In 1951, at the Capitol Recording Studio in Hollywood, Nat "King" Cole recorded "Walkin' My Baby Back Home."
In 1952, Gladys Knight & the Pips were formed after a birthday party for Bubba Knight.
In 1954, to coincide with the release of his second Sun single, "Good Rockin' Tonight," Elvis Presley, along with Bill Black and Scotty Moore made their first appearance at The Grand Old Opry. The audience reaction was so poor, the Opry's manager, Jim Denny told Elvis that he should go back to driving a truck.
In 1957, "The Buddy Deane Bandstand" debuted in Baltimore, MD.
In 1958, Jerry Butler and the Impressions made their national TV debut on ABC's "American Bandstand," lip-syncing their first and then-current hit, "For Your Precious Love."
In 1959, Dick Clark's traveling show opened at the Michigan State Fair. The line-up included Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, Duane Eddy, The Coasters, LaVern Baker and Jan and Dean.
In 1961, the Highwaymen started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Michael." The group were made up of five university students.
In 1962, Henry Mancini, His Orchestra & Chorus recorded "Days Of Wine And Roses."
On this day in 1962, "Sheila" by Tommy Roe was the #1 song.
In 1964, the Animals made their US concert debut at New York's Paramount Theatre.
In 1965, the Beatles started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Help," the title of their second film and the group's ninth US #1.
In 1965, the Who had their van stolen containing over $10,000 worth of equipment outside the Battersea Dogs Home. The band were inside the home at the time buying a guard dog.
On September 4, 1968, the Beatles recorded promotional videos for "Hey Jude" and ‘Revolution’ at Twickenham Film Studios. The vocals are recorded live over the pre-recorded instrumental tracks to get round the current British Musicians Union ban on lip-sync performances. For "Hey Jude," the band were accompanied by a 36-piece orchestra and 300 fans and other assorted extras who join in singing the long refrain.
In 1968, "Street Fighting Man," by the Rolling Stones, was banned in several cities in the US. Authorities feared it might incite public disorder.
In 1969, the Youngbloods did not appear on NBC-TV's "The Tonight Show" as scheduled. Johnny Carson explained their absence in his monologue, "They complained about the set, the lighting, the sound, the show...everything. So we wiped their noses, told them they'd been in show business for a day and a half and sent them home." Youngbloods guitarist Lowell Levinger retorted, "We weren't treated like guests."
On September 4, 1970, 'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out' was released by the Rolling Stones. It was recorded in New York and Maryland in November 1969, just before the release of 'Let It Bleed.' It is the first live album to reach #1 in the UK. Except for compilations, it was the last Rolling Stones album released through Decca Records in the UK and London Records in the US before launching their own Rolling Stones Records label.In 1971, the Doors dark and brooding "Riders On The Storm" peaked at #14. It’s on the 'L.A. Woman' album.
In 1971, in Toronto, Led Zeppelin performed at Maple Leaf Gardens.
In 1972, concessionaire Francisco Caruso was killed during a Wishbone Ash concert in Texas after refusing to give a fan a free sandwich.
In 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on Jerry Lewis' Muscular Dystrophy Telethon Show.
In 1976, the KISS single "Beth" was released.
The Bee Gees went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1976 with "You Should Be Dancing."
In 1976, the Sex Pistols made their television debut when they appeared on the Manchester based Granada TV program 'So It Goes.'
In 1979, in New York, the Grateful Dead played the first of three nights at Madison Square Garden.
In 1980, Yes, with the new lineup of Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, Geoff Downes, and Trevor Horn, played the first of three sold out nights at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In 1982, Queen performed at PNE Coliseum in Vancouver.
In 1984, in Australia, U2 played the first of five nights at the Sydney Entertainment Centre during their Unforgettable Fire World tour.
In 1986, and after just getting his driving license back after a five-year suspension, Gregg Allman from The Allman Brothers Band was arrested in Florida for drunk driving.
In 1990, George Michael released his second solo album, "Listen Without Prejudice, Volume 1."
