Music Almanac: September 3
- 1915 - Memphis Slim (born John Chatman) (d. 1988)
- 1925 - Hank Thompson (d. 2007)
- 1933 - Tompall Glaser (79)
- 1934 - Freddie King (d. 1976)
- 1942 - Al Jardine (Beach Boys) (70)
- 1942 - Gary Walker (born Gary Leeds) (Walker Brothers) (70)
- 1943 - Wallace Scott (Whispers) (69)
- 1943 - Walter Scott (Whispers) (69)
- 1945 - George Biondo (Steppenwolf) (67)
- 1947 - Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy) (65)
- 1948 - Don Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad) (64)
- 1950 - Doug Pinnick (King's X) (62)
- 1950 - Aaron Smith (Romeo Void) (62)
- 1952 - Leroy Smith (Sweet Sensation) (d. 2009)
- 1955 - Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) (57)
- 1962 - Lester Noel (Beats International) (50)
- 1963 - Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven) (49)
- 1965 - Vaden Todd Lewis (Toadies) (47)
- 1973 - Jennifer Paige (39)
- 1975 - Richard Wingo (Jagged Edge) (37)
- 1979 - Tomo (born Tomislav Miličević) (30 Seconds to Mars) (33)
- 1980 - Jason McCaslin (Sum 41) (32)
- 1980 - B.G. (born Christopher Dorsey) (32)
- 1982 - Andrew McMahon (Jack's Mannequin) (30)
Deaths
- 1970 - Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson (Canned Heat) - Drug overdose (27)
- 1985 - Johnny Marks (songwriter) (75)
- 1994 - Major Lance - Heart disease (55)
- 2007 - Carter Albrecht (Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians) - Shot (34)
- 2007 - Janis Martin - Cancer (67)
- 2010 - Mike Edwards (Electric Light Orchestra) - Car struck by 1,300 pound hay bale (62)
- 1942 - Frank Sinatra started his solo singing career.
- 1955 - Jim Reeves left the Louisiana Hayride to join the Grand Ole Opry.
- 1961 - Loretta Lynn signed with Decca Records.
- 1963 - Frank Sinatra's label, Reprise, becomes part of Warner Brothers Records.
- 1965 - A Rolling Stones concert in Dublin, Ireland ended when 30 people jumped on the stage, knocking down Mick Jagger.
- 1966 - Rick Nelson loses one of his best promotional tools as the series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet ends its 14 year run.
- 1968 - Ringo Starr rejoined the Beatles two weeks after walking out.
- 1970 - The Dave Clark Five broke up.
- 1970 - Arthur Brown was arrested in Palermo, Italy after a performance where he set fire to a helmet he was wearing and stripped naked.
- 1982 - The first US Festival was held in Devore, CA. The brainchild of Apple's Steve Wozniak, the three-day festival (running through September 5) included performances by the Ramones, the B-52's, Talking Heads, the Police, Santana, the Cars, the Kinks, Pat Benatar, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Jimmy Buffett, Jackson Browne and Fleetwood Mac.
- 1983 - Metallica ended their first tour.
- 1991 - Ike Turner was released from prison after serving 18-months of a four-year term.
- 1999 - Authorities shut down a bootlegging operation that was said to have cost the industry $100 million.
- 2001 - A free concert in Los Angeles by System of a Down ends up in a riot that results in six arrests and a few injured officers.
- 2002 - The Rolling Stones' Licks Tour, celebrating their 40th anniversary, began in Boston, MA.
- 2003 - Pete Doherty of the Libertines was sentenced to six months in prison for burglary and drug possession.
- 2003 - Kyle Norman of Jagged Edge turns himself in to police who charge him with possession of 13 pounds of marijuana and weapons.
- 2004 - After 46 years, Cliff Richard ended his contract with EMI, signing with Universal Music.
- 2008 - Ne-Yo won a suit against R. Kelly for $700,000 after being dropped from Kelly's tour.
- 2009 - Madonna's Sticky and Sweet Tour became the biggest ever by a solo artist, grossing $408 million.
Marriages
- 1994 - Brian Setzer and Christine Schmidt
- 2007 - Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) and Lyn Z (Mindless Self Indulgence)
Recorded
- 1990 - Out of Time - R.E.M. (recording began)
- 1973 - Angie - Rolling Stones (single)
- 1979 - Joe's Garage, Act 1 - Frank Zappa
- 1989 - Pump - Aerosmith
- 1994 - After the Storm - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Number Ones – U.S. Singles
- 1949 - You're Breaking My Heart - Vic Damone (4 weeks)
- 1955 - Yellow Rose of Texas - Mitch Miller (5 weeks)
- 1966 - Sunshine Superman - Donovan (1 week)
- 1983 - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics (1 week)
- 1960 (Stereo Albums) - String Along - Kingston Trio (8 weeks)
- 1966 - What Now My Love - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (1 week (8 previous weeks at number 1))
- 1988 - Hysteria - Def Leppard (3 weeks (3 previous weeks at number 1))
- 2005 - Most Wanted - Hilary Duff (2 weeks)