This Date in Rock Music History: August 16

1957:  Ricky Nelson recorded "Be-Bop Baby" at Master Recorders in Hollywood, California.
1957:  The Everly Brothers recorded "Wake Up Little Susie" in Nashville, Tennessee.
1957:  Buddy Holly & the Crickets played at none other than the Apollo Theater in the neighborhood of Harlem in Manhattan, New York for one week beginning on this date.  The tour was set up by Norman Petty, working with promoter Irving Feld.  (Note:  contrary to the movie 'The Buddy Holly Story' and numerous websites, which indicate that the Apollo didn't know the group was white, and did not discover this until they showed up, management at the Apollo did indeed know.  The Schiffman family, which owned the theatre, were aware that the Crickets were white.  Frank Schiffman's sons, Bobby and Jack, had seen the Crickets in Washington, D.C. during the first leg of the tour, according to the book 'Buddy Holly:  A Biography' by Ellis Amburn.  Unlike the other theatres which booked the Crickets only to be shocked that they were white, the Apollo booked them because black record-buyers were sending "That'll Be The Day" to the top of the R&B charts.)
1960:  Elvis Presley began filming of the movie Flaming Star.
1962:  Twelve-year-old Stevie Wonder released his first 45, "I Call It Pretty Music (But The Old People Call It The Blues)".  Marvin Gaye was the drummer.










1962:  Ringo Starr officially took over as the new drummer of the Beatles, replacing Pete Best, who was fired.  Although he had sat in for Best in the past in Liverpool, England and Hamburg, Germany, Starr made his first official appearance with the group August 18 in Port Sunlight, England.  (Note:  some websites say Best was fired August 14, but he was told of the decision on August 16, according to 'The Beatles Bible', 'Huffington Post' and the newspaper 'The Examiner'.)
1964:  The Beatles performed at the Opera House in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.  High Numbers opened for them.  You say "Who"?  You're right, High Numbers became the Who.  The Kinks were also on the bill.








 

1966:  The world was introduced to a new band as on this date, the Monkees released their first single "Last Train To Clarksville".
1966:  The Byrds played at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California.
1966:  During their last tour, the Beatles performed at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1968:  The Beatles made 14 takes in recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" for their upcoming White Album.  But guitarist George Harrison, the songwriter, wasn't happy with the result so the group would try again later.
1968:  The Jackson 5 made their live debut opening for the Supremes at the Forum in Los Angeles.
1969:  Joni Mitchell opened for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.  Crosby, Stills and Nash, which formed at a party at Joni's house the previous year, performed for the first time with Neil Young. 
1969:  Led Zeppelin and Joe Cocker were in concert at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

1969:  Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sly & the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat, John Sebastian, Mountain, Country Joe McDonald, the Incredible String Band, the Keef Hartley Band and Quill performed at Woodstock in Bethel, New York.
1969:  Three Dog Night's great song "Easy To Be Hard" rose from 77 to 40.









1969:  Zager & Evans made it six fantastic weeks at #1 with "In the Year 2525".  In nearly any other time in the Rock Era, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" wouldThave been #1 but not against this competition; Tommy James & the Shondells peaked at #2 and fell to 3 on this date.  The Rolling Stones were ready for a charge up to the top with "Honky Tonk Women", while Neil Diamond enjoyed one of his biggest hits--"Sweet Caroline" at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash, "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" by Jackie DeShannon, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition said "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", Steve Wonder was still at 8 with "My Cherie Amour", Jr. Walker & the All Stars fell with "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" and Andy Kim finished the list with "Baby, I Love You".
1969:  Zager & Evans even took over the Adult Contemporary chart with "In The Year 2525".
1969:  Blood, Sweat & Tears spent its seventh week at #1 on the Album chart.  
1970:  Yes, Mungo Jerry and Ginger Baker's Air Force performed at the final day of the Yorkshire Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival at Krumlin, Yorkshire, England.
1970:  Elvis Presley collected his 16th #1 in the U.K. with "The Wonder Of You"; the Kinks had the #2 song with "Lola".
1974:  The Ramones gave their first public performance at the CBGB in New York City.
1974:  Chicago starred in the ABC-TV special Meanwhile Back at the Ranch.  Anne Murray and Charlie Rich were guests.
1975:  Peter Gabriel announced that he was splitting from Genesis to start a solo career.
1975:  The Stylistics had the top U.K. song with "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)".