In 1991, singer Dottie West, the first female country music Grammy winner, died from injuries suffered in a car accident five days earlier at the age of 58.
In 1991, saxophonist/bandleader Charlie Barnet died of pneumonia at the age of 77.
In 1992, singer Carl Butler, of the country music husband-and-wife duo, Carl Butler and Pearl, died following a heart attack at the age of 68.
In 1996, the 13th MTV Music Video Awards at New York’s Radio City Music Hall in 1996 played like a Smashing Pumpkins tribute. They win Best Alternative Music Video ("1979"), Best Video and Breakthrough Video ("Tonight, Tonight"). Beck manages to land Best Male Video ("Where It’s At") while the Foo Fighters take home Best Group Video ("Big Me"). Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher throws a beer at the audience during the band's performance of "Champagne Supernova." Kiss also performed - under the Brooklyn Bridge.
In 1996, Cat Stevens emerged to sign copies of his first album in 18 years. It was mostly a spoken-word recording released under his Muslim name, Yusuf Islam. Cat Stevens' birth name is Steven Demetre Georgiou.
In 1999, Enrique Iglesias was at #1 on the US singles chart with 'Ballamos.'
In 2003, twenty-six years after the death of Elvis Presley, BMG/RCA discovered his recording of "I'm A Roustabout," a song originally commissioned and written for the 1964 Elvis film "Roustabout" by long-time Presley collaborators Winfield Scott and Otis Blackwell, but was never used. Instead, a completely different song written by the team of Giant, Baum and Kaye was recorded and eventually became the title song for both the movie and the album. After Winfield Scott found the original acetate recording in his basement and brought it to the attention of BMG/RCA, they added the track to the album "Elvis, 2nd to None."
In 2007, the Rob Zombie-directed remake of the '78 horror classic Halloween was #1 at the box office taking in $31 million over the Labor Day weekend. That's better than the original or any of the sequels. "I kept the idea of the same three girls (antagonist Michael Myers terrorizes), but the events play out differently and the girls' characters are different," says Zombie. Cool.....
In 2007, the Police played the first UK date on their Reunion tour when they played two nights at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.
In 2007, the Small Faces (and late manager Don Arden) are awarded a Green Plaque on London's Carnaby Street. Drummer Kenney Jones (who was also a vet of the Faces and The Who) attended the ceremony. "It’s great to see the Small Faces being officially recognized at this stage of my life," says Jones. "There’s a sense of reflection, when I think back to everything we did in those days and how the Small Faces was responsible for creating much of the mod music and fashion revolution in the UK." Green Plaques draw attention to... people of renown (from London's Westminster district) who have made lasting contributions to society. The Small Faces plaque is the 73rd unveiled.
In 2008, the first guitar torched on stage by Jimi Hendrix sold for $495,000 at an auction of rock memorabilia. The Fender Stratocaster was burned at the end of a show at the Astoria in Finsbury Park, north London, in 1967. The sale held in London also included the Beatles' first management contract, signed in 1962 by all four members of the group and manager Brian Epstein, sold for $370,000.
In 2009, friends and family of Michael Jackson paid their last respects to the singer at a funeral held at Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Los Angeles. Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Quincy Jones, Macaulay Culkin, Berry Gordy and Lisa Marie Presley were among the 200 invited guests. The singer's family arrived in a motorcade of 31 vehicles, Jackson's brothers - Randy, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon - acted as pallbearers carrying Jackson’s gold-plated coffinbirthdays today include (among others): Gene Parsons (Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers) (69), Gary Duncan (Quicksilver Messenger Service) (67), Greg Elkmore (Quicksilver Messenger Service) (67), Ronald LaPread (Commodores) (63), Martin Chambers (Pretenders) (62), Blackie Lawless (born Steven Duren) (W.A.S.P.) (57), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) (53), Igor Cavalera (Sepultura) (43), Beyonce (born Beyonce Knowles) (32) and Lacey Sturm (Flyleaf) (32)