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- American singer and actress Helen Morgan, best known for her portrayal of Julie La Verne in the musical “Show Boat,” was born on August 2, 1900, in Danville, Illinois.
- Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and director Roger MacDougall was born on August 2, 1910, in Glasgow.
- Famed Italian tenor Enrico Caruso died on August 2, 1921, in Naples at the age of 48.
- Fats Waller recorded the song “Ain't Misbehavin'.”
- Hank Cochran, an influential country singer and songwriter and co-writer of the hit “I Fall to Pieces,” was born on August 2, 1935, in Isola, Mississippi.
- Garth Hudson, the Canadian multi-instrumentalist, keyboardist, and saxophonist and one of the key members of The Band, was born on August 2, 1937, in Windsor, Ontario.
- Andrew Steele, drummer with The Herd, was born on August 2, 1941, in Hendon, northwest London.
- Doris Coley, singer with the American girl group The Shirelles, was born on August 2, 1941, in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
- Kathy Lennon, a member of The Lennon Sisters, was born on August 2, 1943, in Los Angeles.
- Jazz bassist Albert Stinson was born on August 2, 1944, in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Jim Capaldi, the English drummer, singer, and songwriter, co-founder and member of Traffic and later a solo artist, was born on August 2, 1944, in Evesham, Worcestershire. His birth name was Nicola James Capaldi.
- Mark Naftalin, the American blues keyboardist, songwriter, and producer and a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Quicksilver Messenger Service, was born on August 2, 1944.
- Andy Fairweather Low, the Welsh singer, songwriter, and guitarist, founding member and frontman of Amen Corner, known also for his work with Eric Clapton and other prominent musicians, was born on August 2, 1948, in Ystrad Mynach, Wales.
- Ted Turner, guitarist with Wishbone Ash, was born on August 2, 1950, in Sheldon, Birmingham.
- Andrew Gold, the American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer best known for hits such as “Lonely Boy” and “Thank You for Being a Friend,” was born on August 2, 1951, in Burbank, California.
- Joe Lynn Turner, the American singer known for his work with Rainbow and Deep Purple, was born on August 2, 1951, in Hackensack, New Jersey.
- Les Dudek, the American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who worked with the Steve Miller Band, Stevie Nicks, Cher, Boz Scaggs, and The Allman Brothers Band, was born on August 2, 1952.
- Donnie Munro, lead singer of the Scottish band Runrig, was born on August 2, 1953.
- Skeeter Davis, then a member of the Davis Sisters, was seriously injured in a car accident near Cincinnati on August 2, 1953. Her singing partner, Betty Jack Davis, was killed in the crash.
- Look magazine reported that Elvis Presley was receiving approximately 3,000 fan letters a week.
- An official Elvis Presley fan club was established in the United Kingdom.
- Buddy Holly and the Crickets performed at the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C., as part of a tour featuring Clyde McPhatter, The Cadillacs, Edna McGriff, Otis Rush, Lee Andrews & The Hearts, Oscar & Oscar, and The G-Clefs. “That'll Be the Day” was at No. 2 on the U.S. chart at the time, and the tour marked Holly’s first major tour.
- Mojo Nixon, the American singer and guitarist best known for the song “Elvis Is Everywhere,” was born on August 2, 1957.
- Johnny Kidd & The Pirates were at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Shakin' All Over.”
- Pete de Freitas, drummer with Echo & the Bunnymen, was born on August 2, 1961, in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
- The Beatles began a two-year period during which they served as the main band at Liverpool’s Cavern Club.
- Aretha Franklin made her first appearance on the television program “American Bandstand” on August 2, 1962, performing “Don't Cry Baby” and “Try a Little Tenderness.”
- Lee Mavers, English singer and guitarist with The La's, was born on August 2, 1962.
- Jerry Lee Lewis accepted a $9,500 offer to perform at the opening of the new Thunderbird Hotel in Las Vegas.
- The Beatles performed at the Gaumont Cinema in Bournemouth on August 2, 1964. One of the supporting acts was The Kinks, then still described as a “new and unknown London group.”
- After an intensive search, the bodies of country singer Jim Reeves and his manager and musical collaborator Dean Manuel were found on August 2, 1964, in the wreckage of their plane, which had crashed 42 hours earlier. At 1:00 p.m. local time, radio stations across the United States officially announced Reeves’s death. Reeves was known for hits including “Four Walls,” “I Won't Forget You,” and “Mexican Joe.”
- The Doors began a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Hello, I Love You,” their second U.S. No. 1 hit.
- Pink Floyd played the first of three concerts at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, held from August 2–4.
- “Wet Dream” by Jamaican reggae singer Max Romeo entered the UK singles chart. Because of its sexually explicit lyrics, the song was banned by the BBC and most radio stations.
- On August 2, 1969, Bob Dylan returned to his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota, for his ten-year high school reunion, marking the class of 1959. He and his wife Sara met classmates beforehand at the local Moose Lodge, but after a confrontation with a drunken former classmate, Dylan left and ultimately did not attend the reunion itself.
- Led Zeppelin and Vanilla Fudge performed at the Civic Auditorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Three Dog Night released their version of the song “Easy to Be Hard.”
- Elvis Presley was at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with his version of “The Wonder of You,” which became his sixteenth UK No. 1 hit.
- Zelma Davis, the American singer known as a member of C+C Music Factory, was born on August 2, 1970, in Monrovia, Liberia.
- Creedence Clearwater Revival began their final U.S. tour on August 2, 1971, with a concert at the Assembly Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- 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.
