On This Day

Vinyl Junkie wrote: And now Aretha Franklin.

August 18th: On this Day

1962, Ringo Starr made his debut with The Beatles at the horticultural society Dance, Birkenhead, England, having had a two-hour rehearsal in preparation. This was the first appearance of The Beatles as the world would come to know them: John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

1964, Over 9,000 frenzied fans met The Beatles as they arrived in San Francisco, to begin an American tour. The Beatles were driven into a protective fence enclosure so that photographers could take pictures. As the 9,000 fans pressed against the fencing, it gave way, with The Beatles managing to get out split-seconds before it came crashing down.

1966, Paul Jones left Manfred Mann just as ‘Pretty Flamingo’ was climbing the US charts. He was replaced by singer Mike D’Abo, who would take over lead vocals on the bands next hit, ‘The Mighty Quinn,’ a song written by Bob Dylan.

1969, Mick Jagger was accidentally shot in the hand during filming of Ned Kelly in Australia. The film was dogged by problems: Jagger's girlfriend of the time, Marianne Faithfull, had gone to Australia to play the lead female role (Ned's sister, Maggie), but the Jagger-Faithfull relationship was breaking up, and she took an overdose of sleeping tablets soon after arrival in Sydney resulting in being hospitalised in a coma, and pulling out of the film.

1973, Diana Ross scored her second US No.1 single with 'Touch Me In The Morning'. The song marked a turning point in her career, coming immediately after her Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in her acting debut, Lady Sings the Blues.

1976, 'Variety' reported that Marvin Gaye faced two consecutive five day prison terms in Los Angeles county jail for contempt of court after failing to pay alimony and child support.

1977, The Police made their live debut as a three-piece band when they played at Rebecca's Birmingham, England. The Police became globally popular in the late 1970s and are generally regarded as one of the first New Wave groups to achieve mainstream success, playing a style of rock that was influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz.

1977, Two Missouri girls were killed and a third was critically injured when a car being driven by an 18-year-old Memphis teen swerved into a crowd of over 2,000 mourners standing in front of Graceland's music gate at about 4am. The driver was charged with drunk driving, leaving the scene of an accident and two counts of second degree murder.

1979, British singer, songwriter, producer Nick Lowe married Johnny Cash's stepdaughter Carlene Carter in Los Angeles. The couple are now divorced.

1979, Chic went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Good Times', the group's second US No.1, a No.5 hit in the UK.

1982, The City of Liverpool named four Streets after the fab four: John Lennon Drive, Paul McCartney Way, George Harrison Close and Ringo Starr Drive.

1983, The Police plus Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and R.E.M. (their biggest gig to date) all appeared at Shea Stadium, New York City.

1984, George Michael was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his first solo single 'Careless Whisper.' It made George the first person to reach No.1 as a solo artist and a member of a band in the same year. It gave Epic records UK their first UK million seller and the song was No.1 in nearly 25 countries, selling over six million copies worldwide.

1986, Bon Jovi released their third studio album, Slippery When Wet, which peaked at No.1 on the US charts, going on to sell over 28 million copies worldwide. The set featured two US chart toppers, 'You Give Love A Bad Name' and 'Livin’ On A Prayer'.

1991, Rick Griffin, died after being forced off the road by a van he was attempting to pass on his Harley Heritage Softail motorbike. One of his best known album covers was for the Grateful Dead's 'Aoxomoa' LP, and the legendary "Flying Eyeball" poster he designed for a series of concerts in San Francisco featuring the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Albert King and John Mayall.

1991, Sweet Jesus appeared at the Boardwalk, Manchester. Support act was The Rain (later to become Oasis) minus Noel Gallagher who had yet to join his brothers band.

1992, Kurt Cobain became a father when his wife Courtney Love gave birth to a daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.

2003, Tony Jackson bass player with The Searchers died of cirrhosis of the liver. The Searchers had the 1964 UK No.1 & US No.13 single 'Needles And Pins'.

2005, Kanye West called for an end to homophobia in the hip-hop community during an MTV interview saying ‘hip-hop was always about speaking your mind and about breaking down barriers, but everyone in hip-hop discriminates against gay people. Not just hip-hop, but America just discriminates, I wanna just, to come on TV and just tell my rappers, just tell my friends, 'Yo, stop it'."

