| 78 | years ago | 1948 | Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson is born in the Bronx. |
| 76 | years ago | 1950 | Bill and Dick Cowsill of The Cowsills are born. |
| 62 | years ago | 1964 | The Supremes top the singles chart for the first time with Where Did Our Love Go? |
| 61 | years ago | 1965 | Sonny and Cher are at #1 in the U. K. with the single I Got You Babe. This would be the duo’s only U. K. #1. |
| 60 | years ago | 1966 | Dan Vickrey of Counting Crowes is born. |
| 59 | years ago | 1967 | Bobbie Gentry starts a four-week run at #1 on the singles chart with Ode To Billy Joe. |
| 59 | years ago | 1967 | The Beatles go see the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at University College. At a press conference, the Maharishi, with The Beatles seated next to him, gives strong and sincere answers to the press' sarcastic and sometime silly questions. The Beatles announce they have given up drugs as Paul McCartney explains, “It was an experience we went through. We don't need it anymore. We're finding different ways to get there.” |
| 59 | years ago | 1967 | Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze is released. |
| 59 | years ago | 1967 | Simon & Garfunkel's Fakin' It peaks at #23 on the pop chart. |
| 58 | years ago | 1968 | Apple Corps releases its first products: five singles including The Beatles' Hey Jude backed by Revolution. It becomes the band's biggest hit. |
| 58 | years ago | 1968 | Jeannie C. Riley's Harper Valley P.T.A. is certified gold. |
| 56 | years ago | 1970 | The Isle of Wight Pop Festival is underway in England. Jimi Hendrix makes his last public appearance. During Joni Mitchell's set, a man jumps on stage, grabs the mike and shouts, “This is just a hippie concentration camp.” Mitchell bursts into tears. The festival ends August 31. |
| 56 | years ago | 1970 | Duane Allman starts recording as a member of Eric Clapton's new band, Derek & the Dominoes. A double album is finished in less than 10 days. Clapton calls Allman “the catalyst” of the whole project. |
| 56 | years ago | 1970 | Jimi Hendrix opens his recording studio in New York City. Because of its state-of-the-art, 36-track recording capability, it attracts many top rock groups. |
| 54 | years ago | 1972 | The Hollies' Distant Light enters the chart. The album contains the hit single, Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress). Argent's Hold Your Head Up peaks at #5 on the chart. And Looking Glass starts a two-week run at #1 with Brandy, You're A Fine Girl |
| 50 | years ago | 1976 | Aerosmith is featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. |
| 49 | years ago | 1977 | The Pretenders play their first public gig, opening for Strangeways. |
| 48 | years ago | 1978 | Frankie Valli goes to #1 on the U. S. singles chart with the Barry Gibb song, Grease. It goes on to sell over 2 million copies in the States, and was also a #3 hit in the U. K. |
| 47 | years ago | 1979 | Phil Collins joins Peter Gabriel onstage at the Redding Festival for a version of the Genesis classic, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. |
| 46 | years ago | 1980 | Cheap Trick bassist Tom Peterson quits the group due to the inevitable “personal and musical differences.” He is replaced by Pete Comita. However, he returns to the group in 1988. |
| 43 | years ago | 1983 | Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, a film starring David Bowie, opens in the United States. |
| 39 | years ago | 1987 | Sonny Bono announces he is running for mayor of Palm Springs. He wins. |
| 37 | years ago | 1989 | Don Henley's The End of the Innocence peaks at #8 on the pop singles chart. |
| 37 | years ago | 1989 | Ringo Starr wins a court order to prevent a record producer from releasing material Starr considered to be of inferior quality due to the impaired state Starr was in when it was recorded. |
| 36 | years ago | 1990 | Randy Newman wins an Emmy for composing music for Cop Rock. |
| 36 | years ago | 1990 | Guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn dies in a helicopter accident. |
| 33 | years ago | 1993 | A double-sided acetate of The Beatles performing live at The Cavern in Liverpool sells for £16,500 at Christies in London, a world record price for a recording. |
| 31 | years ago | 1995 | Seal goes to #1 on the singles chart with Kiss From A Rose, a song from the film Batman Forever. |
| 29 | years ago | 1997 | Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is admitted to a hospital after crashing on his motorbike while driving down Sunset Boulevard. |
| 25 | years ago | 2001 | Maxwell starts a two-week run at #1 on the album chart with Now. |
| 24 | years ago | 2002 | Peter Noone sues the former Herman's Hermits drummer for touring under that name with a bogus group. |