Music Almanac: August 31

Birthdays

• 1939 - Jerry Allison (Crickets) (73)
• 1940 - Wilton Felder (Crusaders) (72)
• 1944 - Roger Dean (album cover artist) (68)
• 1945 - Van Morrison (67)
• 1948 - Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions) (64)
• 1949 - Rick Roberts (Firefall) (63)
• 1950 - Steve Goetzman (Exile) (62)
• 1952 - Bruce Soboroff (Buckinghams) (60)
• 1955 - Anthony Thistlethwaite (Waterboys) (57)
• 1957 - Glenn Tillbrook (Squeeze) (55)
• 1957 - Gina Schock (Go-Go's) (55)
• 1959 - Tony DeFranco (DeFranco Family) (53)
• 1960 - Chris Whitley (d. 2005)
• 1963 - Larry Waddell (Mint Condition) (49)
• 1963 - Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake) (49)
• 1967 - Gerard Love (Teenage Fanclub) (45)
• 1969 - Jeff Russo (Tonic) (43)
• 1970 - Debbie Gibson (42)
• 1977 - Craig Nicholls (Vines) (35)
• 1977 - Del Marquis (born Derek Gruen) (Scissor Sisters) (35)
• 1979 - Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) (33)
• 1980 - Joe Budden (32)
• 1981 - 40 Cal. (born Calvin Byrd) (31)

Deaths

• 1976 - Buell Kazee (folk singer) (76)
• 2002 - Lionel Hampton - Congestive heart failure (94)
• 2004 - Carl Wayne (Move) - Esophageal cancer (61)
• 2004 - Joe Berry (65)

On This Day

• 1965 - Sonny & Cher traveled to the U.K. for the first time for a promotional tour.
• 1968 - The first Isle of Wight Festival was held with performers including the Jefferson Airplane, Fairport Convention, T-Rex, the Move, the Pretty Things and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
• 1968 - Jeannie C. Riley made her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
• 1968 - Danny Kerwin joined Fleetwood Mac.
• 1971 - The Rolling Stones (and the father of Brian Jones) filed a suit against the group's managers accusing them of making a secret deal with Decca Records that limited the group's royalties.
• 1971 - A security guard was stabbed and killed at a Who concert in Forest Hills, NY.
• 1974 - Traffic played live for the last time at the Redding Festival in the U.K.
• 1974 - John Lennon testified in U.S. federal court that Richard Nixon tried to have him deported over his involvement in anti-war protests.
• 1976 - George Harrison lost the lawsuit accusing him of unconsciously plagiarizing his song My Sweet Lord from the Ronnie Mack song He's So Fine. 
• 1984 - Prince's movie Purple Rain opened in the U.K.
• 1987 - The video for Michael Jackson's Bad premiered.
• 1989 - The Rolling Stones opened their Steel Wheels tour in Philadelphia, PA.
• 1990 - A memorial service was held for Stevie Ray Vaughan which included a performance of Amazing Grace by Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Wonder.
• 1995 - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened in Cleveland.
• 1997 - James Brown became the first western popular artist to perform in Lebanon.
• 1999 - R.L. Burnside underwent angioplasty surgery.
• 2002 - It was announced that Lance Bass of *NSYNC would be the first celebrity astronaut. He would not be on the flight when he failed to pay the $20 million fee.
• 2003 - Poison continues with their tour even though their instruments and stage equipment are destroyed in a fire.
• 2004 - Carrie Smith quits the Von Bondies and is replaced by Yasmeen Smith.
• 2005 - Blondie and Public Enemy perform at a rally to save the club CBGB.
• 2005 - Toby Keith announced he was forming the independent Show Dog Nashville Records.

Marriages

• 1957 - Roy Clark and Barbara Joyce Rupard
• 1980 - Karen Carpenter and Thomas Burris
• 1986 - Bob Geldof and Paula Yates

Divorces

• 1988 - Bob Seger and Annette Sinclair (filed)

Recorded

• 1939 - All or Nothing at All - Frank Sinatra and the Harry James Band

Released

• 1974 - Goat's Head Soup - Rolling Stones
• 1974 - Jazzman - Carole King (single)
• 1999 - Risk - Megadeth

Awards

• 2006 - MTV Video Music Awards
• Video of the Year - I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! at the Disco
• Male Video - You're Beautiful - James Blunt
• Female Video - Because of You - Kelly Clarkson
• Group Video - Move Along - All-American Rejects
• New Artist - Bat Country - Avenged Sevenfold
• Pop Video - Stupid Girls - Pink
• Rock Video - Miss Murder - AFI
• R&B Video - Check on It - Beyonce Featuring Slim Thug and Bun B
• Rap Video - Ridin' - Chamillionaire Featuring Krayzie Bone
• Hip-Hop Video - My Humps - Black Eyed Peas
• Dance Video - Buttons - Pussycat Dolls Featuring Snoop Dogg

Broadcasts

• 1974 - The Partridge Family (final show)

Number Ones – U.S. Singles

• 1963 - My Boyfriend's Back - Angels (3 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Albums

• 1946 - Cole Porter Review - David Rose & His Orchestra (2 weeks)
• 1963 - My Son, the Nut - Allan Sherman (8 weeks)
• 1985 - Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits (9 weeks)
• 1991 - Metallica - Metallica (4 weeks)
• 2002 - Nellyville - Nelly (1 week (3 previous weeks at number 1))

Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles

• 1968 - You're All I Need to Get By - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (5 weeks)
• 1991 - Addictive Love - BeBe & CeCe Winans (2 weeks)
• 1996 - Hit Me Off - New Edition (3 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles

• 1959 - The Three Bells - Browns (10 weeks)
• 1968 - Mama Tried - Merle Haggard (4 weeks)
• 1974 - The Grand Tour - George Jones (1 week)
• 1985 - Love is Alive - Judds (1 week)
• 1996 - She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart - Tim McGraw (2 weeks)

Number Ones – U.K. Singles

• 1961 - Johnny Remember Me - John Layton (3 weeks)
• 1968 - Do It Again - Beach Boys (1 week)
• 1974 - Love Me For a Reason - Osmonds (3 weeks)
• 1985 - I Got You Babe - UB40 and Chrissie Hynde
• 2003 - Are You Ready For Love - Elton John (1 week)

Number Ones – U.K. Albums

• 1957 - The Tommy Steele Story - Tommy Steele (1 week (3 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1991 - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - London Stage Cast (2 weeks)
• 2003 - Permission to Land - Darkness (4 weeks)
• 2008 - Forth - Verve (2 weeks)