Music History

Country singer and songwriter Dottie West died at the age of 58 from injuries sustained in a car accident several days earlier while traveling to a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. She was the first woman to win a Grammy in the country category.

Don Henley performed his solo hit “The Heart of the Matter” at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Guitarist C.C. DeVille was fired from the band after disrupting their planned performance at the MTV Video Music Awards by playing “Talk Dirty to Me” instead of “Unskinny Bop.” He rejoined the band five years later.

Bryan Adams spent his sixth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” from the film Robin Hood.

Nirvana released the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, one of the defining songs of the grunge era.

Michael Jackson’s crystal-encrusted white glove was stolen from the Motown Museum in Detroit. According to one source variant, the glove was found two days later; M.C. Hammer offered a $50,000 reward for its return.

M.C. Hammer offered a $50,000 reward for the return of Michael Jackson's white glove, which had been stolen from the Motown Museum. The glove was later found and returned. It was part of the rivalry and competition between Hammer and Michael Jackson at the time.

Texas Governor Ann Richards proclaimed October 3 “Stevie Ray Vaughan Day” in honor of the Dallas-born musician. An annual motorcycle ride and concert in Central Texas support the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Scholarship Fund.

J. Frank Wilson, singer and lead performer of J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, best known for the 1964 recording “Last Kiss,” died in Texas on October 4, 1991, at the age of 49, shortly before his fiftieth birthday. Sources reported long-term problems with alcohol; some also mentioned complications related to diabetes. Wilson reportedly received only a small portion of the money from “Last Kiss,” while a substantial share went to the publisher. He continued recording with the Cavaliers after leaving the music industry and recorded as late as 1978.

English singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, a member of Little Mix, was born. The group was formed on and won the eighth series of The X Factor UK, won three Brit Awards, and had 19 UK Top 10 singles, including five number-one hits.

Bryan Adams reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with his sixth studio album Waking Up the Neighbours. The album included the hit “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” which spent a record 16 weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

Guns N' Roses debuted at the top two positions of the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. Use Your Illusion II was No. 1 and Use Your Illusion I was No. 2. Use Your Illusion II began a two-week run at No. 1; it was released on September 17, 1991, together with Use Your Illusion I and had sold 5,587,000 copies in the United States by 2010.

Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with the song Good Vibrations.

Michael Jackson walked Elizabeth Taylor down the aisle at her seventh wedding ceremony at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The groom was construction worker Larry Fortensky, whom Taylor divorced in 1997.

Elizabeth Taylor married construction worker Larry Fortensky, whom she had met at the Betty Ford Center, in a lavish ceremony at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch near Los Angeles. It was her eighth marriage and Fortensky's third. Michael Jackson walked her down the aisle together with her son Michael Wilding Jr. Taylor and Fortensky divorced in 1996 but remained friends.

Michael Jackson walked Elizabeth Taylor down the aisle at her wedding to construction worker Larry Fortensky at his Neverland Ranch. It was Elizabeth Taylor's eighth marriage, while Fortensky became her seventh husband; Taylor later divorced Fortensky, with the divorce finalized in 1996.

Ray Charles was honored in a special Fox television program, “Ray Charles: 50 Years Of Music.” Highlights included Charles performing “Living For The City” with Stevie Wonder and “Busted” with Willie Nelson.

Soundgarden released their second album for A&M Records, “Badmotorfinger.” Its release coincided with the rise of grunge; Nirvana's “Nevermind” had been released two weeks earlier, and Pearl Jam released “Ten” on August 27. “Badmotorfinger” became the band's commercial breakthrough and sold more than three million copies.

Apple Computer settled its name-and-logo dispute with The Beatles' Apple Corps for a reported $26.5 million. Apple Corps retained exclusive use of the Apple name and logo for creative works centered on music, while Apple Computer could use the branding for computers, software, data transmission and reproduction devices, provided it did not package or distribute physical music.

Australian pop singer and songwriter Gabriella Cilmi was born on October 10, 1991. Her 2008 debut album reached number two in Australia and number eight in the UK. The single “Sweet About Me” reached number one on the Australian chart in 2010 and was also successful across Europe.

Apple Computer and Apple Corps, the company associated with The Beatles, reached a settlement in their long-running dispute over trademarks and business activities. Sources cite different figures: $26.5 million for an agreement concerning music software rights and approximately $29 million for the settlement over Apple's name and logo. The agreement followed a 1981 arrangement that restricted Apple Computer from entering the music business. It was later revised as music became an increasingly important part of Apple's business.

Comedian, singer and actor Redd Foxx suffered a heart attack during rehearsals for the television series The Royal Family. He died in hospital later that evening at the age of 68. His death was ironic because his character on Sanford and Son frequently pretended to have heart attacks.

“Emotions” reaches No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and begins a three-week run at the top. This gives Mariah Carey five consecutive No. 1 singles from the start of her career, surpassing the Jackson 5’s record.

The Day on the Green festival takes place at Oakland Coliseum in California. Metallica headlines, with Queensrÿche, Faith No More, and Soundgarden also on the bill.

Nirvana’s album Nevermind receives gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Nirvana’s album Nevermind reaches No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart.

Simply Red’s fourth album, Stars, reaches No. 1 on the UK albums chart. During its chart run, it reaches the top a total of five times and spends 134 weeks on the chart.