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Events for this day
- Composer Marie-Juliette Olga Lili Boulanger was born.
- American jazz pianist, composer, organist and bandleader William James “Count” Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. He became famous as the founder and leader of the Count Basie Orchestra.
- In Kalamazoo, Michigan, an ordinance was passed prohibiting dancers from looking their partners in the eye.
- Singer and songwriter Ernie Maresca, the writer of several hits by Dion, was born in the Bronx, New York.
- Fats Waller recorded the song “Ain't Misbehavin'”.
- Country and pop singer, songwriter and producer Kenny Rogers was born in Houston, Texas. His best-known song “The Gambler” was released when he was 40 years old.
- Country singer Harold Reid of The Statler Brothers was born in Staunton, Virginia. He co-wrote many of the group's hits, including “Bed of Rose's” and “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine”.
- American singer and songwriter Jackie DeShannon, born Sharon Lee Myers, was born in Hazel, Kentucky. She became known for songs including “What the World Needs Now Is Love” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”.
- Keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Tom Coster was born in Detroit, Michigan. He became known for his long collaboration with Carlos Santana, with whom he co-wrote the song “Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)”.
- Carl Giammarese, lead singer and guitarist of The Buckinghams, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
- English rock bassist and singer Glenn Hughes was born in Cannock, Staffordshire. He became known for his work with the bands Trapeze and Deep Purple and also briefly as the singer of Black Sabbath.
- English musician and co-founder of the punk rock band The Clash John Mellor, known by his stage name Joe Strummer, was born in Ankara, Turkey. He was born John Graham Mellor.
- Frankie Laine reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with his version of the song “I Believe”.
- Drummer Steve Smith of Focus and Journey was born in Whitman, Massachusetts.
- Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman had the third-best-selling song in the US with their novelty song “Flying Saucer”. It sold 500,000 copies in just three weeks and eventually surpassed one million. The recording's concept involved two radio reporters asking questions that were humorously answered with excerpts from mid-1950s hits. Buchanan and Goodman were sued for copyright infringement by seventeen different record companies, but all the lawsuits were dismissed with the ruling that the parodies did not interfere with sales of the original recordings.
- Budgie, drummer of Siouxsie and the Banshees, was born.
- Kim Sledge of Sister Sledge was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Ricky Nelson recorded the song “Lonesome Town” at Master Recorders in Hollywood, California.
- Bobby Lewis was at No. 1 for the seventh consecutive week with “Tossin' And Turnin'”.
- Elvis Presley began a three-week run at No. 1 on the US album chart with “Something For Everybody”, his sixth US No. 1 album.
- Patsy Cline began recording Willie Nelson's song “Crazy” at Bradley Film and Recording Studio in Nashville. She was still using crutches after a head-on car collision two months earlier and initially had difficulty reaching the high notes because of her broken ribs. The car accident forced her to interrupt the recording, and she returned to the studio on September 15, when she completed the song with a single vocal take. The recording reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, spending 21 weeks on the chart. In November 2021, Willie Nelson told David Letterman that when he originally wrote the song, he called it “Stupid”. In 1996, the Amusement and Music Operators Association named it the most-played song of all time on American jukeboxes. “Crazy” later became one of Patsy Cline's signature songs.
- Tamla Records released The Marvelettes' first single, “Please Mr. Postman”. The song sold more than one million copies and became the group's biggest hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Pop and R&B charts. It was Motown's first song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- American DJ, remixer and music producer David Morales was born in New York. He is a Grammy Award winner.
- Elvis Presley and Gary Pepper were photographed on August 21, 1962, after a private movie evening shown by Paul Shafer at the Malco Theatre in Memphis.
- The Ronettes recorded their only Billboard Top 10 hit when their first recording for Phil Spector, “Be My Baby”, reached No. 2. None of their other recordings, including “Baby I Love You” (#24), “The Best Part of Breaking Up” (#39), “Do I Love You?” (#34) and “Walking In the Rain” (#23), reached the Top 20 in the US.
- Barry McGuire released his version of P. F. Sloan's protest song “Eve Of Destruction”. The song reached No. 1 on the singles charts in Canada, Norway and the US and No. 3 in the UK.
- Barry McGuire's “Eve Of Destruction” and The Lovin' Spoonful's “Do You Believe In Magic” entered the Billboard Hot 100. McGuire's protest song reached No. 1 on September 25, while The Lovin' Spoonful's song reached No. 9 in mid-October.