2006, Justin Hawkins the lead singer of The Darkness checked himself into the Priory rehabilitation clinic suffering from exhaustion after three years of non-stop work.

2006, US film-maker Adam Muskiewicz set up elviswanted.com as part of a documentary exploring the myth that the singer was still alive and offered a $3m (£1.59m) reward for anybody who found Elvis Presley alive. The film was due for release in August 2007, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Presley's death.

2006, Babyshambles front man Pete Doherty appeared at Thames Magistrates court in London to face seven charges of drug possession.

2008, Soul singer Pervis Jackson died of cancer. Was a member of The Spinners (Also known as The Motown Spinners and The Detroit Spinners). Had the 1980 UK No.1 & US No.2 single 'Working My Way Back To You'.

2010, French beauty brand Etat Libre D'Orange announced that they have teamed up with the Sex Pistols to bottle the scent of the Punk era by launching the band's first fragrance. Company executives said "to wear this scent, you must resist tradition, fight conformity, and disregard aromatic conventions."

2012, American singer and songwrite Scott McKenzie died aged 73. He was best known for his 1967 hit single and generational anthem, 'San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)'. He also joined a new version of The Mamas & the Papas and co-wrote "Kokomo" (1988), a No.1 single for The Beach Boys.

2014, Ed Sheeran's album X notched up eight weeks at No.1 on the UK chart, becoming the joint longest chart-topper by a male solo artist. The last man to achieve the feat was James Blunt for his 2005 collection Back to Bedlam.

August 21st: On this Day

1961, Elvis Presley started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Something For Everybody' his sixth US No.1 album.

1961, Patsy Cline recorded the classic Willie Nelson song, ‘Crazy’. Cline was still on crutches after going through a car windshield in a head-on collision two months earlier and had difficulty reaching the high notes of the song at first due to her broken ribs. 'Crazy' spent 21 weeks on the chart and eventually became one of her signature tunes.

1961, Tamla Records released the Marvelettes first single, 'Please Mr. Postman'. The song went on to sell over a million copies and become the group's biggest hit, reaching the top of both the Billboard Pop and R&B charts. The song is notable as the first Motown song to reach the No.1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart.

1965, The Rolling Stones started a three week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Out Of Our Heads' the group's first US No.1 album.

1966, On their last ever US tour The Beatles performed in two cities due to a cancellation due to rain the previous day. First they performed at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. Then they flew to St. Louis, Missouri, for a concert at Busch Stadium, where they performed under a tarpaulin due to heavy rain. It was this gig that convinced Paul McCartney that The Beatles should stop performing live.

1967, The Doors started recording their second album at Sunset Sound Studios, Hollywood, California.

1968, Tommy James and The Shondells returned to the UK No.1 position for the second time with the single 'Mony Mony'. In a peculiar twist, in 1987 Billy Idol's version of the song replaced another Tommy James hit at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — 'I Think We're Alone Now', covered by Tiffany.

1971, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Hawkwind, Duster Bennett, Brewers Droop, Indian Summer, Graphite, (and second from the bottom on the bill) Queen all appeared at the Tregye Festival Truro, Cornwall, England.

1972, Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane was arrested after a fight broke out on stage during a concert when the police had been called 'pigs'. Grace Slick was 'Mace' and another group member injured at the show in Akron.

1976, The Rolling Stones, 10CC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Todd Rundgren's Utopia and Hot Tuna all appeared at The Knebworth Festival, Hertfordshire, England, tickets £4.50.

1982, U2 singer Bono married Alison Stewart, his girlfriend from 1975 at All Saints Church, Raheny in Ireland. U2 bassist Adam Clayton acted as Bono's best man.

1983, Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone had a four-hour brain surgery operation, after being found unconscious in a New York Street where he had been involved in a fight.

1997, Former Stone Roses drummer Alan Wren was jailed for seven days after being rude to a top Manchester Magistrate. He was before the court due to having no car insurance and lost his temper after being quizzed about his earnings.

1997, Oasis' third album 'Be Here Now', became one of the fastest selling albums ever, shifting over 350,000 units on the first day of release. The cover image for Be Here Now was shot at Stocks House in Hertfordshire, the former home of Victor Lownes, the head of the Playboy Clubs in the UK.

