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Events for this day
- Composer Reynaldo Hahn was born.
- Harry Mills of The Mills Brothers was born. The group made more than 2,000 recordings and sold over 50 million copies. In 1943, they reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart with “Paper Doll.”
- Helen Morgan joined Victor Young’s orchestra to record “Bill” from the Broadway musical “Show Boat.”
- American singer, songwriter and manager Merle Kilgore was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He co-wrote the song “Ring of Fire” with June Carter Cash.
- Billy Henderson, a founding member and vocalist of the American rhythm and blues vocal group The Spinners, was born in Detroit, Michigan.
- American singer Wanda LaFaye Young, also known as Wanda Rogers, was born in Inkster, Michigan. She was a member of The Marvelettes and became their lead singer in 1965.
- Vivian “Viv” Prince, drummer with The Pretty Things, was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. He later played with The Jeff Beck Group and The Denny Laine String Band and occasionally filled in on drums for concerts by The Honeycombs and The Who.
- John Parry, trombonist with The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, was born.
- American soul and R&B singer Barbara Mason was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She became known, among other things, for the hit “Yes, I'm Ready.”
- American singer, songwriter and actress Amanda McBroom was born in Woodland Hills, California.
- Louis Jordan recorded “Saturday Night Fish Fry” in New York, which became a No. 1 hit on the R&B chart for 12 weeks.
- Mantovani and His Orchestra were at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Song From The Moulin Rouge” from the film of the same name. It was the first instrumental recording to reach No. 1 on the UK chart.
- English drummer Pete Thomas was born in Hillsborough, Sheffield. He became known for his work with Elvis Costello and The Attractions, with whom he had, among other hits, the UK hit “Oliver's Army”. He also worked as a session drummer with Suzanne Vega, Neil Finn and other artists.
- English drummer and percussionist Charlie Morgan was born in London. He worked with Tom Robinson Band, Kate Bush, Elton John, Orleans, Paul McCartney and Tina Turner, among others.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, Florida. Due to high demand, a second show was added. He was accompanied by The Jordanaires and The Headliners, among others.
- Cliff Richard signed a recording contract with EMI Records that would last for the next 45 years. He also began a four-week engagement at Butlins Holiday Camp in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, as Cliff Richard and the Drifters. His debut single “Move It” followed in the UK on August 29, reaching No. 2.
- American rap pioneer, songwriter, DJ and producer Kurtis Walker, known professionally as Kurtis Blow, was born in New York City. He became known for hits such as “The Breaks” and “Basketball”.
- Lloyd Price reached No. 1 on the US chart with “Stagger Lee”.
- Singer Aleš Brichta was born.
- Johnny Horton recorded “North To Alaska” at Quonset Hut Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.
- The film “Come September,” starring Bobby Darin and his wife Sandra Dee, was released in cinemas.
- Sam Cooke recorded “Frankie and Johnny” at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World studios in New York City.
- The Tijuana Brass released their first single, “The Lonely Bull”, on A&M Records, the label founded by their bandleader Herb Alpert and his partner Jerry Moss. The song reached No. 6 in the US and launched a run of 19 pop hits by Alpert.
- Robert Zimmerman legally changed his name to Bob Dylan.
- American singer, actress, film and music producer Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey.
- ITV aired the first episode of the influential British music television show “Ready! Steady! Go!”. The premiere featured The Searchers, Jet Harris, Pat Boone, Billy Fury and Brian Poole and The Tremeloes. The show was hosted by Keith Fordyce and 19-year-old Cathy McGowan. It ran until December 1966 and ended after 175 episodes.
- The Rolling Stones performed at the New Elizabeth Ballroom at Belle Vue in Manchester. Two police officers fainted and another was taken to hospital with broken ribs while trying to control more than 3,000 screaming teenagers.
- British quartet The Silkie recorded the Lennon/McCartney song “You've Got To Hide Your Love Away”, produced by John Lennon; Paul McCartney played guitar and George Harrison played tambourine. The song reached No. 28 in the UK and No. 10 in the US. A planned US tour fell through because the group’s members failed to obtain the necessary visas and work permits. EMI released two more singles in 1966, “Keys to My Soul” and “Born to Be With You”, but neither charted in the UK or US, and the group soon broke up.