1975:  Make it two weeks for J-J-J "Jive Talkin'" by the Bee Gees.  The Eagles had a great song at #2 with "One Of These Nights", Olivia Newton-John remained at 3 with "Please Mr. Please" and Elton John moved up with "Someone Saved My Life Tonight".  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds moved from 15-5 with "Fallin' In Love" while "Rhinestone Cowboy" was up to 6 for Glen Campbell.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Why Can't We Be Friends" for War, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" by James Taylor, Melissa Manchester's "Midnight Blue" at 9 and Mike Post & "The Rockford Files" at 10.  







          
                                                                                       "After the Thrill is Gone"...

1975:  Amongst amazing competition, the Eagles spent their fifth straight week at #1 on the Album chart with One of These Nights.













1976:  Gordon Lightfoot released this song on this date--"The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald".
1976:  Cliff Richard began a tour of the Soviet Union in Leningrad.

1977:  Elvis Presley died of coronary arrhythmia at the age of 42 in Memphis, Tennessee.
1979:  The Who's movie Quadrophenia premiered at the Plaza Cinema in London.  (Note:  several websites report that the movie premiered on May 2 or November 2.  According to the official website of the Who, as well as  the book 'Roger Daltrey:  The Biography' by Stafford Hildred and Tim Ewbank, 'Quadrophenia' premiered on August 16.  It opened in theaters November 2.)
 







1980:  Olivia Newton-John's "Magic" remained at #1 for a fifth week on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1980:  Cozy Powell, drummer of Rainbow, announced he was leaving the group just after the group headlined the Monsters of Rock at Castle Donington, England.










1980:  Diana Ross conquered the AC chart again as "Upside Down" reached #1.
1983:  Paul Simon married Carrie Fisher in New York City.
1985:  Madonna marred Sean Penn in Malibu, California.










1986:  Rick Allen, drummer of Def Leppard, played his first concert with the group since losing his left arm in a traffic accident at the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington, England.










1986:  Sun Valley, Idaho's Peter Cetera stayed at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for the fifth week in a row with "Glory Of Love".
1986:  The fastest-rising song on this date, 22 years after its initial release--"Twist And Shout" by the Beatles

1987:  Thousands of people remembered Elvis Presley on the 10th anniversary of his death by going to his grave in Memphis, Tennessee.
1994:  Crosby, Stills and Nash released the album After the Storm.
1995:  Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys performed in concert for the first time with daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson of Wilson Phillips.
1997:  Over 30,000 fans came to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee to pay respects to Elvis Presley on the 20th anniversary of his passing.
1997:  Will Smith rose to #1 on the U.K. chart with "Men In Black".
2000:  Alan Caddy, lead guitarist and a founding member of the Tornadoes, and session musician with Dusty Springfield, the Spencer Davis Group, Kiki Dee and Pretty Things, died at the age of 60 in London.
2000:  INXS had to cancel their tour of New Zealand because of poor ticket sales.  It was the first venture for the band since the death of lead singer Michael Hutchence.
2000:  'N Sync were given the keys to the city of Orlando, Florida.






2003:  A car sponsored by 3 Doors Down made its debut at the Cabela 250 NASCAR Busch Series at Michigan International Speedway.  The car finished 11th.
2003:  Marc Anthony's wife, Dayanara Muniz, gave birth to son Ryan at North Shore University Hospital in Manhassat, New York.










2003:  A new postage stamp by the United States Postal Service was unveiled before a large crowd at the Mancini Musicale at UCLA in Los Angeles. 
2005:  Talk about an identity crisis.  Sean Combs, who changed his name to Sean "Puffy" Combs, then Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, announced he was changing his name to "Diddy".
2005:  Vassar Clements, a virtuoso fiddler who worked with the Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson and Emmylou Harris, died of lung cancer at the age of 77 at his home in Nashville, Tennessee.  (Note:  several websites claim Clements died in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, but according to the newspaper 'The Chicago Tribune' and the official website for Clements, he died in Nashville.)
2005:  Madonna suffered three cracked ribs and broke her collarbone and hand in a horse riding accident on her birthday outside her country home in London. 

