Music Almanac - August 15

Birthdays

• 1881 - Ted Snyder (songwriter) (d. 1965)
• 1898 - Charles Tobias (songwriter) (d. 1970)
• 1901 - Ned Washington (lyracist) (d. 1976)
• 1905 - Johnny Lange (songwriter) (d. 2006)
• 1909 - Hugo Winterhalter (d. 1973)
• 1925 - Oscar Peterson (d. 2007)
• 1925 - Rose Maddox (Maddox Brothers & Rose) (d. 1998)
• 1925 - Bill Pinkney (Drifters) (d. 2007)
• 1933 - Bobby Helms (d. 1997)
• 1933 - Mike Seeger (d. 2009)
• 1933 - Floyd Ashton (Tams)
• 1938 - Nesbert "Stix" Hooper (Crusaders)
• 1941 - Don Rich (born Don Ulrich) (Buckaroos) (d. 1974)
• 1942 - Pete York (Spencer Davis Group)
• 1942 - Eddie Phillips (Creation)
• 1944 - Frederick Knight
• 1946 - Jimmy Webb
• 1949 - Kate Taylor
• 1950 - Tommy Aldridge (Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake)
• 1950 - Billy Griffin (Miracles)
• 1951 - Bobby Caldwell
• 1956 - Vinny Denunzio (Feelies)
• 1958 - Paul Jefferson (songwriter)
• 1961 - Matt Johnson (The The)
• 1962 - Marcia Schofield (Fall)
• 1972 - Michael Graham (Boyzone)
• 1974 - Simon Dawbarn (911)
• 1978 - Tim Foreman (Switchfoot)
• 1984 - Ted Dwane (Mumford & Sons)
• 1984 - David Welsh (The Fray)
• 1989 - Joe Jonas (Jonas Brothers)

Deaths

• 1958 - Big Bill Broonzy - Throat cancer (60)
• 1971 - Thomas Wayne - Car accident (31)
• 1979 - Asa Martin - Heart attack (79)
• 1984 - Norman Petty - Leukemia (57)
• 1990 - Lew Dewitt (Statler Brothers) - Crohn's disease(52)
• 1992 - Jackie Edwards - Heart attack (54)
• 1996 - Joe Seneca (songwriter/actor) - Asthma (77)
• 2004 - Lum York (Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboy) (85)
• 2008 - Jerry Wexler - Congestive heart failure (91)
• 2009 - Jim Dickinson (producer) - Complications from triple-bypass surgery (67)
• 2011 - Betty Thatcher (Renaissance) - Cancer (67)

On This Day

• 1951 - Merle Haggard, 14, was arrested for robbing a liquor store. He gains his freedom a few days later when the real robbers are caught.
• 1955 - Elvis Presley signed with Colonel Tom Parker.
• 1955 - Pete Seeger refused to name other communists in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee on Communism.
• 1957 - A judge refused to stop 14-year-old Brenda Lee from being held to her contract to the Ozark Jubilee.
• 1962 - Pete Best played his last show with the Beatles.
• 1965 - The Beatles set a record for the time when they played Shea Stadium in front of 55,000. Also playing were the Young Rascals, Brenda Holloway, Sounds Incorporated and the King Curtis Band.
• 1968 - The movie A Time to Sing, starring Hank Williams, Jr. debuted.
• 1969 - The opening day of the Woodstock Festival featured Richie Havens, Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Ravi Shankar, Tim Hardin, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez.
• 1979 - The film Americathon opened in Los Angeles, featuring Meat Loaf with music by the Beach Boys, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello.
• 1980 - George Harrison's first book, I Me Mine, is published.
• 1983 - Joey Ramone had brain surgery after being seriously injured in a fight.
• 1984 - Billy Ray Cyrus and his band lost almost all of their equipment in a club fire in Ironton, OH.
• 1989 - Stu Sweatman moved from the band Urgency to Saving Grace.
• 1991 - Paul Simon played New York's Central Park for 750,000 people.
• 1995 - Vince Neil's daughter, Skylar, died of multiple organ failure.
• 1996 - James Brown offered the proceeds of a concert to a Long Island Women's Shelter, but was turned down with the shelter citing his past actions against women.
• 1997 - Tony Nicole Tony Records files a suit against Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss, alleging that they interfered with the contract of Peter Kriss with the label.
• 1998 - Reba McEntire received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• 2000 - David Bowie and Iman became the parents of daughter Alexandria Zahra Jones.
• 2001 - Dave Matthews and wife Ashley become the parents of twin daughters Stella Busina and Grace Anne.
• 2002 - Deanna Carter avoided a DUI conviction in a Nashville court, receiving a fine and community service.
• 2004 - Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones began treatment for throat cancer.
• 2004 - Phish played their final concert (until they reformed) in Coventry, VT.
• 2007 - John Lennon's solo albums were made available digitally for the first time on iTunes.
• 2007 - The Osmonds reunited for the first time in over twenty years for a PBS special.
• 2013 - Miles McPherson, who was the drummer for Paramore, received burns and broken bones after flipping a golf cart.
• 2017 - Yvonne Elliman and her husband were arrested for drug possession in Guam.