- “Eve Of Destruction” by Barry McGuire and “Do You Believe In Magic” by The Lovin' Spoonful were released in America. The first song reached No. 1 on September 25, while the second reached No. 9 in mid-October.
- Gary Lewis & the Playboys spent their third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with “Save Your Heart For Me”.
- Sonny & Cher returned to No. 1 with “I Got You Babe”. Gary Lewis & the Playboys moved up to No. 2 with “Save Your Heart For Me”, The Beatles jumped from No. 14 to No. 3 with “Help!”, The Beach Boys were at No. 4 with “California Girls” and The Righteous Brothers at No. 5 with “Unchained Melody”. The rest of the Top 10: The Rolling Stones with “Satisfaction” at No. 6, The Four Tops with “It's The Same Old Song” at No. 7, Patty Duke with “Don't Just Stand There” at No. 8, Herman's Hermits with “I'm Henry VIII, I Am” at No. 9 and Billy Joe Royal with “Down In The Boondocks” at No. 10.
- The Lovin' Spoonful released the song “Do You Believe In Magic”.
- The Rolling Stones began a three-week run at No. 1 on the US album chart with “Out Of Our Heads”, their fourth US studio album and the group's first album to reach the top of the US chart. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and knocked “Beatles VI” from the top spot. Its success was helped by songs including “Satisfaction” (#1), “The Last Time” (#9) and “Play With Fire”.
- The Who performed at the Palais in Bournemouth during their seventeen-date UK tour.
- During their final US tour, The Beatles performed in two cities after a concert the previous day had been cancelled because of rain. They first performed at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. They then flew to St. Louis, Missouri, where they played at Busch Stadium under a tarpaulin because of heavy rain. The conditions were extremely unpleasant, and this concert convinced Paul McCartney that The Beatles should stop touring and concentrate on studio work.
- Jim Morrison failed to appear for The Doors' performance at the Whisky a Go Go club in Los Angeles. The band played the first set without him and then picked him up from his apartment, where he was under the influence of LSD. After returning to the club, The Doors played “The End” and Morrison improvised Oedipal verses. This led to them being fired from the club, but it also produced the final lyrics that later appeared in the recording of the song on their debut album.
- Bob Dylan renewed his recording contract with Columbia Records.
- The Doors began recording their second album “Strange Days” at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California.
- Tommy James and The Shondells returned to No. 1 on the UK singles chart for the second time with the single “Mony Mony”. In 1987, Billy Idol's version of the song replaced another Tommy James hit, “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany, at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Elvis Presley performed at 8:15 p.m. and at midnight at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Both concerts were attended by 2,200 people. The 8:15 p.m. setlist included “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Got A Woman”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “I Can't Stop Loving You”, “My Babe”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man”, “Baby What You Want Me To Do”, “Runaway”, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Yesterday/Hey Jude”, “In The Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds”, “What'd I Say” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “All Shook Up”, “I Got A Woman”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Hound Dog”, “Memories”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man”, “Baby What You Want Me To Do”, “Runaway”, “Surrender/Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Words”, “Yesterday”, “Hey Jude”, “In The Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds”, “What I'd Say” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. After the midnight show, Elvis introduced Shelly Fabares.
- James Brown opened the first two of his Gold Platter restaurants in Macon, Georgia. The soul-food restaurants served food on plates resembling gold records and were intended as a franchise opportunity for Black entrepreneurs. However, the concept did not catch on and the project was discontinued in 1970.
- Led Zeppelin performed at the Carousel Theatre in Framingham, Massachusetts, during their North American tour.
- Yes performed at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.
- Elvis Presley performed at 8:30 p.m. and at midnight at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Both concerts were attended by 2,200 people. Elvis's grandmother Minnie Mae Presley and aunt Delta Biggs attended the evening show. During the evening show, Elvis introduced his grandmother Minnie Presley and Neil Diamond. The evening setlist included “That's All Right”, “I Got A Woman/Ave Maria”, “Tiger Man”, “Love Me Tender”, “I Just Can't Help Believin'”, “Sweet Caroline”, “You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Holy Holy”, “The Wonder Of You”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “One Night”, “All Shook Up”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Hound Dog”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “That's All Right”, “I Got A Woman/Ave Maria”, “Tiger Man”, “Love Me Tender”, “I've Lost You”, “Cryin' Time”, “I Just Can't Help Believin'”, “You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Johnny Be Goode”, “The Wonder Of You”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “One Night”, “All Shook Up”, “Blue Suede Shoes/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On/Blue Suede Shoes”, “Hound Dog”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. After the midnight show, Elvis introduced actor Henry Silva, comedian Jack E. Leonard and comedian Rusty Warren, who was not present.
