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Click on a date below to find out what happened on that day in music history... |
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A paparazzi is wounded by a pellet gun outside Britney Spears' home in Malibu, Calif. The photographer was trying to get snaps of Spears' baby shower.
Britney Spears
"Superfreak" funkateer Rick James is found dead in his Los Angeles home. He was 56.
Rick James
Clothing company 205 Flava Inc. reveal they paid American Idol contestant to wear their shirts on the Fox show, in spite of a ban on such endorsement deals.
Ruben Studdard
The Bad Boys II soundtrack helmed by P. Diddy remains atop the albums chart for a third week. Highest new entry is LSG-2 at No. 6. LSG is a soul supergroup made up of Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill.
Diddy
LSG
Gerald LeVert
Keith Sweat
Johnny Gill
Henry Redd Stewart, a country songwriter who wrote "Tennessee Waltz" and "Soldier's Last Letter," a No. 1 hit for Ernest Tubb in 1944, dies aged 82.
Ernest Tubb
Performing with the Happy Mondays, but without singer Rowetta, bassist Paul Ryder, and dancer Bez, at Ireland's Witnness Festival, singer Shaun Ryder reads most of his lyrics from a TelePrompTer. After performing "Sympathy for the Devil," the singer announces, "That's our last f*ckin' gig ever."
Happy Mondays
Oasis are forced to abandon their gig at Portugal's Sudvest Festival after the audience begins lobbing missiles at them.
Oasis
Dick Latvala, erstwhile curator of Grateful Dead bootlegs, dies from a heart attack. The archivist's collection of shows was officially released as Dick's Picks.
The Grateful Dead
Italian actor Domenico Modugno, who co-wrote "Volare," dies at age 66.
Domenico Modugno
In Dublin, U2 bassist Adam Clayton is arrested on charges of pot possession. Always thought he looked like the wild type.
Adam Clayton
U2
After Jacksonville, Fla., authorities print "Mature audience" on tickets for their show there, the Beastie Boys sue the city.
Beastie Boys
Bob Dylan performs "Brownsville Girl" live for the only time in Paso Robles, Calif. However, he plays only the chorus of the epic tune and later says he only did it for broadcast on Entertainment Tonight.
Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen begins the last leg of his Born in the U.S.A. tour in Washington, D.C.
Bruce Springsteen
The Cars premiere their Timothy Hutton-directed video for "Drive."
The Cars
Stevie Nicks releases her first solo album, Bella Donna, which goes to No. 1.
Stevie Nicks
The Police play their last gig as a four-piece at the Mont du Marsan Punk Festival in France.
The Police
Abba go to No. 6 in the U.S. with "Waterloo." The same day, the group flies to America for its first promotional visit.
ABBA
Stevie Wonder's car crashes into a logging truck outside Winston-Salem, N.C. He goes into a coma for four days, and head injuries later cause him to lose his sense of smell.
Stevie Wonder
Accompanied by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Procol Harum play a concert in Canada later released as Procol Harum Live.
Procol Harum
At New York's Shea Stadium, Janis Joplin and Paul Simon headline a benefit protesting the Vietnam War. The event, held on the 25th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, draws 20,000 people.
Paul Simon
Janis Joplin
Music critic and philosopher Theodor Adorno dies. He started the theory of the "negative dialectic," which interpreted pleasing music as a narcotic that turned the listener into a consuming machine.
Britney Spears
The Monkees record "Valleri." The single would go to No. 3 - two years later.
The Monkees
To jazz giant John Coltrane, a son. Ravi Coltrane is born today, and goes on to blow a slick horn himself.
Ravi Coltrane
John Coltrane
Rod Stewart appears on British TV for the first time with his group the Hootchie Coo Men, on a program called The Beat Room.
Rod Stewart
Bob Dylan begins recording his third album, The Times They Are A-Changin'.
Bob Dylan
The young Beatles scout out a drummer performing at the Casbah Coffee Club - Pete Best. On American Bandstand today, Chubby Checker demonstrates how one does "The Twist."
The Beatles
Pete Best
Chubby Checker
In hopes of cracking America, Brit pop idol Cliff Richard gives his hit "Livin' Doll" to ABC-Paramount for an American release. The single later goes to No. 30.
Cliff Richard
Randy DeBarge from, of course, the band DeBarge is born in Grand Rapids, Mich.
DeBarge
Memphis soul singer Lynn White ("I Don't Ever Want to See Your Face Again") is born in Mobile, Ala.
Lynn White
Rock guitar virtuoso Allan Holdsworth is born in the Yorkshire paradise of Bradford, England.
Allan Holdsworth
Reggae toaster Dennis Alcapone is born Dennis Smith in Clarendon, Jamaica.
Dennis Alcapone
Soul giant Isaac Hayes, who pioneered the sexy jam that went on long enough for you to both warm up your Jacuzzi and let the wine breathe a little, is born in Covington, Tenn. He also wrote such classics as "Soul Man" and "Hold On! I'm A Comin'" for Sam & Dave.
Isaac Hayes
Sam & Dave
Sonny Sanders, soul songwriter ("Please Mr. Postman") and producer ("[Your Love Keeps Lifting Me] Higher and Higher"), is born in Detroit.
Laconic balladeer - well, he did have a hit with "Thunder Road" - Robert Mitchum is born in Bridgeport, Conn.
Robert Mitchum
 
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