Birthdays
- 1927 - Slim Dusty (d. 2003)
- 1934 - Uriel Jones (Funk Brothers) (d. 2009)
- 1940 - Bobby Freeman (d. 2017)
- 1941 - Esther Ofarim
- 1941 - Marv Tarplin (Miracles) (d. 2011)
- 1942 - James Carr (d. 2001)
- 1947 - Mary Lou Turner
- 1949 - Dennis Locorriere (Dr. Hook)
- 1951 - Howard Leese (Heart)
- 1951 - Jorge Santana (Malo)
- 1954 - Robert "Bo" Donaldson (Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods)
- 1957 - Rolf Brendel (Nena)
- 1963 - Paul De Lisle (Smash Mouth)
- 1963 - Robbie Merrill (Godsmack)
- 1968 - Denise Pearson (Five Star)
- 1968 - David Gray
- 1969 - Søren Rasted (Aqua)
- 1969 - Jamie Walters
- 1970 - Rivers Cuomo (Weezer)
- 1972 - Natalie McMaster
- 1973 - Cheryl "Coco" Evans (SWV)
- 1976 - Jason 'J' Brown (Five)
- 1976 - Kym Marsh (Hear'Say)
- 1978 - Jason Michael Caroll
- 1985 - Raz-B (B2K)
Deaths
- 1972 - Clyde McPhatter (Billy Ward & the Dominoes, Drifters) - Heart, liver & kidney disease (39)
- 1986 - Benny Goodman - Heart attack (77)
- 1995 - David Parry - Heart attack (52)
- 1996 - Keith Palmer (singer-songwriter) - Cancer (38)
- 2010 - Jimmy Dean - Natural causes (81)
- 2012 - Frances Preston (executive) - Congestive heart failure (83)
- 2015 - MC Supreme - Auto accident (47)
- 2016 - Chips Moman (producer) - Emphysema (79)
- 2018 - D.J. Fontana (drummer) (87)
On This Day
- 1949 - Ray Charles recorded for the first time as a member of the Maxin Trio.
- 1958 - Frank Zappa graduated from Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, CA.
- 1959 - Roy Drusky became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
- 1969 - Mick Taylor was introduced as the new member of the Rolling Stones at a press conference in Hyde Park.
- 1972 - The Country Music Foundation Library and Media Center is dedicated in Nashville.
- 1980 - The movie Roadie opens with appearances by Meat Loaf, Roy Orbison, Blondie, Hank Williams, Jr., Alice Cooper, Don Cornelius, Asleep at the Wheel and Ramblin' Jack Elliott
- 1985 - When Randy Travis' Forever and Ever, Amen spent a second week at the top of the Country Singles chart, it broke an 85-week run where there was a different chart topper every week.
- 1988 - A charity concert against South African apartheid was held at London's Wembley Stadium with Sting, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, George Michael, Whitney Houston, Dire Straits and more.
- 1989 - Jerry Lee Lewis received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1992 - Texas police call for a ban of Ice-T's album Cop Killer.
- 1995 - Country's Ty Herdon was arrested for drug possession right before he is scheduled to perform at a police convention.
- 2000 - Bobby Brown came out and admitted he had a problem with alcohol.
- 2000 - Rapper Black Rob was charged with felony criminal possession of a weapon from a May 21 arrest.
- 2001 - Chris LeDoux returns to music for the first time since a liver transplant with a TV appearance.
- 2003 - Brian Harvey of East 17 was cleared of drug possession after the prosecution's chief witness fled the U.K.
- 2003 - Sting and David Gilmour were named CBEs and Gerry Marsden and Errol Brown as MBEs during the Queen's Birthday Honours.
- 2003 - The Arctic Monkeys made their live debut in Sheffield, England.
- 2005 - Michael Jackson was cleared of all charges of child abuse in a Los Angeles court.
- 2005 - All of Alanis Morissette's albums are pulled from the HMV Canada retail chain in protest of her record companies deal to give Starbucks a six-week exclusive on the singer's latest album.
- 2007 - Sammy Kershaw announced he was running for Lt. Governor of Louisiana.
- 2008 - R. Kelly was cleared of all charges of child pornography in a Chicago court.
- 2013 - Among the new inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame were J.D. Souther, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.
- 2016 - David Alan Coe was ordered to pay $980,000 in back taxes.
