On June 11, 1979, John Wayne, famous for starring in countless westerns, died at age 72 after battling cancer for more than a
decade.

The actor was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset,
Iowa, and moved as a child to Glendale, California. A football star
at Glendale High School, he attended the University of Southern California on a scholarship but dropped out after two years.

After finding work as a movie studio laborer, Wayne befriended
director John Ford, then a rising talent. His first acting jobs were
bit parts in which he was credited as Duke Morrison, a childhood nickname derived from the name of his beloved pet dog.

Wayne’s first starring role came in 1930 with The Big Trail, a film
directed by Raoul Walsh.

Sly and the Family Stone

Sly Stone (Sylvester Stewart) (March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025)

Stone, was a musician, songwriter, and record producer who 
was most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the 
Family Stone.

      
TIM MAGUIRE

Les Paul records with wife Mary Ford in his home studio
in the 1950s.

Les Paul  (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009)

Les Paul, was a jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter,
and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body
electric guitar, and his prototype, called the Log, served as
inspiration for the Gibson Les Paul.

Paul is credited with many recording innovations. His early
experiments with overdubbing (also known as sound on
sound), delay effects such as tape delay, phasing, and
multitrack recording.

             
CAMILLE BOHANNON

On June 5, 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of
the United States, died after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s
disease. Reagan, who was also a well-known actor and served
as governor of California, was a popular president known for
restoring American confidence after the problems of the 1970s.