Today in Music History

The Rolling Stones, together with Brian Jones's father Lewis Jones, filed a lawsuit in the High Court against former managers Andrew Loog Oldham and Eric Easton. They alleged that in 1963 the managers had made a secret agreement with Decca Records intended to deprive the group of appropriate royalties.

David Bowie performed at the Starkers Royal Ballrooms in Boscombe, Australia.

Jazz bassist J. R. "Jim" Carroll died at the age of 48.

Paul McCartney received a gold disc for more than one million copies sold of "Live and Let Die", the title song from the James Bond film of the same name. The recording reached No. 2 in the United States and No. 9 in the United Kingdom.

The Rolling Stones released their thirteenth studio album, "Goats Head Soup", on their own label. The album reached No. 1 in the United States, the United Kingdom and six other countries. It included the hit "Angie", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and in several other countries, while reaching No. 5 in the United Kingdom. Other songs included "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" and "Winter". The album was regarded as a retreat from the band's breakthrough period of the previous four years.

Carole King released the album "Wrap Around Joy", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart.

John Lennon testified in federal court that the Nixon administration had sought to deport him because of his participation in anti-war demonstrations during the Republican convention in Miami, Florida, in 1972. He also said he suspected that his phones had been tapped and that he had been followed by government agents. The federal appeals court overturned the deportation order on October 7, 1975.

Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones was quoted as saying that he had stopped using drugs after a doctor told him he had six months to live.

The Osmonds reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with their cover of Johnny Bristol's song "Love Me for a Reason," beginning a three-week run at the top. Written by Johnny Bristol, it became the group's first and only career number-one hit in the United Kingdom.

The final episode of The Partridge Family was broadcast on ABC. A total of 96 episodes were produced.

The Rolling Stones released the album "Goat's Head Soup".

Rod Stewart and the Faces, Loggins & Messina, Fleetwood Mac and Lynyrd Skynyrd performed at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California.

Elton John released the album "Blue Moves" as an advance release in the United Kingdom.

Judge Richard Owen ruled at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that George Harrison was guilty of "subconscious plagiarism". The court found that the melody of Harrison's 1970 solo song "My Sweet Lord" was legally identical to "He's So Fine", written by Ronnie Mack and recorded by The Chiffons in 1963. The royalties from the song were awarded to Mack's estate, and Harrison eventually paid $587,000 in damages to copyright holder Bright Tunes. The Chiffons subsequently recorded their own version of "My Sweet Lord".

Co-founder and frontman of alternative rock band The Vines, Craig Nicholls was born in Sydney, Australia.

American musician and songwriter Derek Gruen, known as Del Marquis, was born in New York City. He became known as a member of pop-rock band Scissor Sisters.

Yes performed at Dane County Memorial Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Grateful Dead performed "Shakedown Street" live for the first time at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.

Fleetwood Mac concluded their Tusk world tour with a major concert in Los Angeles.

Karen Carpenter married 39-year-old property developer Thomas James Burris in the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel. The marriage quickly deteriorated, and Carpenter later filed for divorce.

The Grateful Dead performed at the Aladdin Hotel Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The film "Purple Rain" starring Prince was released in cinemas across the United Kingdom, including special late-night previews. The film grossed more than $80 million worldwide and became a cult classic.

Stevie Wonder released "I Just Called to Say I Love You" in the United Kingdom.

Dire Straits' album "Brothers In Arms" began a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart. The album also reached No. 1 in 25 other countries and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

Serial killer Richard Ramirez was captured in Los Angeles and later convicted of 13 murders. At one crime scene, he left behind an AC/DC cap. The media nicknamed him the "Night Stalker" and speculated that AC/DC's song "Night Prowler" had inspired him to kill. This claim was never confirmed and unfairly linked the band to the killer, which terrified the group.

