Events in 1972
- Brian Cole, an original member and bassist of The Association, died on August 2, 1972, in Los Angeles at the age of 29 from a heroin overdose.
- 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.
- Wayne Newton reached No. 1 on the Cashbox chart with “Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast,” where it spent one week. The song reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
- After performing at Max's Kansas City in New York City, Aerosmith signed a recording contract with Clive Davis at Columbia Records (CBS Records) worth $125,000.
- Elvis Presley performed both an evening and midnight show at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.
- A rock and roll revival concert was held at Wembley Stadium featuring Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Billy Fury, Bill Haley and Jerry Lee Lewis.
- Rick Springfield made his first appearance on the U.S. chart with “Speak to the Sky.”
- Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway reached No. 1 on the R&B chart with “Where Is the Love.”
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California.
- Wizzard played their first concert at the Rock 'n' Roll Festival at Wembley Stadium. Also on the bill were Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and Gary Glitter.
- Elvis Presley performed a Dinner Show and a Midnight Show at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 6, 1972. The evening set included “Proud Mary”, “Hound Dog” and “Suspicious Minds”.
- Geri Halliwell, known as Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls, was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.
- Eagles vystoupili v PNE Coliseum ve Vancouveru v Britské Kolumbii v Kanadě.
- Elvis Presley odehrál večerní a půlnoční koncert v Hilton Hotelu v Las Vegas. Každý z koncertů navštívilo 2 200 diváků.
- Yes vystoupili v PNE Coliseum ve Vancouveru v Kanadě.
- Eagles performed at Center Coliseum in Seattle, Washington.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening Dinner Show and a Midnight Show at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 8, 1972. The Midnight Show included “Proud Mary”, “Fever”, “Suspicious Minds” and “My Way”.
- Yes performed at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, Washington.
- Third Eye Blind bassist Arion Salazar was born in Oakland, California.
- Elvis Presley performed a Dinner Show and a Midnight Show at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 9, 1972. The Midnight Show included “Proud Mary”, “Fever”, “Hound Dog” and “An American Trilogy”.
- Elvis Presley performed a Dinner Show and a Midnight Show at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 10, 1972. Both performances featured songs including “Proud Mary”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Suspicious Minds” and “An American Trilogy”.
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer performed at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood, Florida.
- Paul and Linda McCartney, along with Wings drummer Denny Seiwell, were arrested backstage at Scandinavium Hall in Gothenburg, Sweden, for possession of marijuana. Earlier that day, the McCartneys had collected a package addressed to Seiwell at the hotel that contained marijuana. They were released after paying a fine, and the tour continued.
- After five years of marriage, Elvis and Priscilla Presley filed for divorce. They agreed to joint custody of their daughter Lisa Marie. Priscilla received $725,000 in cash, alimony, 5% of Elvis's new publishing companies and half the proceeds from the sale of their Beverly Hills home.
- The mayor of San Antonio, Texas, proclaimed August 11 “Cheech and Chong Day” in honor of the popular comedy duo, even though neither member was born near the city.
- The Festival of Hope was held at Roosevelt Raceway on Long Island, the first rock festival organized to raise funds for an established charitable organization; it was sponsored by the Nassau Society of Crippled Children and Adults.
- Elvis Presley performed two concerts at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas—an evening show and a midnight show. The source provides complete setlists for both performances.
- John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, and Sha Na Na performed at a benefit concert supporting people with mental illness.
- Ten Years After headlined the final day of the Reading Festival. Also on the bill were Matching Mole, Quintessence, Stackridge, Status Quo, Stray, String Driven Thing, Sutherland Brothers, Vinegar Joe, and Wizzard.
- The date of the Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii concert was moved to January 1973 due to the upcoming release of the film Elvis: On Tour.
- On August 15, 1972, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas: an evening Dinner Show and a Midnight Show. The documented setlist for the Midnight Show included “See See Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Until It's Time for You to Go”, “You Don't Have to Say You Love Me”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “What Now My Love”, “Fever”, “Love Me”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear”, “Don't Be Cruel”, “Little Sister”, “Get Back”, “Hound Dog”, “I'll Remember You”, “Suspicious Minds”, “For the Good Times”, “A Big Hunk o' Love” and “You Gave Me a Mountain”. The show concluded with “Can't Help Falling in Love”.
