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 an evening and midnight show at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.
- 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 and midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. Each concert had an attendance of 2,200.
- Yes performed at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, Washington.
- 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 an evening and midnight concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. Each concert had a capacity of 2,200.
- 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.
- 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 at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in the evening Dinner Show, followed by the Midnight Show. Both performances were attended by approximately 2,200 people.
- Gladys Knight was a contestant on the television show The Dating Game.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas in an evening Dinner Show followed by a Midnight Show. Both performances were attended by approximately 2,200 people.
- 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 at the Rainbow Theatre in London.
- 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 an evening concert at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas at 8:15 p.m., followed by a midnight concert.
- 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 the Rainbow Theatre in London.
- 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.