Events in 2003
- Robbie Williams performed at Knebworth and sang “Back for Good” with Mark Owen during the show.
- Roger Daltrey performed at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in a production of “My Fair Lady.”
- Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Roger Voudouris died at the age of 48 after a prolonged illness of the liver.
- Dido began a four-week run at No. 1 on the UK albums chart with “Life for Rent.”
- Lynyrd Skynyrd canceled their tour after a doctor advised guitarist Gary Rossington to rest because of serious health problems.
- The Osmonds received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony was hosted by their longtime friend and mentor Andy Williams.
- The Coral’s “Magic and Medicine” reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band’s first chart-topping album.
- Daron Malakian of System Of A Down took part in the annual Hollywood Stars Night charity baseball game at Dodger Stadium.
- The Coral released their second studio album, “Magic and Medicine”, on Deltasonic.
- Phish bassist Mike Gordon was arrested backstage at a Grateful Dead concert at Jones Beach after he was found photographing a nine-year-old girl. He was later cleared of the charges, and the girl's parents described the case as an unfortunate misunderstanding.
- Blue singer Lee Ryan was arrested in London while driving a Porsche and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
- Ed Townsend died in San Bernardino, California, from a heart attack at the age of 74. After the success of his 1958 hit “For Your Love”, he focused primarily on songwriting and production and co-wrote Marvin Gaye's “Let's Get It On”, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Lisa Marie Presley appeared on the television program Live with Regis and Kelly.
- 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.
- Robbie Williams reached his fifth consecutive No. 1 on the UK albums chart with the album Escapology.
- Rapper The Kid Laroi, whose real name is Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, was born in Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia.
- Singer and bassist Tony Jackson of The Searchers died in Nottingham, England, at the age of 65 from a combination of health problems including diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver. His distinctive voice was heard on the group's early major hits “Sweets for My Sweet” and “Sugar and Spice.”
- MTV premiered the reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, following the recent marriage of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees. The show became a hit thanks to Jessica’s “dumb blonde” moments and ran for three seasons, after which the couple divorced.
- In Rhode Island, OSHA fined Derco LLC, which operated The Station club, $85,200 for one willful and six serious violations related to the February 20 fire, in which 100 people died and nearly 200 were injured. Great White was fined $7,000 for failing to protect employees from fire hazards.
- Olivia Newton-John postponed her tour so she could be in Australia with her dying 92-year-old mother.
- Madame Tussauds in London opened an interactive Pop Idol exhibit featuring a talking wax figure of judge Simon Cowell. Among other things, the figure delivered ironic comments judging visitors' performances.
- Norwegian Elvis Presley impersonator Kjell Henning Bjoernestad set a world record by singing the rock'n'roll legend's hits continuously for more than 26 hours. The previous record was held by British Elvis fan Gary Jay with a time of 25 hours, 33 minutes and 30 seconds.
- The IRS seized Peabo Bryson's personal property to pay his outstanding taxes.
- The compilation album “Songbird”, containing live recordings and rehearsal recordings by the late Eva Cassidy, reached number one on the UK chart.
- Lee Ryan of boy band Blue was banned from driving for 18 months after admitting to driving under the influence of alcohol. The court at Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court in London also fined him £2,250.
- Dick Peterson of The Kingsmen joined 753 other guitarists to play „Louie Louie“ together at a charity event in Tacoma, Washington.
- Rolling Stone magazine named Jimi Hendrix the greatest guitarist in rock history. Also included in the top ten were Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ry Cooder.
- Warren Zevon released his final studio album “The Wind”. Shortly before recording began, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, and guests on the album included Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Jackson Browne. Zevon died just two weeks after its release.
- Janis Ian, whose first hit “Society’s Child” was written when she was 16, married her partner, attorney Patricia Snyder, in Toronto. Snyder specialized in criminal defense. It was the second marriage for both. Ian said she did not plan a honeymoon because she was working on two upcoming albums. Same-sex marriage was legal in Toronto at the time.
- Britney Spears and Madonna kissed during the opening performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Madonna then kissed Christina Aguilera, but the director switched the shot to Justin Timberlake in the audience.
- OutKast released the single “Hey Ya!”.
- At the MTV Video Music Awards in New York, winners included Missy Elliott for Video of the Year with "Work It", Good Charlotte in the Viewers Choice category for "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous", 50 Cent for Best Rap Video with "In Da Club", and Justin Timberlake for Best Pop Video with "Cry Me A River". During a performance of "Like A Virgin", Madonna kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
- Alan Jackson reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with his compilation album “Greatest Hits Volume II”.
- Beyoncé and Jay-Z reached their highest position on the US chart with “Crazy in Love”.
- Stella McCartney married publisher Alasdair Willis on the Scottish island of Bute. Guests included Sir Paul McCartney, Madonna, Chrissie Hynde and Chris Martin of Coldplay.
- 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.
- Libertines singer Pete Doherty was sentenced to six months in prison for burglary and drug possession; after an appeal, the sentence was reduced to two months.
- Nearly 26 years after Elvis Presley's death, radio stations and other media began reporting that BMG/RCA had discovered a previously unheard song, “I'm a Roustabout.” The song had originally been commissioned and written by Winfield Scott and Otis Blackwell for the 1964 film Roustabout but was not used. Winfield Scott found the original acetate recording in the basement of his home in New Jersey, and BMG/RCA subsequently added it to the album Elvis, 2nd to None.
- Elton John took "Are You Ready for Love" to No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song was originally released in 1979 but was later remixed by DJ Ashley Beedle and re-released.
