The database currently contains 4349 historical events.
No events found for this day.
Unable to load events from the database.
Events for this day
- Composer Ron Grainer was born in Queensland, Australia. He is known, among other things, as the composer of the famous Doctor Who theme.
- Singer and talk-show host Mike Douglas was born in Chicago.
- American producer, songwriter and arranger Shel Talmy was born in Chicago. He produced The Who's first album and many early recordings by The Kinks, including the hit “You Really Got Me.” He also produced “My Generation” by The Who and “Friday on My Mind” by The Easybeats. He died on November 13, 2024, aged 87.
- Rockabilly guitarist Ronnie Dawson was born in Dallas, Texas. He made a name for himself on the local scene in the 1950s and 1960s and gained wider attention during the rockabilly revival of the 1990s.
- Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded “Elmer's Tune.”
- Guy Villari of The Regents, the original performers of “Barbara Ann,” was born in The Bronx, New York.
- Drummer and founding member of Manfred Mann Mike Hugg was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England. Manfred Mann had the UK and US No. 1 hit “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” in 1964. Hugg later became a member of Manfred Mann Chapter Three.
- Jim Kale, born Michael James Kale, bassist for The Guess Who, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Guess Who had the US No. 1 hit “American Woman” in 1970. Jim Kale also frequently performed with The Who.
- American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Eric Carmen was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the singer of The Raspberries, with whom he had the hit “Go All The Way,” and as a solo artist became known for “All By Myself,” “She Did It,” “Hungry Eyes” and “Make Me Lose Control.” He died on March 11, 2024, aged 74.
- Erik Braunn, born Rick Davis, guitarist for Iron Butterfly, was born in Pekin, Illinois. The group was known for “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” and the 1968 album of the same name is listed by the source among the world's 40 best-selling albums, with more than 30 million copies sold. Erik Braunn died on July 25, 2003, aged 52.
- Hank Williams was dismissed from the Grand Ole Opry and told not to return until he was sober. The reason was his drinking problem and frequent absences. He died four months later.
- Guitarist and singer Bryan Bassett of Wild Cherry was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The group was known for the hit “Play That Funky Music,” which reached No. 1 in the US and No. 7 in the UK in 1976.
- British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Jackson, born David Ian Jackson, was born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. He became known for experiments with new wave, jazz and pop. In 1980 he had the UK No. 5 hit “It's Different For Girls” and in 1982 the US No. 6 hit “Steppin' Out.”
- Richard Goodman and Bull Buchanan, recording as Buchanan and Goodman, entered the charts with “Flying Saucer.” It was the first song to use the “Break In” technique, in which excerpts of other hits are inserted into a recording. The song later reached No. 3.
- The soundtrack album to the musical drama Carousel reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart.
- Elvis Presley released the double-sided single “Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog.” Both songs reached No. 1 on the US chart and together remained there for a record 11 weeks. The record was not broken until 1992 by Boyz II Men's “End of the Road.”
- Bill Haley attempted to follow up his hit “Skinny Minnie” with “Lean Jean.” The recording reached only No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Elvis Presley's “Hard Headed Woman” became the first rock'n'roll single to receive RIAA Gold certification. At the time, a Gold single required documented US sales of at least one million copies.
- Cliff Richard & The Shadows reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Please Don't Tease.” The song also topped the charts in India, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway that year.
- Guitarist Paul Gendler of Modern Romance was born. The group had the UK No. 4 hit “Best Years Of Our Lives” in 1982.
- Bragi Ólafsson, bassist for The Sugarcubes, was born in Reykjavík, Iceland.
- Mary Wells released “You Beat Me To The Punch.”
- After eight previous Billboard Top 40 songs, Neil Sedaka reached No. 1 on the US chart for the first time with “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” It spent two weeks at the top of Billboard and also two weeks at No. 1 on the Cashbox Best Sellers Chart. It reached No. 7 in the UK.
- Tony Bennett released the single “Once Upon A Time” with “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” on the B-side. When DJs began playing the B-side, “San Francisco” climbed to No. 19 on the chart and later earned Bennett Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance.
- The Kingston Trio appeared as celebrity and mystery guests on the CBS-TV program What's My Line?
- The Rolling Stones performed at the 3rd National Jazz Festival in Richmond, Surrey. The festival's headliners were Mr. Acker Bilk And His Paramount Jazz Band.
- Hamish Seelochan of The Pasadenas was born. The group had the UK No. 4 hit “I'm Doing Fine Now” in 1992.
- The Beatles began recording their fourth studio album at EMI Studios in London, then still untitled and later released as Beatles For Sale. The album marked a departure from the carefree tone of their earlier recordings, partly because of the band's exhaustion after a series of concert tours. Recording was completed on October 26 and the album was released on December 4, 1964. It later reached No. 1 in Australia, Finland, Germany and the UK.