- Irish singer and songwriter Michael “Mikey” Graham, a member of Boyzone, was born.
- Elvis Presley performed both an evening and a midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The programs included songs such as See See Rider, Johnny B. Goode, Proud Mary, Fever, Suspicious Minds, My Way, An American Trilogy and Can't Help Falling in Love.
- Emily Robison, singer, songwriter and member of The Chicks, was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
- Hawkwind performed at the Town Hall in Torquay, England.
- Deep Purple played the last of three concerts at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Recordings from these performances were used on the live album Made in Japan.
- Elvis Presley performed a Dinner Show and a Midnight Show at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 17, 1972. The performances included songs from his live repertoire, such as “Proud Mary”, “Hound Dog” and “Suspicious Minds”.
- Gladys Knight was a contestant on the television show The Dating Game.
- Elvis Presley performed a Dinner Show and a Midnight Show at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 18, 1972. The Midnight Show included “See See Rider”, “Proud Mary”, “Hound Dog” and “An American Trilogy”.
- It's a Beautiful Day and Brownsville Station performed at The Warehouse club in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Al Green was still at number one on the R&B chart with “I’m Still in Love with You”.
- He played the first of two nights at London’s Rainbow Theatre as part of his then 182-day Ziggy Stardust world tour. The theatrical performance, using various forms of media, delighted critics and audiences. Mick Jagger, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Alice Cooper were reportedly among those in attendance.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in both the evening and midnight shows. The evening show included “See See Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Proud Mary”, “Until It’s Time for You to Go”, “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”, “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “What Now My Love”, “Fever”, “Love Me”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “One Night”, “All Shook Up”, “Little Sister/Get Back”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Love Me Tender”, “Suspicious Minds”, “My Way”, “I’ll Remember You”, “A Big Hunk O’ Love”, “How Great Thou Art” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. The midnight show included, among others, “Never Been to Spain”, “You Gave Me a Mountain” and “An American Trilogy”.
- Elvis Presley’s gospel album “He Touched Me” reached number 38 on the UK chart.
- Gilbert O’Sullivan continued at number one for a fourth week with “Alone Again (Naturally)”. Looking Glass continued on the chart with “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”, The Hollies climbed with “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress”, and Argent with “Hold Your Head Up”, Nilsson with “Coconut” and The Carpenters with “Goodbye to Love” newly entered the Top 10.
- The album “Chicago V”, the group’s fourth studio album, reached number one on the US album chart, the Billboard 200 (Billboard Top LPs and Tape), in its fourth week, beginning a nine-week run at the top. It knocked Elton John’s “Honky Château” from number one, while Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” fell to number three, followed by The Carpenters’ “A Song for You” and “Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits”. “Chicago V” marked the beginning of an important period for the group and became the first of five consecutive albums, including “Greatest Hits”, to reach number one. The album’s success was significantly helped by the million-selling single “Saturday in the Park”, which reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
- NBC television first broadcast the music variety programme The Midnight Special, originally intended as a one-off special. The first host was John Denver, with DJ Wolfman Jack serving as the announcer. The first programme featured War performing their million-selling US song “Slippin’ Into Darkness”. The following year, the programme became a regular series.
- David Bowie performed the second of two sold-out nights at London's Rainbow Theatre as part of his Ziggy Stardust tour.
- Stax Records commemorated the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts riots with an all-star benefit concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. More than 100,000 fans attended to hear Isaac Hayes, The Bar-Kays, The Staple Singers, Kim Weston and other artists. The event became known as Wattstax.
- Mahavishnu Orchestra performed at the Montreux Pavillion in Montreux, Switzerland.
- The Grateful Dead performed at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California.
