Birthdays
- 1919 - George Shearing (d. 2011)
- 1921 - Jimmy McCracklin (d. 2012)
- 1930 - Don Ho (d. 2007)
- 1938 - Dave "Baby" Cortez
- 1940 - John Stokes (Bachelors)
- 1942 - Frank "Son" Seals (d. 2004)
- 1948 - Tony Santini (Sha Na Na)
- 1949 - Cliff Fish (Paper Lace)
- 1950 - Pluto Shervington
- 1951 - Dan Fogelberg (d. 2007)
- 1952 - Hughie Thomasson (Outlaws, Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 2007)
- 1958 - Feargal Sharkey (Undertones)
- 1959 - Michael Bradley (Undertones)
- 1959 - Mark Nevin (Fairground Attraction)
- 1959 - Danny Bonaduce (Partridge Family, DJ)
- 1963 - Tigg Ketler (Bang Tango)
- 1964 - Ian Haughland (Europe)
- 1967 - Michael Knox (producer)
- 1973 - Andy Griggs
- 1978 - Mike Melancon (Emerson Drive)
- 1984 - James Morrison
- 1984 - Baby Blue
Deaths
- 1968 - Joe Hinton - Skin cancer (38)
- 1971 - King Curtis (born Curtis Ousley) - Murdered (37)
- 1982 - Joe Tex (born Joseph Arrington, Jr.) - Heart attack (47)
- 2003 - Ed Townshend (74)
- 2005 - Francine "Peaches" Barker (Peaches & Herb) (58)
- 2009 - Allen Shellenberger (Lit) - Brain cancer (39)
- 2013 - Tompall Glaser (79)
- 2013 - Jon Brookes (Charlatans) - Brain cancer (44)
On This Day
- 1938 - Robert Johnson played at a roadhouse in Greenwood, MS. Legend says he was poisoned by a jealous husband after the show, causing his death three days later.
- 1954 - Chuck Berry had his first recording session for Ballad Records.
- 1959 - Bobby Darin signed a $1 million contract with Paramount Pictures.
- 1965 - The Jefferson Airplane played their first live show at the Matrix Club in San Francisco.
- 1965 - Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five received two broken ribs when he was pulled off of the stage at a Chicago show by fans.
- 1965 - The Beatles arrived in New York to start a U.S. tour.
- 1967 - The Jackson 5 won a talent competition at the Apollo Theatre in London.
- 1967 - The DAR stopped a show by Joan Baez at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, citing her opposition to the Vietnam War. She instead played a free concert at the Washington Monument.
- 1970 - James Taylor started filming his first movie, Two Lane Blacktop.
- 1971 - John Lennon left Britain for the last time, flying from London to New York.
- 1972 - The wing of the plane on which Johnny Cash is riding brushed the runway during landing in Erie, PA.
- 1975 - Bruce Springsteen played the first of five nights at the Bottom Line in the shows that would forge his reputation among music critics.
- 1976 - The Clash are introduced to the press for the first time at a rehearsal hall in London.
- 1977 - Bachman-Turner Overdrive announced they were splitting up.
- 1980 - Todd Rundgren was tied up and his house burglarized in Woodstock, NY.
- 1985 - Sting opened his first solo tour in San Diego, CA.
- 1988 - Willie Nelson's Stardust logged its 520th week on the Billboard Country Albums chart, the first to ever spend ten years on the tally.
- 1988 - K.T. Oslin made her Grand Ole Opry debut.
- 1990 - Curtis Mayfield was paralyzed when he was struck by a lighting rig before a concert in Brooklyn, NY.
- 1990 - A number of artists purchased 25 acres of Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Among them are Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt.
- 1994 - Members of Oasis and the Verve were arrested after damaging a hotel bar and breaking into a church to steal wine.
- 1999 - Slash was arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend.
- 2002 - Adam Ant pleaded guilty in a January incident where he damaged a London pub and threatened patrons with a starter pistol.
- 2004 - Guitarist Wes Borland rejoined Limp Bizkit.
- 2011 - Seven people were killed and 45 injured when high winds caused the stage to collapse at the Indiana State Fair. Sara Bareilles and Sugarland were scheduled to perform.
- 2011 - Farm Aid 2011 was held in Kansas City, Kansas with Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, Jamey Johnson, Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Will Dailey & the Rivals, Billy Joe Shaver, Robert Francis, Ray Price, Rebecca Pidgeon, Hearts of Darkness, John Trudell and The Blackwood Quartet.
- 2015 - Nickelback cancelled their European Tour while Chad Kroeger recovered from vocal surgery.
Marriages
- 1979 - Johnny Cash and June Carter (renewed vows)
- 1988 - Robert Smith (Cure) and Mary Poole
Divorces
- 1996 - Alex Van Halen and Kelly Carter (filed)
- 1999 - Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall (marriage was declared null and void)
Recorded
- 1924 - The Wreck of the Old '97, The Prisoner's Song - Vernon Dalhart (first million-selling counry record)
- 1952 - Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton
- 1957 - Dedicated to the One I Love - Five Royals
- 1959 - Sweet Nothin's - Brenda Lee
- 1964 - Baby Love - Supremes
Released
- 1965 - Help! - Beatles (U.S. release)
- 1973 - American Grafitti - Soundtrack
- 1991 - Brand New Man - Brooks & Dunn (Debut album)
- 2013 - Crash My Party - Luke Bryan
Broadcasts
- 1960 - The Dick Clark Show (ABC) - Jim Reeves
- 1997 - South Park (Comedy) - Isaac Hayes (premier)
- 2004 - Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies - Bjork
Number Ones - U.S. Singles
- 1966 - Summer in the City - Lovin' Spoonful (3 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Albums
- 1988 - Hysteria - Def Leppard (1 week (2 previous weeks at number 1))
- 2011 - Chief - Eric Church (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles
- 1977 - Float On - Floaters (6 weeks)
Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles
- 1966 - Almost Persuaded - David Huston (9 weeks)
- 1983 - He's a Heartache (Looking For a Place to Happen) - Janie Fricke (1 week)
- 1988 - Don't Close Your Eyes - Keith Whitley (1 week)
- 1994 - Be My Baby Tonight - John Michael Montgomery (2 weeks)
- 2011 - Knee Deep - Zac Brown Band Featuring Jimmy Buffett (1 week)
Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles
- 2005 - Home - Michael Buble (1 week (1 previous week))
Number Ones - U.K. Singles
- 1964 - Do Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann (2 weeks)
- 1983 - Give It Up - K.C. & the Sunshine Band (3 weeks)
- 2011 - Swagger Jagger - Cher Lloyd (1 week)
- 2015 - Drag Me Down - One Direction (1 week)
Number Ones - U.K. Albums
- 1966 - Revolver - Beatles (7 weeks)
- 1977 - Going For the One - Yes (2 weeks)
- 2015 - Marks to Prove It - Maccabees (1 week)