- The Beatles recorded the song “Baby's In Black” on this day.
- The Beatles' first film, A Hard Day's Night, premiered in New York.
- The High Numbers, later known as The Who, performed at the Railway Hotel in Harrow, England. Just before the show, a fight took place outside the hotel in which singer Roger Daltrey was attacked by a relative. Daltrey returned to the stage after the incident and the band began playing.
- The Beatles' second film, Help!, premiered in New York, two weeks after its London premiere. The band members were not particularly happy with the film.
- John Lennon apologized at a press conference at the Astor Towers Hotel in Chicago for his remark that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” The remark was originally published by the London Evening Standard. Lennon explained that he was talking about the intense obsession of fans with the group and that he could have mentioned television, cinema or automobiles instead—anything popular. His remark sparked protests, bans and Beatles record burnings in the US, especially among some Christian communities.
- The Beatles arrived at O'Hare Airport in Chicago to begin their final tour of the United States.
- Small Faces, The Move, Marmalade, Paul Jones, Pink Floyd, Amen Corner, Donovan, Zoot Money, Cream, Jeff Beck, John Mayall, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown performed at the British Reading Festival. A three-day advance ticket cost £2. Arthur Brown's characteristic flaming helmet got out of control, and the flames had to be extinguished with a pint of beer by the father-in-law of organizer Harold Pendleton's wife.
- American guitarist, singer and songwriter Charlie Sexton was born in San Antonio, Texas. He became known for the 1985 hit “Beat's So Lonely” and has played guitar in Bob Dylan's touring band since 1999. He also contributed songs to film soundtracks and appeared in Thelma & Louise and Boyhood.
- The Beatles officially launched their own multimedia company and record label, Apple Corps.
- Deep Purple recorded “Speed King” in Studio 2 at Aeolian Hall. The recording was broadcast six days later on Symonds On Sunday.
- Diana Ross hosted a party for approximately 350 guests at the Daisy Club in Beverly Hills, where Motown Records introduced The Jackson 5 to music industry figures, the music press and Hollywood society. The event created the mistaken impression that Diana Ross had discovered the group; according to the source, Gladys Knight had actually recommended them to Motown. The Jackson 5 also performed that night at the first Miss Black America pageant. The group subsequently lived up to the expectations and became one of the biggest acts of 1970.
- American DJ and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, a founding member and member of A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most influential alternative hip-hop groups, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
- Jimmy Buffett released his debut album Down to Earth, a folk-rock collection that included “The Captain and the Kid,” written in honor of his late grandfather. The album sold only 374 copies.
- Lefty Baker, born Eustace Britchforth Baker, guitarist for Spanky And Our Gang, died at the age of 29 from cirrhosis of the liver. He joined the group during the recording of their 1968 hit “Like To Get To Know You.”
- After five years of marriage, Elvis and Priscilla Presley filed for divorce. They agreed to joint custody of their daughter Lisa Marie. Priscilla received $725,000 in cash, alimony, 5% of Elvis's new publishing companies and half the proceeds from the sale of their Beverly Hills home.
- The mayor of San Antonio, Texas, proclaimed August 11 “Cheech and Chong Day” in honor of the popular comedy duo, even though neither member was born near the city.
- George Lucas's film American Graffiti premiered in theaters. Set in 1962, the story sparked a wave of nostalgia for music from the 1950s and early 1960s and helped revive interest in older recordings.
- Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc held a dance party for his sister's birthday in the Bronx, New York, where he played a set full of instrumental breaks that his friends rapped over. He publicly used two turntables to extend instrumental passages, known as breaks. The event is considered one of the key moments in the birth of hip hop, and the date is celebrated as Hip-Hop Celebration Day.
- Producer Bill Aucoin saw KISS perform at a New York hotel, offered to become their manager and promised them a recording contract.
- The Edgar Winter Group released the song “Free Ride.”
- Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell left Wings because they did not want to travel with Paul McCartney to Nigeria to record Band On The Run. Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney and Denny Laine therefore recorded the album as a trio.
- American singer, songwriter and guitarist Ben Gibbard, frontman of indie-rock group Death Cab for Cutie, was born. The group had the US No. 1 album Narrow Stairs in 2008. The band's name comes from the song “Death Cab for Cutie” by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
- Keith Moon of The Who trashed a hotel room at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami and subsequently ended up in hospital.
- Neil Young recorded an entire album in a single evening at Indigo Ranch Recording Studio in Malibu. The recording included “Pocahontas” and “Powderfinger,” among others, but executives shelved it until September 8, 2017, when it was released as Hitchhiker.
- American singer and songwriter Hillary Lindsey was born. She wrote and co-wrote songs for Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Shakira, Carrie Underwood, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan. She won two Grammys for Best Country Song.
- Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly, a member of rap duo Kris Kross, was born in Atlanta. The duo, consisting of Chris Kelly and Chris Smith, became famous for the hit “Jump,” which reached No. 1 in the US and No. 2 in the UK in 1992. Kelly was 12 or 13 when the song was recorded. The duo was also known for wearing their clothes backwards, a style called “totally krossed out.”
- Led Zeppelin played their final concert on British soil at Knebworth House in England before approximately 104,000 people. Also appearing were The New Barbarians, Todd Rundgren, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Chas & Dave and Fairport Convention. The setlist included “The Song Remains The Same,” “Celebration Day,” “Black Dog,” “Nobody's Fault But Mine,” “Over The Hills And Far Away,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “Since I've Been Loving You,” “No Quarter,” “Hot Dog,” “The Rain Song,” “White Summer/Black Mountainside,” “Kashmir,” “Trampled Under Foot,” “Sick Again,” “Achilles' Last Stand,” “In The Evening,” “Stairway To Heaven,” “Rock And Roll,” “Whole Lotta Love” and “Communication Breakdown.” They played several smaller European concerts the following year, but broke up in December 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham.
- Johnny Cash performed the duet “Jackson” with Miss Piggy on The Muppet Show. He also “insulted” Rowlf the Dog with his song “Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog.”
- Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alexandria “Sandi” Thom was born in Banff. She became known primarily for the 2006 UK and Australian hit “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair).”
- Donna Summer and her husband Bruce Sudano became parents to their first daughter, Amanda Grace Sudano.
- Ray Parker Jr. began a three-week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with “Ghostbusters,” the title song from the film of the same name. The song also reached No. 1 in Belgium, Canada, France, South Africa and Spain. Parker was later accused of plagiarizing the melody of “I Want a New Drug” by Huey Lewis and the News, and the dispute was settled out of court in 1985.
- Jarell Damonte Houston, known as J-Boog and a member of B2K, was born in Compton, California.
- Simon Le Bon's boat capsized during a race off the English coast. The Royal Navy rescued him after he spent 40 minutes trapped in an underwater air pocket.
- The Monkees had six albums simultaneously in the Billboard 200 during their reunion tour. Their album The Monkees ranked highest at No. 92. Six albums nearly 20 years old re-entered the chart after being reissued, and the group played 144 concerts on their 20th-anniversary tour.
- LL Cool J's second album Bigger And Deffer was certified Platinum. According to the source, he became the first solo rapper to achieve the certification.
- Rolling Stone magazine named The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band the best album made during the previous 20 years. The next places went to Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, Exile on Main St., The Beatles (The White Album) and Blood on the Tracks.
- Bruce Springsteen joined Ringo Starr onstage during a concert in New Jersey. Together they performed “Get Back,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Photograph” and “With A Little Help From My Friends.”
- Three members of LL Cool J's backing group were arrested and charged with the rape of a 15-year-old girl. The incident allegedly occurred after a concert after the girl obtained backstage access through a radio contest.
- Ray Charles performed at the opening of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, singing his famous version of “America The Beautiful.”
- Soundgarden performed at the Civic Auditorium in Rapid City, South Dakota, on the first show of an eight-date tour headlined by Neil Young with Blind Melon as the opening act. These concerts were Soundgarden's only live performances of 1993.
- The film Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, premiered in US theaters. Its soundtrack reached No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart, driven by Coolio's lead single “Gangsta's Paradise.”
- Mel Taylor, drummer for The Ventures, died in Los Angeles at the age of 62 from lung cancer. The Ventures had six Billboard Top 40 songs between 1962 and 1969. In 2008 Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Ventures.
- Backstreet Boys released their second album Backstreet's Back in international markets. The album reached No. 1 in several countries, including Canada, Spain and Germany. In the US, some of its songs appeared on their next album, Millennium, in 1999.
- Sonny West, Red West, Lamar Fike and Marty Lacker, four prominent members of Elvis's “Memphis Mafia,” recalled Elvis in a one-time online chat.
- All four original members of KISS attended the unveiling of their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. The star is located at 7092 Hollywood Boulevard. At the time, the band had released more than 30 albums and sold more than 80 million records worldwide.
- Four music festivals were held in Cornwall, England, during the total solar eclipse. Performers at the various events included James, The Levellers, Van Morrison, Kula Shaker and Happy Mondays.
- Madonna gave birth to her second child, son Rocco Ritchie, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills. His father was British director Guy Ritchie.
- David Gray reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart with White Ladder, his fourth studio album. The album also topped the chart in Ireland and became one of the best-selling albums in both countries.
- NSYNC reached No. 1 on the US albums chart with their fourth studio album Celebrity. The album also topped the charts in Canada and Malaysia.
