Music Almanac: August 6

Birthdays

• 1918 - Norman Granz (founder of Verve Records) (d. 2001)
• 1929 - Mike Ellott (Foundations) (83)
• 1946 - Allan Holdsworth (Soft Machine) (66)
• 1952 - Vinnie Vincent (Kiss) (60)
• 1952 - Pat MacDonald (Timbuk3) (60)
• 1953 - Mark DuFresne (Confederate Railroad) (59)
• 1958 - Randy DeBarge (DeBarge) (54)
• 1963 - Jamie Kensit (Eighth Wonder) (49)
• 1964 - Patsy & Peggy Lynn (Lynns, Loretta Lynn's daughters) (48)
• 1969 - Elliott Smith (d. 2003)
• 1972 - Geri Halliwell (Spice Girls) (40)
• 1981 - Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes) (31)

Deaths

• 1931 - Bix Beiderbecke - Pneumonia (28)
• 1983 - Klaus Nomi (David Bowie backup singer) - Complications of AIDS (39)
• 1994 - Domenico Modugno - Heart attack (66)
• 1999 - Dick Latvala (archivist for the Grateful Dead) - Heart attack (56)
• 2004 - Rick James - Pulmonary and cardiac failure (56)
• 2005 - Ibrahim Ferrer (Buena Vista Social Club) - Multiple organ failure (78)
• 2009 - Willie DeVille (Mink DeVille) - Pancreatic cancer (58)

On This Day

• 1964 - Rod Stewart made his TV debut in the group the Hoochie Coochie Men on Britain's The Beat Room.
• 1970 - The Concert for Peace was held in Shea Stadium, New York, with Paul Simon, Johnny Winter, Poco, Janis Joplin and Steppenwolf.
• 1973 - Stevie Wonder was involved in a car crash that left him seriously injured and in a coma for four days. He wrote the song Higher Ground as thanks for his living through the ordeal.
• 1981 - Phil Taylor of Motorhead is fined for marijuana possession and for not showing up for the initial April date of his trial.
• 1982 - The movie version of Pink Floyd's The Wall opened.
• 1987 - The Beastie Boys sued the city of Jacksonville, FL after "mature audiences" was printed on their concert tickets.
• 1987 - Madonna's Who's That Girl premiered in New York.
• 1989 - Adam Clayton of U2 was arrested for marijuana possession in Dublin.
• 1990 - Ace of Base made their live debut in Gothenburg, Sweden.
• 1994 - Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers was hospitalized for nervous exhaustion.
• 1996 - Vince Neil showed up four-hours late for a solo show in Indiana and only plays three songs. Police stave off a 500-person riot.
• 1996 - The Ramones place their hands into cement at the Hollywood Rock Walk before playing a show which they claim is their last.
• 2000 - It was announced that Ice-T would play a detective on the TV series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
• 2001 - Whitney Houston signed a contract worth more than $100 million with Arista Records.
• 2002 - Noel Gallagher of Oasis is injured in a car accident in Indianapolis, IN. The band is forced to cancel two future shows.
• 2007 - Madonna Wayne Gacey (real name Stephen Bier) sued Marilyn Manson for $20 million in shared profits.
• 2009 - Steven Tyler fell off the stage during a performance at the Sturgis Bike Rally and had to be airlifted to a hospital. He sustained neck and shoulder injuries.

Recorded

• 1971 - Live With the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra - Procol Harum

Released

• 1965 - Whatcha Gonna Do About It - Small Faces (debut single)
• 1981 - Bella Donna - Stevie Nicks (solo debut)

Awards

• 1995 - Soul Train: Lady of Soul Awards (1st Annual)

Broadcasts

• 1960 - American Bandstand - Chubby Checker (TV debut of The Twist)

Number Ones – U.S. Singles

• 1994 - Stay (I Missed You) - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories (3 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Albums

• 1955 - Love Me or Leave Me - Doris Day / Soundtrack (25 weeks)
• 1988 - Appetite For Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1 week)
• 2005 - Now That's What I Call Music 19 - Various Artists (2 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles

• 1955 - A Fool For You - Ray Charles (1 week)
• 1977 - Strawberry Letter 23 - Brothers Johnson (1 week)
• 1988 - Off On Your Own (Girl) - Al B. Sure! (2 weeks)

Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles

• 1977 - Rollin' With the Flow - Charlie Rich (2 weeks)
• 1983 - Your Love's On the Line - Earl Thomas Conley (1 week)
• 1988 - Baby Blue - George Strait (1 week)

Number Ones – U.K. Singles

• 1988 - The Only Way is Up - Yazz and the Plastic Population (5 weeks)
• 2000 - Rock DJ - Robbie Williams (1 week)

Number Ones – U.K. Albums

• 1960 - South Pacific - Original Soundtrack (5 weeks (89 previous weeks at number 1))
• 1983 - The Very Best of the Beach Boys - Beach Boys (2 weeks)
• 2000 - Ronan - Ronan Keating (2 weeks)
• 2006 - Undiscovered - James Morrison (2 week)