Birthdays
- 1922 - Vic Willis (Willis Brothers) (d. 1995)
- 1930 - Clint Eastwood
- 1938 - Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul & Mary)
- 1938 - Lenny Welch
- 1938 - Johnny Paycheck (born Donald Lytle) (d. 2003)
- 1940 - Augie Meyers (Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornadoes)
- 1943 - Wayne Carson (songwriter, producer) (d. 2015)
- 1947 - Junior Campbell (Marmalade)
- 1948 - John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) (d. 1980)
- 1948 - Martin Hannett (producer) (d. 1991)
- 1952 - Karl Bartos (Kraftwerk)
- 1954 - Paul Franklin (studio multi-instrumentalist)
- 1954 - Vicki Sue Robinson (d. 2000)
- 1955 - Tommy Emmanuel
- 1956 - Fritz Hilpert (Kraftwerk)
- 1959 - Danny Pearson (American Music Club)
- 1962 - Corey Hart
- 1963 - Wendy Smith (Prefab Sprouts)
- 1964 - Darryl "D.M.C." Daniels (Run-D.M.C.)
- 1964 - Scotti Hill (Skid Row)
- 1965 - Steve White (Style Council)
- 1977 - Scott Klopfenstein (Reel Big Fish)
- 1980 - Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy)
- 1982 - Casey James
- 1986 - Waka Flocka Flame (born Juaquin Malphurs)
- 1991 - Azealia Banks
Deaths
- 1977 - Lloyd Perryman (Sons of the Pioneers) (60)
- 1996 - Elsbeary Hobbs (Drifters) - Throat & lung cancer (59)
- 2000 - Johnnie Taylor - Heart attack (63)
- 2004 - Robert Quine (Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Lou Reed) - Heroin Overdose (61)
- 2006 - Lula Mae Hardaway (mother of Stevie Wonder) (76)
- 2008 - Hugh Jarrett (Jordanaires) - Car accident (78)
- 2016 - Rick Vanaugh (The Time Jumpers) - Liver disease (61)
On This Day
- 1956 - Buddy Holly wrote That'll Be the Day after seeing the movie The Searchers.
- 1958 - Dick Dale performed Let's Go Trippin' for the first time, possibly signaling the start of surf music.
- 1961 - Chuck Berry opened Berry Park in St. Louis with a zoo, golf course and amusement park.
- 1961 - Jimi Henrix enlisted in the Army.
- 1966 - The Monkees began filming their TV series.
- 1969 - Bob Wills suffered a stroke which left him paralyzed on his right side.
- 1975 - The Rolling Stones kicked off a New York City press conference on their next tour by playing on the streets in the back of a flatbed truck.
- 1976 - The Who set a record for loudest performance at 120 decibels.
- 1977 - The BBC banned the Sex Pistols' single God Save the Queen. The IBA also told independent stations that playing the record would breach British law.
- 1977 - Emerson, Lake & Palmer began a U.S. tour with a 70-piece orchestra.
- 1982 - R.E.M. signed with I.R.S. Records for five albums.
- 1985 - The Parents Music Resource Center made their first contact with the RIAA over the need for a rating system on albums.
- 1989 - Tin Machine, with David Bowie, made their live debut in New York.
- 1991 - Tracy Lawrence and a friend were robbed in a Nashville parking lott and Lawrence was shot.
- 1993 - Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley become parents for the first time.
- 1997 - Lee Ann Womack makes her Grand Ole Opry debut.
- 1997 - Bob Dylan was released by a London hospital after treatment for histoplasmosis.
- 1998 - Geri Halliwell quit The Spice Girls.
- 2001 - Missy Elliott does first live show in three years.
- 2002 - Emerson Drive made their Grand Ole Opry debut.
- 2005 - Brian Harvey of East 17 was critically injured when he fell under his Mercedes.
- 2005 - The British Salvation Army closed the children's home Strawberry Fields in Liverpool.
- 2006 - Pearl Jam recorded their episode of VH1 Storytellers at New York's Avalon Ballroom.
- 2006 - Hal Bynum, writer of Lucille, and wife arrested in their home for growing marijuana.
- 2007 - Rob Grill of the Grassroots was arrested for posession of prescription painkillers.
- 2013 - David Foster received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 2014 - Miley Cyrus' home was burglarized with the thieves getting jewelry and her Maserati.
