2025: Soft Cell's David Ball dies at 66. Ball was the synth player and musical half of the British duo with singer Marc Almond, and later worked in electronic music with The Grid. Soft Cell's “Tainted Love” became one of the longest-charting hits of the early 1980s in America.
2017: Easybeats leader George Young dies at 70. He co-wrote the 1966 hit “Friday on My Mind” and was the older brother of AC/DC's Angus and Malcolm Young. With partner Harry Vanda, he produced AC/DC's early albums.
2012: Taylor Swift releases Red. Her fourth album was led by “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” which gave her a first number one on the Hot 100. The album sold more than a million copies in its first week.
2012: Garth Brooks is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. George Strait, Bob Seger and James Taylor performed in his honor at the ceremony in Nashville. The Oklahoma native ranks among the best-selling artists in American history.
2008: Guns N' Roses release the “Chinese Democracy” single. The title track was the band's first new music since 1999, and Axl Rose was the only original member left. The long-delayed album of the same name followed a month later.
2003: Ben Moody walks out on Evanescence. The guitarist, who co-founded the band with singer Amy Lee, left in the middle of their first world tour, while the debut album Fallen and “Bring Me to Life” were still riding high.
2002: Christina Aguilera releases Stripped. The album marked a bold image change, launched by the single “Dirrty.” Its ballad “Beautiful,” written by Linda Perry, won her a Grammy and became one of her signature songs.
1999: The Temptations earn their first platinum album. Phoenix Rising, the Motown group's 56th album, crossed one million copies sold, decades after classics like “My Girl” made them famous.
1996: Journey release Trial by Fire. It was the band's first album in ten years and Steve Perry's last with them. A hip problem kept Perry from touring, and he left in 1998; Steve Augeri took over as singer.
1990: The band that becomes Pearl Jam plays its first show. Then calling themselves Mookie Blaylock, after the NBA guard, they debuted at The Off Ramp in Seattle with members of Soundgarden and pitcher Randy Johnson in the crowd. Their album Ten arrived the next year.
1988: Phil Collins has America's number one song with “A Groovy Kind of Love.” His version of the 1966 Mindbenders hit came from the soundtrack of the film Buster, in which Collins also starred.
1976: Bob Seger releases Night Moves. Recorded with the Silver Bullet Band, it was the album that finally made the Detroit rocker a star beyond Michigan, with the title song reaching the Top 5.
1967: Lulu sings “To Sir With Love” on The Ed Sullivan Show. The theme from the Sidney Poitier film had reached number one in the U.S. the day before and became one of the biggest hits of 1967.
1966: The Supremes top the album chart with The Supremes A' Go-Go. Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard became the first girl group with a number one album in America, knocking the Beatles' Revolver out of the top spot.
1961: Chubby Checker performs “The Twist” on The Ed Sullivan Show. The dance craze was so big that the song, already a number one hit in 1960, returned to the top of the chart, a rare feat.
Born on This Day
2000: Baby Keem, American rapper and producer Turns 26. Known for “Family Ties,” his Grammy-winning collaboration with his cousin Kendrick Lamar.
1998: Roddy Ricch, American rapper Turns 28. His 2019 smash “The Box” spent weeks at number one.
1992: 21 Savage, British-American rapper Turns 34. The Atlanta star is known for “Bank Account” and the Post Malone hit “Rockstar.”
1990: Dylan Scott, American country singer Turns 36. Known for the country hits “My Girl” and “Nobody.”
1985: Zac Hanson, American drummer and singer (Hanson) Turns 41. The youngest of the three brothers behind the 1997 smash “MMMBop.”
1976: Jon Foreman, American singer (Switchfoot) Turns 50. Frontman on “Meant to Live” and “Dare You to Move.”
1968: Shelby Lynne, American singer-songwriter Turns 58. The country and soul singer won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2001.
1968: Shaggy, Jamaican-American reggae singer Turns 58. Known for “Boombastic,” “It Wasn't Me” and “Angel.”
1964: TobyMac, American singer and rapper (DC Talk) Turns 62. A co-founder of DC Talk who became one of Christian music's top solo stars.
1959: Marc Shaiman, American composer and songwriter Turns 67. Wrote the music for the Broadway hit Hairspray and scored films such as Sleepless in Seattle.
1958: Bobby Blotzer, American drummer (Ratt) Turns 68. Played drums on Ratt's 1984 hit “Round and Round.”
1946: Eddie Brigati, American singer (The Young Rascals) Sang lead on “How Can I Be Sure” and shared vocals on hits like “Groovin'” and “Good Lovin'.”
1945: Leslie West, American guitarist and singer (Mountain) Best known for the hard rock classic “Mississippi Queen.” He died in 2020.
1942: Annette Funicello, American singer and actress The original Mouseketeer starred in the 1960s beach party movies and sang “Pineapple Princess.” She died in 2013.
1942: Bobby Fuller, American singer and guitarist (The Bobby Fuller Four) Scored a 1966 hit with “I Fought the Law” and died later that year.
1925: Dory Previn, American singer-songwriter A lyricist for film songs who later made acclaimed confessional albums of her own. She died in 2012.
1811: Franz Liszt, Hungarian composer and pianist The great Romantic piano virtuoso, known for his Hungarian Rhapsodies.