- Elvis Presley performed at 8:30 p.m. and at midnight at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before 2,200 spectators. The evening setlist included “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “See See Rider”, “Proud Mary”, “Never Been To Spain”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Until It's Time For You To Go”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Love Me”, “All Shook Up”, “Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel”, “Hound Dog”, “A Big Hunk O' Love”, “Help Me Make It Through The Night”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Suspicious Minds”, “An American Trilogy” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “See See Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Proud Mary”, “Until It's Time For You To Go”, “You Don't Have To Say You Love Me”, “You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “What Now My Love”, “Fever”, “Love Me”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “All Shook Up”, “Little Sister/Get Back”, “Hound Dog”, “I'll Remember You”, “Suspicious Minds”, “My Way”, “A Big Hunk O' Love”, “Love Me Tender”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
- The Jefferson Airplane concert at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio was accompanied by an unusually heavy police presence because of a bomb threat. Fans began throwing rocks at the police, who responded by using tear gas. The band sided with the fans, and bassist Jack Casady called the police “pigs”, prompting the officers to intervene directly on stage and arrest him. A fight broke out, during which guitarist Paul Kantner was knocked to the ground and singer Grace Slick was hit with tear gas. Jack Casady, Paul Kantner and Grace Slick were later arrested and had to return to Akron to resolve the charges. Each was fined $50 and given a suspended 30-day jail sentence. Another member of the group was also injured during the incident.
- On August 22, 1972, Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before 2,200 spectators. The evening show began at 8:30 p.m.; Elvis wore a Porthole Suit and introduced Tom Jones during the performance. The midnight show included Also Sprach Zarathustra, See See Rider, Johnny B. Goode, Proud Mary, Until It's Time For You To Go, You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Polk Salad Annie, What Now My Love, Fever, Love Me, Heartbreak Hotel, All Shook Up, Little Sister/Get Back, Love Me Tender, Hound Dog, I'll Remember You, Suspicious Minds, introduction of the band, introduction of Tom Jones, A Big Hunk O' Love, Mystery Train/Tiger Man and Can't Help Falling In Love.
- Genesis performed at the Teatro Alcione in Genoa, Italy.
- Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and co-founder of the rock band Matchbox Twenty Paul Doucette was born in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. The group achieved international fame with its 1996 debut album “Yourself or Someone Like You”, which received twelve-times-platinum certification in the United States and multiple-platinum certifications in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening and midnight show at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, both with a capacity of 2,200. The source provides extensive setlists including “C.C. Rider”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “What Now My Love”, “Suspicious Minds”, “My Way” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
- The Who performed at Kungliga Tennishallen in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in the evening show at 8:30 p.m. and again at midnight, in both cases before approximately 2,200 people. The evening show included „See See Rider“, „Johnny B. Goode“, „Proud Mary“, „Polk Salad Annie“, „An American Trilogy“ and „Can't Help Falling in Love“. The playlist for the midnight show is unknown, and no recording is available.
- The Who performed at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Deep Purple performed at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert at 8:30 p.m. and a midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, both for approximately 2,200 spectators. The evening setlist included “See See Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Proud Mary”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Suspicious Minds”, “My Way” and “An American Trilogy”. The midnight programme included “C.C. Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Fever”, “Little Sister/Get Back”, “For The Good Times”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
- Elvis Presley performed an evening concert followed by a second midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The setlist included “See See Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Suspicious Minds”, “For The Good Times”, “My Way” and “Can't Help Falling in Love”, among others.
- Looking Glass reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with “Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)”, where it remained for one week. The recording reached No. 51 in the UK and later received a BPI gold certification for more than 400,000 copies sold. The US hit sold one million copies, and the group had only one more Billboard entry, “Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne”, which reached No. 33 the following year.
- Nilsson's novelty song “Coconut” reached No. 8 on the US pop chart, where it remained for one week.
- Elvis Presley performed a Dinner Show and a Midnight Show at the Hilton International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 27, 1972. The programs included “See See Rider”, “What Now My Love”, “Suspicious Minds” and “An American Trilogy”.
- David Bowie, as Ziggy Stardust, appeared on the American television show The Midnight Special, marking his US television debut.
- The Moody Blues’ album “Seventh Sojourn” was released in the United States.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before an audience of 2,200. During the evening, he gave an 8:30 p.m. concert as well as a midnight concert.
- Rod Stewart released the album "Never a Dull Moment".
