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Events for this day
- French composer Francois de Paule Jacques Raymond de Fossa was born.
- Italian composer Amilcare Ponchielli was born.
- The opera "Die Dreigroschenoper" ("The Threepenny Opera") premiered in Berlin. The music was composed by Kurt Weill.
- Singer and songwriter John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas was born.
- Frank Sinatra recorded "All or Nothing at All" with the Harry James Orchestra, one of his first major hits.
- Jerry Allison, drummer of American rock and roll band The Crickets, was born in Hillsboro, Texas. He co-wrote Buddy Holly's hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue". The group had the U.S. No. 1 single "That'll Be the Day" in 1957 and the British No. 1 single "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" in 1959.
- American saxophonist and bassist Wilton Felder, a founding member of jazz group The Crusaders, was born in Houston, Texas. He played bass on The Jackson 5's hits "I Want You Back" and "ABC", as well as Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On".
- English artist Roger Dean was born. He designed album covers for groups and artists including Yes, Atomic Rooster, Uriah Heep, Gentle Giant, Greenslade, Steve Howe and Asia.
- American musician Robert "Bob" Welch was born in California. From 1971 to 1974 he was a member of Fleetwood Mac and later became a successful solo artist with songs including "Hot Love", "Cold World", "Ebony Eyes", "Precious Love", "Sentimental Lady" and "Hypnotized".
- Violinist Itzhak Perlman was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, then part of the British Mandate of Palestine.
- Van Morrison, born George Ivan Morrison, was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With Them, he had the British No. 2 single "Here Comes The Night" in 1965, and as a solo artist he released the album "Moondance" in 1970. His classic albums also include "Astral Weeks" and "Tupelo Honey".
- Guitarist and founding member of rock band The Flamin' Groovies, Cyril Jordan was born in San Francisco, California.
- Scottish guitarist and songwriter Ricky Gardiner was born. He was a member of Kingbees and The System, with whom he formed Beggars Opera in 1969. He played lead guitar on David Bowie's 1977 album "Low" and worked with Iggy Pop on "Lust for Life" that same year, co-writing the song "The Passenger" with him.
- Guitarist, founder and leading figure of hard rock band Scorpions, Rudolf Schenker was born in Hildesheim, Germany. He founded the band in 1965 at the age of 17, and their power ballad "Wind of Change" topped European charts in 1990 and reached No. 4 in the United States.
- Chuck Berry reached No. 5 on the U.S. pop chart with "Maybellene", while the song spent eleven weeks at No. 1 on the rhythm and blues chart.
- A London judge fined Sidney Turner three pounds and ten shillings for "creating an awful noise" after he threatened his neighbors that he would "drive them mad". From 2:00 to 4:30 p.m., he played Bill Haley and His Comets' "Shake Rattle & Roll" as loudly as possible.
- All ten songs in the British singles chart Top 10 came from American artists, including Elvis Presley, The Platters, Doris Day, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and Gogi Grant.
- Elvis Presley performed at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, Canada, before 26,000 fans. It was his third and final concert outside the United States. The 25-minute program included "Heartbreak Hotel", "All Shook Up", "I Was The One", "I Got A Woman", "That's When Your Heartaches Begin", "Fools Hall Of Fame", "Don't Be Cruel", "Love Me", "Mean Woman Blues" and "Hound Dog". He was accompanied by Scotty Moore, Bill Black, D.J. Fontana and The Jordanaires. After the performance, Elvis gave his gold jacket to a crew member, who wore it while getting into the car so that fans would believe Elvis was leaving. Tickets cost 1.50, 2.50 and 3.50 Canadian dollars.
- Drummer and singer Regina "Gina" Schock was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She became known as a member of the all-female rock band The Go-Go's. In 1982, the group had the U.S. single "We Got The Beat" at No. 2 and the British hit "Our Lips Are Sealed".
- English singer, songwriter and guitarist Glenn Tilbrook was born in Woolwich, London. He became best known as the frontman and founding member of Squeeze. The group's well-known songs include "Tempted", "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)", "Cool for Cats" and "Up the Junction".
- Tommy Steele reached No. 1 on the British albums chart with "The Tommy Steele Story", the soundtrack to the film following his rise to fame.
- Ricky Nelson began his concert career with a performance at Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Over two days, his concerts set an attendance record for the venue, drawing 44,221 people. His fee was $10,000, and the opening acts were comedian Henny Youngman and The Four Preps.
