Music Almanac: August 5
- 1930 - Damita Jo (born Damita Jo DeBlanc) (d. 1998)
- 1934 - Vern Gosdin (d. 2009)
- 1940 - Bobby Braddock (72)
- 1941 - Airto Moreira (Weather Report) (71)
- 1942 - Rick Huxley (Dave Clark Five) (70)
- 1943 - Sammi Smith (d. 2005)
- 1945 - Barry Tashian (Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris' Hot Band) (67)
- 1947 - Rick Derringer (65)
- 1947 - Greg Leskiw (Guess Who) (65)
- 1951 - Samantha Sang (61)
- 1952 - Louis Walsh (manager) (60)
- 1955 - Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister) (57)
- 1959 - Pat Smear (Germs, Nirvana) (53)
- 1959 - Pete Burns (Dead or Alive) (53)
- 1960 - Mike Nocito (Johnny Hates Jazz) (52)
- 1960 - Seth Swirsky (52)
- 1960 - Stuart Croxford (Kajagoogoo) (52)
- 1964 - Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys) (48)
- 1965 - Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones) (47)
- 1966 - Jennifer Finch (L7) (46)
- 1968 - Terri Clark (44)
- 1971 - "Evil" Jared Hasselhoff (Bloodhound Gang) (41)
- 1972 - Christian Olde Wolbers (Fear Factory) (40)
- 1975 - Dan Hipgrave (Toploader) (37)
- 1983 - Dawn Richard (Dainty Kane) (29)
Deaths
- 1968 - Luther Perkins (Tennessee Three) - House fire (40)
- 1978 - Pete Meaden (manager for the Who) - Suicide
- 1986 - Michael Rudetsky (Culture Club) - Heroin overdose (27)
- 1992 - Jeff Porcaro (Toto) - Heart attack (38)
- 1993 - Randy Hobbs (McCoys, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter) - Heart failure (45)
- 2008 - Robert Hazard - Pancreatic cancer (59)
On This Day
- 1957 - American Bandstand premiered nationally.
- 1965 - Jan Berry (Jan & Dean) broke his leg when he was knocked off a camera car. It was the first day of shooting on the film Easy Come, Easy Go. His injury, along with a number of others, caused the film to be cancelled.
- 1972 - Aerosmith signed to Columbia Records by Clive Davis.
- 1972 - Wizzard made their live debut in London on a bill with Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and Gary Glitter.
- 1975 - The band that would become the Runaways was formed by Kim Fowley.
- 1975 - Stevie Wonder signed a $13 million contract with Motown, the largest contract to date.
- 1979 - Def Leppard signed with Polygram in the U.K.
- 1980 - The Osmonds split up.
- 1981 - Olivia Newton-John received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1983 - David Crosby received a sentence of five years for cocaine and firearms possession.
- 1990 - Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour ends in Nice, France. The show would be an HBO special.
- 1992 - Michael Jackson collapsed three times during a show in Wales.
- 1994 - Billy Idol entered a Los Angeles hospital with a drug overdose.
- 1998 - George Strait set the record for most lifetime Country Music Association nominations with 47.
- 2000 - Gary Glitter was forced to call police to his London home after a crowd gathered shouting abuse.
- 2003 - Lynyrd Skynyrd were forced to cancel the balance of their tour after doctors for Gary Rossington told the guitarist to take it easy. He had open heart surgery the previous February.
Recorded
- 1964 - When I Grow Up to Be a Man - Beach Boys
- 1966 - Revolver - Beatles (U.K. release)
- 1967 - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - Pink Floyd (debut album)
- 1967 - Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry (single)
- 1986 - Dancing on the Ceiling - Lionel Richie
Broadcasts
- 1957 - American Bandstand - Billy Williams, Chordettes (debut of national show)
- 1958 - American Bandstand - Coasters (1st anniversary show)
- 1976 - The Beach Boys: It's O.K. (15th anniversary special)
Number Ones – U.S. Singles
- 1944 - Swinging on a Star - Bing Crosby (9 weeks)
- 1978 - Miss You - Rolling Stones (1 week)
- 1989 - Batdance - Prince (1 week)
Number Ones – U.S. Albums
- 1995 - Dreaming of You - Selena (1 week)
- 2000 - Now That's What I Call Music 4 - Various Artists (3 weeks)
Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles
- 1967 - I Was Made to Love Her - Stevie Wonder (3 weeks)
- 1972 - Where is the Love - Roberta Flack & Donnie Hathaway (1 week)
- 1978 - Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste of Honey (1 week)
- 1989 - On Our Own - Bobby Brown (1 week)
- 2000 - Incomplete - Sisqo (4 weeks)
- 2006 - Me & U - Cassie (1 week)
Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles
- 1957 - (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley (1 week)
- 1967 - I'll Never Find Another You - Sonny James (4 weeks)
- 1978 - Love or Something Like It - Kenny Rogers (1 week)
- 1989 - Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That - Dolly Parton (1 week)
- 1995 - I Don't Even Know Your Name - Alan Jackson (1 week)
Number Ones – U.K. Singles
- 1965 - Help! - Beatles (3 weeks)
- 1989 - Swing the Mood - Jive Bunny & the Mastermixers (5 weeks)
Number Ones – U.K. Albums
- 1989 - Cuts Both Ways - Gloria Estefan (6 weeks)
- 2001 - White Ladder - David Gray (1 week)