- David Bowie performed at London's Rainbow Theatre on August 30, 1972, following his two sold-out concerts there on August 19 and 20. The set included “John, I'm Only Dancing”, which had recently been introduced into the live repertoire.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged the One to One benefit concert at Madison Square Garden in New York to support Willowbrook State School. Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack and Sha Na Na also performed at the event. Lennon performed with the Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory Band and played “Imagine”, “Instant Karma!” and “Cold Turkey”. He personally purchased $60,000 worth of tickets, which were distributed to volunteers organizing the fundraiser. Some of the performances were later released on Lennon’s album “Live in New York City”.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Van Morrison released the album “Saint Dominic's Preview” as part of its international release period.
- David Bowie performed at the Starkers Royal Ballrooms in Boscombe, Australia.
- David Bowie began a run of eight concerts over seven days in England, performing in Doncaster, Manchester, Liverpool, Sunderland, Sheffield and Hanley as part of his 1972 Ziggy Stardust tour.
- He released “John, I'm Only Dancing” in the United Kingdom. It was not released in the United States until 1976.
- On September 1, 1972, Elvis Presley performed the Dinner Show and Midnight Show at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The documented Dinner Show included “See See Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Until It's Time for You to Go”, “You Don't Have to Say You Love Me”, “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “What Now My Love”, “Fever”, “Love Me”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “All Shook Up”, “Love Me Tender”, “Hound Dog”, “I'll Remember You”, “Walk That Lonesome Road”, “Suspicious Minds”, “For the Good Times”, “A Big Hunk o' Love”, “You Gave Me a Mountain”, “Mystery Train” and “Tiger Man”. The show closed with “Can't Help Falling in Love”.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono headlined a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden for the Willowbrook school for children with disabilities.
- The O’Jays received a gold record for the single “Back Stabbers,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart.
- Elvis Presley performed at the hotel Hilton in Las Vegas in an evening Dinner Show followed by a Midnight Show. Each performance was attended by approximately 2,200 people.
- The Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival was held for three days on Bull Island near Griffin, Indiana. Organizers expected more than 50,000 fans, but more than 200,000 arrived. Many bands cancelled their performances as the festival gradually descended into chaos. Performers included Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids, Black Oak Arkansas, Cheech and Chong, Foghat, Albert King, Brownsville Station, Canned Heat, Flash, Ravi Shankar, Rory Gallagher, Lee Michaels and Frosty, The Eagles, The Amboy Dukes and Gentle Giant. Three attendees drowned in the Wabash River, and at the end of the festival the crowd set fire to the remains of the stage.
- “Alone Again (Naturally)” returned to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the same year, the song also reached number one in Canada and France and the Top 3 in the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia.
- Rod Stewart was at number one on the UK singles chart with “You Wear It Well”, his second UK single to reach the top. The song came from the album Never A Dull Moment.
- David Bowie performed at the Hardrock Concert Theatre in Stretford, Manchester, England.
- Elvis Presley performed three shows at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas: an extraordinary 3:00 a.m. concert, an evening Dinner Show and a midnight show. The midnight performance included “See See Rider”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Suspicious Minds”, “My Way”, “A Big Hunk O’ Love” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.
- In their song “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”, The Temptations sing: “It was the 3rd of September, that day I’ll always remember.”
- Elvis Presley attended a press conference with Colonel Parker and the president of RCA at which the Aloha from Hawaii show, scheduled for January 14 of the following year, was announced.
- Elvis Presley concluded his engagement at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas with an evening Dinner Show followed by a Midnight Show. It was the final day of this engagement.
- Welsh musician Guto Pryce, bassist for Super Furry Animals, was born. The group had the UK number-11 single “Northern Lines” in 1999.
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on Jerry Lewis's Muscular Dystrophy Telethon Show in the US in support of muscular dystrophy research. From the Americana Hotel in New York, Lennon performed “Imagine” with Elephant's Memory, followed by Yoko Ono performing her new song “Now or Never.” The program concluded with a reggae version of “Give Peace a Chance,” with Jerry Lewis playing trumpet.
- Concession vendor Francisco Caruso was killed during a Wishbone Ash concert in Texas after refusing to give a fan a free sandwich.
- David Bowie performed at the Top Rank Suite in Liverpool, England, during his 1972 Ziggy Stardust tour.
- Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's duet “Where Is the Love?” was certified gold by the RIAA. The song reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and later won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
- Yes performed at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
- David Bowie performed at the Top Rank in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England, during his 1972 Ziggy Stardust tour.