- Tony DeFranco, frontman of The DeFranco Family, was born in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. In 1973, the group had the U.S. No. 3 single "Heartbeat-It's A Lovebeat", which was the best-selling U.S. single of 1973.
- Canadian singer and songwriter Bruce Guthro was born. He recorded as a solo artist and was the lead singer of the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig from 1998 to 2018.
- John Leyton began a three-week run at No. 1 on the British singles chart with "Johnny Remember Me". The BBC later banned it from airplay because of its unsettling sound and gloomy lyrics.
- Allan Sherman began an eight-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart with his third studio album, "My Son, the Nut".
- Keyboardist and pianist Larry Waddell of Mint Condition was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He wrote the group's gold-certified 1996 single "What Kind of Man Would I Be".
- Keyboardist Larry Wendt was born.
- The Angels became the first white female group to reach No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. "My Boyfriend's Back" began a three-week run at the top. Its writers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer later wrote hits including "Sorrow", and as The Strangeloves had the U.S. No. 11 single "I Want Candy" in 1965. In the United Kingdom, the song reached No. 50 and also reached No. 1 in New Zealand that year.
- The Ronettes released their first single, "Be My Baby", produced by Phil Spector. The song was their only U.S. Top 10 hit. Lead singer Veronica Bennett, later known as Ronnie Spector, sued Phil Spector in the late 1990s over unpaid royalties.
- The Beatles performed two concerts at Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, during their North American tour, before a total audience of 28,700.
- Gerard Love, bassist of Scottish alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub, was born.
- The Beatles announced that they would manage their own affairs following the death of their manager Brian Epstein.
- Big Brother and the Holding Company released the album "Cheap Thrills" in the United States.
- Danny Kirwan joined Fleetwood Mac.
- At the first Isle of Wight Festival, held from August 31 to September 1 over two days at Hells Field near Godshill, The Move, The Pretty Things, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Orange Bicycle, Jefferson Airplane, Fairport Convention and Tyrannosaurus Rex performed. Tickets cost 25 shillings.
- London Records released The Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" in the United States, inspired by an anti-war demonstration in London attended by 25,000 people. The single reached only No. 48 in the United States because a number of radio stations refused to play it because of lyrics perceived as subversive. The original cover depicted police officers beating a demonstrator and was quickly withdrawn from sale. Decca Records did not release the single in Britain at the time.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival released the album "Green River".
- Creedence Clearwater Revival released the single "Green River".
- Guitarist, composer, songwriter, singer and co-founder of rock band Tonic, Jeff Russo was born. He is also the composer of the music for FX's "Fargo".
- During their North American tour, Led Zeppelin performed at the Texas International Pop Festival in Lewisville. Also on the bill were B. B. King, The Incredible String Band, Sam & Dave and Janis Joplin.
- Former boxing champion and occasional recording artist Rocky Marciano died at the age of 45.
- Decca Records released The Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man", described as their most political song. Mick Jagger wrote it after attending an anti-war demonstration outside the U.S. embassy in London in March 1968, during which mounted police attempted to control a crowd of 25,000 people. In the United States, the song reached only No. 48 because a number of radio stations refused to play it because of its allegedly subversive lyrics.
- Greg Richling, bassist of The Wallflowers, was born.
- Led Zeppelin performed before 6,000 people at Milwaukee Arena at a concert that had been moved from August 27. One reviewer wrote that the group started slowly but finished in great style, with the crowd gradually becoming captivated by the performance.
- The Beach Boys released their sixteenth studio album, "Sunflower", through Reprise Records. The album reached No. 151 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and No. 29 in the United Kingdom. It included the singles "Add Some Music to Your Life" and "Cool, Cool Water", originally recorded for the album "Smiley Smile".
- John Lennon left England with his wife Yoko Ono to begin a new life in New York. He never returned to England.
- 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.
- Barry White reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe".
- 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 British singles chart with their version of Johnny Bristol's "Love Me for a Reason".
- 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".
- Traffic performed their final live show at the annual British festival in Reading. Also on the bill were Alex Harvey, 10cc, Focus, Steve Harley and Procol Harum. A weekend ticket cost £5.50.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Blazin' Squad reached No. 1 on the British singles chart with their version of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's 1996 hit "The Crossroads".
- Coldplay released the single "In My Place".