- Led Zeppelin performed at the Assembly Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Hawkwind, Duster Bennett, Brewers Droop, Indian Summer, Graphite and Queen performed at the Tregye Festival in Truro, Cornwall, England.
- Carole King's album “Tapestry” spent its tenth consecutive week at No. 1 on the album chart.
- Diana Ross began a four-week run at No. 1 on the UK chart with “I'm Still Waiting”. The song also reached No. 1 in Ireland.
- Elvis Presley performed at 8:30 p.m. and at midnight at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas before 2,200 spectators. He wore a black Cisco Kid suit at both shows. The evening setlist included “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “That's All Right”, “Proud Mary”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Sweet Caroline”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “The Impossible Dream”, “Love Me”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel”, “Hound Dog”, “Love Me Tender”, “I'm Leavin'”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “That's All Right”, “Proud Mary”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Love Me”, “Blue Suede Shoes/Whole Lotta Shakin'”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel”, “Hound Dog”, “It's Impossible”, “Love Me Tender”, “Little Sister/Get Back”, “Mystery Train/Tiger Man”, “I'm Leavin/Suspicious Minds”, “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
- Reissued Elvis Presley single “Heartbreak Hotel” reached No. 10 on the UK chart. Elvis's single “I'm Leavin'” reached No. 36 in the US.
- Murderer George Jackson was shot dead during a bizarre escape attempt from San Quentin prison, which inspired Bob Dylan's song “George Jackson”.
- Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and music producer Liam Howlett was born in Braintree, Essex, England. He became known as the co-founder and leading figure of the electronic group The Prodigy.
- Marvin Gaye spent his second consecutive week at No. 1 on the R&B chart with “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”.
- Olivia Newton-John spent her third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with “If Not For You”.
- Paul and Linda McCartney moved from No. 65 to No. 21 with “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”.
- The Band performed at Borough of York Stadium in Toronto, Ontario.
- The Bee Gees spent their third consecutive week at No. 1 with “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart”. “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight was at No. 2, John Denver was at No. 3, and Marvin Gaye moved from No. 9 to No. 4 with “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”. James Taylor was at No. 5 with “You've Got A Friend”, Creedence Clearwater Revival at No. 6 with “Sweet Hitch-Hiker”, Chicago at No. 7 with “Beginnings/Colour My World”, Five Man Electrical Band at No. 8 with “Signs” and Tommy James and The Shondells at No. 9 with “Draggin' The Line”, while Three Dog Night entered the Top 10 with “Liar”.
- 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.
- 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”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Love Me”, “Steamroller Blues”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Trouble”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Long Tall Sally/Mama Don't Dance/Flip, Flop And Fly/Jailhouse Rock/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On”, “Love Me Tender”, “Hound Dog”, “Fever”, “What Now My Love”, “Suspicious Minds”, “I Can't Stop Loving You”, “An American Trilogy”, “A Big Hunk O' Love” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Love Me”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Long Tall Sally/Mama Don't Dance/Flip, Flop And Fly/Jailhouse Rock”, “Hound Dog”, “Love Me Tender”, “Fever”, “What Now My Love”, “Suspicious Minds”, “My Boy”, “Release Me”, “An American Trilogy”, “A Big Hunk O' Love”, “Help Me Make It Through The Night” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performed at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
- 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”, “I Got A Woman/Amen Folsom Prison Blues” (excerpt), “Love Me”, “If You Love Me”, “It's Midnight”, “Big Boss Man”, “Fever”, “Love Me Tender”, “All Shook Up”, “I'm Leavin'”, “Softly, As I Leave You”, “Hound Dog”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep”, “Why Me Lord”, “Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, “Let Me Be There”, “Hawaiian Wedding Song” (2 false starts) and “Can't Help Falling In Love”. The midnight setlist included “Also Sprach Zarathustra”, “See See Rider”, “I Got A Woman/Amen”, “Love Me”, “If You Love Me”, “It's Midnight”, “Big Boss Man”, “Fever”, “Love Me Tender”, “All Shook Up”, “I'm Leavin'”, “Softly, As I Leave You”, “Hound Dog”, “You Gave Me A Mountain”, “Polk Salad Annie”, “If You Talk In Your Sleep”, “Why Me Lord”, “Teddy Bear/Don't Be Cruel”, “Hawaiian Wedding Song”, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, “Let Me Be There” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
- Donna Summer performed her erotic disco song “Love To Love You Baby” on American Bandstand. Although the song reached No. 2 in the US, Donna later admitted that she was not entirely sure about some of the lyrics and improvised parts of the song during the recording.