- The Darkness began a four-week run at No. 1 on the UK album chart with their debut studio album "Permission to Land".
- The Neptunes, the production duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, took their compilation album "The Neptunes Present…Clones" to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
- Black Eyed Peas began a six-week run at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Where Is The Love”. It was the best-selling single of 2003, with Justin Timberlake contributing to the recording without being credited.
- American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Warren Zevon died in Los Angeles at the age of 56 from mesothelioma, a cancer of the peritoneum. He was best known for the 1978 album “Excitable Boy”, which reached No. 21 on Billboard and contained his only US hit, “Werewolves Of London”, which reached No. 21. Zevon released more than 15 solo albums, eight of which also charted on the Billboard 200, and he also wrote Linda Ronstadt's hit “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”. He worked as a session musician, pianist and bandleader for The Everly Brothers and collaborated with, among others, Jackson Browne, The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. His 1969 song “She Quit Me” appeared in the film Midnight Cowboy. He frequently appeared on David Letterman's show, who was among the first to promote his music.
- Police were called in the early morning hours over a suspected break-in at the Los Angeles home of Jim Barber, Courtney Love's former boyfriend and manager. Love was found in the street outside the house and arrested; shortly after her arrest, she was taken to a hospital because of a suspected drug overdose.
- Del McCoury Band received the major awards at the 14th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards in Louisville, Kentucky. The group won Entertainer of the Year for the eighth time, while members Mike Bub and Jason Carter won Bassist of the Year and Fiddler of the Year.
- Trousers worn by Freddie Mercury in 1984 were sold at a Christie's auction in London to Hard Rock Cafe for £4,230. A wooden cabinet sculpture designed by John Lennon sold for £28,200, and hundreds of items associated with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and, according to one source, Madonna were also offered at the auction.
- John Mellencamp received the Woody Guthrie Award, presented to artists who honor the legacy of the late singer Woody Guthrie.
- Radiohead won the “Best Act in the World Today” award at the Q Awards in London for the third consecutive time. Q magazine had criticized their album “Hail to the Thief,” and the band did not attend the ceremony.
- At a conference on domestic violence, the wife of Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich strongly criticized the way sex was presented to teenagers and said, “If I had the opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would.” A blogger named Nina commented that violence does not solve domestic violence.
- The film School of Rock was released in cinemas. Jack Black plays a musician who poses as a substitute teacher and forms a band with his students. The film is filled with classic rock and includes songs such as “Highway to Hell,” “Smoke on the Water” and “Immigrant Song.” The latter song was obtained after Jack Black recorded a video literally begging Led Zeppelin for permission to use it. The film is also notable for the acting debut of Miranda Cosgrove.
- The film The Concert For George, documenting the benefit concert and star-studded tribute to recently deceased former Beatles member George Harrison, premiered in US cinemas.
- Beyoncé and Sean Paul began a nine-week run at number one on the US singles chart with Baby Boy.
- Muse reached number one on the UK albums chart with their third studio album, Absolution. The album also topped the chart in France, while reaching number 107 in the US.
- Beyoncé began a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Baby Boy.” The single remained at the top one week longer than “Crazy in Love” and at the time became her longest-running No. 1 hit.
- Irish singer and songwriter Damien Rice won the third annual Shortlist Music Prize. The ceremony culminated in a four-and-a-half-hour concert at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, featuring Rice and seven of the nine nominees. The award was conceived as an American equivalent of the UK's Mercury Prize and recognized progressive artists whose latest albums had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination.
- Courtney Love was charged with a drug-related misdemeanor. Several hours after being released on bail, she was taken to a hospital because of an overdose.
- Elvis Presley released the compilation album Elvis 2nd To None, a follow-up to ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits. The collection included Presley hits not featured on the previous compilation, other notable recordings, the previously unreleased song “I'm a Roustabout,” and a remix of “Rubberneckin'” by Paul Oakenfold. Elvis Presley's official website confirms the release date as October 7, 2003.
- Coldplay singer Chris Martin asked Australian police to drop charges of intentional property damage after he was accused of smashing a photographer's car windshield with a rock. The photographer had previously been taking pictures of him surfing.
- For the first time in Billboard magazine's history, all of the Top 10 singles on the Hot 100 chart were by African-American artists.
- Ambrose Kappos, 37, of New York, was charged with three counts of stalking and harassing singer Sheryl Crow. He was arrested after allegedly sneaking into New York's Hammerstein Ballroom and then trying to get into Crow's limousine when she left the venue. His brother said he was harmless but "infatuated" with the singer.
- Dido's album Life for Rent began a four-week run at No. 1 on the UK album chart.
- Readers of Mojo magazine voted Elvis Presley's recording of "That's All Right," made at Sun Studio in July 1954, the most important moment in rock music history. Bob Dylan's move from acoustic to electric guitar came second, The Clash's "White Riot" third, The Beatles' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show fourth, and The Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" fifth. Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, John Lennon and Led Zeppelin also appeared in the Top 10.
- Justin Timberlake made his first appearance on Saturday Night Live, serving as both host and musical guest. He returned to the show many times and appeared in numerous well-known sketches, including a Bee Gees parody, a dating sketch with Lady Gaga, a courtroom sketch involving an alligator, the character "Target Lady" and the musical sketch "Dick in a Box."
- Hip-hop duo OutKast reached No. 1 in the United States with their fifth studio album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
- Blind Puerto Rican singer Jose Feliciano sings the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” for the first time since his controversial rendition in 1968. This time, he performs without incident at the Marlins–Cubs baseball game in Miami.
- Tickets for Duran Duran's reunion concert at London's Kentish Town Forum sold out in four minutes.