- 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".
- Elton John reached No. 1 on the British singles chart with "Are You Ready For Love". The song was recorded in 1977 and released in 1979, when it reached No. 42. It was later used in Sky TV advertisements for the new football season.
- English singer and actor Carl Wayne, best known as the lead singer of The Move, died at the age of 61 from esophageal cancer. He sang lead vocals on the group's songs "Blackberry Way" and "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" and also performed with The Hollies.
- Green Day released the title track from their new album "American Idiot" as a single three weeks before the album's release. Both the song and album were highly successful and widely acclaimed; both were nominated for several Grammy Awards, and the album won the award for Best Rock Album. "American Idiot" later became a successful musical.
- Ray Charles' album "Genius Loves Company" was released posthumously by Concord Records. It was the last album Charles recorded and completed before his death in June 2004. It featured recordings with guest musicians including Natalie Cole, Elton John, James Taylor, Norah Jones, B. B. King, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won eight Grammy Awards in 2005, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
- The British medical journal Thorax warned music fans that listening to loud music in a car could cause a collapsed lung. A 19-year-old man was treated in Bristol after his left lung collapsed while listening loudly to music from a 1,000-watt speaker in his Fiat Panda.
- Toby Keith announced that he was founding his own record company, Show Dog Nashville Records.
- The Times published an article about rock stars' demands while on tour. Ozzy Osbourne required a doctor specializing in the eyes, ears, nose and throat at every venue. The Beach Boys required a licensed masseur, Meat Loaf a mask and a small oxygen tank, David Bowie a dressing-room temperature between 14 and 18°C, Paul McCartney a large arrangement of Casablanca white lilies, and Mick Jagger a reading device containing the lyrics to all the songs that also reminded him of the name of the city where they were performing.
- Hilly Kristal, founder of New York punk club CBGB, died at the age of 75 from complications related to lung cancer. He is credited with discovering Patti Smith and The Ramones, and his club became an important venue for the development of punk rock. It originally opened as a venue focused on country, bluegrass and blues.
- Noel Gallagher confirmed his departure from Oasis, saying that he could no longer work with his brother Liam.
- Elton John and Leon Russell released the first single from their forthcoming joint album, "The Union". The song "If It Wasn't For Bad" featured vocals from both artists, with Russell on piano.
- Papa Roach released their first live album, "Time for Annihilation". In addition to nine live tracks, it contained five new studio recordings and reached No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
- Entertainer Max Bygraves died after a battle with Alzheimer's disease in Hope Island, Queensland, Australia, at the age of 89.
- Luke Bryan reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 for the first time with his fourth studio album, "Crash My Party".
- Jimi Jamison, lead singer of Survivor, died at the age of 63 from a heart attack. He joined the group in 1984 and sang on "The Moment of Truth", "High on You", "I Can't Hold Back", "The Search Is Over", "Burning Heart" and "Is This Love". Together with other writers, he also wrote and sang the theme song "I'm Always Here" for the television series "Baywatch".
- The Raskins, who had paid $1 million for the opportunity to accompany Mötley Crüe on tour, were attacked during their performance at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center by members of the headliner's crew, who came onto the stage and poured urine on them. The group subsequently filed a lawsuit.
- Van Morrison performed two concerts on Cyprus Avenue in Belfast on his 70th birthday. The street had inspired him to write the song "Cyprus Avenue".
- Aretha Franklin's funeral was held at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. Performers included Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Ronald Isley, Jennifer Hudson, Faith Hill, Fantasia and Yolanda Adams.
- Eminem released his surprise album "Kamikaze".
- Eminem released the single "Fall".
- Ellie Goulding married art dealer Caspar Jopling at York Minster Cathedral in England. Guests included Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Tracey Emin, Sienna Miller, James Blunt, Princess Eugenie and Sarah, Duchess of York.
- Songwriter LaShawn Daniels, who wrote hits for Destiny's Child and Brandy, died at the age of 41.
- Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with "Senorita". The song became an international hit and topped more than 50 charts around the world.
- Rapper Young Thug reached No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart with his debut studio album, "So Much Fun".
- Ed Sheeran was at No. 1 on the British singles chart with "Bad Habits", the lead track from his fifth studio album, "=". The song spent eleven consecutive weeks at the top of the British and Irish singles charts and became the best-selling single of the year in both countries. In the United States, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.