Born This Day:

1915:  Al Hibbler, who had a hit with his version of "Unchained Melody" in 1955, was born in Tyro, Mississippi; died April 24, 2001 in Chicago, Illinois.  (Note:  the book 'Encyclopedia of Arkansas Music' by Ali Welky and Mike Keckhaver states that Hibbler always claimed Como as his birthplace.  We can find no other corroboration for this.  The newspaper 'The Arkansas Times', as well as the books 'Undaunted by Blindness' by Clifford E. Olstrom and 'Blues:  A Regional Experience' by Bob L. Eagle and Eric S. LeBlanc, all say Hibbler was born in Tyro.  Some websites also claim Hibbler was born in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Hibbler moved with his family to Little Rock at the age of 12, where he attended a school for the blind.)1922:  Ernie Freeman, who gave us the great instrumental "Raunchy", was born in Cleveland, Ohio; died of a heart attack May 15, 1981  in Hollywood, California.  (Note:  some websites report Freeman died on May 16, with some saying he died in Hawai'i, and others saying he died in Los Angeles.  Although Freeman lived in Hawai'i in the 70's, he died on May 16 at his home in Hollywood, California, according to the book 'Blues:  A Regional Experience' by Bob L. Eagle and Eric S. LeBlanc.)
1927:  Fess Parker ("The Ballad Of Davy Crockett"), who starred in the television series Daniel Boone, was born in Fort Worth, Texas; died of natural causes March 18, 2010 in Santa Ynez, California.

1928:  Eydie Gormé, who gave us "Blame It On The Bossa Nova", and was the wife of Steve Lawrence and cousin of Neil Sedaka, was born in the Bronx, New York; died August 10, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada following a brief undisclosed illness.  (Note:  Some websites report she was born in 1931, but according to CBS News and the newspapers 'USA Today', 'The Los Angeles Times' and "The Guardian', she was born in 1928.  Some websites say she was born in Manhattan, but she was born in the Bronx, according to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times' and 'Playbill'.)
1934:  Kathy Lester ("Love Letters" from 1962) was born in Hope, Arkansas.
1942:  Barbara George ("I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)") was born in New Orleans, Louisiana; died August 10, 2006 in Chauvin, Louisiana.  (Note:  one credible source states she was born in 1943, but we believe that to be a misprint, for every other reliable source reports she was born in 1942.  Some websites say Barbara was born in Smithridge, Louisiana.  'Billboard' reports that George was born August 16, 1942 in New Orleans.)
1944:  Russ Titelman, producer of James Taylor, Eric Clapton and Randy Newman, was born in Los Angeles.
1945:  Gary Loizzo, singer and guitarist of the American Breed, and later an engineer and producer, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1946:  Gordon "Snowy" Fleet, drummer of the Easybeats ("Friday On My Mind" from 1967), was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.  (Note:  the notorious 'Allmusic.com' claims Fleet was born in Bootle, Merseyside, England.  Given that when Fleet was born (1946), Bootle was not in Merseyside but in the county of Lancashire, one tends not to trust that source.  Although there are no credible sources for his birthplace, our best research indicates that he was born in Liverpool.)
1948:  Barry Hay, lead singer of Golden Earring, was born in Faizabad, India.  (Note:  some websites claim Hay was born in Faisabad, India.  There is no such city in India--the correct spelling is Faizabad.) 
1953:  James "J.T." Taylor, vocalist of Kool & the Gang, was born in Laurens, South Carolina.  (Note:  several websites report Taylor was born in Morristown, New Jersey.  Although there are no credible sources for either, our best research indicates he was born in Laurens.
1957:  Tim Farriss of INXS was born in Perth, Western Australia.
1958:  Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan.  (Note:  some websites report that she was born in Rochester, Michigan.  She was raised in an area now known as Rochester Hills, but she was born in Bay City, according to the book 'Madonna:  An Intimate Biography' by J. Randy Taraborrelli.)1972:  Emily Erwin of the Dixie Chicks was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
1980:  Vanessa Carlton ("A Thousand Miles" from 2002) was born in Milford, Pennsylvania.
1980:  Bob Hardy, bassist with Franz Ferdinand, was born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England.  (Note:  some websites report Bob was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.  Our best information indicates that he was born in Dewsbury and later lived in Bradford.)

