1997 Michael Jackson's first child, a son named Prince, is born. The mother is his second wife, Debbie Rowe, who later relinquishes custody.
1996 Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me is released. The first rap double-album on a major label, it sells over 10 million copies in the United States.
1996 The Fugees release their second album, The Score. It's a landmark, topping the charts around the world and pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. It's also their last album, as they disband soon after.More
1983 Marvin Gaye performs a very memorable national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, doing a sultry version with a beat.More
1970 Black Sabbath release their self-titled debut album, which not coincidentally, comes out on Friday the 13th. To add mystique to the band's image, new manager Patrick Meehan asks the band to stop giving interviews. The plan works, and through word of mouth, the album sell over 5,000 copies in the first week. The first single, "Evil Woman," doesn't chart, but the album reaches #8 in the UK.
1967 Dolly Parton releases her debut album, Hello, I'm Dolly, boasting the Top 20 hits "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy." The album catches the attention of country veteran Porter Wagoner, who invites Dolly to appear on his popular television show, marking the beginning of a fruitful partnership.
2022 Dr. Dre anchors the first hip-hop-heavy Super Bowl halftime show, performing with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent.
2019 In a New York Times story, seven female musicians accuse Ryan Adams of inappropriate and sometimes abusive behavior. His accusers include Phoebe Bridgers and his ex-wife, Mandy Moore. Adams' upcoming album release is cancelled and he's dropped from his label.
2016 All four members of the promising English group Viola Beach are killed, along with their manager, when their car crashes on a bridge near Stockholm. Coldplay pay tribute by covering their song "Boys That Sing" at the Glastonbury Festival.
2016 Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" replaces his song "Sorry" at #1 on the Hot 100. It's the third consecutive #1 single from his Purpose album ("What Do You Mean?" was the first), making it the first album by a male artist with three straight chart-toppers since Justin Timberlake's FutureSex / LoveSounds.
2011 Arcade Fire's The Suburbs scoops Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, beating Eminem's hotly tipped comeback, Recovery. Many folks have not heard of the Canadian band, prompting the internet meme, "Who Is Arcade Fire?" Esperanza Spalding surprisingly beats out Justin Bieber for Best New Artist, becoming the first jazz artist to win the award.
2005 50 Cent appears on The Simpsons in the episode "Pranksta Rap."
2005 Robin Thicke wins his first Grammy, thanks to his work on Usher's 2004 album, Confessions, which takes Best Contemporary R&B Album. Robin co-produced the track "Can U Handle It?" Wilco wins for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package for their fifth album, A Ghost Is Born.
2002 Country music great Waylon Jennings dies at age 64.
2001 Peter Frampton is recognized in the guitar community with the Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award.
2001 George Simon, a jazz writer who won a Grammy award in 1978 for his liner notes on the album Bing Crosby: A Legendary Performer, dies of pneumonia at age 88.
1998 Buddy Lee, a booking agent who worked with Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson, among others, dies of respiratory failure related to lung cancer.
1996 After three albums and seven UK #1 singles, the boy band Take That announce their breakup. They return to action in 2005.
1988 Michael Jackson buys a ranch in Santa Ynez, California, which he renames "Neverland."
1987 Metallica conclude their breakthrough - yet tragic - Damage Inc. tour at Frolundaborg in Gothenburg, Sweden. They drew huge crowds throughout the tour but lost bass player Cliff Burton, who was killed when their tour bus slid off the road during an earlier stop in Sweden.
1982 The 300-pound marble slab marking the grave of Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant is stolen from a cemetery in Orange Park, Florida. Police find it two weeks later in a dry river bed.
RuPaul becomes the first drag queen to make the Hot 100 when "Supermodel (You Better Work)" enters the chart at #91. It rises to #45 in April.
RuPual isn't the first drag artist to make music - Divine issued My First Album in 1982, which contained the Dance hit "Native Love (Step By Step)" - but he is the first to find mainstream success, as "Supermodel" earns fans of many persuasions, thanks in large part to airplay on New York radio. RuPaul charts a few more times, including a duet with Elton John on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," which reaches #92 in 1994, but his biggest impact is as host of RuPaul's Drag Race on the Logo network. Many contestants on the show have a go at music, and although none come close to RuPaul's "Supermodel" success, some, including Adore Delano and Sharon Needles, make an impact.
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