Music History Today: June 19, 2023

June 19, 1989: Batman premiered at Mann's Village Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles, California.

The score for 1989's Batman by Danny Elfman was issued as an album. According to the Batman DVD Special Edition, Elfman said that producer Jon Peters was not sure about him as a composer until Tim Burton made him play the main titles.

 

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Elfman admitted he was stunned when Peters announced that the score would be released on an album. The score was widely acclaimed by the press and, in many contemporary reviews, is cited as the film's highlight. Elfman's "The Batman Theme" became an iconic piece and served as the basis for the theme music. 

Read more: Wikipedia

June 19, 1963: Paula Abdul was born in San Fernando, California.

Paula Abdul

The former L.A. Lakers cheerleader and choreographer Paula Abdul scored her first hit in 1989, when "Straight Up" shot to Billboard's number one spot, becoming the first of four U.S. chart-toppers from her 1988 debut, Forever Your Girl; the others were "Forever Your Girl," "Cold Hearted," and "Opposites Attract," each earning a gold certification from the RIAA. This success laid the groundwork for her second act as a judge on American Idol. This televised singing competition began in 2002 and kept Abdul in the spotlight throughout the decade. 

Read more: Allmusic

June 19, 1973: The stage version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show opened in London starring Tim Curry. The production ran for a total of 2,960 performances and won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical.

June 19, 2011: Amy Winehouse was booed by crowds in Serbia's capital Belgrade after appearing too drunk to perform.

The first concert on the singer's 12-day European tour in Belgrade saw Winehouse mumble through parts of songs, leave the stage altogether, and at one point, she threw her microphone to the floor. She was frequently booed by the crowd, who had paid up to £45 to see her in a country where wages are some of the lowest in Europe. It would be her last performance.

Batman Theme
Danny Elfman