaway Island and for lending his voice to Mr. Magoo.
In 1995, TLC filed for bankruptcy. Lisa Left Eye Lopes (LOH-pez) was ordered to pay $1.3 million for burning down her boyfriend Andre Rison's (RY-zuhn) mansion.
Also in 1995, Scott Weiland (WY-land) of Stone Temple Pilots pleaded innocent to drug charges.
In 1999, Morphine singer Mark Sandman collapsed on stage during a concert in Rome and died of a heart attack. He was 46.
Also in 1999, Posh Spice Victoria Adams of the Spice Girls married football star David Beckham at an estate near Dublin, Ireland.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Michael Cole (The Mod Squad) is 84. Actor Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show) is 81. Country singer Johnny Lee is 78. Writer Dave Barry is 77. Actress Betty Buckley is 77. Actor Jan Smithers (WKRP In Cincinnati) is 75. Actor Bruce Altman (Blue Bloods) is 69. Talk show host Montel Williams is 68. Country singer Aaron Tippin is 66. Synthesizer player Vince Clarke of Erasure is 64. Actor Tom Cruise is 62. Actor Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds, Dharma & Greg) is 62. Actor Hunter Tylo is 62. Actress Connie Nielsen (Gladiator) is 60. Actor Yeardley (YARD-lee) Smith (The Simpsons) is 60. TV chef Sandra Lee is 58. Digable Planets singer Ishmael Butterfly Butler is 55. Barenaked Ladies keyboardist-guitarist Kevin Hearn is 55. Actor Shawnee Smith (Saw, Becker) is 55. Actress-singer Audra McDonald (Private Practice) is 54. Actor Patrick Wilson (Aquaman, TV's Fargo) is 51. Country singer Trent Tomlinson is 49. Actress Andrea (AN-dree-ah) Barber (Full House) is 48. Actor Ian Anthony Dale (“Hawaii Five-0”) is 46. Actress Julie Klausner (Difficult People) is 46. Divine singer Tonia Tash is 45. Actress Olivia Munn (The Newsroom) is 44. Actress Shoshannah Stern (Jericho) is 44. Singer Elle King is 35. Actor Grant Rosenmeyer (TV's Oliver Beene) is 33. Actress Kelsey Batelaan (Nip/Tuck) is 29.