- 2019 - John Prine, Tom T. Hall, Cat Stevens, Missy Elliott and Glen Frey were among the new inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Recorded
- 1952 - Jambalaya (On the Bayou), Settin' the Woods On Fire, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive - Hank Williams
- 1962 - It's Up to You - Ricky Nelson
- 1963 - Honolulu Lulu - Jan & Dean
- 1973 - I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
Released
- 1953 - Ain't That Good News - Tempo Toppers (with Little Richard)
- 1970 - Make It With You - Bread (single)
- 1972 - A Song For You - Carpenters
- 1975 - Red Octopus - Jefferson Starship
- 1977 - American Stars 'n Bars - Neil Young
- 1979 - Candy-O - Cars
- 1983 - She Works Hard for the Money - Donna Summer
- 1983 - Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan (Debut)
- 1984 - State of Shock - Jacksons with Mick Jagger (single)
- 1988 - Forever Your Girl - Paula Abdul (debut album)
- 1989 - What You Don't Know - Expose
- 1989 - Big Game - White Lion
- 1995 - Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette
- 1995 - Head Over Heals - Paula Abdul
- 1995 - Post - Bjork
- 2000 - Crush - Bon Jovi
- 2000 - Riding With the King - B.B. King & Eric Clapton
Broadcasts
- 1964 - Hollywood Palace (NBC) - Rolling Stones, Dean Martin
- 1965 - The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) - Seekers, Tom Jones
- 1966 - Where the Action Is - James Brown, Deuces Wild
- 1967 - As You Like It (U.K.) - Bee Gees
- 1972 - The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (CBS) - Lynn Anderson, Jerry Reed (last show of series)
- 1975 - Midnight Special - Seals & Crofts (host), Ron Dante, Ben E. King, Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John
- 1975 - Salute to Sir Lew Grade (U.K.) - John Lennon (his last TV appearance)
- 1980 - Midnight Special - Brothers Johnson (host), J.Geils Band, Jermaine Jackson, Neil Sedaka, Dara Sedaka, Del Shannon, Bonnie Tyler
- 2014 - CMT Crossroads (CMT) - Katy Perry & Kacey Musgraves
Number Ones - U.S. Singles
- 1970 - The Long & Winding Road/For You Blue - Beatles (2 weeks)
- 1987 - Always - Atlantic Starr (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. Albums
- 1953 - Music for Lovers Only - Jackie Gleason (1 week (1 previous week at number 1))
- 1964 - Hello, Dolly! - Louis Armstrong (6 weeks)
- 1970 - Let It Be - Beatles (4 weeks)
- 1992 - Some Gave All - Billy Ray Cyrus (17 weeks)
- 1998 - City of Angels - Soundtrack (1 week)
- 2015 - At. Long. Last. ASAP. - ASAP Rocky (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles
- 1953 - Help Me Somebody - 5 Royales (5 weeks)
- 1960 - Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers (1 week)
- 1981 - Give It To Me Baby - Rick James (5 weeks)
- 1987 - Rock Steady - Whispers (1 week)
- 1992 - Honey Love - R. Kelly and Public Announcement (2 weeks)
- 2009 - Knock You Down - Kerri Hilson Featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo (2 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles
- 1981 - What Are We Doin' in Love - Kenny Rogers & Dotty West (1 week)
- 1987 - Forever and Ever, Amen - Randy Travis (3 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles
- 1970 - Daughter of Darkness - Tom Jones (1 week)
- 1981 - America - Neil Diamond (3 weeks)
- 1987 - In Too Deep - Genesis (3 weeks)
Number Ones - U.K. Singles
- 1970 - In the Summertime - Mungo Jerry (7 weeks)
- 1981 - Being With You - Smokey Robinson (2 weeks)
- 1992 - ABBA-esque EP - Erasure (5 weeks)
- 2009 - Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas (1 week)
Number Ones - U.K. Albums
- 1970 - Bridge Over Troubled Waters - Simon & Garfunkel (4 weeks (13 previous weeks))
- 1987 - Whitney - Whitney Houston (6 weeks)
- 1998 - Blue - Simply Red (1 week (1 previous week))
- 2009 - Sunny Side Up - Paolo Nutini (1 week)
- 2015 - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful - Florence + the Machine (1 week)