2000, Survivor filed a lawsuit against TVT Records after they released a soundtrack to the TV show ‘Survivor.’ Survivor guitarist Frankie Sullivan said, ‘It’s unfortunate that after 23 years of building, promoting, and protecting the name of our band, someone can suddenly come along and release a recording that uses our name and takes away everything we have worked for.’

2000, American recording engineer Chuck Britz died of brain cancer in Paradise, California at the age of 72. He worked with Jan and Dean, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, P.F. Sloan and The Grass Roots on numerous albums between 1962 and 1967.

2002, Atomic Kitten were facing legal action after sacking Andy McCluskey, the songwriter who wrote the bands first No.1 'Whole Again.' The band were about to be dropped by Innocent records when they recorded the song that became a huge hit. The girls then wanted a bigger share of royalties, which McCluskey had turned down. Under the original deal each girl got 4p from the sale of one single.

2005, Robert Moog, inventor of the synthesiser died aged 71, four months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Dr Moog built his first electronic instrument, a theremin - aged 14 and made the MiniMoog, "the first compact, easy-to-use synthesiser" in 1970. He won the Polar prize, Sweden's "music Nobel prize", in 2001. Wendy Carlos' 1968 Grammy award-winning album, Switched-On Bach, brought Dr Moog to prominence.

2006, A man surfing the Internet in America foiled three men who broke into a Liverpool shop in Liverpool, England. The man who had logged onto a site streaming live footage of Mathew Street and a forthcoming Beatles festival saw the men smashing a window of a shop and climb inside. He phoned Merseyside police who arrested the men.

2008, Paedophile and ex-pop star Gary Glitter returned to Thailand after being refused entry to Hong Kong. Chinese authorities informed the UK Foreign Office they had barred Glitter from entry. He was earlier deported from Vietnam after spending almost three years in jail for sexually abusing two girls. He flew to Hong Kong from Bangkok after refusing to fly to the UK, and had made a plea for medical treatment after saying he was suffering a heart attack.

2008, Drummer Buddy Harman died of congestive heart failure, aged 79. Worked with Elvis Presley (‘Little Sister’), Patsy Cline (‘Crazy’), Roy Orbison (‘Pretty Woman’), Johnny Cash (‘Ring Of Fire’), Tammy Wynette (‘Stand By Your Man’). Harman was the first house drummer for The Grand Ole Opry and can be heard on over 18,000 recordings.

2013, Legendary concert promoter Sid Bernstein, best known for booking The Beatles at Carnegie Hall and later Shea Stadium, died at the age of 95. Bernstein changed the American music scene in the 1960s by bringing The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, The Moody Blues, and The Kinks to America. He was the first impresario to organise rock concerts at sports stadiums.

2014, Sir Paul McCartney topped a list of the richest bassists in the world with estimated wealth of $1.2 billion according to the website www.therichest.com. Coming in at No.2 were Sting and Gene Simmons, both with a net worth of $300 million, followed by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, U2's Adam Clayton and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

2016, The Tragically Hip drew a sell-out crowd to the show in Kingston, Ontario, as their dying singer Gord Downie bid Canada farewell. The show was broadcast live across Canada and was shown at hundreds of public screenings across the country in bars and outdoor venues.

All for 4.50 ..not bad at all

Even more so, you wouldn't get a ride on a rocking horse for £4.50 😎😎

 

Lou Reed the typist

August 25th: On this Day

1957, Canadian singer, songwriter Paul Anka was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Diana' (written about his brother's baby-sitter). His only UK No.1 as an artist, Anka was the first teenage solo act to reach No.1.

1960, The Shadows were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Apache'. The first of five UK No.1's for Cliff Richard's backing group.

1961, After playing a lunchtime gig at The Cavern Club Liverpool, The Beatles played aboard the Merseyside riverboat M.V.Royal Iris supporting Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band.

1962, Little Eva went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Loco-motion'. The Carole King and Gerry Goffin song was offered to Dee Dee Sharp (Mashed Potatoes), who turned it down. The writers had their babysitter record it who took it to No.1.

1965, Two female Beatles fans hired a helicopter to fly over the house The Beatles were renting in Beverly Hills, California and jumped from the helicopter into the swimming pool.

1966, During their last US tour, The Beatles played two shows at the Coliseum in Seattle, Washington. The first show at 3pm was attended by only 8,000 fans (the arena seated 15,000), but the evening show was a sell-out.