Marriages

• 1936 - Bob Wills and Ruth Elaine McMaster
• 1958 - Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago
• 1992 - Susan Anton and Jeff Lester

Divorces

• 1953 - Jan Howard (then Lula Grace Wood) and Mearle Wood

Recorded

• 1941 - Peggy Lee had her first recording session.
• 1957 - Wake Up Little Susie - Everly Brothers
• 1966 - If I Were a Carpenter - Bobby Darin
• 1987 - Talk is Cheap - Keith Richards (first session for first solo album)
• 1995 - Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 - Dave Matthews Band

Released

• 1965 - Respect - Otis Redding (single)
• 1974 - On the Beach - Neil Young
• 1976 - Dancing Queen - ABBA
• 1983 - Flick of the Switch - AC/DC
• 1989 - Love in An Elevator - Aerosmith (single)

Broadcasts

• 1959 - The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show (ABC) - The Browns
• 1971 - The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (CBS) - Glen Campbell, Cher
• 1974 - The Mac Davis Show (NBC) - Marie Osmond, Jimmy Osmond
• 1975 - Midnight Special (NBC) - Glen Campbell, Helen Reddy
• 1991 - International Special Olympics All-Star Gala - Debbie Gibson

Number Ones - U.S. Singles

• 1960 - It's Now or Never - Elvis Presley (5 weeks)
• 1964 - Everybody Loves Somebody - Dean Martin (1 week)
• 1981 - Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (9 weeks)
• 1992 - End of the Road - Boyz II Men (13 weeks)

Number Ones - U.S. Albums

• 1981 - Precious Time - Pat Benatar (1 week)
• 2009 - Loso's Way - Fabolous (1 week)
• 2015 - Woman - Jill Scott (1 week)

Number Ones - U.S. R&B Singles

• 1981 - I'm in Love - Evelyn King (1 week)
• 1987 - Jam Tonight - Freddie Jackson (1 week)
• 2009 - Pretty Wings - Maxwell (14 weeks)

Number Ones - U.S. Country Singles

• 1981 - I Don't Need You - Kenny Rogers (2 weeks)
• 1987 - A Long Line of Love - Michael Martin Murphey (1 week)
• 2009 - Alright - Darius Rucker (1 week)

Number Ones - U.S. Adult Contemporary Singles

• 1998 - You're Still the One - Shania Twain (1 week (6 previous weeks))
• 2015 - Shut Up and Dance - Shoot the Moon (6 weeks)

Number Ones - U.K. Singles

• 1987 - I Just Can't Stop Loving You - Michael Jackson and Siedeh Garrett (2 weeks)
• 1998 - No Matter What - Boyzone (3 weeks)
• 2009 - Never Leave You - Tinchy Stryder Featuring Amelle Berrabah (1 week)

Number Ones - U.K. Albums

• 1981 - The Official BBC Album of the Royal Wedding - Various Artists (2 weeks)
• 1992 - Welcome to Wherever You Are - INXS (1 week)
• 1998 - Talk On Corners - Corrs (3 weeks (1 previous week))