Music Almanac: August 9
- 1934 - Merle Kilgore (d. 2005)
- 1939 - Billy Henderson (Spinners) (d. 2007)
- 1941 - Viv Prince (Pretty Things) (71)
- 1946 - Rinus Gerritsen (Golden Earring) (66)
- 1947 - Barbara Mason (65)
- 1947 - Benjamin Orr (Cars) (d. 2000)
- 1954 - Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello) (58)
- 1955 - Charlie Morgan (Elton John) (57)
- 1958 - Greg Chaisson (Badlands) (54)
- 1959 - Kurtis Blow (born Kurt Walker) (53)
- 1959 - Diane Williams (Girls Next Door) (53)
- 1960 - Aimee Mann (52)
- 1963 - Whitney Houston (d. 2012)
- 1965 - Kyle Kyle (Bang Tango) (47)
- 1968 - Sam Fogario (Interpol) (44)
- 1970 - Aaron Salazar (Third Eye Blind) (42)
- 1972 - Juanes (40)
- 1974 - Mack 10 (born Dedrick Rolison) (Westside Connection) (38)
Deaths
- 1995 - Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) - Heart attack (53)
- 1999 - Bob Herbert (manager for Spice Girls) - Car accident (57)
- 2002 - Paul Samson (Samson) - Cancer (49)
- 2004 - Tony Mottola (86)
On This Day
- 1947 - Bonnie Campbell, 15, joined the Buck Owens Band. She became Bonnie Owens a year later.
- 1958 - Cliff Richard signed with EMI in Britain at the age of 17.
- 1962 - Robert Zimmerman legally became Bob Dylan.
- 1964 - Two policemen passed out and one was hospitalized trying to control 3,000 people at a Rolling Stone concert in Manchester, U.K.
- 1964 - Bob Dylan and Joan Baez play on the same bill for the first time in Forest Hills, NY.
- 1973 - Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell left Wings.
- 1975 - The first Rock Music Awards was held in Santa Monica, CA. Don Kirshner organized the show with the winners including the Eagles, Bad Company and Stevie Wonder.
- 1978 - Muddy Waters performed at the White House for Jimmy Carter.
- 1980 - Ten original paintings from Pink Floyd's The Wall, created by Gerald Scarfe, were stolen.
- 1986 - Queen gave their last live performance at Knebworth Park in the U.K.
- 1994 - The bus for Oasis was attacked by over 300 people after Noel Gallagher promptly stopped a show after being hit by a man who jumped on the stage.
- 1997 - Elvis Week started in Memphis, this year commemorating the 20th anniversary of his passing.
- 2005 - Marc Cohn was shot in the head during a car jacking after a show in Denver, CO. The bulled penetrated the scalp but not his skull.
- 2006 - Shakira opened the U.S. portion of her Oral Fixation tour in El Paso, TX.
- 2007 - Amy Winehouse entered a hospital for severed exhaustion, cancelling a series of European shows.
Recorded
- 1953 - Stanley Brothers first recording session for Mercury.
- 1965 - You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - Silkie
Released
- 1969 - Hot Fun in the Summertime - Sly & the Family Stone (single)
- 1969 - Easy to Be Hard - Three Dog Night (single)
Broadcasts
- 1963 - Ready, Steady, Go (Premier) - Searchers, Pat Boone, Billy Fury, Brian Poole & the Tremeloes, Jet Harris
Number Ones – U.S. Singles
- 1947 - Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) - Tex Williams (6 weeks)
- 1975 - Jive Talkin' - Bee Gees (2 weeks)
- 1997 - No Way Out - Puff Daddy & the Family (1 week)
- 2008 - Breakout - Miley Cyrus (1 week)
Number Ones – U.S. R&B Singles
- 1975 - Hope That We Can Be Together Soon - Sharon Paige & Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (1 week)
- 1997 - Never Make Me a Promise - Dru Hill (4 weeks)
Number Ones – U.S. Country Singles
- 1969 - All I Have to Offer You is Me - Charley Pride (1 week)
- 1975 - Wasted Days & Wasted Nights - Freddy Fender (2 weeks)
- 1980 - Stand By Me - Mickey Gilley (1 week)
- 1986 - Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Rain - Judds (1 week)
- 2003 - It's Five O'Clock Somewhere - Alan Jackson with Jimmy Buffett (7 weeks)
Number Ones – U.K. Singles
- 1967 - San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) - Scott McKenzie (4 weeks)
- 1975 - Barbados - Typically Tropical (1 week)
- 1980 - The Winner Takes it All - ABBA (2 weeks)
- 1998 - No Matter What - Boyzone (3 weeks)
- 2009 - Never Leave You - Tinchy Stryder Featuring Amelle
Number Ones – U.K. Albums
- 1969 - Stand Up - Jethro Tull (3 weeks)
- 1980 - Back in Black - AC/DC (2 weeks)