Calendar* Alert: Movie "The Girl Can't Help It"

Several websites claim that the movie The Girl Can't Help It, with Fats Domino, Little Richard and Gene Vincent, premiered in Hollywood, California on August 22, 1956.  We can find no reliable source that confirms this information.  Nearly every movie website which publishes the date of opening says it opened on December 1 of that year.  We find it difficult to believe that a movie which opened nationally on December 1 would premiere over three months in advance, and have dropped the item from our Calendar* until a reputable source publishes a premiere earlier than December 1.

Five Best Songs: Al Jarreau

This guy was once described as "having an entire orchestra in his throat".  Although most people may only know him from his first hit "We're In This Love Together", he did quite well on the Adult Contemporary chart, and it's great to feature the Five Best* from Al Jarreau:

This Date in Rock Music History: August 15

1958:  Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago were married at Buddy's parents' home in Lubbock, Texas.

Calendar* Correction: Linda Ronstadt Broadway Debut

Several websites claim that Linda Ronstadt debuted on Broadway in the production of The Pirates of Penzance on August 21, 1980.  There are two problems with this.

1.  At the time, Ronstadt was performing the play at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park in New York City, which ran from July 15 through August 24, according to the book Linda Ronstadt:  A Life In Music by Peter Lewry.  It would be tough for Ronstadt (or anyone in the cast) to be performing in Central Park and on Broadway at the same time.

2.  After finishing its run in Central Park, the play moved to Broadway, but not until the premiere, December 22, 1980 at the Uris Theatre, according to the official website for Playbill.  Thus, on August 21, the play wasn't even playing on Broadway at the time. 

This Date in Rock Music History: August 14

Calendar* Correction: Jim Reeves

Billboard, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and others incorrectly list Jim Reeves' birth year as 1924.  According to the official website operated by his son and the book The History of Texas Music by Gary Hartman, Jim was born in 1923.

Calendar* Correction: Birth of Kimberly Alana Stewart

Several websites report that Kimberly Alana Stewart, the daughter of Rod Stewart, was born on August 20, 1979.  According to the newspaper The Daily Mail, she was born August 21.

This Date in Rock Music History: August 13

1959:  Bobby Darin signed a $1 million contract with Paramount Pictures.
1964:  The Supremes recorded "Baby Love".
1964:  Manfred Mann topped the U.K. charts with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy".
1965:  The Beatles released the album Help! in the United States.









 
1965:  Jefferson Airplane made their stage debut at the opening of the Matrix Club in San Francisco, California.
1965:  The Beatles arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York City for a tour of North America.
1966:  Revolver was the #1 album in the U.K.
1966:  "Yesterday"...and Today from the Beatles spent a third week as the #1 album.  Aftermath by the Rolling Stones moved to challenge while What Now My Love from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass was #3.  Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra remained at 4 with the Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago" #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Somewhere My Love from Ray Coniff & the Singers, Going Places, spending week #45 among the top album sellers for Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass was #8, The Soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" was next with If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears from the Mamas & Papas completing the list.







