June 16 in Music History: The Monterey International Pop Festival begins, David Bowie releases Ziggy Stardust

1965 – Bob Dylan records “Like A Rolling Stone” at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City in the sessions for the forthcoming Highway 61 Revisited album. Session musicians include Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper, whose Hammond organ on this track becomes one of rock’s most recognizable sounds.

1967 – The three day Monterey Pop Festival in California begins. The festival marks the first major US appearances by The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin. Also on the bill: The Byrds, Grateful Dead, Otis Redding, Simon & Garfunkel, The Steve Miller Band, Canned Heat, The Mamas And The Papas, Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield and The Electric Flag.

1969 – Captain Beefheart releases Trout Mask Replica.

1972 – David Bowie releases The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. Roxy Music releases their self-titled, debut album.

1976 – The Jacksons – all six sons and three daughters – get their own summer replacement variety show on CBS-TV.

1986 – The Smiths release The Queen is Dead.

1987 – Jerry Garcia gives Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream permission to name a new flavor after him, and Cherry Garcia is born.

1993 – The US Postal Service issues a booklet of commemorative rock and roll stamps featuring Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Bill Haley, Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter, and Dinah Washington.

2004 – The three surviving original members of the New York Dolls perform together for the first time since 1975 at the first of two shows at London Royal Festival Hall. The concerts are spearheaded by The Smiths’ frontman, Morrissey, who was once the president of the Dolls’ UK fan club. The band continues to record and perform in various incarnations after the reunion.

Information for this post was gathered from This Day in Music, The Music History Calendar, On This Day, and Wikipedia.