In 1942, Glen Miller and his band recorded "Jukebox Saturday Night."
In 1952, eight year-old Gladys Knight won $2000 on a US television show called Ted Mack's Amateur Hour, where she sang a tune appropriately titled "Too Young." Knight would make her first record just 5 years later.
In 1958, John Lennon's mother, 44-year-old Julia Lennon, was struck and killed by a car driven by an off-duty policeman while she was crossing Menlove Avenue towards a bus stop. 24-year-old Constable Eric Clague was later acquitted of the offence by a jury who attributed Julia's demise to "death by mis-adventure." He was however suspended from duty and later resigned from the Liverpool Constabulary to take a job as postman. John, who was 17 at the time and living with his Aunt Mimi, was overcome by grief and would later say "I was in a blind rage for two years. I was either drunk or fighting."
In 1959, guitarist Duane Eddy appeared on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."
In 1960, Johnny Horton performed on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."
In 1963, Elvis begins filming the movie Viva Las Vegas with Ann-Margaret. When the wedding scene was filmed, many tabloid magazines published still photos and suggested that Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret really had gotten married. Although critics bashed the film, it finished at #11 on the list of the Top 20 Movie Box Office hits of 1964. The title track was released as a single, but could only climb to #29.
In 1964, after being recorded in just one take, the Animals' "House of the Rising Sun" entered the UK chart at #16. The next week, it was at #3 and seven days later it rose to number one. To promote the group in the US, disc jockeys were sent boxes of animal crackers wrapped with special promotional material.
In 1965, this weeks US Top three singles, #3 the Byrds, "Mr Tambourine Man," #2 the Four Tops, "I Can't Help Myself" and at #1 the Rolling Stones with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
In 1965, ABC-TV's "Where The Action Is" featured performances by Jan & Dean and Lenny Welch.
In 1966, Percy Sledge earned a Gold record for the hit single, "When a Man Loves A Woman." It was his only song to make it to #1 and the only one of five chart makers to break into the Top Ten.
In 1966, ABC-TV's "Where The Action Is" welcomed guests Jimmie Rodgers and the Swingin' Medallions.
In 1967, the Doors and Jefferson Airplane both played an afternoon and evening show to over 8,000 fans at Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California.
In 1967, Tommy Roe and the Impressions were guest performers on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."
In 1969, Paul McCartney added chimes and vocal overdubs to the Beatles' "You Never Give Me Your Money," which they began recording on May 6. The track was completed on August 6.
On July 15, 1972, Elton John started a five week run at #1 on the Billboard album chart with 'Honky Chateau,' his first US chart topper. Cuts included the space ballad "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)," the jumpy "Honky Cat;" as well as the epic "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters." In 2003, the album was ranked #357 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
On this day in 1972, "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers was the #1 song.
In 1972, Neil Diamond released his eighth studio album, 'Moods,' which contained his hit singles "Song Sung Blue" and "Play Me."
In 1973, the Edgar Winter Group, Sly & The Family Stone, Canned Heat, Lindisfarne and The Kinks all appear at The Great Western Express festival at White City, west London. With his wife having recently walked out of their marriage, taking their young children with her, Ray Davies of the Kinks announces from the stage that he is sick of the whole thing and is retiring. He then walks into a local hospital and collapses from an overdose of tranquillizers.
On July 15, 1973, Grand Funk released their seventh studio album, 'We're an American Band.' Two singles were released from the album. "We're an American Band" was released on July 2, 1973 and the second, "Walk Like a Man" was released on October 29, 1973. Both singles were sung by drummer Don Brewer. The album cover was originally covered in gold-colored foil on the outside, and the initial run of pressings were pressed in clear, dark-yellow vinyl.
In 1976, Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina announce that they were dissolving their partnership after a six year run. The pair had cracked the Billboard Top 40 three times, including the #4 hit "Your Mama Don't Dance" in 1972. Loggins' solo career would bring 14 more US Top 40 hits.
In 1978, former Three Dog Night member Cory Wells guested on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."
In 1978, Bob Dylan performed before the largest open-air concert audience (for a single artist). About 200,000 fans turned out at Blackbushe Airport in England.
Also in 1978, the Rolling Stones started a two-week run at #1 on the US album chart with 'Some Girls', the group's seventh US #1 album.
