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Events for this day
- German composer Johann Christian Bach was born.
- Austrian composer Anton Diabelli was born.
- German opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer, born Jacob Liebmann Beer, was born near Berlin. He later became a major figure in European opera.
- American composer Amy Marcy Cheney Beach was born.
- American singer and songwriter Beverly Ross, co-writer of “Lollipop” and “The Girl of My Best Friend,” was born.
- Blues guitarist Willie Woods, a member of Junior Walker and the All Stars, was born.
- American singer and songwriter John Stewart was born in San Diego. He became known as a member of The Kingston Trio and as the writer of The Monkees' hit “Daydream Believer,” which reached number one on the chart.
- American music producer and sound engineer Elliot Mazer was born in New York City. He worked with artists including Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt.
- Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Al Stewart was born. He became best known for his hit “Year of the Cat.”
- English drummer Mick Underwood, who played with The Outlaws, The Herd, Episode Six and Gillan, among others, was born.
- Scottish singer and songwriter Dean Ford, born Thomas McAleese, was born in Coatbridge. He became known as the lead singer and frontman of the Marmalade.
- Singer and songwriter Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, was born in Stone Town, Zanzibar. He became internationally famous as the frontman of Queen.
- American folk-rock singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Loudon Wainwright III was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His father was journalist and Life magazine editor Loudon Wainwright Jr.
- American drummer Buddy Miles, known for his work with Electric Flag and Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys, was born.
- British saxophonist, flutist and multi-instrumentalist Mel Collins was born on the Isle of Man. He became known as a member of progressive rock group King Crimson and also worked with The Rolling Stones and David Bowie.
- English rock guitarist Dave Clempson was born in Tamworth. He became known for his work with Humble Pie and Colosseum.
- American drummer and percussionist Jamie Oldaker was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He played on Eric Clapton's album 461 Ocean Boulevard, among many other recordings.
- English singer Sal Solo of Classix Nouveaux was born.
- Elvis Presley performed at the St. Francis County Fair and Livestock Show Jamboree at Smith Stadium in Forrest City, Arkansas. He was the headline act on a five-day tour that also featured Johnny Cash, Bud Deckelman, Floyd Cramer and Eddie Bond.
- Elvis Presley gave his mother Gladys a pink Cadillac Fleetwood, which he had originally bought in July 1955 in blue with a black roof and had repainted in a shade known as “Elvis Rose.” Gladys did not have a driver's license, so Elvis drove her in the car.
- Elvis Presley worked on vocal overdubs for the film Love Me Tender at the 20th Century Fox soundstage in Hollywood, including the song “Let Me” and additional parts of “Poor Boy.”
- Swedish guitarist, singer and songwriter Roine Stolt was born.
- Elvis Presley began work on his Christmas album at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, recording “Treat Me Nice,” “My Wish Came True” and “Blue Christmas.” “Treat Me Nice” was later released as the B-side of “Jailhouse Rock” and reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, while “Blue Christmas” became a Christmas classic.
- The Betty Freezor Show on WBTV-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, became the first television program to be broadcast in color from videotape.
- “The Bad Boys” by The Miracles became the first single released on Barry Gordy's newly established Motown Records label.
- Annette Funicello's “Pineapple Princess” entered the US Billboard Hot 100 and later peaked at number 11. According to the source, it was her fifth and final Top 40 hit on the chart.
- Bob Dylan performed at the Gaslight Cafe in New York City.
- The Rolling Stones began their fourth UK tour with a concert at the Astoria in London. The tour consisted of 32 shows.
- American DJ and electronic music producer Kevin Saunderson was born in New York City. He became known as a member of Detroit techno pioneers the Belleville Three and as a member of Inner City.
- Ringo Starr received a gold-plated snare drum from William Ludwig, president of Ludwig Drum Company, at a press conference in Chicago. Starr's popularity greatly boosted sales of Ludwig drums; he later gave the drum to road manager Mal Evans and never used it on tour himself. The drum was later displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Grammy Museum.
- The Animals reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with “House of the Rising Sun,” beginning a three-week run at the top. It became their only US number-one single and later topped the charts in Canada, Finland, Spain and the UK. The record label had originally listed a shorter running time to make the song more suitable for radio airplay.