- The Small Faces entered the singles chart with “Itchycoo Park”, written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane. The song reached No. 3 in the UK and No. 16 in the US the following year. It was among the first pop singles to use the flanging effect.
- Scott McKenzie began a four-week run at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)”. It was his only UK Top 40 hit and was written by John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas. That same year, the song also reached No. 1 in eight other countries.
- The Who performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
- Deep Purple, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Ten Years After, The Nice, Ginger Baker, Traffic, John Mayall, Spencer Davis, Taste, Jerry Lee Lewis and Arthur Brown performed at the three-day National Jazz & Blues Festival at Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury-on-Thames, England.
- James Brown & The Famous Flames performed at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California.
- Janis Joplin performed at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Jerry Lee Lewis, Marmalade, Taste, The Herd and Timebox performed on the first day of the three-day National Jazz & Blues Festival at Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury-on-Thames, England. Jerry Lee Lewis whipped the crowd into such a frenzy during his performance that organizers cut his set short and asked him to leave the stage.
- Paul McCartney stayed behind in Abbey Road Studios at 2 a.m. after the other members of The Beatles had left and recorded “Mother Nature's Son”. He recorded 25 takes, and the song was later included on the album “The White Album”.
- Pink Floyd played the first of three concerts at Eagles Auditorium in Seattle, Washington. Blue Cheer appeared as the opening act, with the light show provided by Retina Circus Light Company.
- Sam Fogarino, American drummer for Interpol and Magnetic Morning, was born.
- “Hot Fun In The Summertime” by Sly and the Family Stone was released as a non-album single. Following its release, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 79 and climbed to No. 2 over eight weeks, with The Temptations’ “I Can't Get Next to You” at No. 1. The song later received a gold certification from the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 copies.
- Led Zeppelin performed at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, during their North American tour. Jethro Tull, who appeared as the opening act, were at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with their second album, “Stand Up”.
- Jethro Tull achieved their first UK No. 1 album with their second studio album, “Stand Up”. The album was their first international hit and reached No. 20 in both the US and Canada.
- Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas during the evening and midnight shows. Both shows had a capacity of 2,200 spectators.
- Elvis Presley reached No. 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 21 on the UK singles chart with “Clean Up Your Own Back Yard.”
- Chicago, then known as Chicago Transit Authority, first entered the chart with “Questions 67 and 68”.
- Pink Floyd released the album “More”, the soundtrack to the film of the same name and a transitional album between Syd Barrett’s departure and the band’s later success with “The Dark Side of the Moon”.
- Charles Manson later cited The Beatles as an inspiration for his murder spree, which became one of the darkest chapters associated with the band’s history.
- The Who, Yes, King Crimson, Chicken Shack and The Strawbs performed on the second day of the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Sussex, England.
- Three Dog Night released “Easy To Be Hard”.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Drive-In Theater in Collinsville, Virginia. Approximately 200 fans attended on a rainy night.
- New Musical Express published Roger Daltrey’s response to Pete Townshend’s interview of May 31. Daltrey responded sharply to Townshend’s comments about The Who and their performances.
- Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas at the opening show of his next engagement.
- King Crimson performed at the Marquee Club in London.
- The Who performed at the War Memorial Auditorium in Rochester, New York.
- Third Eye Blind bassist Arion Salazar was born in Oakland, California.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas during the evening and midnight shows.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas during the evening and midnight shows.
- Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell left Wings.
- Gilbert O'Sullivan released “A Woman's Place/Too Bad” in the UK on MAM Records.
- Typically Tropical reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with their debut single “Barbados”. The song also reached No. 1 in Ireland and South Africa and was their only hit.
- Bee Gees began a two-week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with “Jive Talkin'.” It was their second US No. 1 hit and the first of several American disco hits to top the chart. The single reached No. 5 in the UK. Barry Gibb was inspired to write the song while driving across a Florida bridge on his way to the recording studio.
