Birthdays
- c. 1883 - Mamie Smith (d. 1946)
- 1886 - Al Jolson (d. 1950)
- 1904 - George Formby (d. 1961)
- 1909 - Papa Charlie McCoy (d. 1950)
- 1916 - Moondog (Louis Hardin) (d. 1999)
- 1920 - Peggy Lee (d. 2002)
- 1926 - Miles Davis (d. 1991)
- 1939 - Jaki Liebezeit (Can) (d. 2017)
- 1940 - Levon Helm (Band) (d. 2012)
- 1940 - Ray Ennis (Swingin' Bluejeans)
- 1943 - John Palmer (Family)
- 1943 - Willie Cantu (Buckaroos)
- 1944 - Verden Allen (Mott the Hoople)
- 1944 - Warren Gates Nichols (Confederate Railroad) (d. 2009)
- 1945 - Garry Peterson (Guess Who)
- 1946 - Mick Ronson (d. 1993)
- 1948 - Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac)
- 1949 - Hank Williams, Jr.
- 1949 - Vicki Lawrence
- 1951 - Richard Leigh (songwriter)
- 1958 - Wayne Hussey (Mission, Sisters of Mercy)
- 1959 - Dave Robinson (BlackHawk)
- 1962 - Black (born Colin Vearncombe) (d. 2016)
- 1964 - Lenny Kravitz
- 1967 - Kristen Pfaff (Hole) (d. 1994)
- 1970 - Keith Gattis (songwriter / artist)
- 1972 - Alan White (Oasis)
- 1975 - Lauryn Hill (Fugees)
- 1976 - Justin Pierre (Motion City Soundtrack)
- 1977 - Mark Hunter (Chimaira)
- 1978 - Jaheim (born Jaheim Hoagland)
- 1981 - Isaac Slade (Fray)
Deaths
- 1933 - Jimmie Rodgers - Lung hemorrhage (35)
- 1968 - Little Willie John - Heart attack (30)
- 1977 - William Powell (O'Jays) - Cancer (35)
- 1984 - Onie Wheeler (Smokey Mountain Boys) - Heart attack (63)
- 2006 - Cy Coben (songwriter) (87)
- 2010 - Judy Lynn - Congestive heart failure (74)
- 2013 - Clarence Burke (Five Stairsteps) (64)
On This Day
- 1956 - Liberace played for three hours in front of 16,000 at Madison Square Garden.
- 1958 - Jerry Lee Lewis cancelled his British tour from the backlash of marrying his 13-year-old second cousin.
- 1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono began an eight-day bed-in in Montreal.
- 1969 - Jasis Joplin was on the cover of Newsweek.
- 1972 - David Bowie offered to let Mott the Hoople record two of his songs.
- 1974 - Over 1,000 concert goers required first aid during the frenzy at a London David Cassidy concert.
- 1975 - George Morgan suffered a heart attack.
- 1977 - The members of KISS provided viles of their blood to Marvel comics to mix with their printing ink for the KISS comics.
- 1982 - The Rolling Stones started a U.K. and European tour in Aberdeen, Scotland.
- 1982 - Bobby Darin received a post humous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1990 - David Bowie was sued by his ex-wife for $56 million.
- 1993 - For the first time in decades, Singapore lifted its ban on modern music.
- 1995 - Flavor Flav was sentenced to three months in prison for firing a gun at a neighbor.
- 1996 - A fire at the residence of Eric Clapton caused over $1 million in damage.
- 1997 - Bob Dylan was hospitalized with chest pains causing his summer tour to be cancelled.
- 1999 - The Manic Street Preachers refused to play a show the celebrate the opening of the Wales parliament because of the presence of Queen Elizabeth II.
- 2000 - Tommy Lee of Motley Crue was jailed for five days after violating his probation by drinking alcohol.
- 2000 - Phil Vassar made his Grand Ole Opry debut.
- 2001 - Loretta Lynn opened her Coal Miner's Daughter Museum.
- 2004 - The members of Sum 41 are rescued form their hotel in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where they were filming a documentary.
- 2004 - Doug Supernaw was arrested for possession of marijuana.
- 2005 - Johnny Gimble was named the Texas State Musician for 2005.
- 2008 - Paul McCartney received an honorary doctorate in music from Yale University.
