This Day in Music
On September 3, 2009, friends and family of Michael Jackson paid their last respects to the performer at a star-studded funeral, held in Los Angeles. Elizabeth Taylor, Quincy Jones, Macaulay Culkin, Berry Gordy, and Lisa Marie Presley were among the 200 invited guests, while the singer’s famous family arrived in a motorcade of 31 vehicles. Jackson’s brothers – Randy, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon – acted as pallbearers, carrying the artist’s gold-plated coffin. An estimated 2.5 billion global viewers tuned into the funeral’s live broadcast, while public screenings were held in 37 movie theaters around the world. Jackson, who was laid to rest at Glendale’s Forrest Lawn Cemetary, died on June 25th.
In 2017, Walter Becker, the co-founder and guitarist of Steely Dan, died at the age of 67. The highly influential band first caught fans’ ears in 1972 with Can’t Buy a Thrill. From there, they released eight albums, including best-selling titles Pretzel Logic (1974), Aja (1977), and the Grammy-winning Two Against Nature (2000), plus such Top 10 hits as “Do It Again,” “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number,” and “Hey Nineteen.” During his lengthy career, Becker also released two solo albums and produced records for the likes of Rickie Lee Jones, China Crisis, and Michael Franks.
In 2009, Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet World Tour – her first major venture under a new ten-year 360 deal with Live Nation – became the highest-grossing tour in history, raking in an estimated $408 million. The run of dates, which supported Madge’s 11th studio album, Hard Candy, also marked her first tour to include stops in Mexico, as well as in countries across South America, in 15 years.
In 1967, after a two-week absence from The Beatles, Ringo Starr returned to his post as the band’s beloved drummer. Upon his return to the studio, Ringo found his drum kit covered with flowers to welcome him back. Looking back on the brief hiatus, Ringo explained his reasons for the departure: “I left because I felt two things: I felt I wasn’t playing great, and I also felt that the other three were really happy and I was an outsider.” The issue, as history proves, was quickly resolved.
In 1966, singer-songwriter Donovan went to No.1 on the US singles chart with “Sunshine Superman.” The song, which served as the title track to Donovan’s third studio album, was also a No.2 hit in the UK.
In 1982, the three-day US Festival kicked off in San Bernardino, CA. Among the weekend’s performers were Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, The Cars, the B-52’s, and the Talking Heads. The event was bankrolled by Apple founder Steve Wozniak, who hoped to encourage more community events, while pairing state-of-the-art technology with live music.
In 1983, UB40 scored their first No.1 single in the UK with “Red Red Wine.” The song, which appeared on their fourth studio album, Labour of Love, was a cover of the 1968 Neil Diamond hit. The song would be re-released in the US in 1988, where it also topped the pop charts.
BORN ON SEPTEMBER 3
1942: Al Jardine (The Beach Boys)
1945: George Biondo (Steppenwolf)
1947: Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy)
1955: Steve Jones (Sex Pistols)
1975: DJ Redfoo (LMFAO)
1980: Jay ‘Cone’ McCaslin (Sum 41)