1967, Bobbie Gentry started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Ode To Billy Joe', a No.13 hit in the UK. The song generated eight Grammy nominations, resulting in three wins for Gentry and one win for arranger Jimmie Haskell.

1967, Brian Wilson returned to performing live with The Beach Boys in Honolulu after a 2 year hiatus. The group had just released 'Heroes and Villains' in the US.

1970, A party was held to celebrate the official opening of 'Electric Ladyland' studios in New York City, New York. Artists who went on to record at the studio include: Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, AC/DC, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa and Guns N' Roses.

1970, Elton John made his US live debut when he kicked off a 17-date tour at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. In the audience that night were Don Henley, Quincy Jones and Leon Russell. Elton's latest single 'Border Song' had just debuted at number 92 on the US chart.

1973, One Hit Wonders Stories started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Brother Louie'. Hot Chocolate who had a No.7 hit with the song in the UK wrote the song.

1975, Bruce Springsteen released his third studio album Born to Run. The album peaked at No.3 on the Billboard chart eventually selling six million copies in the United States and has since been considered by critics to be one of the greatest albums in popular music. Two singles were released from the album: 'Born to Run' and 'Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out'; the first helped Springsteen to reach mainstream popularity.

1979, The Knack started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'My Sharona', the group's only US chart topper, a No.6 hit in the UK. Lead singer Doug Fieger said he was inspired to write the tune by Sharrona Alperin, a 17 year old senior at Los Angeles' Fairfax High, who later became his girlfriend. Fieger and Alperin eventually got married to other people, but they remained friends. After battling cancer for several years, Fieger died at his home in the Los Angeles on February 14, 2010. He was 57 years old.

1981, R.E.M. appeared at The Scorpio, Charlotte, North Carolina. This show was billed as "Charlotte's First Gay New Wave Disco and Costume Party", with the $3 tickets benefitting various gay-lesbian charities.

1990, 'Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' by Bombalurina was the UK No.1 single. Bombalurina was childrens TV presenter Timmy Mallett with a remake of Brian Hyland's 1960 hit.

1993, Snoop Doggy Dogg was released on $1 million bail after being accused of being involved with the murder of a member of the By Yerself gang during a shooting in Los Angeles. He was acquitted of the charges in 1996.

1995, Bassist and singer Doug Stegmeyer shot himself dead. He'd worked with many artists including Billy Joel, Hall and Oates and The Carpenters.

1997, A deranged man who had escaped from a mental institution near Helsinki Finland was arrested. The man had planned to set fire to the stage that Michael Jackson was performing from was arrested before he was able to light the gasoline he had put on the stage.

1999, Robert Fisher from New Romantic duo Naked Eyes and Climie Fisher died of cancer aged 39. With Climie Fisher scored the 1988 UK No.2 single 'Love Changes Everything' and wrote songs for Rod Stewart, Milli Vanilli, Fleetwood Mac and Jermaine Jackson. Fisher also worked as a producer, working with various acts including Eric Clapton.

2000, Academy Award-winning film score composer and record producer Jack Nitzsche died of a heart attack. He produced The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Buffalo Springfield and The Walker Brothers. Musical scores including The Exorcist, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, co-wrote 'Up Where We Belong' with Buffy Sainte-Marie from 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman.

2001, American singer, actress Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas aged 22. The small Cessna plane crashed a few minutes after take off killing everyone on board with exception to four passengers who were pulled from the wreckage but later died. Aaliyah had been filming a video for her latest release 'Rock The Boat' on the island.

2005, Two former members of Guns N' Roses were suing singer Axl Rose for allegedly naming himself sole administrator of the US rock band's copyrights. Slash and Duff - otherwise known as Saul Hudson and Michael McKagan, accused Rose of "arrogance and ego". The legal action claimed the singer "was no longer willing to acknowledge the contributions of his former partners".

2006, Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton was undergoing treatment for throat cancer causing him to sit out the first half of the band's Route of All Evil Tour, the first time he would miss any shows in the band's history. Longtime band friend David Hull filled in for Hamilton until his return.

2009, Bob Dylan revealed during his weekly radio show broadcast on 6 Music, that he was speaking to a number of car companies about becoming the voice of their satellite navigation systems. The 68 year-old said he thought it be would be good for drivers to hear him saying things such as: "Take a left at the next street. No, a right. You know what, just go straight".

