Birthdays:
Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana in 1958.
Sterling Morrison, whose talent for guitar noise was exercised in the Velvet Underground, was born in 1942.
Bassist and organist Chris Copping of Procol Harum was born in Southend, England in 1945.
(David) Kyle Cook, matchbox 20 guitarist, entered the world in 1975.
History:
The late Charlie Parker, the sax great who forever changed modern jazz with compositions like "Now's the Time," was born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1920.
In 1958, Alan Freed's Big Beat Show opened at the Fox Theatre in Brooklyn. Those performing included Frankie Avalon, Jimmy Clanton, Chuck Berry, Bobby Freeman, Bill Haley and his Comets and The Elegants.
Edwin Starr hits #1 with "War" in 1970. It would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
In 1966, The Beatles performed their final performance at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Sharing the bill are the Cyrkle, the Ronettes, and the Remains. They kick off with Chuck Berry`s "Rock `n` Roll Music" and close with Little Richard`s "Long Tall Sally." Except for the rooftop performance in "Let It Be" this is it. The Beatles never toured again. The show was filmed by Beatles press officer Tony Barrow, but that film has never been released.
Sly and the Family Stone hit #1 with "Everyday People" and #2 with "Hot Fun in the Summertime” in 1969.
The late Dinah Washington ("Unforgettable") was born in 1924.
Paul Anka hosts and Lesley Gore, the Cyrkle and Peter & Gordon appear on NBC-TV's last "Hullabaloo" show in 1966.
Elvis Presley's movie "Kid Gallahad" opened in 1962.
The Youngbloods recorded "Get Together" in 1966.
In 1958, John Lennon and Paul McCartney welcomed George Harrison into their group the Quarrymen.
In 1959, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney perform together at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool, England, after the Les Stewart Quartet have an argument and refuse to play. The Quarrymen are hired by Casbah Club owner Mona Best to play a regular Saturday-night show.
In 1964, Roy Orbison released his single "Oh, Pretty Woman." The rocker becomes Roy's last No. 1.
According to today's issue of Billboard in 1964,, guitar sales in America and Britain are at their highest since 1957, when Elvis Presley sparked a craze for the instrument.
The Kinks' sensitive ode to a transvestite, "Lola," was released in 1970.
In 1977, three people were arrested in Memphis after trying to steal Elvis' body. As a result his body was moved to Graceland.
The Beatles performed a second time at the Hollywood Bowl in 1965. Recordings from this concert and the one a year earlier become "The Beatles Live At The Hollywood Bowl" album.
Jimmy Reed, who reached the Billboard Pop chart with "Honest I Do" in 1957 and "Baby What You Want Me To Do" in 1960, died following an epileptic seizure on August 29, 1976, just days shy of his 51st birthday.
In 1987, the East LA band, Los Lobos had the number one single on Billboard's Hot 100this week with a remake of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba", from the movie of the same name. Singer Cesar Rosas said that the song itself is a traditional Mexican tune that means "wedding song".