- RCA Victor announced that sales of Elvis Presley's recordings had exceeded 400 million units. This milestone was a significant moment in the final year of Elvis's life and confirmed his position at the time as the most commercially successful artist in the history of the recording industry. In later years, Graceland and RCA parent company Sony Music estimated that Elvis had sold more than one billion recordings worldwide.
- Lynyrd Skynyrd, Todd Rundgren, 10cc and The Rolling Stones performed at the Knebworth Festival in England.
- The Rolling Stones, 10cc, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Todd Rundgren's Utopia and Hot Tuna performed at the Knebworth Festival in Hertfordshire, England, before approximately 200,000 fans. Tickets cost £4.50. The concert was falsely promoted as “the last Stones concert ever to take place in Britain” in order to boost ticket sales. RCA also announced that sales of Elvis Presley's recordings had exceeded 400 million units; later estimates by Graceland and Sony put his worldwide sales at more than one billion recordings.
- Yes performed at the War Memorial Auditorium in Rochester, New York.
- Gary Numan released the single “Cars”.
- American R&B singer and saxophonist Kelis Rogers-Mora was born in New York City. She became known for her debut studio album “Kaleidoscope”, which became an international hit.
- Van Halen performed at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Blue Öyster Cult performed at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado.
- Linda Ronstadt performed as Mabel in an open-air production of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta “The Pirates of Penzance” as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, New York City. The production later moved to Broadway, where it premiered in January 1981. Ronstadt reprised the role in the 1983 film adaptation and received a Tony Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for the film.
- The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Cape Cod Coliseum in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
- Fleetwood Mac's album “Mirage” was at No. 1 on the album chart ahead of “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor. Asia was at No. 3, John Cougar (Mellencamp) at No. 4 with “American Fool”, Robert Plant at No. 5 with “Pictures At Eleven”, Steve Miller Band at No. 6 with “Abracadabra”, REO Speedwagon at No. 7 with “Good Trouble”, Crosby, Stills & Nash at No. 8 with “Daylight Again”, The Go-Go's moved from No. 42 to No. 9 with “Vacation”, and Genesis entered the Top 10 with “Three Sides Live”.
- Chicago reached No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with “Hard To Say I'm Sorry”.
- Survivor spent their fifth week at No. 1 with “Eye Of The Tiger”. John Cougar (Mellencamp) spent three weeks at No. 2 with “Hurts So Good”, while Steve Miller Band and Fleetwood Mac remained at No. 3 and No. 4. Chicago was at No. 5 with “Hard To Say I'm Sorry”, Air Supply at No. 6 with “Even the Nights Are Better”, REO Speedwagon at No. 7 with “Keep The Fire Burnin'”, The Go-Go's at No. 8 with “Vacation”, Crosby, Stills & Nash at No. 9 with “Wasted On The Way”, and Paul McCartney entered the Top 10 with “Take It Away”.
- The Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone, born John Cummings, got into a fight with Seth Micklaw of Sub Zero Construction after seeing him with his girlfriend Cynthia Whitney. Ramone suffered a serious head injury when he was kicked in the head with steel-toed boots during the fight and was found unconscious on a New York street. He underwent emergency four-hour brain surgery to remove blood clots. Micklaw was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and later spent several months in prison.
- The Grateful Dead performed at Frost Amphitheater on the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, California.
- Melissa Schuman, founding member and singer of the girl group Dream, was born in San Clemente, California.
- Scandal featuring Patty Smyth released the album “Warrior”. The collection of rock songs aimed at radio audiences reached the Top 20 thanks to the title hit and later achieved platinum certification.