2010, A selection of previously unseen photographs of The Beatles went on display in Liverpool at the Victoria Gallery and Museum. The images were taken by Astrid Kirchherr the former girlfriend of original bass player Stuart Sutcliffe, who took pictures of the band's early years after meeting them in Hamburg in 1960. The exhibition included images of the Beatles on holiday in Tenerife and of the making of their film A Hard Day's Night in 1964 in Liverpool.

2014, Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' was voted the greatest guitar riff of all time by listeners of BBC Radio 2 in the UK. The rock classic came out top from a list of 100 riffs drawn up by a panel of Radio 2 and 6 Music DJs, critics and record producers. 'Sweet Child O' Mine' by Guns 'N' Roses was second in the poll, with Back In Black (AC/DC) and 'Smoke On The Water' (Deep Purple) the next most popular.

August 26th: On this Day

1965, Sonny & Cher were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Got You Babe', the duo's only UK No.1. Sonny Bono was inspired to write the song to capitalize on the popularity of the term "babe," as heard in Bob Dylan's 'It Ain't Me Babe'.

1967, Small Faces, Move, The Gass, Tomorrow, Denny Laine, Jeff Beck, Eric Burdon and Marmalade all appeared on the first day of the 3-day non-stop happening 'Festival of the Flower Children' at Woburn Abbey, England. Plus DJ's John Peel and Tommy Vance, day tickets cost £1.

1967, The Beatles held a press conference at University College in Bangor, North Wales with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Beatles announced that they had become disciples of the guru and that they renounced the use of drugs. The four had become members of the Maharishi's 'Spiritual Regeneration Movement', which obligated them to donate one week's earnings each month to the organization.

1970, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, (his last ever UK appearance), Donovan, Jethro Tull, Miles Davis, Arrival, Cactus, Family, Taste, Mungo Jerry, ELP, The Doors, The Who, Spirit, The Moody Blues, Chicago, Procol Harum, Sly and the Family Stone and Free all appeared over three days at the third Isle Of Wight Festival. Weekend tickets, £3.

1973, 10cc made their live debut at the Palace Lido Isle of Man at the start of an UK tour. Comprising of Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, who had written and recorded together for some three years before assuming the 10cc name.

1977, Uriah Heep, Thin Lizzy, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Golden Earing, Aerosmith, Doobie Brothers, Hawkwind, Racing Cars, John Miles, Graham Parker, The Enid, No Dice and Frankie Miller's Full House all appeared at the 17th three day Reading Festival, England. A three day ticket cost £7.95.

1978, Frankie Valli went to No.1 on the US singles chart with the Barry Gibb song 'Grease'. It went on to sell over 2 million in the States (a No. 3 hit in the UK).

1981, Ottawa City Council named 'Paul Anka Day' to celebrate his 25th anniversary in show-business. The council also named a street in Ottawa 'Paul Anka Drive' in his honour. The Canadian singer songwriter had written over 900 songs including the classic 'My Way'.

1987, Sonny Bono, who once said that he never voted until he was 53, announced that he was running for mayor of Palm Springs, California. He won the election in 1988 and went on to win a seat in Congress in 1996.

1993, A double sided acetate of The Beatles performing live at The Cavern Club in Liverpool sold for £16,500 at Christies, London, a world record price for a recording.

1994, Scottish singer Frankie Miller suffered a massive brain haemorrhage in New York, while writing material for a new band he and Joe Walsh from The Eagles had formed. Miller spent five months in a coma. He then entered rehabilitation, re-learning how to walk and talk.

1995, Blur scored their first UK No.1 single with 'Country House' and won a media battle with Oasis for the No.1 position. Both acts released their new singles on the same day, 'Country House' topped the chart, selling 270,000 copies, compared to 'Roll with It' which sold 220,000, seeing Oasis entering the chart at No.2.

1995, Seal went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Kiss From A Rose', taken from the film 'Batman Forever' a No.4 hit in the UK.

1997, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was admitted to hospital after crashing on his motorbike while driving down Sunset Boulevard.

2000, Allen Woody former bass player with The Allman Brothers Band and co-founder of Gov't Mule was found dead in New York aged 44.

2003, Rolling Stone Magazine named Jimi Hendrix as the greatest guitarist in Rock history. Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Chuck Berry Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ry Cooder also made the top 10 list.

