Music Almanac: August 18

Birthdays

• 1906 - Curtis Jones (d. 1971)
• 1907 - Enoch Light (d. 1978)
• 1928 - Sonny Til (Orioles) (d. 1981)
• 1934 - Ronnie Carroll (78)
• 1938 - Allen Reynolds (country producer) (74)
• 1939 - Molly Bee (d. 2009)
• 1939 - Johnny Preston (d. 2011)
• 1940 - Bryan Bowers (credited with reintroducing the autoharp) (72)
• 1943 - Carl Wayne (Move) (d. 2004)
• 1945 - Vince Melouney (Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Bee Gees) (67)
• 1945 - Sarah Dash (Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles) (67)
• 1945 - Barbara Harris (Toys) (67)
• 1949 - Nigel Griggs (Split Enz) (63)
• 1950 - Dennis Elliott (Forigner) (62)
• 1950 - Jamie O'Hara (O'Kanes) (62)
• 1952 - Patrick Swayze (d. 2009)
• 1953 - Jim Ayoub (Mahogany Rush) (59)
• 1953 - Marvin Isley (Isley Brothers) (d. 2010) 
• 1956 - Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz (Weird Al Yankovic) (56)
• 1967 - Dan Peters (Mudhoney) (45)
• 1967 - Blas Gomez (Slaughter) (45)
• 1967 - Tracy Tracy (Primitives) (45)
• 1969 - Everlast (born Erik Schrody) (43)
• 1971 - Richard D James (Aphex Twins) (41)
• 1977 - Régine Chassagne (Arcade Fire) (35)
• 1981 - Jonathan Schneck (Relient K) (31)
• 1983 - Mika (born Michael Penniman) (29)

Deaths

• 1999 - Johnny Byrne (Rory Storm & the Hurricanes) (60)
• 2003 - Tony Jackson (Searchers) - Cirrhosis of the liver (65)
• 2004 - Elmer Bernstein - Cancer (82)
• 2008 - Pervis Jackson (Spinners) - Cancer (70)

On This Day

• 1962 - Ringo Starr debuted with the Beatles in Birkenhead, England.
• 1963 - The Louvin Brothers performed for the last time as a duo.
• 1964 - The Beatles arrived in San Francisco in preparation for their first U.S. tour. 6,000 met them at the airport.
• 1966 - Paul Jones left Manfred Mann, replaced by Mike d'Abo.
• 1969 - Mick Jagger was accidentally shot in the hand on the set of Ned Kelly.
• 1973 - Gene Krupa played for the last time with the Benny Goodman Quartet.
• 1976 - It was reported that Marvin Gaye was facing two five-day sentences in jail for overdue alimony and child support.
• 1977 - The funeral of Elvis Presley was held at Graceland.
• 1977 - The police played their first show as a three-man group in Birmingham, England.
• 1982 - Streets were named after each of the Beatles in Liverpool.
• 1990 - Jazzie B from Soul II Soul was injured in a car accident.
• 1992 - Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love became parents of daughter Frances Bean.
• 1997 - The Rolling Stones announced their Bridges to Babylon tour.
• 1999 - Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors is said to have rare paralysis of his vocal chords.
• 2000 - Joey Molland of Badfinger finishes a show in Darrington, WA after falling off the stage and breaking his leg.
• 2003 - Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake start their Justified & Stripped Tour in New York.
• 2003 - Mary J. Blige says that hundreds of thousands of dollars were stolen from her bank account by her managers.
• 2005 - Eminem is hospitalized for dependency on sleep medication after cancelling his European tour.
• 2006 - Justin Hawkins of the Darkness voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation clinic for exhaustion.

Marriages

• 1979 - Nick Lowe and Carlene Carter
• 1984 - Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) and Julie Anne

Recorded

• 1961 - Big Bad John - Jimmy Dean

Released

• 1956 - Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton (single)
• 1962 - If I Had a Hammer - Peter, Paul & Mary (single)
• 1973 - China Grove - Doobie Brothers (single)
• 1986 - Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi

Gold & Platinum

• 1981 - Long Distance Voyager - Moody Blues (Platinum)

Broadcasts

• 1979 - Eat the Document (PBS documentary) - John Lennon, Bob Dylan

Number Ones – U.S. Singles

• 1956 - Hound Dog / Don't Be Cruel - Elvis Presley (11 weeks)
• 1958 - Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) - Domenico Modugno (1 week)
• 1973 - Touch Me in the Morning - Diana Ross (1 week)
• 1979 - Good Times - Chic (1 week)
• 2001 - Fallin' - Alicia Keys (3 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Albums

• 1951 - Show Boat - Soundtrack (18 weeks)
• 1973 - A Passion Play - Jethro Tull (1 week)
• 2001 - Now That's What I Call Music 7 - Various Artists (3 weeks)
• 2007 - Finding Forever - Common (1 week)

Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles

• 1956 - My Prayer - Platters (2 weeks)
• 1973 - Let's Get It On - Aretha Franklin (6 weeks)
• 2001 - Fallin' - Alicia Keys (4 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles

• 1973 - Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man - Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty (1 week)
• 1979 - Coca Cola Cowboy - Mel Tillis (1 week)
• 1984 - Still Losing You - Ronnie Milsap (1 week)
• 1990 - Next to You, Next to Me - Shenandoah (3 weeks)

Number Ones – U.K. Singles

• 1966 - Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby - Beatles (4 weeks)
• 1984 - Careless Whisper - George Michael (3 weeks)
• 2002 - Round Round - Sugarbabes (1 week)

Number Ones – U.K. Albums

• 1973 - We Can Make It - Peters and Lee (2 weeks)