August 4

Births

1901: Louis Armstrong (Trumpet Player & Singer)

1955: Billy Bob Thornton (Actor & Singer / Songwriter)

1959: Robbin Crosby (Guitar for RATT)

1960: Graham Massey (Keyboards for 808 State)

1961: Barack Obama (President)

1962: Paul Reynolds (Lead Guitar for A Flock Of Seagulls)

1969: Max Cavalera (Guitar & Vocals for Sepultura & Soulfly)

Events

1956: Elvis Presley released the single "Hound Dog" b/w "Don't Be Cruel"

1957: The Everly Brothers cause a sensation by performing their upcoming single, "Wake Up Little Susie," on CBS' Ed Sullivan Show. The song, a lighthearted tale of two chaste lovers who accidentally fall asleep on a date and are then assumed to have "spent the night together," will be banned in some markets.

1958: Billboard combines its system of five separate sales, jukebox, and DJ charts to make one master chart, the "Billboard Hot 100" we know today. The first #1 listed on it is Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool."

1966: South Africa bans all Beatles music as a result of John Lennon's recent "bigger than Jesus" comments.

1967: While on tour in Minneapolis, MN, a sixteen-year-old female fan stows away on the Monkees' plane en route to St. Louis, MO, opening the band up to charges from the girl's Father of transporting a minor across state lines.

1967: Pink Floyd released their debut album The Piper At the Gates of Dawn on which most songs were penned by Syd Barrett. In subsequent years, the record has been recognised as one of the seminal psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s.

1970: Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson marries his second wife, Barbara Charren, in Los Angeles. The couple would divorce just four years later.

1970: The Doors' Jim Morrison is arrested in Los Angeles for public drunkenness after being found lying unconscious on a resident's doorstep.

1972: The "blaxploitation" movie Superfly, featuring an acclaimed (and ironic) score from the Impressions' Curtis Mayfield, opens in the US.

1975: While vacationing on the isle of Rhodes in Greece, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and his family are badly injured in a car accident, forcing the cancellation of an upcoming US tour. Doctors tell Plant he may never walk again.

1984: Prince started a 24 week run at the top of the US album charts with 'Purple Rain', it went on to sell over 10 million copies.

1984: Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman were married.

1990: During a New Kids On The Block concert in Montreal. Canada, three armed robbers stole souvenir sales proceeds valued at $260,000.

1990: During a US tour Janet Jackson collapsed on stage at a show in St Louis, suffering from an inner ear infection.

1990: Mariah Carey's started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Vision Of Love', her debut release. 

1996: Oasis played two sold out nights at Balloch Castle Country Park, Loch Lomand, Scotland to over 80,000 fans. Oasis roadie James Hunter was crushed to death between a forklift truck and a lorry during the bands two days shows.

2005: American blues singer and guitarist Little Milton died. Milton had suffered a brain aneurysm on 25th July 2005 and had lapsed into a coma.  He was 70 years old.

2007: Singer / songwriter Lee Hazlewood died of cancer, in his home near Las Vegas aged 78. Hazlewood wrote and produced many of Nancy Sinatra's most famous hits, including “These Boots Were Made For Walkin'”, “Jackson” and “Did You Ever?” He also produced Duane Eddy and Gram Parsons and Something Stupid, the duet Nancy recorded with her Father Frank in 1967.

2011: Marcus Mumford, lead singer of Mumford and Sons, is engaged to actress to Carey Mulligan after dating for five months. The pair were childhood pen pals who lost touch and reconnected after the Mumfords' debut disc, "Sigh No More," had gained international acclaim.