In 1980, Linda Ronstadt made her dramatic debut in "The Pirates Of Penzance" at the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park.
In 1980, violinist/bandleader Ben Selvin died at age 82. According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Selvin recorded more musical sides (on 78-rpm discs) than any other person. His "Darndanella" was #1 for 13 weeks in 1920 and the first record to sell more than five million copies.
In 1982, Bill Justis died in Nashville at the age of 55. He was best known for his 1957, US #2 instrumental hit, "Raunchy."
In 1986, Lionel Richie released the album 'Dancing on the Ceiling.'
In 1986, Columbia Records dropped Johnny Cash after 28 years. Johnny signed with Polygram the next year.
In 1988, MTV bans Neil Young's video "This Note Is For You", which parodied corporate rock by showing a Michael Jackson look-alike whose hair catches fire. The ban would soon be lifted and the video was put into heavy rotation, resulting in it eventually winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video of the Year in 1989.
In 1989, Pink Floyd appeared in Canal di San Marco, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy on a floating stage. Over 200,000 people attended the gig (almost double the number authorities had planned for) causing damage to buildings and bridges. The cleaning of the area after the concert was said to be around £25,000 and the concert was broadcast live on TV to over 20 countries with an estimated audience of almost 100 million. Two Venice councillors were later ordered to stand trial for the costs incurred by the concert.
In 1990, R&B singer/songwriter Bobby Day died of cancer at the age of 62.
In 1992, Aretha Franklin sang the US national anthem at the Democratic National Convention in New York City.
In 1993, Midnight Oil gave a free concert for 3,000 fans in a field of tree stumps on the west coast of Vancouver Island in what lead singer Peter Garrett said was their protest of "the massacre of British Columbia's ancient rain forests."
In 1997, Ary Groenhuijzen, keyboard player with the 50's group the Teddy Bears died. (1958 #1 single "To Know Him, Is To Love Him").
In 1997, Sarah McLachlan released her fourth studio album, 'Surfacing.'
In 1997, Diamond Rio released their 'Greatest Hits' album.
In 1998, Aerosmith cancelled their upcoming US tour after drummer Joey Kramer was involved in a freak accident. While he was filling the gas tank, his car caught fire, it was completely destroyed, and Kramer was admitted to the hospital with second-degree burns.
In 1999, the Rolling Stones reported that they had an intake of over $337 million from the previous two years. The average nightly take on the 147 shows was over $2¼ million, as the band played to more than 5.6 million people, selling out all but 20 shows.
In 1999, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band opened their reunion tour.
In 2001, police ended an Insane Clown Posse show in Toledo, Ohio after over 100 fans went on the stage. Most of the bands equipment is destroyed in the melee. not sure if any clowns were hurt....
In 2000, Sad Cafe singer Paul Young died of a heart attack at his Manchester home aged 53. ‘Run Home Girl’ was a hit for Sad Cafe in the US, ‘Everyday Hurts’ was a UK No.3 hit in 1979. Joined Mike Rutherford and Paul Carrack in Mike and the Mechanics and had the hits ‘The Living Years’ and ‘Silent Running’.
In 2004, U2 called in police after thieves nicked a copy of the bands latest album ‘Vertigo’. The CD was stolen during a photo shoot with the band in the south of France.
In 2007, more than 10,000 people applied for a job with P Diddy after the rapper posted an advert on Youtube looking to find a new personal assistant. He warned applicants that the job would be far from easy and would involve everything from getting him ready for the red carpet to aiding in billion dollar deals to helping him jump out of planes in movies.
In 2009, in New York City, Paul McCartney visited CBS-TV's "The Late Show with David Letterman" where he and his band performed an outdoor concert above the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater.
In 2010, country music songwriter Hank Cochran died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 74.
In 2012, Jon Lord, who founded Deep Purple and co-wrote their biggest hit, "Smoke On The Water", died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 71.
birthdays today include (among others): Millie Jackson (69), Linda Ronstadt (67), Peter Banks (Yes) (66), Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (65), Joe Satriani (57), Marky Ramone (Ramones) (57), Jason Bonham (Black Country Communion, Led Zeppelin reunion) (47), Chi Cheng (Deftones) (43) and Ray Toro (My Chemical Romance) (36)