1966:  Definition of a "hot" song--"Sunshine Superman" from Donovan moved from #61 to #20.
1966:  "Summer In The City" by Lovin' Spoonful took over at #1.  Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs remained at #2 with "Lil' Red Riding Hood" and the novelty smash "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" by Napoleon XIV moved to #3.  The Troggs' former #1 "Wild Thing" was #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Crispian St. Petters and "The Pied Piper", the Mamas & Papas with "I Saw Her Again" at #6, Bobby Hebb climbed up to #7 with "Sunny", "Mother's Little Helper" from the Rolling Stones was song #8, Ray Coniff & the Singers moved to #9 with "Somewhere, My Love" and Tommy Roe was at 10 with "Sweet Pea".
1967:  It was a great show to wrap up the three-day National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor, England.  Cream made its first major appearance, and another highlight was the first concert ever by Fleetwood Mac.  Other artists performing on the closing night were Donovan, Pentangle, Jeff Beck, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Chicken Shack (with Christine McVie), Denny Laine, and Blossom Toes.







1971:  King Curtis, the great saxophone player who shared the stage with Buddy Holly and others, was stabbed to death outside his home in Manhattan, New York.
1971:  John Lennon flew from Heathrow Airport in London to New York City with the Beatles.  He never went back to his native England.
1972:  John Lennon, Stevie Wonder and Sha Na Na played a benefit concert to assist the mentally ill.
1972:  Ten Years After and Status Quo highlighted performances on the final night of the National Jazz, Blues, Folk and Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1975:  Bruce Springsteen played the first of five concerts at the Bottom Line Club in New York City.

1976:  The Clash performed in an exclusive concert in London.
1977:  Bachman-Turner Overdrive, one of the top Canadian acts of the Rock Era, announced that they were breaking up.
1977:  The Floaters landed at #1 on the R&B chart with "Float On".
1977:  George Benson moved from 89 to 54 with "The Greatest Love Of All".
1977:  Barbra Streisand still had the #1 AC hit for a third week--"My Heart Belongs To Me".












1977:  Andy Gibb's first hit "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" spent a third straight week at #1, holding off Peter Frampton's "I'm In You", which would have to settle for three weeks at #2.  The Emotions were right there with "Best Of My Love" and Rita Coolidge's remake of the Jackie Wilson song "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher" moved to #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Peter McCann remained at 5 with "Do You Wanna' Make Love", Barbra Streisand fell from 4 with "My Heart Belongs To Me", the Commodores edged up with "Easy", Pablo Cruise were at #8 with "Whatcha' Gonna' Do?", Alice Cooper was in the #9 position with "You And Me" and the Bay City Rollers reached the Top 10 with "You Made Me Believe In Magic".
1983:  K.C. and the Sunshine Band led the way in the U.K. with "Give It Up".
1983:  Donna Summer earned a third week at #1 on the R&B chart with "She Works Hard For The Money".














1983:  The Police were at #1 for the sixth week with one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*--"Every Breath You Take".  The Eurythmics could not budge with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)", Donna Summer was still at 3 with "She Works Hard For The Money" and another song from the movie Flashdance--"Maniac" was up to #4 for Michael Sembello.  The rest of the Top 10:  Duran Duran with "Is There Something I Should Know", Stevie Nicks and her smash solo hit "Stand Back", Irene Cara still in the Top 20 after 20 weeks with "Flashdance...What A Feeling", Men at Work jumped into the Top 10 with "It's a Mistake", Sergio Mendes had #9--"Never Gonna' Let You Go" and the Human League were at 10 with "(Keep Feeling) Fascination".











1985:  Whitney Houston released her single "Saving All My Love For You".

1985:  Sting went out on his first solo tour, kicking off his North American schedule with a show at the San Diego State University Amphitheater in San Diego, California.  (Note:  some websites say the show was September 13, and many say he began his tour on this date.  While it was Sting's first solo show in North America, he had done several shows in Paris, France and Tokyo in the months preceding the concert in San Diego.  And it was on August 13, as you can see from the ticket stub pictured above.)
1988:  To promote their legendary album Hysteria, Def Leppard played the first of two shows at the gorgeous Red Rocks Amphitheater.

1988:  Hysteria had been out exactly a full year but it was just getting started.  The classic album from Def Leppard returned to #1 for a second time, holding off Steve Winwood's Roll With It while the previous #1--Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses tumbled.  The debut from Tracy Chapman remained at 4 with the "Dirty Dancing" Soundtrack #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  OU812 from Van Halen, Faith by George Michael, He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper from D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince #8, Open Up and Say...Ahh! by Poison and Let It Loose moved into the Top 10 after 61 weeks for Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine.










