Today in Music History

James Brown met President Richard Nixon at the White House and supported his bid for re-election, alienating a significant part of his audience.

Vinnie Tattanelli, drummer of the band Nine Days, was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Yes performed at Caird Hall in Dundee, Scotland.

Rod Stewart & The Faces and Rory Gallagher performed at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California.

Scott Morriss, bassist of the British indie rock band The Bluetones, was born on October 10, 1973. The band's 1996 debut album knocked Oasis from the top of the UK album chart for one week. The single “Slight Return” reached number two.

Deep Purple released the band's only studio album featuring Tommy Bolin on guitar, “Come Taste the Band.” David Coverdale also sings on the album, before the formation of Whitesnake.

The Allman Brothers Band performed at Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

The Who and The Grateful Dead played the second of two consecutive concerts at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland Stadium) in Oakland, California. Although they were two of the biggest concert acts in rock history and the event received massive promotion, neither of the stadium concerts sold out.

A spectator threw an M-80 firecracker onto the stage during an Aerosmith concert at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. The explosion injured singer Steven Tyler's cornea and guitarist Joe Perry's hand. The band avoided the venue for a year afterward. When they returned in November 1978, a bottle thrown onto the stage struck Tyler in the face, leading to further tightening of security measures at concert venues.

During an Aerosmith concert in Philadelphia, an object was thrown onto the stage, injuring Joe Perry and Steven Tyler. The band performed behind a security barrier for the rest of the tour.

The second UK tour by Stiff Records began, featuring Wreckless Eric, Jon Lewie, Rachel Sweet, Lene Lovich and Micky Jupp. They traveled around Britain by train and then continued to the U.S. without Jupp, who was afraid to fly.

The classic Fleetwood Mac lineup — Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks — received the 1,715th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6608 Hollywood Boulevard. During the ceremony, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley officially proclaimed October 10 “Fleetwood Mac Day.” The honor recognized their musical achievements as well as their local charitable and humanitarian activities.

American singer, songwriter and actress Mya Marie Harrison was born in Washington, D.C. Her parents named her in honor of poet Maya Angelou. She became known for hits including “It's All About Me,” “Case of the Ex,” “Lady Marmalade” and “Ghetto Supastar.”

The film The Rose, starring Bette Midler as a self-destructive 1960s rock star, premiered in Los Angeles. The character was inspired by Janis Joplin. The film received four Academy Award nominations, including nominations for Bette Midler for Best Actress and Frederic Forrest for Best Supporting Actor. David Keith also appeared in the film and later portrayed Elvis in Heartbreak Hotel.

Blue Öyster Cult performed at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.

A private funeral service was held for Led Zeppelin drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham in Worcestershire, England. Among the mourners were his bandmates and musicians Jeff Lynne, Denny Laine and Roy Wood. Bonham died at the age of 32 after being found dead at Jimmy Page's house; according to the source, he died from asphyxiation after inhaling vomit as a result of excessive vodka consumption.

Thin Lizzy released the album Chinatown.

The single “Private Eyes” by Hall & Oates reached the U.S. Top 10.

The single “Endless Love” by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie remained at number one on the U.S. chart for a ninth week.

Eddie Rabbitt's single “Step by Step” reached the U.S. Top 10.

The single “Hold On Tight” by Electric Light Orchestra remained in the U.S. Top 10.

Eric Clapton performed at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Foreigner's single “Urgent” was falling in the U.S. Top 10.

Christopher Cross's single “Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)” was climbing the U.S. chart.

Journey's single “Who's Crying Now” maintained its position on the U.S. chart.

Sheena Easton's single “For Your Eyes Only” rose from number 11 to number five on the U.S. chart.

The song “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks featuring Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers reached number three on the U.S. chart.

The Police reached number one on the UK album chart with Ghost in the Machine. It was their fourth studio album and the group's third album to reach number one. The album also topped the charts in the Netherlands, Australia, Italy and Canada, and reached number two in the U.S.

The Rolling Stones' single “Start Me Up” rose to number seven on the U.S. chart.

Irish singer, songwriter and musician Una Healy, known as a member of the girl group The Saturdays, was born on October 10, 1981, in Thurles, Ireland. The group made its chart debut in 2008 with the single “If This Is Love,” and the following single “Up” reached number five on the UK chart.

Grateful Dead performed at Frost Amphitheatre at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

Culture Club released their second album, Colour by Numbers, which features the hit “Karma Chameleon.” The song spent six weeks at number one on the UK singles chart and became the UK's best-selling single of the year. It also reached number one in the U.S., where it received a gold certification for one million copies sold.

Italian-English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Giovanni “Jack” Savoretti was born in Westminster, London. His 2019 album Singing to Strangers was his first UK number-one album, and the following album, Europiana, also reached number one in 2021.

Lzzy Hale, born Elizabeth Hale, singer and rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Halestorm, was born in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. She chose the name Lzzy as a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. Halestorm have had eleven singles reach the U.S. Mainstream Rock Airplay Top 10, six of them reaching number one. In 2021, Hale became the first woman to serve as a Gibson brand ambassador.

His 1976 Christmas album “O Holy Night” became the first classical album to receive platinum certification after selling more than one million copies in the United States.

Welsh singer and songwriter Marina Diamandis, also known as Marina and the Diamonds, was born on October 10, 1985. Her debut album The Family Jewels reached number five on the UK chart. Her 2012 album Electra Heart became her first UK number-one album.

The film “True Stories,” directed by and starring David Byrne, was released in cinemas. The film's soundtrack served as Talking Heads' seventh album.

The Moody Blues performed at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Def Leppard's album Hysteria began gaining momentum on the U.S. album chart.

The soundtrack to the film Dirty Dancing rose from number 12 to number seven on the U.S. album chart.

Heart's album Bad Animals fell to number ten on the U.S. album chart.

John Cougar Mellencamp's album The Lonesome Jubilee reached the U.S. album Top 10.

“ La Bamba” by Los Lobos remained at number four on the U.S. chart.

Michael Jackson's album Bad remained at number one on the U.S. album chart for a third week. It stayed ahead of Whitesnake and Whitney Houston at the top.

Pink Floyd's album A Momentary Lapse of Reason entered the U.S. album Top 10.

U2's album The Joshua Tree reached number nine on the U.S. album chart.

Wanda Nicholls filed an official complaint accusing David Bowie of rape and biting her legs and back. Bowie denied the allegations and, according to the source, claimed that Nicholls was seeking publicity.

Whitesnake reached number one on the U.S. singles chart with “Here I Go Again.” The song also topped the Canadian chart and reached number nine in the UK.

Whitney Houston's album Whitney reached the U.S. album chart behind Michael Jackson's Bad.

U2 released the album Rattle and Hum, which combines new studio tracks, live recordings and covers. It includes recordings from Sun Studios in Memphis and collaborations with Bob Dylan, B. B. King and the gospel choir Harlem's New Voices of Freedom.