- Black Sabbath, Linkin Park, Slipknot and Marilyn Manson performed at Ozzfest at the PNC Bank Arts Centre in New Jersey.
- Bruce Springsteen began a two-week run at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with his twelfth studio album The Rising. It was his fifth US No. 1 album and also reached No. 1 in the UK, Canada, Germany, Spain and 12 other countries. It was his first studio album with the E Street Band in nearly 20 years and won two Grammy Awards.
- Phish bassist Mike Gordon was arrested backstage at a Grateful Dead concert at Jones Beach after he was found photographing a nine-year-old girl. He was later cleared of the charges, and the girl's parents described the case as an unfortunate misunderstanding.
- Vanessa Williams and her husband, basketball player Rick Fox, divorced.
- American entertainer and talk-show host Mike Douglas died suddenly in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He hosted The Mike Douglas Show from 1965 to 1981 and had the 1966 hit “The Men In My Little Girl's Life,” which reached No. 6 on the Billboard chart.
- “Beautiful Girls,” the debut single by 17-year-old Sean Kingston, reached No. 1 in the US. According to the source, Kingston became the first artist born in the 1990s to have a No. 1 hit.
- Don Helms, the steel guitarist best known as a member of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys, died at the age of 81. He played on more than 100 Hank Williams recordings and also appeared on classic country recordings by Patsy Cline, Stonewall Jackson, the Louvin Brothers, Lefty Frizzell and Loretta Lynn.
- Feist appeared on Sesame Street, where she turned her song “1234” into a lesson in counting. The segment became very popular and surpassed the popularity of the original recording.
- Karl Wiosna of Graig near Pontypridd, Wales, had his stereo equipment and music collection confiscated and destroyed after violating a noise-abatement order. Authorities acted following a neighbor's complaints about loud records by Cher and U2. Two tape and record players, a radio and CDs were seized, and Wiosna was fined £265.
- Noah and the Whale released their debut album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down on Mercury/Vertigo. Laura Marling, who was a member of the band at the time of recording, also sings on the album, as does Emmy the Great.
- Lady Antebellum released “Need You Now,” a song about making a phone call while drunk. The song became a major crossover hit, reaching No. 1 on the country chart, No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and selling 9 million digital downloads.
- Jani Lane, lead singer of Warrant, died at the age of 47 after a long battle with drug and alcohol addiction.
- The Go-Go's received the 2,444th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6652 Hollywood Boulevard, on the site of the former punk club The Masque, where the group frequently performed early in its career.
- Conor Maynard reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart with his debut studio album Contrast.
- The Geto Boys reunited and performed at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos.
- Zac Brown Band returned to No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their third studio album Uncaged. The album also reached No. 1 in Canada.
- 5 Seconds of Summer reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart with their debut studio album. The Australian rock band achieved the highest first-week sales for a debut album by a group since Daughtry in 2006 and became the first Australian group to reach No. 1 in the US with a debut.
- President Barack Obama released his summer music playlists on Spotify for the second year in a row. It was his final year in the presidency.
- Viola Beach reached No. 1 on the UK albums chart with their self-titled debut album. The album was released posthumously after all four band members and their manager died in a car accident while touring in Sweden.
- Singer, guitarist and actor Trini Lopez died at the age of 83 from complications of COVID-19. In 1963 he had the hit “If I Had A Hammer,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard chart. He also appeared in the 1967 film The Dirty Dozen.
- American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Roy Gaines died at the age of 83, one day before his 84th birthday. As a backing musician he worked with the Everly Brothers, The Supremes, Bobby Darin, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight, among others. He co-wrote “No Use Crying,” recorded by George Jones and Ray Charles.
- American guitarist and studio musician Bill Pitman died at the age of 102 from complications following a fall. He also played ukulele on the Oscar-winning song “Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head” and as a studio musician contributed to recordings by The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, The Ronettes, Deep Purple, Nancy Sinatra and others.
- Scottish singer, songwriter and actor Darius Danesh was found unresponsive in his apartment in Rochester, Minnesota, and was later pronounced dead. He became known after appearing on the first series of the UK show Popstars in 2001. In 2002 he had the UK No. 1 single “Colourblind” and later played Billy Flynn in the London musical Chicago and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls.
- David Bowie was named the most influential British artist of the previous 50 years in a Sky Arts poll, thanks to his ability to transcend music, film and fashion. Other musicians in the ranking included Spice Girls, Elton John, Stormzy and Boy George.
- The Hip Hop 50 Live concert took place at Yankee Stadium, celebrating 50 years since the birth of hip hop, associated with DJ Kool Herc and his Bronx party. Performers included Snoop Dogg, The Sugarhill Gang, Lauryn Hill and Run-D.M.C., for whom it was their final performance.