August 14

Births

1926: Buddy Greco (Singer & Pianist)

1940: Dash Crofts (Singer in Seals and Crofts)

1941: David Crosby (Guitar & Vocals for The Byrds & Crosby, Stills and Nash)

1941: Connie Smith (Country Singer)

1946: Larry Graham (Bass & Vocals for Sly and the Family Stone & Solo)

1951: Slim Dunlap (Guitar for The Replacements)

1960: Sarah Brightman (Singer / Actress)

1965: Mark Collins (Guitar for The Charlatans)

1966: Tanya Donelly (Singer & Guitarist For Throwing Muses, Breeders & Belly)

1970: Kevin Cadogan (Lead Guitar for Third Eye Blind)

Events

1956: Washington DC disc jockey Bob Rickman forms the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Elvis Presley after reading too many news articles that make him out to be a hick and/or a threat to society.

1958: At approximately 3:00 am, Gladys Presley, mother of Elvis, dies at age 46 from a heart attack brought on by hepatitis. His father, Vernon, calls Elvis immediately and he rushes to her bedside, wailing loudly and praying over her lifeless body. Elvis refuses an autopsy. Gladys' body is transported to Graceland and will lie in state there for two days, with her son simply staring at her, until Vernon insists she be buried.

1962: With producer George Martin unhappy with his drumming (and, some say, the group unhappy about his teen idol looks), Pete Best is officially let go from the Beatles. Manager Brian Epstein doesn't tell him until three days later, however, after one more performance at Liverpool's Cavern Club. (Lennon admitted to the group's "cowardly" handling of the event in a later interview.) Ringo Starr, drummer for fellow Liverpool scenemakers Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, is asked to join the group.

1964: Rockabilly artist Johnny Burnette’s unlit fishing boat was struck by an unaware cabin cruiser on Clear Lake, California. The impact threw him off the boat and he drowned.

1966: The Catholic Herald of London runs an editorial describing John Lennon's recent "bigger than Jesus" remark as "arrogant," while admitting it was a generally accurate remark. However, the Vatican paper of record, L'Osservatore Romano, accepts Lennon's public apology of a few days earlier.

1967: Britain's new Marine Broadcasting Offences Act goes into effect, forcing all but one of the country's famous "pirate" (i.e., unlicensed) radio stations off the air. Radio Caroline remains on the air for another six months or so.

1970: After being found crawling along a motel hallway in La Jolla, CA, incoherent and "combative," Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash is arrested for possession of cocaine and barbiturates.

1971: Diana Ross becomes the proud mother of her first child, Rhonda Suzanne Silberstein; Ross soon marries her manager, Robert Ellis Silberstein, a few days later to mask the fact that the baby is actually the child of Motown's currently married founder, Berry Gordy.

1981: Four years after his untimely death, a Memphis judge rules that Elvis Presley's estate is no longer financially beholden to his manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker.

1982: Ernest Tubb makes his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.

1985: Acting on the advice of his good friend Paul McCartney to invest his Thriller money in music publishing, Michael Jackson secretly makes a winning bid of $47.5 million for the rights to over 250 Lennon-McCartney Beatles songs owned by ATV publishing. When he finds out, McCartney is livid, stating "I think it's dodgy to do things like that. To be someone's friend and then buy the rug they're standing on."

1988: Blues guitarist Roy Buchanan died after hanging himself by his own shirt in Fairfax County Jail, Virginia after being arrested for drunkenness. Buchanan released over 15 solo albums; Jeff Beck dedicated the song 'Cause We've Ended As Lovers' to Buchanan in 1975 on his Blow by Blow album.

1991: Tony Orlando and his wife Francine become the proud parents of their first child, Jenny Rose.

1992: Wayne Newton files for bankruptcy.

1992: Tony Williams lead singer with The Platters died in his sleep of emphysema aged 64. He sang most of the group’s hits up until 1961 when he was replaced by Sonny Turner. Had the 1959 UK & US No.1 single 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes'.

1995: The Grateful Dead meet and decide to break up after the recent tragedy of founder/leader Jerry Garcia's death.

1995: Garth Brooks' "The Hits" becomes the first best-of album by a country-based artist certified for shipments of 7 million units.

1999: Former teen idol Leif Garrett pleads guilty to drug possession in Los Angeles and is ordered into rehab.

2001: A pizza-stained piece of paper signed by three of the four Beatles sold for $48,000 to an anonymous collector at an auction in Melbourne. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison all signed the paper during their 1964 tour of Australia. Drummer Ringo Starr had laryngitis and was not on the tour. A fan managed to get the autographs while the band was staying in a hotel in Adelaide.

2002: Dave Williams lead singer of US heavy rock band Drowning Pool was found dead on the band’s tour bus during Ozzy Osbournes Ozzfest tour in Manassas, Virginia. The autopsy concluded that he suffered from a form of heart disease. The bands debut album, Sinner, had sold over 1 million copies in the US since its release in June 2001.

2003: When a power outage zaps the electricity for 50 million residents in the Northeast, Jo Dee Messina improvises, doing a 30-minute acoustic set at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York, including "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia".

2005: Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty was forced to endure an all-body strip search at Gardermoen Airport in Norway after being held by customs officers for three hours while they ensured he was carrying no drugs.

2006: Boy George was seen sweeping streets in New York as part of a five-day community service sentence. The former Culture Club frontman was moved into a fenced-off area after only 30 minutes after he was mobbed by the media. The 45-year-old singer was found guilty of wasting police time earlier this year and was threatened with jail if he failed to complete the court-imposed sentence.

2009: George Michael was arrested and held on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs after his Land Rover was in collision with a lorry on the A34 in Berkshire. The singer was later released without charge.