| 68 | years ago | 1958 | Eddie Cochran records Summertime Blues. |
| 66 | years ago | 1960 | Two anti-payola bills are introduced in Congress by Representative Emanuel Celler of New York. He blames payola for “the cacophonous music called rock & roll” and claims that rock & roll would never have achieved popularity, “especially among teenagers,” if not for the result of payola. |
| 62 | years ago | 1964 | Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London announces The Beatles will be cast in wax, the first pop album stars to be honored. |
| 60 | years ago | 1966 | New York City Parks Commissioner Thomas Hoving describes plans for rock & roll dance concerts to be held in Central Park. |
| 57 | years ago | 1969 | In London, Ringo Starr says The Beatles will make no public appearances. John Lennon counters that there will be several in 1969. |
| 56 | years ago | 1970 | Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's Woodstock is released. |
| 52 | years ago | 1974 | Bluesman Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup dies of a stroke at the age of 69. Crudup wrote Elvis' hit That's All Right (Mama). |
| 52 | years ago | 1974 | Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede turns gold. The band's novel version of the B. J. Thomas' 1968 song hits #1 next month. |
| 50 | years ago | 1976 | Genesis begins its first North American tour since Peter Gabriel left the previous year in Buffalo, New York. Drummer Phil Collins has taken over as lead singer. |
| 44 | years ago | 1982 | David Crosby is arrested in Los Angeles for possession of Quaaludes and drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence of cocaine, and carrying a concealed .45-caliber pistol. |
| 35 | years ago | 1991 | Funeral services are held in England for Eric Clapton's son Conor, who fell to his death from a New York City high rise apartment window. Phil Collins and George Harrison are among the many who attend. |
| 31 | years ago | 1995 | Lyle Lovett and actress Julia Roberts announce they are separating after 21 months of marriage. |
| 30 | years ago | 1996 | Phil Collins announces he is leaving Genesis to concentrate on his solo career. |
| 26 | years ago | 2000 | Jimmy Page receives an undisclosed figure in damages after he sues Ministry magazine in High Court for claiming he contributed to the death of Zeppelin bandmate John Bonham by wearing a Satanic robe and chanting spells while the dying drummer was choking on his vomit. The magazine apologizes and also offers to pay Page's legal bills. Page donates all of the money to Action for Brazil's Children Trust. |
| 22 | years ago | 2004 | Bob Dylan, Ashanti, Quincy Jones, Mo'Nique, Tracy Morgan, James Ingram, Herbie Hancock, Willie Nelson, and New Orleans' Harry Connick Jr. are among the celebrities at the 70th anniversary of Harlem's Apollo Theatre. NBC tapes the gala concert for broadcast. |