Today in Music History

Elvis Presley began a new engagement at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas with an opening evening performance. The show began at 8:30 p.m. and the venue had a capacity of 2,200.

The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Community Theater in Berkeley, California.

The film “Super Fly” was released in theaters along with Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack, which became an important landmark in soul music.

“The Morning After,” the title song from the film “The Poseidon Adventure,” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and began a two-week run at the top.

The Carpenters were at No. 1 on the Cashbox chart with “Yesterday Once More.” The song also reached No. 2 in the UK and on the Billboard Hot 100 and became their best-selling recording.

KISS performed at the Morris Civic Auditorium in South Bend, Indiana.

Robert Plant, his wife, and their children suffered serious injuries in a car accident on the Greek island of Rhodes. Plant sustained several fractures, including injuries to his ankles and elbow. The accident led to the postponement of Led Zeppelin’s planned North American tour.

Grateful Dead performed at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey.

AC/DC performed at the Dubs club in Gainesville, Florida.

Led Zeppelin headlined the festival at Knebworth Park in England in front of approximately 120,000 people. It was their first British concert in more than four years.

A benefit concert in support of the ailing Lowell George of Little Feat was held, featuring members of his band as well as Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, and Bonnie Raitt.

In honor of the late Lowell George and to help support his family, members of Little Feat organized a benefit concert at The Forum in Inglewood. Performers included Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and Nicolette Larson, while additional guests joined various artists throughout the evening. The nearly three-hour concert was held as a one-night-only event.

The film “Rock & Roll High School,” starring the Ramones, premiered in New York.

Blue Öyster Cult performed at the Mary E. Sawyer Auditorium in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Pink Floyd began a five-show run at Earls Court in London as part of The Wall tour. The production featured a massive wall that was gradually built throughout the performance, eventually separating the band from the audience.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono began recording the album “Double Fantasy” at The Hit Factory in New York, Lennon’s final studio album.

Marques Houston, singer and actor known in part as a member of the group Immature, was born in Los Angeles.

Bruce Springsteen performed at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.

Metallica performed at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California.

The album “Purple Rain” began a 24-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Phil Collins married Jill Tavelman.

The soundtrack to the film “Dirty Dancing” was released by RCA Records. The album featured hits including “(I've Had) The Time of My Life”, “Hungry Eyes” and “She's Like the Wind”. It spent 18 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States and sold more than 32 million copies worldwide.

Tom Parker, singer with The Wanted, was born in Bolton, England.

Mariah Carey began a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with “Vision of Love.” It was her debut single and first U.S. No. 1 hit.

Janet Jackson was scheduled to perform at St. Louis Arena, but the concert was postponed until the following day because of her health problems. At the rescheduled show on August 5, she performed three songs before collapsing backstage and being taken to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with an acute viral infection.

Singer Jeri Southern died of pneumonia at the age of 64.

Body Count’s self-titled album was certified Gold in the United States for sales of more than 500,000 copies.

Oasis played two sold-out concerts at Balloch Castle Country Park in Scotland, drawing more than 80,000 fans. During preparations for the concerts, roadie James Hunter was killed after being crushed between a forklift and a lorry; the accident occurred the day before the first show.

MTV suspended broadcasting to approximately 500,000 households in Amsterdam after cable operator A2000 demanded that MTV share its previously exclusive channel with two other operators and pay for distribution.

Craig David reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with “7 Days”. It was his second consecutive No. 1 hit.

The film “Coyote Ugly” premiered in U.S. theaters.

Atomic Kitten reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with their version of “Eternal Flame.”

“Bootylicious” by Destiny's Child reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was their fourth U.S. No. 1 hit.

Dave Stewart married fashion photographer Anoushka Fisz on a private beach on the French Riviera. Guests included Elton John, Mick Jagger, Liam and Noel Gallagher, and Annie Lennox.

The News of the World reported that Mariah Carey had hired private investigator Jack Palladino to monitor her former husband, Tommy Mottola. Palladino said Carey believed that Mottola was conducting a smear campaign against her.

Bruce Springsteen scored his fifth UK No. 1 album with “The Rising,” which was also No. 1 in the United States.

American blues singer and guitarist Little Milton died at the age of 70 after suffering a brain aneurysm on July 25, followed by a stroke and a coma.

Apple launched the iTunes Music Store in Japan with a catalog of one million songs.

Yahoo! launched a beta version of Yahoo! Audio Search, allowing users to search more than 50 million audio files, including music, podcasts, and spoken-word content.

John Locke, keyboardist with Spirit and Nazareth, died in Ojai, California, at the age of 62 from cancer.

Lee Hazlewood, American singer, songwriter, and producer known in part for his work with Nancy Sinatra, died at the age of 78 at his home near Las Vegas after a three-year battle with kidney cancer.

Bono responded with a lengthy comment to Rolling Stone’s review of U2’s album “Boy,” reflecting on the group’s debut album.

Apple launched the iTunes Store in Mexico with an extensive catalog of music from major and independent record labels.

Don Henley reached an out-of-court settlement with Republican candidate Chuck DeVore over the unauthorized use of parodies of the songs “All She Wants to Do Is Dance” and “The Boys of Summer” in campaign videos.

Rondor Music threatened legal action over the use of the title and borrowed lyrical elements from “California Girls” in Katy Perry's “California Gurls.” No lawsuit was ultimately filed.

Big Sean was arrested in Lewiston, New York, in connection with allegations of sexual assault during a concert. He later accepted a plea deal for second-degree unlawful imprisonment and was fined $750.

“"Spectrum (Say My Name)" by Florence + The Machine reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart, becoming their first UK No. 1 hit.

Blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter Johnnie Bassett died of cancer at the age of 76.