In 1947, at Castle Studio in Nashville and his first recording session for the MGM label, Hank Williams recorded four of his compositions, including "Move It On Over," which became his first chart single. The master tapes were re-engineered in New York City a week later by Danny Conover at WOR-Radio.
In 1957, Johnny Cash began his first Canadian tour by performing in Sault Ste. Marie at the first of five private functions in Ontario. The other four dates were in Sudbury, Pembroke, Ottawa, and Fort Frances. His first concert appearance in Canada was a one-nighter at the Casino Theatre in Toronto on August 19, 1956.
In 1959, Johnny Mathis recorded "Misty," written in 1954 by pianist Erroll Garner. The Johnny Mathis version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.
In 1961, the Beatles debuted at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.
In 1962, Elvis Presley started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Good Luck Charm," his fifth US #1 of the 60's. Also an UK #1 hit.
In 1965, the Beach Boys appeared on ABC-TV's "Shindig!" and performed their current hit single "Do You Wanna Dance?"
In 1967, working at Abbey Road studios in London, the Beatles completed the sessions for 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.' The final recordings were a short section of gibberish and noise which would follow "A Day in the Life," in the run-out groove. They recorded assorted noises and voices, which engineer Geoff Emerick then cut-up and randomly re-assembled and edits backwards. At John Lennon's suggestion, they also added a high-pitch 15 kilocycle whistle audible only by dogs. These were omitted from the American version of the album.
In 1968, Tom Jones sang "It's Not Unusual" and "Delilah" on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show.
On this day in 1969, "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension was the #1 song.
In 1969, Janis Joplin and the Kozmic Blues Band played London's Royal Albert Hall. Her opening act was Yes.
In 1970, Elton John's newly-created trio, with Dee Murray on bass and drummer Niggel Olsson, made their live performance debut when they opened for Tyrannosaurus Rex at the Roundhouse in London. Spooky Tooth, Jackie Lomax, and Heavy Jelly were also on the bill.
In 1971, Alice Cooper had the #1 album in the US with 'Billion Dollar Babies.' The LP also topped the chart in the UK.
In 1976, former Raspberries lead singer Eric Carmen enters the US Pop chart with his first and biggest solo hit, "All by Myself." The record would reach #2 on Billboard's Hot 100, #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and #12 in the UK.
In 1976, Women Against Violence Against Women called for a boycott of all Warner Communications albums because of the promotional campaign for the Rolling Stones' new album Black and Blue. The album was being promoted with a controversial advertising campaign that depicted the model Anita Russell, bruised and bound, under the phrase ‘I'm Black and Blue from the Rolling Stones - and I love it!’
In 1977, Natalie Cole and John Denver guested on Frank Sinatra's ABC-TV special "Sinatra & Friends."
In 1978, UK folk singer Sandy Denny died at age 31. While on holiday with her parents in Cornwall, England, Denny was injured in a fall down a staircase. A month after the fall she collapsed at a friend’s home; four days later she died in the hospital. Her death was ruled to be the result of a traumatic mid-brain hemorrhage. She was a member of Fairport Convention and a solo artist. Her 1967 song “Who Knows Where the Time Goes,” was covered by Judy Collins. Denny sang on the Led Zeppelin track “Battle of Evermore” on the band’s fourth album.
In 1979, Amii Stewart went to #1 on the US singles chart with a remake of Eddie Floyd's 1966 hit, "Knock On Wood." It made #6 in the UK the same year and #7 when re-issued in 1985.
In 1984, the sound track LP from the movie Footloose begins a ten week run at the top of the Billboard album chart on the strength of the title track by Kenny Loggins and "Let's Hear It For The Boy" by Deniece Williams.
In 1984, Phil Collins started a three-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with the theme from “Against All Odds.” It was Phil’s first US.#1, and a #2 in the UK.
In 1990, Paul McCartney's concert at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro drew 184,000 people, thereby setting a new world record for attendance at a concert by a single artist.
In 1993, La Toya Jackson was admitted to hospital in New York after her husband, Jack Gordon, allegedly beat her and threw a chair at her. Gordon claimed Jackson provoked the incident by coming at him with a knife. Jackson refused to press assault charges.
In 1993, former Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman married for the third time. Wyman, who was 56, married 33-year-old American fashion designer Suzanne Accosta in the medieval French village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Wyman's second marriage to teenager Mandy Smith in 1989 ended after less than two years.
In 2000, singer Neal Matthews Jr., a member of the vocal quartet the Jordanaires who backed Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Patsy Cline, Johnny Horton, Red Foley, and Jim Reeves among others, died following a heart attack at age 70.
In 2001, R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck was charged by police at Heathrow airport with being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting British Airways crew. Buck was taken into custody after landing on a flight from Seattle and questioned by police for 12 hours.
In 2003, the Beach Boys' Mike Love sued former bandmate Al Jardine for using the group's name to promote his solo concerts. The lawsuit said Love was the sole licensee to perform under the name, and that Jardine was denied use because he did not agree to abide by terms of a proposed license. The five-year legal battle ended when Jardine and Love reached an agreement after a two-day conference in Los Angeles Superior Court in March 2008. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.
In 2003, singer/songwriter/pianist/arranger/civil rights activist Nina Simone died of breast cancer at age 70.
In 2004, after a California grand jury determined there was enough evidence to proceed based on allegations made against him, Michael Jackson was officially charged with child molestation.
In 2006, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, the Soul2Soul II Tour 2006 began, starring husband-and-wife country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Four-and-a-half months later, after 74 shows in 56 cities, it was the highest-earning country music tour ever, with gross revenue of $90 million.
In 2008, singer Al Wilson died of kidney failure at the age of 68.
In 2009, Eagles singer/drummer Don Henley and his producer filed a lawsuit against Charles DeVore, a Republican member of the California State Assembly running for election to the U.S. Senate, for using parodies of two of Henley's songs, "The Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" in campaign ads that appeared on YouTube. YouTube promptly removed the ads. In the Republican primary held in June 2010, DeVore finished third.
In 2010, Elton John made an appearance on American Idol's Idol Gives Back, where he seemed to struggle vocally to get through his 1970 composition "Your Song". Also appearing were Jeff Beck, Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys and Carrie Underwood.
In 2011, guitarist Joe Pennell, a founding member of the Rivieras, died at the age of 66.
In 2011, Los Angeles Judge Michael Pastor agreed to allow prosecutors to show autopsy photos of Michael Jackson to the jury in Dr Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial. Dr Murray's defense lawyers had objected, saying the photographs would enflame jurors' passions.
2013…Singer (I Touch Myself) Chrissy Amphlett, former lead vocalist of the Divinyls, died of complications from breast cancer and multiple sclerosis at 53.