UB40, with guest vocals by Chrissie Hynde, reached No. 1 on the British singles chart with their version of Sonny and Cher's 1965 song "I Got You Babe". It reached No. 28 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

After ten years together, Bob Geldof married television presenter Paula Yates in Las Vegas. Their best man was Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran.

Jazz trombonist Urbie Green died at the age of 59.

Fleetwood Mac released "Little Lies" from their fourteenth studio album, "Tango in the Night". The song was written by group member Christine McVie with her then-husband Eddy Quintela. The single reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 in the United Kingdom, becoming the group's last U.S. Top 10 hit.

Michael Jackson's album "Bad" reached No. 1 on the British albums chart and began a five-week run at the top.

CBS Records recorded the largest advance order of albums in its history when it shipped 2.25 million copies of Michael Jackson's "Bad" to stores in the United States. The album followed "Thriller", Jackson's best-selling album, and later sold more than 13 million copies.

Michael Jackson's "Bad" music video was broadcast for the first time on CBS-TV.

MTV launched "Club MTV", its contemporary and considerably more provocative version of "American Bandstand".

The Rolling Stones began their Steel Wheels tour with a concert at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The album "Steel Wheels", released a few days earlier, brought to an end, at least temporarily, years of public disputes between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Before the official start of the tour, they had made a surprise appearance on August 12 at Toad's Place in New Haven.

A public memorial service for Stevie Ray Vaughan was held at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas, four days after he was killed in a helicopter crash in Wisconsin at the age of 35. Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Wonder led a communal singing of "Amazing Grace" at the end of the memorial.

Metallica's album "Metallica", also known as the "Black Album", began a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It included "Enter Sandman", "Sad But True", "The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters", and later sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone.

Prince extended his contract with Warner Bros. in a deal reportedly worth $100 million, although the actual value was significantly lower.

Oasis released their debut album, "Definitely Maybe", in the United Kingdom.

27-year-old R. Kelly married fifteen-year-old Aaliyah at the Sheraton Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. Her age was listed as 18 on the marriage certificate. The marriage was annulled after Aaliyah's family learned of it, and because neither side spoke publicly about it, few details emerged.

Diana, Princess of Wales, died at the age of 36 in a car accident in Paris. Elton John released a reworked version of "Candle in the Wind" dedicated to her memory, and the recording became the best-selling single of all time.

James Brown became the first American performer to appear in Lebanon after a recent lifting of the ban on American citizens traveling to the country.

Oasis reached No. 1 on the British albums chart with their third album, "Be Here Now". More than one million copies were sold on the first day of release, making it the fastest-selling album in the United Kingdom at the time.

The Microsoft Network broadcast a U2 concert in Dublin over the internet.

Madonna filed a lawsuit against the YMCA seeking to prevent the construction of a high-rise residential building near Lincoln Center in New York City.

Noreaga, whose real name is Victor Santiago, of Capone-N-Noreaga was charged with assaulting a dissatisfied fan in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Led by the successful single "Ready To Run", the Dixie Chicks released their second major-label album, "Fly".

Aaliyah's funeral was held at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Manhattan, New York, six days after her death in a plane crash in the Bahamas. Hundreds of grieving fans accompanied her horse-drawn casket to the private ceremony, which was attended by Gladys Knight, Lil' Kim, Sean Combs, Timbaland and Missy Elliott. After the service, 22 white doves were released in her memory, representing each year of her life.

Eva Cassidy reached No. 1 on the British albums chart with her third studio album, "Imagine". The album was released posthumously following her untimely death in 1996 and contained ten cover songs by artists including John Lennon, Stevie Wonder and Paul Anka.

NASA announced that Lance Bass, singer with *NSYNC, was set to become the first celebrity in space. His seat aboard the Russian Soyuz module was expected to cost $23.8 million, and at age 23 he was set to become the youngest person in orbit. The flight ultimately did not take place because he failed to pay the required $20 million.

Nelly returned to No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart with his second studio album, "Nellyville".