2004, US Cinematographer David Myers died after suffering a stroke. He worked of various music films including Woodstock, Elvis On Tour, The Last Waltz, The Grateful Dead Movie, Mad Dogs & Englishmen and Cracked Actor: A Film About David Bowie.

2004, Singer Laura Branigan died of a brain aneurysm. She had had a 1982 US No.2 & UK No.6 single with ‘Gloria’ and a 1984 US No.4 & UK No.5 with ‘Self Control’. She had also played Janis Joplin in the US musical Love, Janis.

2005, A plaque was unveiled by fellow Quarrymen John Duff Lowe and Colin Hantonat at the site where the band which was to become The Beatles made their first recordings. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison recorded a version of Buddy Holly's 'That'll Be The Day' and a Lennon-Harrison song, 'In Spite Of All The Danger' as The Quarrymen at the Percy Philips studio in Liverpool in 1958.

2005, A post office near the Los Angeles studio where Ray Charles recorded much of his music was renamed after the R&B legend. A federal bill was signed by US President George Bush to rename the post office. Charles, died in June 2004 at the age of 74, suffering from acute liver disease.

2005, Green Day were named best band on the planet at the 12th annual Kerrang! rock awards, they also won best live act. Welsh metal group Funeral For a Friend won best British band, while New Jersey's My Chemical Romance picked up best album and best video. Iron Maiden were inducted into the Kerrang! Hall of Fame and Marilyn Manson took the Icon Award. Best single went to Foo Fighters' 'Best of You' while Trivium were named best international newcomers. Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor was named classic songwriter while Killing Joke were given a lifetime achievement accolade.

2007, Police who raided the home of US rap star DMX, found 12 neglected pit bull terrier dogs and a number of guns. The bodies of three more dogs had been buried. No arrests were made and DMX told police he had not been at the property in Arizona for at least two months. The rapper who had launched his own range of dog clothing, including caps, scarves and raincoats for canines also featured on the cover of his latest album, Year of the Dog... Again, with a pit bull straining at the leash.

2007, After two years, The Rolling Stones played the final show on their A Bigger Bang World Tour at the O2 Arena in London, England. The longest and biggest tour of their career, it became the highest grossing in rock history ($560 million).

2014, Kate Bush made her stage comeback at London's Hammersmith Apollo to an ecstatic response from fans at her first live concert for 35 years. Bush received a standing ovation as she closed the show with 'Cloudbusting', from her 1985 hit album The Hounds of Love. The 22 shows had completely sold out in less than fifteen minutes, after tickets were released in March of this year.

August 28th: On this Day

1961, Joe Dowell went to No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of 'Wooden Heart'. The song is best known for its use in the 1960 Elvis Presley film G.I. Blues, which gave Elvis a No.1 hit in the United Kingdom.

1964, After playing a show at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, New York, The Beatles met Bob Dylan for the first time at The Delmonico Hotel. Dylan and mutual journalist friend Al Aronowitz introduce the Fab Four to marijuana.

1965, The Beach Boys 'California Girls' was at No.3 on the US singles chart, the single peaked at No.26 in the UK. The music for the song came from Brian Wilson's first LSD experience.

1965, The Rolling Stones announced that Allen Klein, who they had met three days earlier, would co-manage the group along with Andrew Loog Oldham. At the same time, The Stones signed a five-year recording deal with Decca Records.

1965, Bob Dylan played the first night of a 40 date North American tour at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in New York City. Dylan played the first set solo and was backed by a band consisting of Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Harvey Brooks and Al Kooper in the second set. This format, one acoustic and one electric set was kept through-out the tour.

1966, Nearing the end of their final tour of America, The Beatles performed one show at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California, before a crowd of 45,000. The Beatles' attempt to escape from the stadium in an armored truck is thwarted when the main gate was found to be locked, and The Beatles had to spend two hours in the back of the truck before they could leave the stadium.

1968, Simon and Garfunkel started a five-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Bookends'. The duo's fourth studio album featured 'America', 'Mrs. Robinson' and 'A Hazy Shade of Winter'.

1968, The Beach Boys were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Do It Again', the group's second and final UK No.1.

1968, Working at Trident Studios, London, The Beatles started recording a new John Lennon song ‘Dear Prudence’. They built the song instrument by instrument, utilizing the 8-track equipment at Trident. John and George played guitars, while Paul played drums to compensate for Ringo Starr who had quit The Beatles on August 22.