- Tina Turner's album “Private Dancer” received RIAA platinum certification and the single “What's Love Got To Do With It” received gold certification. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and the single reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, as well as No. 5 in the UK and the Top 10 in several other European countries. At the age of 44, Turner became the oldest female solo singer at the time to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100.
- Eric Clapton's son Conor was born. Four years later, Conor tragically died in an accident, which inspired Clapton to write the song “Tears In Heaven”.
- The soundtrack to the film “Dirty Dancing” was released.
- The film “Dirty Dancing” was released in US cinemas. In November, its soundtrack reached No. 1 in America, where it sold more than 11 million copies.
- Metallica released their first EP, “The $5.98 E.P. – Garage Days Re-Revisited”. It contained cover versions of popular metal and punk rock songs from the 1970s and 1980s.
- Midnight Oil released their sixth album, “Diesel and Dust”, inspired by their tour of Aboriginal communities in the Australian outback. The single “Beds Are Burning”, which called for the return of land rights to Indigenous Australians, became the band's breakthrough hit in the US.
- American country singer and multi-instrumentalist Kacey Musgraves was born in Golden, Texas. At the age of eight, she wrote her first song, “Notice Me”, for her elementary school graduation ceremony. She is the recipient of several Grammy Awards.
- Alice in Chains released their debut album “Facelift”, one of the early grunge albums to achieve widespread popularity. The album was among the recordings released on August 21, 1990 that combined hard rock with alternative rock.
- Anthrax released the album “Persistence of Time”, which ranks among their most successful recordings.
- B.B. King received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- Firehouse released their debut album “Firehouse”. During the hair metal boom, the album went on to achieve double-platinum certification, largely thanks to the power ballad “Love of a Lifetime”.
- Jane's Addiction released their second studio album “Ritual de lo Habitual”, a significant alternative rock album that singer Perry Farrell described as being filled with “sex and violence and joy and happiness”. The album later sold more than two million copies and reached No. 19 in the US.
- Prince released the soundtrack to the film “Graffiti Bridge”.
- Ratt released the album “Detonator”, which marked the end of their most successful period. It was their fifth album in six years.
- Longtime Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin married his third wife, Stephanie Haymes.
- Police raided Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch after a child staying there made allegations of sexual abuse. Jackson allowed police to conduct a personal search, which was deeply humiliating for him. He was not charged, but later faced further allegations.
- The soundtrack to the successful romantic comedy “Sleepless in Seattle”, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, knocking Cypress Hill's album “Black Sunday” from the top spot. The album contains songs by artists including Louis Armstrong, Joe Cocker, Carly Simon and Nat King Cole. “Black Sunday” by Cypress Hill was at No. 2, “janet.” by Janet Jackson at No. 3, “Zooropa” by U2 at No. 4 and “Core” by Stone Temple Pilots at No. 5. UB40 were at No. 6 with “Promises and Lies”, the “The Bodyguard” soundtrack at No. 7, Rod Stewart at No. 8 with “Unplugged...And Seated”, Aerosmith at No. 9 with “Get a Grip” and Blind Melon entered the Top 10 with their self-titled album.
- Bob Dylan performed in Columbus, Ohio, at the Ohio State Fair.
- John Denver, who was still on probation for a 1992 drunk-driving conviction, was again charged with driving under the influence after crashing his 1963 Porsche 356 into a tree near his home in Aspen, Colorado. It was his second such case within two years. The first trial ended with a hung jury, and the second trial was still pending at the time of his death on October 12, 1997.
- During her concert at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California, Whitney Houston asked for a spotlight to be directed at Justin and Sydney Simpson, whose father O. J. Simpson was at the time on trial for the murder of their mother Nicole.
- Former Talking Heads singer David Byrne sued the other members of the group in an attempt to prevent them from performing under the name “The Heads”. The dispute was settled out of court.
- Rick James was released from Folsom Prison after serving two years of a five-year sentence for holding a woman hostage while under the influence of drugs and for assault.
- Former drummer of The Stone Roses Alan Wren was sentenced to seven days in prison after behaving disrespectfully toward a prominent Manchester judge. He appeared in court over driving without insurance and lost his temper after being questioned about his income.