- The film American Graffiti premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.
- “Papa” John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas filed a lawsuit against his former record label, Dunhill Records, on August 2, 1973, seeking $60 million in unpaid royalties.
- Pete Townshend joined Eric Clapton on stage in Greensboro, North Carolina; Keith Moon also performed.
- Jeff Baxter and Jim Hodder left Steely Dan, while Donald Fagen and Walter Becker decided to continue as a studio project.
- Peter “Puddy” Watts, road manager for Pink Floyd, died of a heroin overdose. His manic laughter was used on the album The Dark Side of the Moon.
- Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols was fined £125 at a London court after being caught with a knife at the 100 Club punk festival the previous year.
- The Who purchased Shepperton Studios in London for half a million dollars.
- Deep Purple’s “Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple” reached No. 1 on the UK album chart on August 2, 1980, becoming the band’s third album to reach the top of the UK charts.
- “Magic” by Olivia Newton-John, from the soundtrack to the film “Xanadu,” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on August 2, 1980.
- The Clash released the single “Bank Robber,” which had previously been available only as an import. Their record label, CBS, had initially rejected its release, considering the song insufficiently commercial.
- José Feliciano married Susan Omillian in California on August 2, 1982.
- James Jamerson, the influential Motown bassist and member of The Funk Brothers, died on August 2, 1983, in Los Angeles at the age of 47 from complications related to cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure, and pneumonia. He played on numerous landmark Motown recordings and was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
- Chris de Burgh reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart on August 2, 1986, with “The Lady in Red,” beginning a three-week run at the top. “The Lady in Red” became his first UK No. 1 hit.
- Peter Cetera began a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on August 2, 1986, with “The Glory of Love” from the film The Karate Kid Part II.
- David Martin, bassist with Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs and co-writer of “Wooly Bully,” died of a heart attack at the age of 50.
- Dave Stewart of Eurythmics and Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama were married.
- George Clinton released the album “The Cinderella Theory.”
- Rick James and his girlfriend Tanya Hijazi were arrested in Hollywood on August 2, 1991, and charged with, among other offenses, assault with a deadly weapon, torture, and unlawful imprisonment.
- Charlotte Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, was born in Cambridge, England.
- Peggy Lee gave her final major public performance at the Hollywood Bowl.
- The Beastie Boys began a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with “Hello Nasty,” which became their third U.S. No. 1 album.
- The Beatles were voted “Favourite Recording Artist of All Time” in a poll conducted by the British music magazine Mojo. They finished ahead of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Queen, and Elton John.
- Jerome Smith of KC and the Sunshine Band died after being crushed by a bulldozer while working. He was a member of the group, which had the U.S. No. 1 hits “Get Down Tonight” and “That's the Way (I Like It).”
- Madonna’s “Music” music video premiered.
- Liverpool music retailer Rushworth and Dreaper closed after approximately 150 years in business. The store became renowned for supplying musical instruments to The Beatles and other Liverpool bands.
- New Orleans International Airport was renamed Louis Armstrong International Airport on August 2, 2001, in honor of the New Orleans-born trumpeter, singer, and bandleader Louis Armstrong.
- Ron Townson, singer with The 5th Dimension, died on August 2, 2001, at the age of 68 from kidney failure.
- Eric Clapton purchased a 50% stake in the London menswear store Cordings to help save the historic business from closure.
- Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, married his longtime girlfriend, Tana Mundkowsky, in a small private ceremony in Hawaii. Members of the band, along with family and friends, attended the ceremony.
- Status Quo filmed a cameo appearance for the British television series Coronation Street, where they were set to play themselves in three episodes.
- Elvis Presley Enterprises announced plans for a major redevelopment of the Graceland complex, including a new visitor center, hotel, and modern multimedia exhibits.
- Keith Richards signed a deal to write his autobiography, which was later published under the title Life.
- Rockabilly singer and musician Billy Lee Riley died on August 2, 2009, at the age of 75 from colon cancer.
- Arcade Fire released the album “The Suburbs.” It was released in the United Kingdom on August 2, while its release in the United States and Canada followed on August 3.
- Singer Jimmy Jones, known for the hits “Handy Man” and “Good Timin',” died at the age of 82.
- Nielsen SoundScan reported that U.S. album sales for the week ending July 28 totaled 4.68 million units, the lowest figure since the tracking system was introduced in 1991.
- Rosetta Hightower, singer with The Orlons, died on August 2, 2014, at the age of 70. The group had five U.S. Top 20 hits in the 1960s.
- “Weird Al” Yankovic’s album “Mandatory Fun” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, becoming his first album to top the chart.
- The Kidd Creole, one of the founding members of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, was arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a homeless man in New York City.
- Skillet released their tenth studio album, “Victorious,” featuring, among other tracks, “Legendary” and “Save Me.”
- During his concert in Hannover on August 2, 2019, Ed Sheeran broke U2’s record for the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. His Divide Tour surpassed the $735.3 million gross generated by U2’s 360° Tour.
- Steve Holland, a founding member and guitarist of Molly Hatchet, died after a long illness at the age of 66.
- Taylor Swift gave her truck drivers on the Eras Tour an extraordinary $100,000 bonus each in recognition of their work. Total bonuses reportedly exceeded $55 million for performers and crew members.
- Aerosmith announced the cancellation of their touring plans due to an injury to Steven Tyler’s vocal cords.
- Jack White completed his quest to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. The final stop was Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where he watched the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Detroit Tigers on August 2.