Birthdays
- 1901 - Duke of Paducah (born Benjamin Ford) (d. 1986)
- 1910 - Gordon Jenkins (d. 1984)
- 1920 - Billie "Tiny" Moore (Texas Playboys, Strangers) (d. 1987)
- 1921 - Joe Maphis (d. 1986)
- 1927 - Barbara Dane
- 1928 - Henry Cosby (composer) (d. 2002)
- 1928 - Burt Bacharach
- 1940 - Norman Whitfield (d. 2008)
- 1941 - Jayotis Washington (Persuasions)
- 1942 - Billy Swan
- 1942 - Ian Dury (Blockheads) (d. 2000)
- 1943 - David Walker (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
- 1944 - James Purify (James & Bobby Purify)
- 1945 - Willie Parnell (Archie Bell & the Drells)
- 1945 - Ian McLagan (Small Faces, Faces) (d. 2014)
- 1948 - Steve Winwood
- 1950 - Billy Squier
- 1950 - Jocko Marcellino (Sha-Na-Na)
- 1954 - Barry Borden (Molly Hatchet)
- 1955 - Kix Brooks (Brooks & Dunn)
- 1958 - Eric Singer (KISS)
- 1959 - Ray Gillen (Badlands, Black Sabbath) (d. 1993)
- 1961 - Billy Duffy (Cult)
- 1962 - Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion)
- 1965 - Eddie Kilgallon (Ricochet)
- 1966 - Bebel Gilberto
- 1966 - Dez Fafara (Coal Chamber)
- 1972 - Mark Morrison
- 1976 - Matt Mangano (Zac Brown Band)
- 1978 - Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros)
- 1981 - Holly Williams
Deaths
- 1969 - Martin Lamble (Fairport Convention) - Car accident (19)
- 1987 - Victor Feldman (drummer, vibraphone) - Asthma (53)
- 2001 - Perry Como (88)
- 2011 - Lloyd Knibb (Skatelites) - Liver cancer (80)
On This Day
- 1950 - Jerry Lee Lewis won a talent show in Jonesville, LA with his cousin, Jimmy Swaggart, coming in second.
- 1958 - The movie Let's Rock opens.
- 1961 - The Beatles signed a contract with Bert Kaempfert in Hamburg, Germany.
- 1963 - Bob Dylan walked out of a rehearsal for the Ed Sullivan Show after the CBS network refused to let him play Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues.
- 1967 - Pink Floyd did a special show at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London that included speakers in the back of the auditorium, reportedly providing surround sound for the first time.
- 1967 - Archie Bell of Archie Bell and the Drells was drafted.
- 1968 - Jimi Hendrix was arrested in Toronto for possession of hashish and heroin.
- 1968 - Brian Jones made his final appearance with the Rolling Stones.
- 1974 - The Johnny Cash Hospital in Decatur, AL opened.
- 1975 - Jefferson Starship gave a free show in New York's Central Park for an estimated 60,000 people.
- 1975 - Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell meet for the first time working on an Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. They would form Air Supply by the end of the year.
- 1977 - The Sex Pistols signed with Virgin Records.
- 1978 - The IRS levied a lien on the property of Jerry Lee Lewis for back taxes.
- 1981 - Meat Loaf filed for bankruptcy.
- 1981 - Van Halen opened their North American Fair Warning Tour in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
- 1981 - Debbie Harry announced her solo career although she wasn't fully breaking from Blondie.
- 1985 - Phil Collins opened his No Jacket Required tour in Worcester, MA.
- 1985 - Lionel Richie received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Tuskegee Institute.
- 1986 - Joe Strummer of the Clash was convicted of DUI and had his license revoked.
- 1987 - Frank Sinatra pulled the plug on a date in Stockholm after being told the Swedish government would charge him an extra tax for previously playing South Africa.
- 1990 - Former Eagles Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit and Glenn Frey play together at a Los Angeles convention.
- 1992 - Billy Joel and Paul Simon met with former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev.
- 1999 - George Jones plead guilty to driving under the influence and violating Tennessee's open container law.
- 2000 - The gates to the Strawberry Fields were stolen.
- 2002 - Dionne Warwick was arrested at Miami International Airport for possession of marijuana.
- 2002 - Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith's house in Cape Cod was destroyed by fire.
- 2003 - Diana Krall confirmed she was engaged to Elvis Costello.
- 2004 - Barry, Robin and the late Maurice Gibb were given honorary degrees by Manchester University.
- 2006 - Dave "Brownsound" Bakish left Sum-41.
- 2007 - Mel Tillis was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.
- 2008 - Neil Young had a spider named after him.
- 2011 - The Monkees started their 45th Anniversary Tour in Liverpool, England.
- 2012 - Alison Krauss and the Eagles received honorary degrees from Berklee College of Music.
