Births
1918: Leonard Bernstein (Conductor)
1933: Wayne Shorter (Jazz Saxophonist in Weather Report)
1942: Walter Williams (Vocalist for The O'Jays)
1949: Gene Simmons (Chaim Weitz) (Bass and Vocals for Kiss)
1949: Henry Paul (Singer for The Outlaws & BlackHawk)
1950: Willy DeVille (Singer / Songwriter & Guitarist)
1951: Rob Halford (Singer for Judas Priest & Solo)
1955: Elvis Costello (Declan McManus) (Singer / Songwriter)
1961: Billy Ray Cyrus (Country Singer)
1962: Vivian Campbell (Guitarist for Dio, Whitesnake, Def Leppard & Thin Lizzy)
1963: Candida Doyle (Keyboards for Pulp)
1966: Terminator X (Norman Rogers) (DJ for Public Enemy)
1970: Jo Dee Messina (Country Singer)
Events
1956: George Jones joins the Grand Ole Opry for the first time.
1962: Little Eva went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Loco-motion'. The Carole King and Gerry Goffin song was offered to Dee Dee Sharp (Mashed Potatoes), who turned it down. The writers had their babysitter record it who took it to No.1.
1965: Two female Beatles fans hired a helicopter to fly over the house The Beatles were renting in Beverly Hills, California and jumped from the helicopter into the swimming pool.
1967: After a two-year bout with stage fright, Beach Boys founder and resident genius Brian Wilson returns to playing live with the band.
1970: Singer-songwriter Elton John begins a seventeen-night run at Los Angeles club The Troubadour, his first US club appearance and a move which will catapult him into pop stardom. On the first night, he is introduced by labelmate Neil Diamond. Quincy Jones and Leon Russell are in the audience, as is future Eagles member Don Henley. The first night's show includes the favorites "Your Song," "Take Me To The Pilot," and "Country Comfort."
1970: Emerson Lake and Palmer made their live debut at The Guildhall, Plymouth, England.
1970: Jimi Hendrix throws a party to celebrate the official opening of 'Electric Ladyland' studios in New York City, New York. Artists who went on to record at the studio include: Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, AC/DC, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa and Guns N' Roses.
1973: Bobby Darin performs what is to be his last concert before his death, appearing at the Vegas Hilton. He died at the age of 37 on December 20th 1973 following open-heart surgery.
1973: Butch Trucks, drummer for the Allman Brothers, crashes his car near Macon, GA, breaking his leg in the process.
1975: Bruce Springsteen released his third album ‘Born to Run’.
1976: Boston released their debut album ‘Boston’.
1977: California governor Jerry Brown appoints singer and longtime environmental activist Helen Reddy to the state's Parks Commission.
1979: The Knack started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'My Sharona', the group's only chart topper. Lead singer Doug Fieger said he was inspired to write the tune by Sharrona Alperin, a 17 year old senior at Los Angeles' Fairfax High.
1981: R.E.M. appeared at The Scorpio, Charlotte, North Carolina. This show was billed as "Charlotte's First Gay New Wave Disco and Costume Party", with the $3 tickets benefiting various gay-lesbian charities.
1987: Boogie Down Production’s DJ, Scott la Rock, was shot dead in New York the latest victim in the Brooklyn, Bronx street war. He died on August 27th at 25 Years old.
1989: Chicago mayor Richard Michael Daley declares today "Pops Staples Day" in honor of the native musician and leader of the Staple Singers.
1993: Snoop Doggy Dogg was released on $1 million bail after being accused of being involved with the murder of a member of the By Yerself gang during a shooting in Los Angeles. He was acquitted of the charges in 1996.
1994: Billy Joel is officially divorced from model Christie Brinkley. Their marriage lasted nine years.
1994: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin reunite in a London studio to record the concert that would become the MTv special Unledded.
1994: Jimmy Buffett crashed his Grumman G-44 Widgeon seaplane on take-off in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Buffett swam away from the wreckage.
1995: Bass player Doug Stegmeyer shot himself dead. He'd worked with many artists including Billy Joel Hall and Oates and The Carpenters.
1997: A deranged man who had escaped from a mental institution near Helsinki Finland was arrested. The man had planned to set fire to the stage that Michael Jackson was performing from was arrested before he was able to light the gasoline he had put on the stage.
1999: Robert Fisher from Naked Eyes died of cancer aged 39. With Climie Fisher scored the 1988 UK No.2 single 'Love Changes Everything' and wrote songs for Rod Stewart, Milli Vanilli, Fleetwood Mac and Jermaine Jackson. Fisher also worked as a producer, working with various acts including Eric Clapton.
1999: Oasis bass player Paul McGuigan announced he had quit the band just a few days after guitarist Bonehead had left the band.
2000: Academy Award-winning film score composer and record producer Jack Nitzsche died of a heart attack. Produced The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield and The Walker Brothers. Musical scores including The Exorcist, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, co-wrote ‘Up Where We Belong with Buffy Sainte-Marie' from 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman.
2001: American singer, actress Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas aged 22. The small Cessna plane crashed a few minutes after take off killing everyone on board with exception to four passengers who were pulled from the wreckage but later died. Aaliyah had been filming a video for her latest release ‘Rock The Boat’ on the island.
2005: Two former members of Guns N' Roses were suing singer Axl Rose for allegedly naming himself sole administrator of the US rock band's copyrights. Slash and Duff - otherwise known as Saul Hudson and Michael McKagan, accused Rose of "arrogance and ego". The legal action claimed the singer "was no longer willing to acknowledge the contributions of his former partners".
2006: Longtime Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton misses his first gig in 24 years after being diagnosed with throat cancer.
2007: While singing his 1968 hit "Fire" on stage in Lewes, England, Arthur Brown catches on fire after wearing his customary tinfoil hat with a small fire burning in the center.