1990:  George Michael released the single "Praying For Time" from his great album Listen Without Prejudice.1990:  Curtis Mayfield was paralyzed after a rack fell on him prior to a concert in Brooklyn, New York.












1991:  Mariah Carey released the single "Emotions", the title track from her new album.
1992:  Neil Diamond played the first of six sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1994:  Woodstock '94 was held in Saugerties, New York.  Aerosmith, Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nine Inch Nails performed. 















1994:  Janet Jackson had the #1 R&B song for a 10th week with "Any Time, Any Place".
1996:  Alex Van Halen, drummer of Van Halen, filed for divorce from wife Kelly.
1999:  The KISS movie Detroit Rock City opened in theaters.
1999:  Mick Jagger's marriage to Jerry Hall was declared null and void.
2000:  Former Spice Girl Melanie C reached #1 in the U.K. with "I Turn To You".
2001:  Garth Hudson, keyboardist with the Band, filed for bankruptcy  (Note:  Other sources incorrectly report the date as September 12, but the first account of the bankruptcy appeared in Billboard magazine August 13.)
2004:  Guitarist Wes Borland went back to Limp Bizkit.
2004:  Bjork performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
2014:  Guitarist Chris Walla, a member of Death Cab for Cutie for 17 years, left the group.



Born This Day:
1940:  John Stokes of the Bachelors ("Diane" from 1964) was born in Dublin, Ireland
1949:  Cliff Fish, bassist of Paper Lace ("The Night Chicago Died" from 1974), was born in Ripley, Derbeyshire.

1951:  Dan Fogelberg was born in Peoria, Illinois; died December 16, 2007 of prostate cancer in Deer Isle, Main.
1959:  Danny Bonaduce of the Partridge Family was born in Broomall, Pennsylvania.
1984:  Diamond Blue Smith, singer with Pretty Ricky, was born in Miami, Florida.

Calendar* Correction: V2000 Festival

Several websites report that Coldplay, Moby, and the Barenaked Ladies performed at the V2000 Festival on August 19, 2000.  Those groups all played at the Festival, but they all performed on the second and final day, August 20.

Calendar* Correction: John Cougar Mellencamp album 'Scarecrow'

This Date in Rock Music History: August 12

1956:  Elvis Presley received the key to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
1956:  The Platters performed on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1957:  Frankie Lymon left his group the Teenagers for a solo career.
1957:  Buddy Holly & the Crickets debuted on the Singles chart with their first hit record--"That'll Be The Day".
1958:  The Crests recorded "16 Candles".
1960:  Pete Best became the new drummer for the Silver Beatles.

1963:  The Ronettes released the single "Be My Baby".

1966:  John Lennon held a press conference at the Astor Tower Hotel in Chicago, Illinois to apologize for his recent remark that "the Beatles were more popular than Jesus."
1966:  The Beatles, Ronettes and Bobby Hebb performed at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois.  It was the beginning of what would turn out to be the final U.S. tour for the Beatles.  
1967:  Ten Years After, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, the Nice, Amen Corner, Zoot Money, Paul Jones, and Aynsley Dunbar performed on the second day of the National Jazz & Blues Festival in Windsor, Great Britain.  Pink Floyd was scheduled to perform, but had to cancel due  to the unreliability of lead singer Syd Barrett. 
1967:  Jimmy Hendrix performed at the Ambassador Theater in Washington, D.C. for the fourth of five shows.
1967:  The Supremes sang "Reflections" on American Bandstand.







1967:  "Reflections was the highest-debuting song of the week, giving the Supremes their 21st career hit.
1967:  Bobbie Gentry moved from #71 to #21 on this date with "Ode To Billie Joe".









                                                                                   Procol Harum's best--...