- Composer and pianist Dmitry Shostakovich died in Moscow at the age of 68 from lung cancer. He is regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century.
- Don Kirshner staged the first Rock Music Award Show in Santa Monica, California. Among the honorees were Eagles, Stevie Wonder and Bad Company.
- Janis Ian was at No. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary chart with “At Seventeen”.
- ABBA released the single “Fernando.”
- Aerosmith performed at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- Linda Ronstadt released her cover version of Buddy Holly’s “That'll Be The Day”.
- Muddy Waters performed at a White House picnic for President Jimmy Carter.
- Luke Concannon, guitarist and singer of the British duo Nizlopi, was born.
- Bruce Springsteen performed at the Agora Theater in Cleveland during his Darkness Tour. The concert became well known and was widely circulated through unofficial recordings.
- AC/DC achieved their first UK No. 1 album with “Back In Black.” It was the band’s first album recorded without original vocalist Bon Scott, who died on February 19, 1980, and the album was dedicated to him. It was also the band’s first album with Brian Johnson. In August 2024, it was certified 27× platinum in the US by the RIAA, representing 27 million certified units.
- Ten original drawings by Gerald Scarfe created for Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” were stolen from the foyer of Earls Court in London, where they were on display.
- George Thorogood And The Destroyers released their fifth studio album “Bad to the Bone.” The album, featuring the title track, reached No. 43 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and later received a gold certification from the RIAA.
- Yekaterina Samutsevich, Russian singer and member of Pussy Riot, was born.
- NBC premiered the variety television show “Motown Revue”, created in the wake of the success of the television special “Motown 25”. It was cancelled after five weeks.
- Queen played their final live concert with Freddie Mercury at Knebworth Park in Stevenage, England, bringing their Magic Tour to a close. More than 120,000 fans attended the performance. Belouis Some, Big Country and Status Quo performed before Queen. Freddie Mercury closed the concert with “We Are the Champions” and “God Save the Queen”, giving the audience his final farewell while wearing a royal robe and crown. The entire tour attracted 400,000 fans and grossed £11 million.
- Approximately 250 Gary Numan fans protested outside BBC Radio 1 in London, demanding more airtime for their favorite artist.
- Swedish singer, songwriter and music producer Jonnali Parmenius, known professionally as Noonie Bao, was born in Stockholm.
- Edie Brickell & New Bohemians released their debut album “Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars.”
- Rick James pleaded not guilty to charges that he had imprisoned, tortured and sexually assaulted a woman at his California home.
- The 5th Dimension received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. The ceremony honored the original lineup of Billy Davis Jr., Marilyn McCoo, Florence LaRue, Ron Townson and LaMonte McLemore. Between 1966 and 1983, the group placed 20 songs in the Billboard Top 40 and 14 albums on the Billboard album chart.
- Lionel Richie divorced his first wife, Brenda Harvey.
- The Notorious B.I.G. released his debut single “Juicy”. The song reached No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
- During an Oasis concert at The Riverside in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, a man jumped onto the stage and punched Noel Gallagher in the face. Noel refused to continue performing, and after he left, a crowd of more than 300 people attacked the band’s bus; the musicians were not on board.
- Lynyrd Skynyrd released their eighth album, “Endangered Species”, which featured acoustic reworkings of many of the band’s best-known songs. The album reached No. 115 on the Billboard 200.
- American rapper King Von was born.
- Jerry Garcia, guitarist, singer and co-founder of The Grateful Dead, died at the age of 53 from a heart attack caused by atherosclerosis at the Serenity Knolls rehabilitation facility in San Francisco. Four days after his death, more than 25,000 fans attended a public memorial service in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Half of his ashes were later scattered in the Ganges River near the holy city of Rishikesh in India, with the remainder scattered in San Francisco Bay.
- The original members of KISS performed together for the first time since 1980 during the recording of the television special “MTV Unplugged”, when Peter Criss and Ace Frehley joined Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. The overwhelmingly positive fan response paved the way for the band’s official reunion tour in 1996, which saw the return of their signature costumes and makeup. The special was later released as the album “Kiss Unplugged”.