- Oasis released their long-awaited third studio album “Be Here Now” through Creation Records. It became an immediate commercial success, selling more than 350,000 copies on its first day and becoming one of the fastest-selling albums ever. The album reached No. 1 in sixteen countries around the world, although it later received mixed reactions and was criticized as overly long and derivative. Britpop was beginning to lose popularity. The album cover was photographed at Stocks House in Hertfordshire, the former home of Victor Lownes, head of Playboy Clubs in the UK.
- Terence Trent D'Arby, who had not been heard from since the release of his 1995 album “Vibrator”, posted a statement on his website: “I am a holographic representation in the third dimension of what your souls have asked to be one of your favorite artists. I have sent a portion of my soul to incarnate into an artist named Terence Trent D'Arby, who fulfilled this request.” He later explained that he was using the new name Sananda Maitreya, which had come to him in a dream.
- Backstreet Boys returned to No. 1 on the US chart and began a three-week run at the top with their third studio album “Millennium”.
- Westlife reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “If I Let You Go”. The song also reached No. 1 in Ireland and Norway.
- Survivor filed a lawsuit against TVT Records after the label released a soundtrack to the television show “Survivor”. Survivor guitarist Frankie Sullivan said it was unfortunate that, after 23 years of building, promoting and protecting the group's name, someone could come along and release a recording using it.
- Atomic Kitten faced legal action after dismissing Andy McCluskey, the writer of their first No. 1 hit “Whole Again”. The group faced being dropped by Innocent Records after recording a song that became a major hit. The members then demanded a larger share of royalties, which McCluskey refused. Under the original contract, each member received four pence from the sale of each single.
- The trio 3 of a Kind reached No. 1 on the UK chart with their first and only released single, “Baby Cakes”.
- Singer Anastacia reached No. 1 on the UK chart with her third studio album “Anastacia”. The album became a worldwide hit and also reached No. 1 in eleven other countries.
- Ashlee Simpson returned to No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with her debut studio album “Autobiography”.
- Robert A. Moog, American engineer, inventor, pioneer of electronic music and inventor of the Moog synthesizer, died in Asheville, North Carolina, at the age of 71, four months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. At the age of 14, he built his first electronic instrument, a theremin, and in 1970 created the portable MiniMoog, described as the first compact and easy-to-use synthesizer. His first commercial synthesizer was launched in 1964 and had a major influence on and changed the music industry. In 2001, he received the Swedish Polar Music Prize. Wendy Carlos's 1968 Grammy-winning album “Switched-On Bach” played a major role in bringing him wider recognition. His instruments, particularly the MiniMoog, became essential tools for many artists, including The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Pink Floyd.
- The Rolling Stones began their A Bigger Bang tour with a concert at Fenway Park in Boston. They had previously played a warm-up concert at a theater in Toronto on August 10. The tour lasted more than two years and grossed more than $558 million from 144 concerts, setting a record that was later surpassed by U2's 360° Tour, which ended in 2011.
- German prosecutors announced that they had decided not to open an investigation into Madonna after she performed a controversial mock crucifixion scene during a concert on August 20.
- A man surfing the internet in America helped catch three men who broke into a shop in Liverpool, England. He was watching a live internet feed from Mathew Street and the nearby Beatles festival when he saw men smashing the shop window and climbing inside. He called Merseyside Police, who arrested the offenders.
- Drummer Buddy Harman died of congestive heart failure at the age of 79. He worked with Elvis Presley (“Little Sister”), Patsy Cline (“Crazy”), Roy Orbison (“Pretty Woman”), Johnny Cash (“Ring Of Fire”) and Tammy Wynette (“Stand By Your Man”). He was the first studio drummer for the Grand Ole Opry and can be heard on more than 18,000 recordings.
- Gary Glitter returned to Thailand after being denied entry to Hong Kong. Chinese authorities informed the British Foreign Office that they had barred him from entering. He had previously been deported from Vietnam, where he spent almost three years in prison for sexually abusing two girls. From Bangkok, he refused to fly to the UK and requested medical treatment after stating that he had suffered a heart attack.
- Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale had their second child, a son named Zuma Nesta Rock.
- Doo-wop and R&B singer Johnny Carter, a member of The Dells (“Stay In My Corner” from 1968) and The Flamingos (“I Only Have Eyes for You”), died in Harvey, Illinois, at the age of 75 from lung cancer.
