On this day today:
1864 - Composer Richard Strauss is born in Munich, Germany.
1947 - Richard Palmer-James, vocalist and guitarist for Supertramp and songwriter for King Crimson, is born in Bournemouth, England.
1950 - Graham Russell, the singer and guitarist of Air Supply, is born Cyril Graham Russell in Nottingham, England.
1952 - Donnie Van Zant, guitarist and vocalist for .38 Special and Van Zant, is born in Jacksonville, Florida.
1959 - James Hugh Calum Laurie, an English actor, comedian, writer, and musician, was born in Blackbird Leys, Oxfordshire, England.
1961 - Robert Birch, vocalist for Stereo MC's, is born in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, England.
1966 - The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," featuring Brian Jones on sitar, reaches #1 in America.
1967 - Printed in this week's music weekly Melody Maker's ad pages was a call for a "Freaky lead guitarist, bass, and drummer" to join Marc Bolan's new group. The ad also welcomed "any other astral flyers" with car amplification and a unique vibe. Interested parties were instructed to contact Wimbledon 0697. The band, initially known as Tyrannosaurus Rex, later evolved into T. Rex after releasing four underground folk albums.
1976 - Wild Cherry release "Play That Funky Music."
1982 - After much anticipation, "Grease 2," the sequel to the 1978 smash musical, lands in theaters but fails to meet expectations, crashing and burning at the box office.
1986 - "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" hits theaters, featuring a memorable scene where Matthew Broderick leads a parade through downtown Chicago to The Beatles' "Twist And Shout." This revitalizes interest in the iconic song, prompting its return to the charts soon after.
1988 - The Free Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium in London featured a star-studded lineup of iconic artists, including Peter Gabriel, Sting, Whitney Houston, and Stevie Wonder. The event was a historic moment in the fight against apartheid, with musicians from around the world coming together to advocate for Mandela's release from prison and the end of apartheid in South Africa.
1991 - Skid Row releases their album "Slave To The Grind," following their 5-million-selling self-titled debut. Despite debuting at #1 in America and selling 2 million copies, the album struggles to gain traction: none of its songs catch on with radio or MTV.
1992 - U2 extends a special invitation to ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson to join them onstage during their concert in Stockholm. Together, they deliver an unforgettable rendition of ABBA's 1976 smash hit, "Dancing Queen," much to the delight of the audience.
2000 - Aaliyah achieved a significant milestone when her song "Try Again" reached No.1 on the US singles chart. Notably, it became the first "airplay-only" song to achieve this feat, receiving no points from a commercial single release.
2002 - American Idol premieres on the FOX network.
2004 - Faith Hill marks her film debut in the comedic remake of the 1975 thriller "The Stepford Wives." The movie features a star-studded cast including Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, and Bette Midler.
2016 - Tragically, 22-year-old Christina Grimmie, who gained fame by placing third on Season 6 of The Voice, is fatally shot by gunman Kevin James Loibl during a meet-and-greet at The Plaza Live theater in Orlando, Florida. In a heroic act, Christina's brother, Marcus Grimmie, tackles the assailant, who ultimately takes his own life during the scuffle.
2020 - Country trio Lady Antebellum announces their decision to change their name to Lady A, citing concerns over connotations with slavery associated with the term "antebellum." The original name referred to the architectural style of Southern homes built before the Civil War in America.