1967:  The Doors spent a third week at #1 with "Light My Fire".  The Beatles challenged with "All You Need Is Love" but Stevie Wonder was on his way down with "I Was Made To Love Her".  The Monkees had another big hit--"Pleasant Valley Sunday", which climbed from #9 to #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" by the Buckinghams, Frankie Valli remained at 6 with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", Procol Harum fell with "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", the Association was still in the Top 10 after 12 weeks with "Windy", the Hollies scored their third Top 10 with "Carrie-Anne" and the Young Rascals climbed in with "A Girl Like You".












1967:  Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles had only been out eight weeks, but seven of those were at #1 on the Album chart.  Headquarters from the Monkees remained at 2 while Flowers by the Rolling Stones locked up position #3.
1968:  The four members of Led Zeppelin played together for the first time at a studio rehearsal on Gerrard Street in London's West End.  The quartet's first song was "Train Kept-A-Rollin'".
1968:  Big Brother & the Holding Company released their one and only big album, Cheap Thrills.

1970:  A promising new singer released his first single on this date--it was called "Fire And Rain" and the artist was James Taylor.  (Note:  some websites falsely say the single was released in February.  It was Taylor's album that was released in February.  The single "Fire And Rain" was released on August 12, according to the book 'Long Ago And Far Away:  James Taylor - His Life And Music' by Timothy White.  The book "Fire and Rain:  The James Taylor Story' by Ian Halperin and Taylor's official website also confirm that the song was released in August.)

1970:  Neil Diamond released the single "Cracklin' Rosie".  (Note:  one website falsely reports that the song entered the 'Billboard' chart on August 16.  The correct date is August 31, according to 'Billboard' itself.)
1970:  Derek & the Dominoes played at the Speakeasy in London.
1970:  Janis Joplin performed for the final time at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts before she died from drugs less than two months later.
1970:  The trial of Jim Morrison of the Doors for indecent exposure onstage began in Miami, Florida.  (Note:  some websites claim the trial began on August 10.  It was originally scheduled to begin that day, but the judge in the case had another trial that took precedence, and the Morrison trial began August 12th, confirmed by the newspaper 'The Examiner'.)












1971:  The Carpenters released the single "Superstar".1972:  Jim Croce appeared on American Bandstand.
1972:  The Festival of Hope, at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York, with Jefferson Airplane and James Brown performing, became the first rock festival to raise funds for an established charity.

1972:  ELO, Faces, and Focus were among the acts to perform on the second day of the National Jazz, Blues, Folk & Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1972:  Alice Cooper had the #1 U.K. song with "School's Out".
1972:  The great Al Green landed himself a #1 R&B song with "I'm Still In Love With You".

1972:  Gilbert O'Sullivan remained on top for a third week with "Alone Again (Naturally)".  Looking Glass held steady at #2 for the third week with "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)".
1973:  What an incredible show this was.  The Eagles, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young in the same night at the Corral Club in Topanga, California.












1974:  A new British band released its first single on this date--Bad Company sent "Can't Get Enough" to radio stations.











1978:  Toby Beau reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "My Angel Baby".
1978:  The Little River Band had the fastest-rising song as "Reminiscing" moved from 56 to 34.
1978:  "Three Times A Lady" was the new #1 on the R&B chart for the Commodores.










1978:  The Commodores registered their first #1 song with "Three Times A Lady".  "Grease" by Frankie Valli and "Last Dance" from Donna Summer each moved up one to fill the void left when "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones dropped to #4.  Foreigner was up to 5 with "Hot Blooded".  The rest of the Top 10:  A Taste of Honey raced up from #17 with "Boogie Oogie Oogie", Pablo Cruise had song #7--"Love Will Find A Way", Barry Manilow enjoyed his 12th hit and 8th Top 10 song with "Copacabana (At The Copa)", Walter Egan reached the Top 10 with "Magnet And Steel" and Andy Gibb climbed from 16-10 with "An Everlasting Love".








1981:  Christopher Cross released the single "Arthur's Theme".











