Today in Music History...August 7, 2017 (Now with more info & links)

Music History: August 7th

 

2012 Grayson County, Texas, police respond to a call and discover country singer Randy Travis lying naked in the road and smelling of alcohol. Travis had crashed his vehicle into a construction zone just previously. In fact, there was an earlier call the same day from a convenience store owner, who said Travis had entered his store - still naked - and tried to buy cigarettes, but left when he realized he had no money. Travis is booked for DWI and resisting arrest, tying on another in a string of run-ins with the law.

2012 Madonna plays a concert in Moscow during which she expresses support for the group Pussy Riot, who have been jailed for performing their song "Mother Of God, Putin's Run" in a Moscow cathederal.

2011 Big Boi of OutKast is arrested in Miami on drug charges when police find ecstasy and Viagra in baggage with his name on it.

2011 Marshall Grant (upright bassist for the Tennessee Two, Johnny Cash's backing band) dies of an aneurysm at age 83 in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

2009 Folk singer/musician Mike Seeger (of New Lost City Ramblers) dies of cancer eight days before his 76th birthday in Lexington, Virginia.

2008 After dating for 10 years, Jewel and rodeo star Ty Murray marry in the Bahamas.

2007 The Isley Brothers' Ron Isley begins serving a 37-month sentence for tax evasion. His request for a reduced sentence because of his health issues doesn't fly with a judge who calls him a "serial tax avoider." The IRS claims that Isley failed to pay $3.1 million in taxes.

2003 The Osmonds are awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

2002 Ween drummer Claude Coleman, Jr. breaks his back and pelvis in a car accident. The other members of Ween organize benefit shows to help cover Coleman's medical bills, and in December 2002, Coleman returns to his place behind the drum kit.

2001 Composer/musician/actor Larry Adler dies in London, England, at age 87.

1997 Garth Brooks plays a free show in New York's Central Park. It's the last Central Park show to benefit from highly inflated crowd estimates, which are stated at over 100,000. Hand counts at future shows prove that crowds at these concerts usually top out at 50,000.

1996 A federal appeals court overturns the ruling that original Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers members Jimmy Merchant and Herman Santiago co-wrote the group's biggest hit, 1955's "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?," ruling that copyright claims must be filed within three years of the song's publication.

1991 Paul Simon gives a free concert in Central Park, much as he had in 1981 with partner Art Garfunkel. The performance eventually becomes the album Paul Simon's Concert In The Park.

1984 R&B singer Esther Phillips dies of drug-induced liver and kidney failure at age 48 in Carson, California. Known for comeback country tune "Release Me."

1981 It's "Wolverton Mountain Day" in Arkansas in honor of the Claude King song "Wolverton Mountain," which is named after a real mountain in the state.

1979 Led Zeppelin make their last live performance in the UK.

1976 Elton John & Kiki Dee's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" hits #1 for the first of four weeks.

1974 J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf marries movie star Faye Dunaway in a Beverly Hills courtroom. The couple divorce in 1979.

1973 The film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar is released, based on the 1971 Broadway rock opera of the same name. Jesus is apparently a tenor.

1971 The Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" hits #1 for the first of four weeks.

1970 Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention release Just Another Band From L.A.

1969 The Beatles record "The End."

1966 Kristin Hersh (lead singer for Throwing Muses) is born in Atlanta, Georgia.

1965 The Turtles release "It Ain't Me Babe."

1965 Herman's Hermits knock "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" from the top spot in America with "I'm Henry The VIII, I Am," a "second verse, same as the first" cover of a music hall song from 1910.

1964 Songwriter/musician Ian Dench (of EMF) is born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.

1963 Beach Party, starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, opens in theaters. It's the first of many movies with a beach theme, and it features music by the surf-rock pioneer Dick Dale. Twenty-four years later, Frankie and Annette appear in Back To The Beach, where they are now parents of crazy teenagers.

1960 Jacquie O'Sullivan of Bananarama is born in Hendon, London, England.

1958 Bruce Dickinson (lead vocalist for Iron Maiden) is born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England.

1957 Paul Anka makes his US television debut, singing "Diana" on ABC's American Bandstand.

1954 The Crew-Cuts' cover of "Sh-Boom" hits #1 in America.

1952 Bass guitarist/vocalist Andy Fraser (of Free) is born in Paddington, London, England.

1945 Bassist/songwriter Kerry Chater (of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap) is born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

1943 Pop singer Lana Cantrell is born in Sydney, Australia.

1942 Pop/Country singer B.J. Thomas is born in Hugo, Oklahoma.

1939 Pop singer Ron Holden is born in Seattle, Washington. Known for the 1960 hit "Love You So."

1937 Bunny Berigan records "I Can't Get Started."

1936 Charles Pope (of The Tams) is born in Atlanta, Georgia.

1931 Herb Reed (founding member of The Platters) is born in Kansas City, Missouri.

1926 Voice actor/recording artist Stan Freberg is born in Pasadena, California.

1925 Songwriter Felice Bryant is born Matilda Genevieve Scaduto in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Co-wrote hit songs with husband Boudleaux Bryant, including the widely covered hit "Love Hurts."

1921 Big Band trombonist Warren Covington is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

 

Heavy Metal Hits Theaters

 

1981The animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal is released. Although it shares its name with the hard-rock genre, the film isn't intended to have anything to do with music, but instead is an anthology of various stories from the comic magazine Heavy Metal. Almost as an afterthought, an all-star soundtrack is added, featuring songs by Sammy Hagar, Devo, Blue Öyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Journey, and Black Sabbath, to name a few.
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Featured Events

2008 The Police wrap up their reunion tour at New York's Madison Square Garden. Their first tour since 1986, it lasts 151 shows and finishes as the third highest-grossing of all time.

2005 The Showtime cable TV original series Weeds debuts. The series, about a drug-dealing suburban mom, is notable for using the song "Little Boxes," by folk artist Malvina Reynolds, for its theme song. The folk song, originally released in 1962, enjoys a popular revival.

1965 The Beatles' Help! LP hits #1.

1957 The Quarrymen (minus new member Paul McCartney, away at Scout camp!) make their debut at Liverpool's Cavern Club. Manager Alan Sytner instructs them not to play Rock and Roll, but midway through their skiffle performance, John lights into a version of Elvis' "Don't Be Cruel," which the crowd loves. The group, of course, would become The Beatles.