On August 19, 1964, The Beatles kicked off their first North American tour at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. Playing to an audience of 17,130, the band performed a 12-song set, including such hits as “Twist and Shout,” “All My Loving,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love.” The Righteous Brothers, Jackie DeShannon, The Bill Black Combo, and The Exciters all served as support. One of the very first tours of its kind, the 25-city run included 32 shows all around the US and Canada, including stops at the Hollywood Bowl, New York’s Forest Hills Stadium, and Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens.
In 1972, David Bowie, billed as Ziggy Stardust, played a pivitol, sold-out concert at London’s Rainbow Theatre. The theatrical show, which incorporated a variety of media, wowed critics and audiences alike, including Mick Jagger, Elton John, Rod Stewart, and Alice Cooper, who were all reportedly in attendance.
In 1977, The Sex Pistols kicked off a six-date undercover UK tour as “The S.P.O.T.S.” (Sex Pistols On Tour Secretly). Due to their rowdy reputation, the band knew that they were unlikely to be booked in clubs (or would be shut down by the police) and so, they assumed a different name in each venue (including “Tax Exiles” and “A Mystery Band of International Repute”)
In 2005, a life-size bronze statue of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott was erected in the singer, songwriter, and bassist’s home city of Dublin, Ireland. Lynott, who died in 1986 at 36, was celebrated during an unveiling ceremony, which was attended by his former Thin Lizzy bandmates, including Gary Moore, Brian Robertson, and Scott Gorham.
In 1988, it was announced that Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” and Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog were the most-played jukebox songs of the past 100 years.
BORN ON AUGUST 19
1939: Ginger Baker (Cream)
1940: Johnny Nash (singer-songwriter)
1945: Ian Gillan (Deep Purple)
1951: John Decon (Queen)
1969: Nate Dogg (rapper)
1989: Lil Romeo (rapper, actor)
An elderly man who was lost in the woods for several hours near Sunburg was found safely after a big search Monday night. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office says a 77-year-old New London man and a 76-year-old Spicer man were on an ATV, checking out deer stands in the 9900 block of Highway 9, about 3 miles east of Sunburg, when their ATV got stuck. The Spicer man left on foot to get help and the two men got separated.
The sheriff’s department was alerted shortly after 6 p.m. that the New London man had been missing for more than 3 hours and had a medical condition. A search was launched using ATVs, K9s, a drone, a helicopter and searchers on foot. The drone spotted the man at 8:40 p.m. and guided searchers on ATVs to his location. He was taken by ambulance to CentraCare Rice Hospital, treated and released.
Assisting in the search were the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Department, MN State Patrol and their Air Wing, Sunburg and New London Fire Depts., Lakes Area Responders and several civilians. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Department thanks all who helped.
The Minnesota State Fair begins its 12-day run this Thursday and will continue through Labor Day – September 1st. There are lots of new things to see at this year’s Great Minnesota Get-Together.
Spokesperson Maria Hayden says The Thunderbirds – a 180-foot tall swing has been set up in Adventure Park, and the Journey to Space exhibit will be in the North End Event Center. She says the Coliseum has been undergoing a renovation project, but it will be open during the fair.
Hayden says the Coliseum will close again after the fair as the project continues. She says there is a wide variety of music scheduled in the grandstand each evening such as Megan Trainor, Def Leppard, Hank Williams, Jr., Daryl Hall, and the Happy Together music of the 1960s, and there are 33 new foods to try this year.
Hayden says gate admission has gone up this year to $20 for adults, but discount admission of $17 is available before August 20th. She says there are bus shuttle lots available in several Twin Cities suburbs for a $5 fee and there are also free shuttle lots located closer to the fairgrounds. For more fair information, go to mnstatefair.org.
The Litchfield City Council has approved of an amended agreement with LDC Youth Hockey Association giving the organization exclusive rights to operate the concession stand at the Civic Arena and Recreation Center for one year. A 10% revenue sharing stipulation with the City in the original agreement was removed.
The measure passed on a 6-to-1 vote with John Carlson voting against it. Carlson had questions about other groups who use the Litchfield Area Recreation Center, such as basketball and wrestling, being able to benefit from the concession stand. The agreement will be reviewed after one year.
The Council passed a resolution to have City Engineer Chuck DeWolf contact the FAA as a starting point after a request from Hicks Trucking and Bus to purchase a sliver of city land between its facility and the airport. The Council also approved of having DGR seek bids for 2 or 3 transformer designs.
The Council approved of a quote from Summit Fire Protection for City Hall for approximately $105,000. The Council also approved of having Chuck DeWolf get bids for upgrading the fuel system at the airport.
Also last night, the Litchfield City Council approved of scheduling a training session with a League of Minnesota Cities official at a future work session on having more productive, positive and orderly meetings; and approved of having the City Administrator performance review at the September 15th meeting.
On August 18, 1962, after just two hours of rehearsal together, Ringo Starr played his first show with the Beatles at the Horticultural Society dance in Birkenhead, England.
…Exactly two years later, the Fab Four would arrive in San Francisco for their first American tour, where they were greeted by over 9,000 ecstatic fans.
In 1977, The Police played their first official show at Rebecca’s Nightclub in Birmingham, UK. Within two years, the London trio would achieve mainstream success with singles like “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Roxanne,” and “Message in a Bottle,” all of which featured a unique blend of jazz, punk, and reggae.
In 1984, George Michael went to No.1 in the UK (among many other territories) with “Careless Whisper,” his first single as a solo artist. The member of Wham! also became the first person to reach No.1 on the UK pop chart as both a solo artist and as a member of a band in the same year, following Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” The group would continue to top the pop chart throughout the year, with “Freedom” and the enduring “Last Christmas.”
In 1986, Bon Jovi released their breakthrough third studio album, Slippery When Wet. Featuring some of their biggest hits, including “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and “You Give Love a Bad Name,” the album topped charts around the globe—including in the US, Australia, Canada, and Norway—and has since been certified 12x Platinum in the US.
In 1992, grunge royalty Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love celebrated the birth of their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.
BORN ON AUGUST 18
1950: Dennis Elliot (Foreigner)
1951: John Rees (Met At Work)
1953: Marvin Isley (The Isley Brothers)
1967: Dan Peters (Mudhoney)
1969: Erik Schrody (House of Pain)
1971: Richard James (Aphex Twin)
1977: Régine Chassagne (Arcade Fire)
1983: Mika