- The Beatles reached number 12 on the US singles chart with “And I Love Her,” while “If I Fell” was listed at number 92 according to the source. A second record gives number 53 for “If I Fell.” The Beatles performed “And I Love Her” outside the EMI studios only once.
- The Rolling Stones flew to Los Angeles, where they recorded their eighth single, “Get Off of My Cloud,” at RCA Studios in Hollywood. The song later reached number one in both the US and UK.
- John Lennon flew from London to Hanover, Germany, to begin work on his role as Private Gripweed in Richard Lester's film How I Won the War, which was filmed in Spain. The glasses worn by his character later became a defining part of Lennon's look.
- Singer and founding member of the vocal group En Vogue, Terry Ellis was born in Houston. She later became a member of En Vogue.
- The Monkees released the single “Last Train to Clarksville,” which later reached number one in the US.
- The Beatles began recording “I Am the Walrus” at Abbey Road Studios in London, recording 16 takes of the basic backing track on the first day. Sound effects and additional overdubs, including an excerpt from a BBC radio broadcast, were added later.
- Brad Wilk, drummer and founding member of Rage Against the Machine, was born in Portland. He also played with Audioslave and Prophets of Rage.
- Eric Clapton recorded the guitar solo for The Beatles' “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at Abbey Road Studios in London.
- During their first visit to the UK, The Doors appeared on the television show Top of the Pops, where they performed “Hello, I Love You” live.
- The New Yardbirds, the forerunners of Led Zeppelin, played their first live concert at a club in Gladsaxe, Denmark.
- Tiny Tim obtained a temporary restraining order from the New York Supreme Court and filed a $1 million lawsuit against Bouquet Records over the unauthorized release of his earlier recordings. The case also involved the album With Love and Kisses from Tiny Tim: Concert in Fairyland, which was compiled from his old demo recordings.
- Dweezil Zappa was born in Los Angeles as Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa. He is the son of musician Frank Zappa and his wife Gail.
- James Brown announced his retirement after a live performance at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis.
- American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor Josh White, born Joshua Daniel White, died during heart valve replacement surgery in Manhasset at the age of 55. He was known for his 1944 hit “One Meat Ball.”
- King Crimson performed at the Market Hall in Romford, England.
- The Stooges played their first concert in New York City at the Pavilion, appearing as the opening act for MC5.
- Elvis Presley performed evening and midnight shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. The evening show began at approximately 8:15 p.m. and the midnight show at midnight, with each attracting about 2,200 people.
- Janis Joplin began recording her version of “Me and Bobby McGee” by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster. It was also her final recording with the Full Tilt Boogie Band. After her death, the song reached number one on the US singles chart in 1971.
- Poco performed at the Terrace Ballroom in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Elvis Presley performed evening and midnight shows at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The evening show drew approximately 2,200 people, and Elvis performed in the Black Cisco Kid costume.
- Led Zeppelin performed at the Chicago International Amphitheatre during their North American tour.
- American drummer Will Hunt, known for his work with Evanescence and other bands, was born.
- 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 Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California.
- Black Sabbath performed at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California.
- Jethro Tull released the album Minstrel in the Gallery, featuring arrangements by David Palmer's string quartet.
- The Carpenters reached number one on the Easy Listening chart with their version of Neil Sedaka's “Solitaire.”
- Elvis Presley performed at the State Fair Coliseum in Jackson, Mississippi. The concert began at 8:30 p.m. and attracted approximately 12,000 people; Elvis wore the Bicentennial Suit.
- During Jerry Lewis's annual telethon supporting muscular dystrophy research, Frank Sinatra surprised the audience by bringing Dean Martin into the studio. Martin had been Jerry Lewis's former comedy partner, and the two had not spoken for two decades following the breakup of their duo in 1956.
- Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington suffered serious injuries in a car accident in Florida after crashing his vehicle into an oak tree.
- Gary Rossington was seriously injured in a car accident in Florida after falling asleep at the wheel of his new Ford Torino and crashing into a tree and a house. The incident later inspired the song “That Smell.”
- Stevie Wonder released the album Songs in the Key of Life, widely regarded as one of his most significant albums.
- Electric Light Orchestra performed at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.
