In 1954, in New York, Perez Prado And His Orchestra, featuring Billy Regis on trumpet, recorded "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White."
In 1957, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, Sam Cooke recorded "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" and "Desire Me."
In 1960, lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II died of stomach cancer at 65.
In 1962, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were witnesses as John Lennon married Cynthia Powell at the Mount Pleasant Registry Office in Liverpool, England. At the time, Cynthia was two months pregnant with their son Julian. Manager Brian Epstein, who served as John's best man, bought lunch for the wedding party at a local cafeteria and gave the newlyweds use of his apartment. That night, John and the Beatles performed at Liverpool's Riverpark Ballroom. The Lennons divorced in November 1968.
On August 23, 1963, the Beatles' single "She Loves You" with "I'll Get You" on the flip side is released in the UK. There was tremendous anticipation ahead of the release – thousands of fans had ordered the group's next single as early as June, well before a title had been known. By the day before it went on sale, some 500,000 advanced orders had been placed for it. The single set several British sales records. It will enter the British charts on August 31st and remain there for thirty-one consecutive weeks, eighteen of those in the top three. In 1964, in Los Angeles, the Beatles played the Hollywood Bowl in a concert recorded for a planned upcoming live album. The sound quality, however, was so bad due to screaming teenagers that the tape sat mostly unused until 1977, when "The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl" album was released, combining songs from this show and a similar Hollywood Bowl concert that took place a year later. In 1967, some applause from the original tapes was used at the start of "With A Little Help From My Friends" on the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album and also added to the end of the title track's reprise to simulate the end of the "concert."
In 1965, security guards at a Manchester TV studio hosed down 200 Rolling Stones fans after they broke down barriers while waiting for the band to arrive for a performance.
In 1966, on their final tour of America, the Beatles played Shea Stadium in New York City, but unlike the previous year's performance which had sold out, there were 11,000 empty seats in the 55,600 seat stadium. The promoters blamed the turnout on competition from the many other concerts in the area around that time.
In 1967, in Flint, Michigan, Herman's Hermits played Atwood Stadium, with the Who as their opening act.
In 1968, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Soft Machine and Big Brother and the Holding Company play at the New York Rock Festival in Flushing Meadows, Queens.
In 1969, the Rolling Stones enjoy their fifth American chart topper with "Honky Tonk Women." The record also made #1 in the UK. It was the last hit that included original guitarist Brian Jones, who had drowned in his swimming pool on July 3rd.Also in 1969, Johnny Cash started a four-week run at #1 on the US album chart with "Johnny Cash At San Quentin".
In 1970, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground performed together for the last time at the New York Club Max’s Kansas City. Reed worked as a typist for his father for the next two years, at $40 per week.
Also in 1970, the Wailers started recording with Lee "Scratch" Perry and the lineup of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Aston Barrett and Carlton Barrett.
In 1971, in Fort Worth, Texas, Led Zeppelin played the Tarrant County Convention Center.
In 1974, local newspapers reported that John Lennon spotted a UFO while staying in his mistress May Pang's apartment in New York during his infamous "lost weekend." 'Walls and Bridges,' Lennon's next album, contained a notation in the inner booklet that reads: "On 23 August 1974, I saw a UFO J.L."
In 1975, this week's number one song on Billboard's Pop singles chart, "Fallin' In Love," was credited to Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds, although drummer Tommy Reynolds had actually left the group three years earlier. He was replaced by Alan Dennison, who would eventually have his name included in the band's moniker. In the UK, the record reached #33.
In 1977, Linda Ronstadt released the single "Blue Bayou."
On August 23, 1978, comedian Steve Martin was awarded a Gold record for the novelty song "King Tut," which had reached #17 on the Billboard chart and sold over a million copies. Martin previewed the song in a live performance during the April 22, 1978 episode of Saturday Night Live. The song was also included on Martin's album 'A Wild and Crazy Guy.'On this day in 1978, "Grease" by Frankie Valli was the #1 song.
In 1985, in East Troy, Wisconsin, Aerosmith performed at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre on the first night of their 89-date Done With Mirrors Tour.
In 1987, there was big trouble at a Grateful Dead concert, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Summer of Love, when police killed an escaped drug addict who had shot one of the officers. The band's "In the Dark" album was sitting at #6 in the US and its single, "Touch of Grey," was still climbing toward the Top Ten.
On Aug. 23, 1988, 25 years ago, Jane’s Addiction’s official studio debut was released. It is often cited as the group's best albums. But, despite this, it peaked at #103 on the Billboard 200. The single "Jane Says" reached #6 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. The album was ranked #312 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All-Time." Perry Farrell created the cover image which features a sculpture of a pair of nude female conjoined twins sitting on a sideways rocking chair with their heads on fire. Farrell said the image, like much of his artwork, came to him in a dream.some dream......In 1990, pianist/composer/arranger/conductor David Rose, musical director for "The Red Skelton Show" during its 21-year-run on CBS and NBC, died of heart disease at 80.
In 1991, in Dublin, Ireland, Dire Straits began their two-year-long reunion tour.
In 1991, "Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man," starring Mickey Rourke, Don Johnson, Chelsea Field, Danial Baldwin, Vanessa Williams, and Tia Carrere, opened in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters. The film features a song called "The Bigger They Come," by Peter Frampton and Steve Marriott. It was their first collaboration in 20 years since their days as bandmates in Humble Pie.
In 2006, jazz trumpeter/bandleader/composer/Canadian Music Hall of Famer Maynard Ferguson died as the result of an infection at age 78.
In 2008, in Cardiff, Wales, Madonna began her 86-date "Sticky & Sweet" tour, at the time the highest grossing tour by a solo artist, bringing in an estimated $280 million and breaking the previous record held by Madonna with her Confessions Tour in 2006.
In 2010, country music singer Bill Phillips died at age 74. His 1966 recording of "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" that went to #6 on the Country chart jump-started the career of Dolly Parton, who co-wrote the song and sang harmony on the recording.
In 2010, songwriter/Songwriters Hall of Famer George Weiss, former president of the Songwriters Guild of America, died at 89.
birthddays today include (among others): Rick Springfield (66), Jimi Jamison (Survivor) (62), Dean DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots) (52) and Julian Casablancas (Strokes) (35)