Music Almanac: August 20
- 1923 - Jim Reeves (d. 1964)
- 1931 - Paul Robi (Platters) (d. 1989)
- 1934 - Sneaky Pete Kleinow (Flying Burrito Brothers) (d. 2007)
- 1935 - Justin Tubb (d. 1998)
- 1940 - John Lantree (Honeycombs) (72)
- 1941 - Dave Brock (Hawkwind) (71)
- 1942 - Isaac Hayes (d. 2008)
- 1944 - Jon Povey (Pretty Things) (68)
- 1946 - Ralf Hütter (Kraftwerk) (66)
- 1947 - James Pankow (Chicago) (65)
- 1948 - Robert Plant (64)
- 1949 - Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) (d. 1986)
- 1952 - John Hiatt (60)
- 1952 - Rudy Gatlin (Gatlin Brothers) (60)
- 1952 - Doug Fieger (Knack) (d. 2010)
- 1956 - Rick Olsen (Berlin) (56)
- 1957 - Richard Zatorski (Real Life) (55)
- 1966 - Dimebag Darrell (Pantera) (d. 2004)
- 1970 - Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) (42)
- 1971 - Brad Avery (Third Day) (41)
- 1974 - Big Moe (born Kenneth Moore) (d. 2007)
- 1979 - Jamie Cullum (33)
- 1992 - Demi Lovato (20)
Deaths
- 1988 - Leon McAuliffe (Bob Wills' Texas Playboys) (71)
- 1999 - Bobby Sheehan (Blues Traveler) - Drug overdose (31)
- 2009 - Larry Knechtel - Heart attack (69)
- 1960 - The shooting of the movie Where the Boys Are, starring Connie Francis, begins in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
- 1965 - Andrew Loog Oldham and Tony Calder formed Immediate Records. The McCoy's Hang On Sloopy was their first release.
- 1966 - The Beatles were forced to postpone their appearance in Cincinnati due to heavy rains.
- 1967 - The New York Times is the first to report about the new Dolby sound reduction system.
- 1969 - Frank Zappa broke up the Mothers of Invention.
- 1991 - Nirvana and Sonic Youth started a European Tour in Cork, Ireland.
- 1993 - Santana and Bob Dylan open their tour in Portland, OR.
- 1996 - Snoop Dogg settles out-of-court with the family of a man shot by his bodyguard three years earlier.
- 1997 - A 50-mile stretch of Interstate 65 through Alabama is dedicated to Hank Williams.
- 1998 - Rapper DMX is exonerated of rape charges based on DNA evidence.
- 2000 - The last show was played in London's original Wembley Stadium by Bon Jovi.
- 2000 - Five members of the audience are injured in a crush at a No Doubt concert.
- 2003 - OSHA fined the group Great White and the owner of the Providence, R.I. club The Station almost $100,000 for the fire that killed 100 people.
- 2003 - Olivia Newton-John cancelled her U.S. tour to attend to her ill mother.
- 2008 - Country star John Rich said that the late-Johnny Cash would have backed presidential candidate John McCain. Cash's daughter, Rosanne, shot back that the comment was extremely presumptuous.
Marriages
- 2007 - T.G. Sheppard and Kelly Lang
Recorded
- 1969 - I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Beatles (their final studio session)
Released
- 1966 - Beauty's Only Skin Deep - Temptations (single)
- 1973 - Angie - Rolling Stones (single)
- 2010 - Life Won't Wait - Ozzy Osbourne (single)
Broadcasts
- 1997 - Oasis: Right Here Right Now (BBC)
Number Ones – U.S. Singles
- 1977 - Best of My Love - Emotions (4 weeks)
Number Ones – U.S. Albums
- 1960 (stereo albums) - Sold Out - Kingston Trio (2 weeks)
- 1988 - Roll With It - Steve Winwood (1 week)
- 2005 - Fireflies - Faith Hill (1 week)
Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles
- 1949 - Ain't Nobody's Business (Parts 1 & 2) - Jimmy Witherspoon (1 week)
- 1983 - Get it Right - Aretha Franklin (2 weeks)
- 1988 - Loosey's Rap - Rick James Featuring Roxanne Shante (1 week)
- 1994 - I'll Make Love to You - Boyz II Men (9 weeks)
Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles
- 1977 - Way Down - Elvis Presley (1 week)
- 1983 - Love Song - Oak Ridge Boys (1 week)
- 1988 - Bluest Eyes in Texas - Restless Heart (1 week)
Number Ones – U.K. Singles
- 1977 - Angelo - Brotherhood of Man (1 week)
- 1995 - Country House - Blur (2 weeks)
- 2000 - Groovejet (If It Ain't Love) - Spiller Featuring Sophie Ellis-Baxter (1 week)
Number Ones – U.K. Albums
- 1983 - 18 Greatest Hits - Michael Jackson Plus the Jackson 5 (3 weeks)
- 2000 - Born to Do It - Craig David (2 weeks)
- 2006 - Back to Basics - Christina Aguilera (1 week)