- The Verve played their first concert in Sheffield, England, following the band’s breakup two years earlier.
- Lzzy Hale and her brother Arejay performed their own song “Love Is Power” at the Schuylkill County Fair talent show in Pennsylvania under the name Halestorm.
- Puff Daddy & The Family reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their debut album “No Way Out”. The album also reached No. 1 in Austria, Canada and Switzerland, and No. 8 in the UK.
- Spice Girls manager Bob Herbert died in a car accident in Windsor, England. He was involved in the formation of the Spice Girls and Five, and managed the group Bros in the 1980s.
- English singer-songwriter Arlo Parks was born.
- Lisa Marie Presley married actor Nicolas Cage. The marriage lasted less than four months.
- The Coral achieved their first UK No. 1 album with their second studio album, “Magic and Medicine”.
- Clay Millican performed a burnout in front of Graceland with an Elvis Presley-themed dragster.
- Nickelback released “Photograph”, the first single from the album “All The Right Reasons”.
- Marc Cohn survived being shot in the head during an attempted carjacking after a concert in Denver, Colorado. The bullet struck him in the temple but did not penetrate his skull.
- The Magic Numbers walked out of a performance on the British music television show “Top of the Pops” after presenter Richard Bacon made derogatory comments about the group. The band left the studio in protest.
- Christina Aguilera released her first album after a four-year break, “Back To Basics”. The album reached No. 1 on the chart and was her first album to top the chart since her 1999 debut.
- Mark Marush, saxophonist with The Fabulous Wailers, died.
- Amy Winehouse cancelled a series of European concerts after being admitted to University College London Hospital due to severe exhaustion. She was later discharged.
- Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon proclaimed August 9 as the official Frank Zappa Day in the city, recognizing his musical achievements and his advocacy of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
- Jennifer Lopez won a lawsuit against her first husband, Ojani Noa, and was awarded $545,000. Lopez claimed that Noa had violated a previous legal agreement prohibiting him from disclosing private information about their relationship.
- Jurors, lawyers and Phil Spector toured his California mansion to see for themselves the site where actress Lana Clarkson had died four years earlier. Spector was on trial for her murder. On September 26, Judge Larry Paul Fidler declared a mistrial after a deadlocked jury voted 10–2 for conviction. At the second trial, Spector was convicted on April 13, 2009, and sentenced to 19 years to life.
- Kid Rock reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “All Summer Long”. The song also reached No. 1 in Australia, Austria, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
- ABBA reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with the second remastered edition of the compilation album “Gold: Greatest Hits.”
- In an interview with the Calgary Herald, Dave Coulier said that he was the man referred to in Alanis Morissette’s song “You Oughta Know.” Morissette neither confirmed nor denied his claim.
- Bo Diddley was posthumously awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Florida in Gainesville.
- 5 Seconds of Summer reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with their debut studio album, “5 Seconds of Summer.” The album was an international hit and reached No. 1 in fourteen countries.
- Little Mix were at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Black Magic”, the lead single from their third studio album, “Get Weird”. The song became the first song by a girl group since 2008 to spend multiple weeks at No. 1.
- Glen Campbell was laid to rest in a private ceremony in his hometown of Delight, Arkansas. In the two days following his death, sales of his music increased by 5,429% and streams by 1,430%, according to Nielsen Music.
- Jason Isbell became the first major artist to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a current negative test for admission to his concerts.
- American hip-hop and R&B producer Carl “Chucky” Thompson died at the age of 53 from complications related to COVID-19. In the 1990s, he was a member of Bad Boy Entertainment’s production team The Hitmen and worked with artists including Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Sean Combs and The Notorious B.I.G.
- Robbie Robertson, guitarist and songwriter with The Band, died after a long illness at the age of 80. He was also renowned as Bob Dylan’s lead guitarist. The Band began as Ronnie Hawkins’ backing group The Hawks, later backed Bob Dylan and eventually became an independent act with the 1968 album “Music From Big Pink”. Over the following ten years, they released eleven more albums and finally disbanded in 1978.