'80s Metal History (June 19th)

June 19/20, 1987: Megadeth played the last two shows of the "Wake Up Dead/Peace Sells" era tour at the Queen Theater in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was also the last two Megadeth concerts with guitarist Chris Poland and drummer Gar Samuelson.

June 19, 1987: Mötley Crüe launched the "Girls Girls Girls" tour in Tucson. Two weeks later they were in Oklahoma City where the newspaper there called them a "Hot Raunch 'n' Roll Act". "We're still doing the same filthy things that we've always done." -Nikki Sixx

June 19, 1987: Guns N' Roses played their first-ever show outside the US at London's Marquee Club. Only £4 a ticket, the venue was packed to the rafters, but attendees and reviews were not kind... "it ended up being a bit of a, dare I say it, CHOKER!" -Kerrang!

June 19, 1988: Released a month earlier, Judas Priest were supporting their new album "Ram It Down" and brought the "Mercenaries of Metal" tour to the Manchester Apollo in Manchester, England with opener Cinderella.

June 19, 1985: MTV in the US added the music video for "Lay It Down", from RATT's new album "Invasion Of Your Privacy", and it went right into power rotation. "Wait, Stephen! Don't forget to make a wish." Playboy model Marianne Gravatte is in the video and also the model on the LP cover. Billboard Magazine - June 15, 1985.

June 19, 1992: Launched in Portland, Oregon 10 days earlier, Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tours" tour was in Phoenix with guests Slaughter and Ugly Kid Joe. Faster Pussycat and Motörhead would also open dates over the summer.

June 19, 1989: Black Sabbath released "Devil And Daughter" as the second single from the album "Headless Cross" in the UK, written about Don Arden (who was the former manager of Black Sabbath) and his daughter Sharon Osbourne 😬 Release date source: Kerrang! - June 10, 1989.

June 19, 1980: Diamond Head began a string of UK dates in Walsall, England. The "Lightning To The Nations" album was recorded in 1979, but the band had yet to get a record deal. It was released through their own label in October 1980.

NWOBHM band Bitches Sin released their debut album "Predator" featuring the song "Strangers On The Shore" in 1982.

Happy Birthday to original W.A.S.P. drummer [1982-84] Tony Richards (June 19, 1957). Before W.A.S.P., Tony played with Dante Fox, who later become known as Great White.

Happy Birthday to former AC/DC [1985-88] and DIO [1990-2006] drummer Simon Wright (June 19, 1963).

June 19, 1991: The music video for Guns N' Roses single "You Could Be Mine", featuring clips from the movie "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", premiered on MTV. The song was played in the film and during the end credits, but not included on the soundtrack.

June 1989: The latest issue of Kerrang! reported that Lita Ford was engaged to W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes... "The first time I met Chris I had picked him up out of the road he was so drunk, before the cops came along..." Lita and Chris were married a year later and divorced in 1992.