- Curtis Mayfield's album Super Fly received a gold RIAA certification after reaching the top of the Billboard album chart. It was driven by two million-selling hits, “Freddie's Dead”, which reached No. 4, and the title track “Super Fly”, which reached No. 8. The album is one of the few soundtracks to earn more money than the film for which it was made.
- Slade interrupted their current US tour due to a contractual obligation and flew from San Francisco back to London to headline at the newly opened Sundown Theatre on Mile End Road in East London. Their current hit “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” reached No. 1 on the UK chart two days later.
- David Bowie performed at the Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Jon Mark lost his left ring finger, causing the remainder of the tour to be canceled.
- Led Zeppelin began a six-concert tour of Japan at Budokan Hall in Tokyo. The setlist included “Rock and Roll,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” “Black Dog,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “Since I've Been Loving You,” “Dancing Days,” “Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp,” “The Song Remains the Same,” “The Rain Song,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love” with a medley, “Heartbreaker,” “Immigrant Song,” and “Communication Breakdown.”
- American musician Garrett Dutton, known by his stage name G. Love, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known as the frontman of G. Love & Special Sauce.
- Led Zeppelin played their second concert of the evening at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
- Yes performed at the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- Elton John performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario.
- On October 6, 1972, David Bowie recorded “The Jean Genie” at RCA Studios in New York. It became the lead single from his 1973 album Aladdin Sane and was released on November 24, 1972. It spent 13 weeks on the UK chart and reached No. 2. A line from the lyrics later inspired the Scottish band Simple Minds to choose its name.
- Genesis released their breakthrough album Foxtrot. The album included “Watcher of the Skies” and “Supper's Ready” and featured the lineup of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins.
- Led Zeppelin arrived in Hong Kong, where they were surrounded by fans asking for autographs. The group was only passing through Hong Kong on its way home after concerts in Japan.
- David Bowie performed at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.
- James Brown was in his fourth week at No. 1 on the R&B chart with “Get On The Good Foot.”
- Mac Davis was in his third week at No. 1 on the US chart with “Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me.”
- Michael Jackson was approaching his first solo No. 1 hit with “Ben.”
- Three Dog Night reached No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with “Black & White.”
- David Bowie performed at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit, Michigan.
- From October 8 through the end of the month, Elvis Presley watched movies at the Memphian or Crosstown cinemas almost every evening.
- Polydor Records released Cream's double compilation album "Heavy Cream" internationally, featuring "White Room", "Sunshine of Your Love", "Strange Brew" and other tracks from the band's back catalogue. Because UK buyers already had access to earlier compilations such as 1969's "Best of Cream", it did not enter the UK Albums Chart. The North American release was delayed until April 1973 and eventually peaked at No. 135 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.
- From October 8 through the end of October, Elvis Presley watched movies almost every night at the Memphian or the Crosstown.
- Led Zeppelin played at Festival Hall in Osaka, Japan.
- American musician and songwriter Terry Balsamo was born in Tampa, Florida. He is best known as a former guitarist of Cold and Evanescence and later became a musical collaborator of Amy Lee on Evanescence's "The Open Door" and the band's 2011 self-titled album.
- According to the source, from October 8 until the end of the month Elvis Presley watched films almost every evening at the Memphian or Crosstown cinemas.
- 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.
- David Bowie performed at Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri.
- From October 8 until the end of the month, Elvis Presley spent many evenings watching films at the Memphian or Crosstown cinemas in Memphis.
- Genesis performed at St. George's Hall in Bradford, England.
- The Who and their support act Golden Earring performed at the Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany, at the beginning of their European tour. It was The Who's first concert in seven months, at that time their longest break between performances. The previously unreleased songs "Long Live Rock" and "Relay" were performed for the first time.
- Lady Sings the Blues, a musical biographical film about singer Billie Holiday, premieres in New York. Diana Ross makes her feature-film debut as Holiday, starring alongside Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James T. Callahan, and Scatman Crothers. The film receives five Oscar nominations, including one for Ross for Best Actress.
- Joseph Kahn, born Ahn Jun-hee, is born in Busan, South Korea. He later becomes a music-video director for Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, and Eminem.
- King Crimson performed at the Zoom Club in Frankfurt am Main.