- 2014 - The estate of Spirit's Randy California sued Led Zeppelin, saying that their song "Taurus" was used in "Stairway to Heaven".
- 2016 - A report came out saying that Prince died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl.
Marriages
- 1991 - Randy Travis and Lib Hatcher
- 1998 - Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys) and Dechen Wangdu
- 2006 - Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook (both Little Big Town)
- 2014 - Melissa Etheridge and Karen Wallem
Divorces
- 2000 - Janet Jackson and Rene Elizondo (announced, marriage was secret for nine years)
Recorded
- 1951 - Cold, Cold Heart - Tony Bennett
- 1965 - Kansas City Star - Roger Miller
- 1969 - Give Peace a Chance - John Lennon and Yoko Ono as the Plastic Ono Band
- 1969 - Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones
- 1971 - Day After Day - Badfinger
Released
- 1969 - My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder (single)
- 1975 - One of These Nights - Eagles (single)
- 1976 - Got to Get You Into My Life - Beatles (single)
- 1982 - Eye of the Tiger - Survivor (single)
- 1985 - Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen (single)
- 1988 - Down in the Groove - Bob Dylan (single)
Awards
- 2003 - MTV Movie Awards
- Best Actor - Eminem (8 Mile)
- Best Breakthrough Male - Eminem (8 Mile)
- Performances by Pink, 50 Cent, t.A.T.u.
Broadcasts
- 1958 - Dick Clark Show (ABC) - Bobby Darin, Sheb Wooley
- 1959 - Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) - Bobby Darin
- 1964 - Ed Sullivan Show - Dave Clark Five (first of 11 appearances)
- 1965 - Marianne Faithfull became a permanent guest on BBC2 TV's Gadzooks! It's the In Crowd.
- 1969 - Hollywood Palace (ABC) - Supremes (host), Jackson 5, Sammy Davis, Jr.
- 1974 - The Midnight Special (NBC) - Bill Anderson, Don Gibson, Freddie Hart, George Jones, Charlie McCoy, Anne Murray, Marty Robbins, Johnny Rodriguez, Tommy Overstreet, Tammy Wynette, Diana Trask
- 1999 - Behind the Music (VH1) - Red Hot Chili Peppers (first episode in nightly run)
- 2004 - Willie Nelson & Friends: Outlaws & Angels (USA) - Toby Keith, Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan, Lee Ann Womack, Shelby Lynne, Carole King, Lucinda Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis, Keith Richards, Al Green, Kid Rock
- 2009 - Dateline (NBC) - Taylor Swift
Number Ones - U.S. Singles
- 1975 - Before the Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender (1 weeks)
- 1980 - Funkytown - Lipps, Inc. (4 weeks)
- 2003 - 21 Questions - 50 Cent Featuring Nate Dogg (4 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Albums
- 2003 - The Golden Age of Grotesque - Marilyn Manson (1 week)
- 2008 - Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie (1 week)
- 2014 - Turn Blue - Black Keys (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles
- 1975 - Spirit of the Boogie - Kool & the Gang (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles
- 1947 - New Jolie Blonde (New Pretty Blonde) - Red Foley (1 week (1 previous week))
- 1969 - Singing My Song - Tammy Wynette (2 weeks)
- 1975 - Thank God I'm a Country Boy - John Denver (1 week)
- 1980 - My Heart / Silent Night (After the Fight) - Ronnie Milsap (3 weeks)
- 1986 - Whoever's in New England - Reba McEntire (1 week)
- 1997 - Sittin' on Go - Bryan White (1 week)
- 2003 - I Believe - Diamond Rio (2 weeks)
- 2008 - I'm Still a Guy - Brad Paisley (3 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles
- 1975 - Wonderful Baby - Don McLean (1 week)
- 1986 - Live to Tell - Madonna (3 weeks)
Number Ones - U.K. Singles
- 1980 - Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide is Painless) - M*A*S*H (3 weeks)
- 1997 - I Wanna Be the One - Eternal Featuring Bebe Winans (1 week)
- 2008 - Take a Bow - Rihanna (2 weeks)
- 2014 - Stay With Me - Sam Smith (1 week)
Number Ones - U.K. Albums
- 1980 - McCartney II - Paul McCartney (2 weeks)
- 1986 - So - Peter Gabriel (2 weeks)
- 2008 - We Started Nothing - Ting Tings (1 week)
- 2014 - Ghost Stories - Coldplay (1 week)