August 22

Births

1862: Claude Debussy (Composer)

1917: John Lee Hooker (Legendary Blues Guitarist)

1946: Gary "Mutha" Withem (Keyboards for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap)

1948: David Marks (Rhythm Guitar & Vocals for The Beach Boys)

1957: Holly Dunn (Country Singer)

1958: Vernon Reid (Guitar for Living Colour)

1959: Juan Croucier (Bass for Dokken & Ratt)

1960: Collin Raye (Country Singer)

1961: Debbie Peterson (Drums & Vocals for The Bangles)

1961: Roland Orzabal (Singer & Guitarist for Tears For Fears)

1963: Tori Amos (Singer / Songwriter)

1966: GZA/ The Genius (Gary Grice) (Rapper in Wu-Tang Clan)

1967: Layne Staley (Singer for Alice In Chains)

1972: Paul Doucette (Rhythm Guitar for Matchbox Twenty)

1973: Howie D (Howard Dwaine Dorough) (Backstreet Boys)

1978: Jeff Stinco (Lead Guitar for Simple Plan)

Events

1906: The Victor Talking Machine Company, headquartered in Camden, NJ, begins manufacturing the world's first mass-market home record player, the Victrola. Price: $200.

1956: Elvis begins shooting his first movie, Love Me Tender, a Civil War drama that has been renamed from The Reno Brothers in order to capitalize on his new single. Elvis is billed third, but his role, originally offered to Robert Wagner and Jeffrey Hunter, is beefed up to match his new popularity.

1956: The Frank Tashlin-directed film The Girl Can't Help It has its Hollywood premiere. Featuring performances by Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, The Platters, Fats Domino, and Julie London, this comedy is usually considered the best of the Fifties' rock and roll movies.

1963: EMI announces a half-million advance orders in Britain for the Beatles' upcoming single, "She Loves You."

1964: Alvin and the Chipmunks' label, Liberty, reports that their cover album of Beatles songs is moving 25,000 copies a day.

1965: Awaiting their favorite group at Granada Television's Manchester, England studios, over 200 screaming Rolling Stones fans break through security barriers, causing the security guards on duty to turn the fire hoses on them.

1966: New York City teenagers Carol Hopkins and Susan Richmond climbed out onto the ledge on the second floor of a city hotel and threatened to jump unless they could get to meet The Beatles. Police talked then down.

1968: Having come home from vacation to find her husband in bed with Yoko Ono, John Lennon's first wife Cynthia files for divorce -- one day before their sixth anniversary.

1968: Ringo Starr quit The Beatles during the White Album sessions when the constant bickering and tension became too much for him. The news of Ringo's departure was kept secret, and he rejoined the sessions on September 3. After Ringo walked out, the remaining Beatles recorded ‘Back In the USSR’, with Paul on drums and John playing bass.

1968: Country singers George Jones and Tammy Wynette announce their marriage, although it doesn't actually take place for another six months.

1969: The Beatles hold their very last photographic shoot as a group, occurring on the lawn of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's home in Tittenhurst in Ascot, England.

1970: Songwriter Elton John signs with Uni, a division of MCA, as a solo act.

1970: Bread went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Make It With You', the group's only No.1 hit.

1970: Eric Clapton's loose assemblage of musician friends, dubbed Derek and the Dominoes back in June, begin recording their only album, Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs.

1978: Sex Pistol Sid Vicious made his last live stage appearance when he appeared with Rat Scabies from The Damned, former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and Nancy Spungen at London's Electric Ballroom. In the audience: Elvis Costello, Blondie, Joan Jett , The Slits and Captain Sensible.

1983: Country singer Crystal Gayle and husband-manager Bill Gatzimos have their first baby, Katherine Claire.

1985: Rick Nelson and Fats Domino begin filming the PBS-TV special Rockin' With Rick And Fats, which will turn out to be Nelson's last television appearance before his untimely death in a plane crash.

1998: During his show at the Arrowhead Pond (now Honda Center) in Anaheim, CA, Elton John is joined onstage by fan Jim Carrey, who duets with him on a perfectly serious version of "Rocket Man." Carrey then sits at the piano and plays it by bashing his head onto the keys.

2003: Norwegian Elvis impersonator Kjell Bjornestad set a new world record by performing the King's repetoire for 26 straight hours.

2003: The IRS confiscated personal belongings of R&B Singer Peabo Bryson to pay back taxes.

2004: Al Dvorin, the announcer who coined the phrase "Elvis has left the building" while working the King's Seventies concerts, dies in a car crash en route home from a Californian Elvis convention.

2007: Former Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes was arrested on suspicion of racially abusing a member of staff at a Thai restaurant in Soho, London. Hayes was released on bail pending further inquiries.

2011: Jerry Leiber, who with longtime partner Mike Stoller wrote "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Yakety Yak" and other hit songs that came to define early rock 'n' roll died.  He was 78.

2011: Nick Ashford, one-half of the legendary Motown songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson that penned elegant, soulful classics for the likes of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye and funk hits for Chaka Khan and others, died at age 70.  He had been suffering from throat cancer and had undergone radiation treatment.