- 2009 - A judge ruled that half of the assets of James Brown would go to a chartable trust, a quarter to his last wife and son and a quarter to his six children. The ruling ended a three-year battle.
- 2009 - Montgomery Gentry was invited to become members of the Grand Ole Opry.
- 2015 - Two of the daughters of B.B. King claimed that his death had been due to poisoning.
- 2016 - Britain's Royal Mail debuted ten stamps saluting Pink Floyd.
- 2016 - Gucci Mane is released from prison after three years serving for gun charges.
- 2017 - Chris Cornell was laid to rest at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary in Los Angeles.
Marriages
- 1934 - Ernest Tubb and Elaine Cook
- 1946 - Liz Haaby and Casey Anderson
- 1994 - Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley
- 2000 - Michael Britt (Lonestar) and Renee Biegaj
- 2012 - Ian Astbury (Cult) and Aimee Nash
- 2014 - Gabe Saporta (Cobra Starship) and Erin Fetherston
Divorced
- 1948 - Hank and Audrey Williams (1st divorce)
Recorded
- 1950 - Goodnight Irene - The Weavers
- 1961 - Jeremiah Peabody's Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green And Purple Pills - Ray Stevens
- 1963 - You're the Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley
- 1964 - As Tears Go By - Marianne Faithfull (with Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on bass)
- 1966 - Yellow Submarine - Beatles
- 1971 - American Pie - Don McLean
- 1982 - Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer To You) - Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers
- 1992 - Mercury Blues - Alan Jackson
Released
- 1967 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Beatles
- 1973 - Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple (single)
Broadcasts
- 1957 - The Steve Allen Show (NBC) - Dean Martin, Marty Robbins, Erroll Garner, Andy Griffith
- 1965 - Shindig! - The Rolling Stones, Jackie DeShannon, Sonny & Cher, Jimmie Rodgers
- 1978 - The Osmond Brothers Special (ABC) - Andy Gibb, Donny & Marie Osmond, Crystal Gayle
- 2002 - CMT Crossroads - Elton John, Ryan Adams
- 2003 - Willie Nelson And Friends: Live And Kickin' (USA) - Ray Charles, Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Toby Keith, Ray Price, Sheryl Crow, Kris Kristofferson, on Russell
- 2004 - American Idol (Fox) - Fantasia Barino (crowned winner)
Number Ones - U.S. Singles
- 1945 - Sentimental Journey - Les Brown (9 weeks)
- 1962 - Stranger on the Shore - Mr. Acker Bilk (1 week)
- 1973 - Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group (1 week)
- 1984 - Let's Hear It For the Boys - Deniece Williams (2 weeks)
- 2007 - Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin') - T-Pain Featuring Yung Joc (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. Albums
- 1958 - The Music Man - Original Cast (2 weeks (6 previous weeks))
- 1973 - 1967-1970 - Beatles (1 week)
- 2007 - Call Me Irresponsible - Michael Buble (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles
- 1958 - Witch Doctor - David Seville (1 week)
- 1962 - I Can't Stop Loving You - Ray Charles (10 weeks)
- 1973 - I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby - Barry White (2 weeks)
- 1979 - I Wanna Be With You (Part 1) - Isley Brothers (1 week)
- 1984 - Don't Waste Your Time - Yarbrough & Peoples (1 week)
- 1990 - Hold On - En Vogue (2 weeks)
- 2001 - My Baby - Lil' Romeo (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles
- 1951 - Kentucky Waltz - Eddy Arnold (2 week)
- 1973 - Satin Sheets - Jeanne Pruett (2 weeks)
- 1984 - As Long As I'm Rockin' With You - John Conlee (1 week)
- 2012 - Fly Over States - Jason Aldean (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles
- 1973 - And I Love You So - Perry Como (1 week)
- 1979 - She Believes in Me - Kenny Rogers (1 week)
- 1990 - Hold On - Wilson Phillips (1 week)
Number Ones - U.K. Singles
- 1966 - Paint It Black - Rolling Stones (1 week)
- 1979 - Sunday Girl - Blondie (3 weeks)
- 2001 - Don't Stop Movin' - S Club 7 (1 week)
- 2007 - Umbrella - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z (10 weeks)
Number Ones - U.K. Albums
- 2001 - Reveal - R.E.M. (2 weeks)
- 2007 - Minutes to Midnight - Linkin Park (1 week)
- 2016 - Views - Drake (1 week (1 previous week))