On this day today:
1938 - Bill Withers, the legendary soul singer known for hits like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me," is born in Slab Fork, West Virginia.
1952 - John Waite, renowned for his work as the lead vocalist and bass guitarist of The Babys, as well as the lead vocalist of Bad English, is born in Lancaster, Lancashire, England.
1969 - Just months after forming, Grand Funk Railroad performs to a massive crowd at the Atlanta Pop Festival, marking one of their earliest major appearances.
1974 - After a performance in Santa Monica, Steely Dan (Walter Becker and Donald Fagen) decide to stop live shows to concentrate on studio work. This shift allows them to create albums like "Katy Lied." They don't return to touring until 1993.
1976 - In a landmark event for British punk rock, the Ramones perform at the Roundhouse in Camden. This concert ignites the local punk scene, helping bands like The Sex Pistols and The Clash quickly rise to prominence.
1980 - 500,000 attend a free Beach Boys concert in Washington DC.
1986 - Run-DMC release their groundbreaking rap version of "Walk This Way," featuring Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. This collaboration revitalizes Aerosmith's career and brings hip-hop into the mainstream, blending rock and rap in a way that had never been done before.
1988 - Kylie Minogue releases her debut album, "Kylie," featuring her hit cover of "The Loco-Motion." The album not only showcases Minogue's pop prowess but also revitalizes the disco genre, which she embraces with style and flair.
1995 - Post Malone is born Austin Richard Post in Syracuse, New York.
1995 - Foo Fighters release their self-titled debut album, which is primarily a solo project by Dave Grohl. He wrote, produced, and played most of the instruments on the album, with Greg Dulli contributing guitar on "X-Static."
2008 - "Mamma Mia!" the movie, featuring ABBA's music and based on the hit musical, premieres in Sweden where Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and Agnetha Faltskog briefly reunite at the screening, celebrating the musical legacy that brought them together once more.
2013 - Jay-Z releases his twelfth studio album, "Magna Carta... Holy Grail," initially offering it as a free download exclusively for Samsung customers through the Jay-Z Magna Carta app. Non-Samsung users would need to wait four days to purchase the album at retail price.
2014 - Sia, known for her hit songwriting with tracks like Rihanna's "Diamonds" and David Guetta's "Titanium," releases her album "1000 Forms Of Fear," which reaches #1 in America. Known for her desire for privacy, she wears a wig covering her face while promoting the album. Notably, she opts not to appear in the music videos for singles like "Chandelier" and "Elastic Heart," which instead feature interpretive dance performances by Maddie Ziegler.
2023 - At his Las Vegas show, Usher's performance of "There Goes My Baby" with actress Keke Palmer sparks a social media frenzy, causing tension with her boyfriend, Darius Jackson. Later, Palmer stars in Usher's "Boyfriend" music video in August, playfully addressing the uproar.
