Memorial events
- Elvis Presley's funeral service was held at Graceland from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Approximately 150 invited mourners were inside, while about 75,000 fans gathered outside. Elvis was then buried in a white marble crypt at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis near his mother Gladys's grave. In November, he was reburied at Graceland at his father's request.
- The funeral for Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham took place at Rushock Parish Church in Worcestershire, England. Bonham had died at age 32 after asphyxiation following excessive vodka consumption. Among the 250 mourners were Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Denny Laine, Carl Palmer, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood and Bev Bevan.
- Yoko Ono formally dedicated the landscaped Strawberry Fields memorial in New York's Central Park on what would have been John Lennon's 45th birthday. The two-and-a-half-acre site, located directly across from the Dakota Apartments, was planted with trees, shrubs and flowers gathered from around the world and supported by a $1 million donation from Yoko Ono. Fans continue to gather at its West 72nd Street entrance to remember Lennon and sing his music.
- More than 30,000 fans came to Memphis on the 20th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death and gathered at his grave for a ten-minute memorial ceremony.
- On the 20th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, fans gathered in Memphis for a ten-minute vigil at his gravesite.
- The Hank Snow Country Music Centre, dedicated to local country music legend Hank Snow, opened in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
- Governor of Alabama Fob James, together with the mayors of Montgomery and Georgiana, ceremonially dedicated a 50-mile section of Interstate 65 to the memory of Hank Williams. The section was renamed the “Hank Williams Memorial Lost Highway”, beginning near his childhood home in Georgiana and ending in Montgomery, where Hank Williams is buried. The ceremony took place in Montgomery, and Hank Williams Jr. spoke at the event.
- The United States Postal Service (USPS) unveiled a new commemorative stamp honoring the recently deceased composer Henry Mancini, known among other things for his music for The Pink Panther.
- A life-size bronze statue of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, created by Paul Daly, was unveiled on Harry Street in Dublin, Ireland. His former bandmates Gary Moore, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham attended the unveiling. Lynott died in 1986 at the age of 36 and became famous for a number of hits including “Whiskey in the Jar”, “The Boys Are Back in Town”, “Jailbreak” and “Waiting for an Alibi”.
- The funeral of music producer, Factory Records founder and radio presenter Tony Wilson was held at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Manchester. Peter Hook and Stephen Morris of Joy Division, the first group signed to Factory Records who later also performed in New Order, attended, along with Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder.
- The Imagine Peace Tower was officially unveiled in Kollafjörður Bay near Reykjavík, Iceland, on what would have been John Lennon's 67th birthday. The memorial, created by Yoko Ono, consists of a tall tower of light projected from a white stone monument bearing the words "Imagine Peace" in 24 languages.
- A section of Interstate 40 near Memphis, Tennessee, was named the Isaac Hayes Memorial Highway in honor of Isaac Hayes on what would have been his 68th birthday.
- Thousands of mourners paid tribute to Elvis Presley at his grave in Graceland on the 34th anniversary of his death. Flowers and wreaths were placed at the grave while his music played in the background.
- Richie Havens’ ashes were scattered from an airplane over the site of the original Woodstock concert in New York State. Havens was the first performer at the 1969 Woodstock festival and made history with his performance of “Freedom”. He died the previous April at the age of 72 from a heart attack.
- The bandstand at Croydon Road Recreation Ground, where David Bowie performed on August 16, 1969, shortly after the release of "Space Oddity", was granted Grade II listed status. Bowie performed there at a one-day festival he helped organize, which later inspired the song "Memory of a Free Festival".