- Joe Negroni, a founding member and singer with Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, died in New York City from a brain hemorrhage at the age of 37, just four days before his 37th birthday. The group had a major 1956 hit with “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” which reached number one in the UK and number six in the US.
- Producer Tom Wilson, known among other things for producing Bob Dylan's album Highway 61 Revisited, died of a heart attack in Los Angeles at the age of 47.
- Black Sabbath performed at the Lakeland Civic Center in Florida.
- A statue of Buddy Holly was unveiled in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas.
- David Bowie released the album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
- Diana Ross remained at number one on the US R&B chart for a fourth week with “Upside Down.”
- English pop singer Kevin Simm was born in Chorley. He became known as a member of Liberty X and Wet Wet Wet.
- Stevie Nicks reached number one on the US Billboard 200 with her debut solo album Bella Donna. The album featured the hits “Stop Draggin' My Heart Around” with Tom Petty, “Leather and Lace” with Don Henley and “Edge of Seventeen,” and also topped the chart in Australia.
- Cyndi Lauper released the single “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” which did not become a hit until several months later.
- Dire Straits won the MTV award for Best Video for “Money for Nothing.”
- American Bandstand aired its final episode on ABC-TV after 30 years on the air. However, the show was not permanently canceled and continued in syndication.
- Ian Astbury of The Cult was arrested after a concert in Vancouver following disturbances at the show, with security staff alleging that he had assaulted them.
- Soundgarden released their second studio album, Louder Than Love, on A&M Records. It was their major-label debut, reached number 108 on the US Billboard 200 and included the singles “Loud Love” and “Hands All Over.” The source describes it as the first grunge album released by major label A&M.
- Charley Charles, drummer with Ian Dury and the Blockheads, died of cancer. The group had a UK number-one single in 1978 with “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick.”
- Paul Anka became a US citizen.
- Guitarist C.C. DeVille was fired from the band after disrupting their planned performance at the MTV Video Music Awards by playing “Talk Dirty to Me” instead of “Unskinny Bop.” He rejoined the band five years later.
- Elvis Presley's five-disc box set The King of Rock 'n' Roll – The Complete 50's Masters reached number 159 on the US chart.
- John Mellencamp married supermodel Elaine Irwin.
- Kylie Minogue reached number one on the UK albums chart with her first greatest-hits compilation, Kylie Greatest Hits. The album contained 22 tracks, including “I Should Be So Lucky,” “It's No Secret” and “The Loco-Motion.”
- The musical The Will Rogers Follies closed after 983 performances.
- Oasis performed at The Hacienda in Manchester to celebrate the release of their debut album Definitely Maybe. The album went on to become the fastest-selling debut album in UK history.
- Rod Stewart and his second wife, model Rachel Hunter, welcomed their son Liam McAlister Stewart.
- Capitol Records released The Beatles Anthology video collection, containing more than ten hours of material.
- Elton John performed an updated version of “Candle in the Wind” at Princess Diana's funeral at Westminster Abbey in London. The new version, titled “Candle in the Wind '97,” later became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
- Boyzone scored their third consecutive number-one album on the UK chart with Where We Belong.
- Manic Street Preachers scored their first UK number-one single with “If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next.”
- R&B singer Sonny Knight, born Joseph Coleman Smith, died on Maui at the age of 64, two years after suffering a stroke. He was best known for his 1956 hit “Confidential.”
- After spending 58 weeks on the UK albums chart, Shania Twain's Come On Over reached number one. It became the best-selling country album and one of the best-selling studio albums by a female artist.
- Smashing Pumpkins, who had announced their breakup, released Machina II: The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music in an extremely limited run of just 25 copies. The band sent them to fans and associates with instructions to copy and distribute the album online.
- Tori Amos gave birth to her daughter, Natashya Hawley. The child's father was her husband, English sound engineer Mark Hawley.
- The album Junichiro Koizumi Presents: My Favorite Elvis Songs, featuring a selection of Elvis Presley songs compiled by the Japanese prime minister, was released in Japan.
- A concert celebrating the start of the NFL season was held in New York City, featuring Eve, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias and Joey Fatone.
