| 80 years ago (1941) | Eric Burdon, vocalist for the Animals and War, is born. |
| 53 years ago (1968) | The Birds, the Bees and The Monkees, which was certified gold upon its release in April, enters the LP charts at #80. In one week, pushed by the singles Daydream Believer and Valerie, it will jump to #3. |
| 51 years ago (1970) | Gimme Just a Little More Time by the Chairmen of the Board goes gold. This is the first hit for Invictus Records, the label started by Motown song writing team of Holland, Dozier, and Holland, in the wake of their split from Motown. |
| 51 years ago (1970) | The triple-disc Woodstock soundtrack album is released on Cotillion Records. The document of the epochal rock festival will go gold within two weeks. |
| 49 years ago (1972) | John Lennon tells Dick Cavett during an appearance on his show that he believes he has been followed and has had his phone tapped. In the meantime, a National Committee for John & Yoko continue its drive for letters and petitions opposing the U.S. government's attempt to deport the couple. |
| 47 years ago (1974) | Steely Dan's Rikki, Don't Lose That Number is released. |
| 42 years ago (1979) | Peaches and Herb, the sweet-singing soul duo, receive a platinum record for Reunited, a #1 hit for four weeks. |
| 40 years ago (1981) | In Miami's Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, reggae star Bob Marley dies. He succumbs to a brain tumor that ended his career in October 1980. Marley was regarded as a hero both in Jamaica and abroad. He will be given a state funeral and buried near his birthplace in St. Ann's Parish, Jamaica. Bob Marley was 36 years old. |
| 31 years ago (1990) | 31 years after his death, Ritchie Valens is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. |
| 16 years ago (2005) | Actor Maccauley Culkin testifies at the child molestation trial of Michael Jackson that although he slept in Michael’s bed several times between the ages of 10 and 14, sometimes with other boys as well, Michael never touched him inappropriately. He says the two bonded simply because of similar experiences as child stars. The jury acquits Michael of all charges a month later. |
| 15 years ago (2006) | Former teen idol Leif Garrett quits a drug treatment program, saying it’s too strict, and gets 90 days in jail and 3 years probation instead. He pled guilty last year after a 2004 arrest for attempted possession of cocaine-based narcotics. |
| 15 years ago (2006) | Rolling Stone Keith Richards is discharged from a New Zealand hospital after surgery to relieve pressure on his head after an injury from a fall the previous month. |