- Alternative rock group Arcade Fire reached No. 1 in the US with their third studio album “The Suburbs”. The album also reached No. 1 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Portugal and the UK.
- Eminem reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with his seventh studio album “Recovery”. The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards and reached No. 1 in seventeen countries.
- Flo Rida and French producer David Guetta reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with “Club Can't Handle Me”.
- Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberly Stewart became a mother for the first time when she gave birth to a daughter, Delilah Genoveva del Toro, whose father was actor Benicio del Toro. Rod Stewart thus became a grandfather for the first time.
- Lisa Marie Presley made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where she sang three songs from her then-current album “Storm & Grace” before a sold-out audience. Nervously joking, she said she hoped there would not be a truck waiting outside, a self-deprecating reference to the legendary and probably fictional story that the Opry manager supposedly told Elvis after his 1954 debut to go back to driving a truck.
- Roadrunner Records released Lynyrd Skynyrd's fourteenth studio album “Last of a Dyin' Breed” in the US. Guitarist John Lowery, better known by his stage name John 5, contributed to several songs. The album reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200, No. 3 on the Top Rock Albums chart and No. 83 in the UK.
- Taylor Swift's single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” sold 623,000 digital copies, making it the best-selling digital single by a female artist.
- Music promoter Sid Bernstein, best known for arranging The Beatles' concerts at Carnegie Hall and later at Shea Stadium, died in Manhattan, New York, at the age of 95. In the 1960s, he brought The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, The Moody Blues and The Kinks to America. He also worked as manager of The (Young) Rascals and singer Tony Bennett. He was the first promoter to organize rock concerts in sports stadiums.
- Sir Paul McCartney was ranked No. 1 on therichest.com's list of the world's richest bass players, with an estimated fortune of $1.2 billion. Sting and Gene Simmons were tied for second place, each with a fortune of $300 million, followed by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, U2's Adam Clayton and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- Westboro Baptist Church, known for its protests against homosexuality, staged a demonstration before the Foo Fighters concert in Kansas City. The group responded by positioning a truck in front of the demonstrators and mocking them by loudly playing Rick Astley's song “Never Gonna Give You Up”.
- The Tragically Hip drew a sold-out audience to a concert in Kingston, Ontario, where their dying singer Gord Downie said farewell to Canada. The concert was broadcast live across Canada and screened at hundreds of public viewing events in bars and outdoor venues.
- The solar eclipse over the US led music fans to purchase eclipse-related music. Bonnie Tyler's “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” recorded 18,000 downloads compared with the usual 200 per day, while Pink Floyd's “The Dark Side Of The Moon” sold 1,000 copies compared with the usual 200 per day, according to Nielsen Music.
- During the historic solar eclipse, Bonnie Tyler performed “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”, while Ozzy Osbourne performed “Bark At The Moon”.
- Photographer Larry Philpot filed a lawsuit in federal court in California against Lynyrd Skynyrd for using his copyrighted photograph of Jerry Lee Lewis without permission. Philpot claimed that the band removed the copyright information and used the photograph at the first twenty-two shows of their farewell tour. The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice shortly after it was filed, suggesting that the parties reached a private settlement.
- Connie Hamzy Parente died after an unspecified illness. She was also known as “Sweet Sweet” Connie or Connie Flowers. She became famous as a well-known groupie who claimed to have had sexual relationships with many rock musicians. Connie Hamzy was immortalized in the song “We're An American Band” by Grand Funk.
- Don Everly, the last surviving member of the rock'n'roll duo The Everly Brothers, died at the age of 84. Don and his brother Phil had worldwide hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s including “Bye Bye Love” and “All I Have To Do Is Dream”. The duo had a total of 27 songs in the Billboard Top 40 between 1957 and 1967 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Four of their recordings, “Wake Up Little Susie”, “All I Have To Do Is Dream”, “Bird Dog” and “Cathy's Clown”, reached No. 1 in the US. Don's brother Phil died in 2014 at the age of 74.
- Police in Ohio conducted a search of the home of singer Afroman, author of the song “Because I Got High”, looking for evidence related to kidnapping and drug trafficking. Afroman was not charged, and he later used security camera footage in the music video for his song “Lemon Pound Cake”, which also focused on the moment when a police officer discovered a cake in the kitchen.