- Heather Mills, the wife of Paul McCartney, received £50,000 in damages from The Sunday Mirror over a false article concerning her handling of funds intended to help earthquake victims in India. She donated the entire amount to a charity fighting landmines.
- The Rolling Stones released A Bigger Bang, their first studio album of new material in eight years and the last album of original songs recorded entirely with drummer Charlie Watts. The album reached number three in the US and was certified platinum.
- Arctic Monkeys won the Mercury Prize for their album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, which became the fastest-selling debut album in British chart history upon its release.
- Elvis Presley's two-disc CD and DVD Essential was released in Australia.
- Justin Timberlake released the album FutureSex/LoveSounds.
- Austrian-American keyboardist Joe Zawinul, co-founder of Weather Report, died at the age of 75.
- Oasis launched a campaign promoting the release of singles from their album Dig Out Your Soul, their final studio album.
- Mickey Jones, a founding member and original bassist of the rock band Angel, died at the age of 56 after a long battle with liver cancer.
- Reba McEntire reached number one on the US Billboard 200 with her 28th studio album, Keep On Loving You.
- Paintings by Bob Dylan displayed at a museum in Copenhagen came under criticism from some Danish critics and academics.
- Coldplay set attendance records at several European concerts during their Mylo Xyloto tour.
- American singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Joe South died of a heart attack at his home in Georgia at the age of 72. He was known for his own hits “Games People Play” and “Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” and for writing “Hush” for Deep Purple, “Rose Garden” for Lynn Anderson and “Down in the Boondocks” for Billy Joe Royal.
- Singer, songwriter, dancer and actress Simone Battle, a member of the girl group G.R.L., died in Los Angeles at the age of 25; according to the source, her death was an apparent suicide.
- Dennis Greene, an original member of Sha Na Na, died at the age of 66. He sang lead vocals on the group's version of “Tears on My Pillow,” which appeared in the film Grease.
- Asteroid 17473 was named Freddiemercury in honor of Freddie Mercury on what would have been his 70th birthday.
- German bassist Holger Czukay, a member of Can, died at the age of 79.
- Rick Stevens, former lead singer of Tower of Power, died at the age of 77 from liver cancer.
- Fleetwood Mac appeared on The Ellen Show and introduced a new lineup in which Neil Finn and Mike Campbell replaced Lindsey Buckingham.
- Ed Sheeran and rapper Stormzy began a five-week run at number one on the UK singles chart with “Take Me Back to London.”
- Taylor Swift reached number one on the UK albums chart with her seventh studio album, Lover.
- South Korean group BTS scored their first US number-one single with “Dynamite.”
- American rock guitarist Rickie Reynolds, a founding member of Black Oak Arkansas, died at the age of 72.
- English singer and actress Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud died at the age of 39 from breast cancer. With the group, she achieved 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles, including four number-one hits.
- Larry Chance, lead singer of the New York doo-wop group The Earls, died at the age of 82. In 1963, the group reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Remember Then.”
- English bass guitarist Herbie Flowers died at the age of 86. He played with Blue Mink, T. Rex and Sky and contributed to hundreds of recordings as a session musician, including Lou Reed's Transformer.
- Linkin Park released “The Emptiness Machine,” the band's first song without frontman Chester Bennington, who died in 2017. The song introduced new vocalist Emily Armstrong.
- The UK's competition regulator launched an investigation into ticket sales for Oasis's reunion tour, focusing in particular on the use of dynamic pricing through Ticketmaster.
- American pianist Screamin' Scott Simon, a member of Sha Na Na, died at the age of 75 from sinus cancer. He had been with the group since 1970 and also appeared in the film version of Grease.
- Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes died in Los Angeles at the age of 83 from complications related to the long-term effects of COVID-19. He was best known for Brasil '66 and for blending bossa nova with funk. During his career, he released dozens of albums and singles and won Grammy and two Latin Grammy Awards.
- American singer, guitarist and songwriter Mark Volman, co-founder of The Turtles, died at the age of 78 from complications related to a blood disorder. After The Turtles broke up, he performed with Howard Kaylan as Flo & Eddie and also worked with Frank Zappa, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and T. Rex.
- English singer, songwriter and keyboardist Richard “Rick” Davies died at the age of 81. He had been the only constant member of the rock band Supertramp.