1981:  Dan Fogelberg released the single "Hard To Say".
1982:  Joe Tex ("I Gotcha'" from 1972) died of a heart attack at the age of 49 in Navasota, Texas.  (Note:  some websites report he died on August 13.  He died prior to midnight on August 12, according to his official death certificate and the website 'Texasescapes.com'.)
1984:  Lionel Richie closed the Los Angeles Olympic Summer Games by singing "All Night Long".
1985:  Syu Sakamoto was killed in a plane crash when his flight, JAL #123 (a 747 jet), crashed on a mountain about 60 miles northwest of Tokyo.  Sakamoto was the first Japanese artist to reach #1 in the United States with "Sukiyaki".  He was 43.
1986:  Paul Simon released his amazing album Graceland.  (Some websites claim Paul Simon released the album August 25.  According to Paul's official website, he released the LP August 12.)








1987:  Heart released the single "Who Will You Run To".  (Note:  some websites report the song was released August 15.  "Who Will You Run To" debuted on the Singles chart on August 17.  For that to occur, it had to be released before the reporting deadline of August 14 in order to make the chart that week.)

1987:  John Mellencamp released the single "Paper In Fire".  (Note:  some websites report the song was released August 15.  "Paper In Fire" debuted on the Singles chart on August 17.  For that to occur, it had to be released before the reporting deadline of August 14 in order to make the chart that week.)
1989:  The Rolling Stones played a secret club concert at Toad's Place in New Haven, Connecticut.
1989:  Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, the Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne and Skid Row performed at the two-day Moscow Music Peace Festival at Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Russia.  This was the first concert in which the audience was allowed to stand up and dance.  This wasn't 800 years B.C., but it really happened in Russia in 1989.  And if Putin had his way, he'd stop you Russians from dancing today.
1989:  Prince owned the top R&B song with "Batdance".








1989:  Richard Marx stepped up to #1 with "Right Here Waiting".
1991:  Bryan Adams had a firm hold on #1 in the U.K. with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You".






1992:  Don Henley & Patty Smyth released the single "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough".
1992:  The Grateful Dead canceled five shows so Jerry Garcia could recover from exhaustion.
1993:  Jesse Tobias replaced guitarist Arik Marshall in the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
1995:  Michael Stipe of R.E.M. had an operation for a hernia.










1995:  A mass wake was held for Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California.
1995:  TLC dominated again with "Waterfalls" at #1 for the sixth week.  Seal was going to make it interesting, though, with his new song "Kiss From A Rose", which was up to #2.
1996:  Alanis Morissette was in concert at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York.  Radiohead opened for her.
1996:  The Spice Girls mined gold when their first release "Wannabe" reached #1.
1998:  Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots pleaded guilty to felony heroin possession.
2000:  Robbie Williams scored a #1 song in the U.K. with "Rock DJ".
2001:  Alicia Keys had the #1 song with the great "Fallin'".
2006:  LeToya had the #1 album with LeToya.
2007:  Cary, North Carolina proclaimed the date "Chicago Day" in honor of the great group from the windy city.
2010:  Carl Perkins was inducted into the Memphis Beale Street Walk of Fame posthumously.

Born This Day:
1918:  Sid Bernstein, producer and promoter who brought the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Moody Blues, Herman's Hermits and the Kinks to the United States, and organized concerts for Sly & the Family Stone, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Laura Branigan, Lenny Kravitz and Melanie, among others, was born in New York City; died August 20, 2013 in Manhattan.  (Note:  some websites claim Sid died August 21, but according to the newspaper 'The New York Times', he died August 20.)
1926:  Joe Jones ("You Talk Too Much" from 1960) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana; died after quadruple bypass surgery in Los Angeles on November 27, 2005.

1949:  Mark Knopfler, guitarist, singer and founder of Dire Straits, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
1950:  Kid Creole (Thomas August Darnell Browder) was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  (Note:  some websites insist Browder was born in the Bronx, New York, but according to 'Billboard' magazine, Thomas was born in Montreal, then raised in the Bronx.)
1953:  Jerry Speiser, a founding member and drummer of Men at Work
1958:  Jurgen Dehmel, bassist and songwriter of Nena ("99 Luftballoons") was born in Berlin, West Germany.
1961:  Roy Hay, guitarist and keyboardist of Culture Club, was born in Southend, Essex,  England.
1963:  Sir Mix-A-Lot was born in Seattle, Washington