- 2013 - Thieves stole over $100,000 from a Justin Bieber concert in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- 2017 - U2 opened their The Joshua Tree Tour in Vancouver.
- 2017 - Avi Kaplan announced he was leaving Pentatonix.
- 2018 - Rosanne Cash, Nile Rodgers and Esperanza Spalding received honorary degrees from the Berklee School of Music.
Marriages
- 1959 - Eddie Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor
- 1971 - Mick Jagger and Bianca Perez-Mora Macia
- 1976 - Sherry Bryce and Mack Sanders
- 1990 - Patti Page and Jerry Filiciotto
- 1990 - Rudy Gatlin (Gatlin Brothers) and Kim Harmon
- 2001 - Darryl Worley and Beverly Dean Irvin
- 2005 - Jean-Michel Jarre and Anne Parillaud
- 2011 - Caleb Followill (Kings of Leon) and Lily Aldridge
- 2012 - Tom Fletcher (McFly) and Giovanna Falcone
Divorces
- 1971 - Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown
- 2008 - Paul McCartney and Heather Mills (provisional)
Recorded
- 1961 - Walk On By - Leroy Van Dyke
- 1965 - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
- 1965 - In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
Released
- 1958 - When - Kalin Twins
- 1967 - Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix Experience (debut album)
- 1967 - A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum (single)
- 1972 - Exile on Main St. - Rolling Stones
- 1992 - The Time Has Come - Martina McBride (debut album)
- 1997 - It's Your Love - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill (single, first duet)
- 1998 - 5 - Lenny Kravitz
- 2016 - Ride - Twenty One Pilots (single)
Awards
- 1964 - Grammy Awards
- Record of the Year - Days of Wine and Roses - Henry Mancini
- Album of the Year - The Barbra Streisand Album - Barbra Streisand
- Song of the Year - Days of Wine and Roses - Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer
- New Artist - Ward Swingle (The Swingle Singers)
- Country and Western Performance - Detroit City - Bobby Bare
- Folk Recording - Blowin' in the Wind - Peter, Paul and Mary
- Pop Vocal Performance, Female - The Barbra Streisand Album - Barbra Streisand
- Pop Vocal Performance, Male - Wives and Lovers - Jack Jones
- Pop Performance by a Vocal Group - Blowin' in the Wind - Peter, Paul and Mary
- Rock and Roll Recording - Deep Purple - April Stevens and Nino Tempo
- Rhythm and Blues Recording - Busted - Ray Charles
Broadcasts
- 1960 - The Ford Show (NBC) - Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny Cash, Homer & Jethro
- 1960 - Welcome Home Elvis (ABC) - Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley
- 1978 - The Midnight Special (NBC) - Bonnie Bramlett, Charlie Daniels, Oak Ridge Boys, Dickey Betts
- 1994 - Mad About You (NBC) - Garth Brooks
- 2000 - Charlie Rose Show (PBS) - Lars Ulrich & Chuck D (debate on downloading)
- 2006 - Las Vegas (NBC) - Jennifer Nettles (acting debut)
- 2018 - Saturday Night Live (NBC) - Kacey Musgraves
Number Ones - U.S. Singles
- 1984 - Hello - Lionel Richie (2 weeks)
- 2007 - Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5 (3 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Albums
- 1945 - Glenn Miller - Glenn Miller & His Orchestra (1 week)
- 1973 - Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin (2 weeks)
- 2001 - All For You - Janet Jackson (1 week)
- 2012 - Blunderbuss - Jack White (1 week)
- 2018 - Beerbongs & Bentleys - Post Malone (3 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles
- 1973 - Funky Worm - Ohio Players (1 week)
- 2007 - Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin') - T-Pain Featuring Yung Joe (8 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles
- 1962 - Charlie's Shoes - Billy Walker (1 week)
- 1973 - Come Live With Me - Roy Clark (1 week)
- 1979 - Don't Take It Away - Conway Twitty (1 week)
- 1984 - To All the Girls I Loved Before - Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson (2 weeks)
- 1990 - Help Me Hold On - Travis Tritt (1 week)
- 2007 - Stand - Rascal Flatts (1 week)
- 2012 - Banjo - Rascal Flatts (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles
- 1973 - Daniel - Elton John (2 weeks)
- 2007 - Waiting For the World to Change - John Mayer (3 weeks (8 previous weeks))
Number Ones - U.K. Singles
- 1990 - Killer - Adamski (4 weeks)
- 2001 - It's Raining Men - Geri Halliwell (2 weeks)
- 2012 - Young - Tulisa (1 week)
Number Ones - U.K. Albums
- 2001 - Survivor - Destiny's Child (2 weeks)
- 2012 - Electra Heart - Marina & the Diamonds (1 week)
- 2016 - Views - Drake (1 week)
- 2018 - The Greatest Showman - Soundtrack (1 week (11 previous weeks))