1968, Tammy Wynette recorded 'Stand By Your Man' at Epic studios after an idea that came from producer, Billy Sherrill. Wynette and Sherril completed the song in 15 minutes. It proved to be the most successful record of Wynette's career and is one of the most covered songs in the history of country music. The song has appeared in various films, including: Five Easy Pieces, The Blues Brothers, The Crying Game, Sleepless in Seattle, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Golden Eye.

1970, During a four-week engagement at The International Hotel in Las Vegas, a security guard at the hotel received a phone call in which he was told Elvis Presley would be shot during his last show. The person demanded $50,000 to reveal the name of the potential killer. Later that day a menu was found in Elvis’ mail at the hotel on which Elvis’ face was destroyed and a gun had been drawn pointing to his heart. The threats were taken very seriously. Elvis played his last show without any incident.

1972, Alice Cooper was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'School's Out'. Cooper has said he was inspired to write the song when answering the question, "What's the greatest three minutes of your life?". Cooper said: "There's two times during the year. One is Christmas morning, the next one is the last three minutes of the last day of school."

1981, Producer Guy Stevens died at the age of 38 years old, having overdosed on prescription drugs he was taking to reduce his alcohol dependency. He worked with Mott The Hoople, Free and The Clash. He was the president of the Chuck Berry Appreciation Society and it was Stevens who brought Berry to the UK for his first tour. He gave Procol Harum and Mott the Hoople their distinctive names.

1984, The Jacksons' Victory Tour broke the record for concert ticket sales after they surpassed the 1.1 million mark in two months.

1988, Kylie Minogue set a new UK record when her debut album 'Kylie' became the biggest selling album by a female artist in Britain with sales of almost two million.

1993, Billy Joel started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'River Of Dreams.' Joel claimed most of the music came to him in his sleep, hence the title. The singers second wife, one time model Christie Brinkley, painted the album cover which was later voted worst album cover of the year.

1993, German-based multi-national dance act Culture Beat started a four-week run at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'Mr Vain'. It was the first UK No.1 single not to be available in a 7" version.

1996, Issac Hayes, who co-wrote the Sam and Dave's classic 'Soul Man', sent a protest letter to presidential candidate Bob Dole, requesting Dole to stop using his song, which supporters had changed to 'I'm A Dole Man.'

1998, Geri Halliwell announced that she was selling off her Spice Girls clothes in a charity auction. The PVC cat suit she used to wear was up for £5000 knee high boots for £1200 and the Union Jack dress she wore to the Brit Awards for £8000.

2005, Rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight was admitted to hospital after being shot in the leg at a party hosted by hip hop star Kanye West. The party was held at a club in Miami, Florida, to celebrate this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

2005, Green Day cleaned up at this years MTV awards held in Miami winning seven awards including, Video of the Year for 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' and the Viewer's Choice Award. Best Male Video went to Kanye West for ‘Jesus Walks’, Best Choreography went to Gwen Stefani for ‘Hollaback Girl’ and Breakthrough Video went to Gorillaz for ‘Feel Good Inc.’ The awards went ahead despite concerns over Hurricane Katrina, which hit Florida last week, and after a shooting at a pre-awards party. Record boss Suge Knight was shot in the leg during at a party for Kanye West.

2005, Art Garfunkel was charged by police for possession after a marijuana cigarette was allegedly found in the ashtray of his car. Garfunkel had pleaded guilty the previous year to possession of marijuana in upstate New York.

2009, Noel Gallagher quit Oasis saying he could no longer work with his brother Liam. Noel, the group's lead guitarist and chief songwriter, had recently been involved in a series of rows with Liam, and admitted he and his brother rarely spoke, did not travel together and only saw each other on stage. The guitarist said: "It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. The band were due to play the Rock en Seine festival in Paris but cancelled at the last minute. When the support band said Oasis would not be performing, many fans thought it was a joke.

2012, Celebrity Net Worth named Ringo Starr as the world's richest drummer, with an estimated fortune of $300 million. Phil Collins was ranked second with $250 million, former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl was third with $225 million, The Eagles' Don Henley came in forth with $200 million and Metallica's Lars Ulrich was fifth with $175 million. Also making the top ten were U2's Larry Mullen and The Rolling Stones' Charlie Watts.