7 AUGUST
Featured Events
2008 The Police wrap up their reunion tour at New York's Madison Square Garden. Their first tour since 1986, it lasts 151 shows and finishes as the third highest-grossing of all time.
1997 Garth Brooks plays a free show in New York's Central Park. It's the last Central Park show to benefit from highly inflated crowd estimates, which are stated at over 100,000. Hand counts at future shows prove that crowds at these concerts usually top out at 50,000.
1973 The film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar is released, based on the 1971 Broadway rock opera of the same name. Jesus is apparently a tenor.
1965 Herman's Hermits knock "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" from the top spot in America with "I'm Henry The VIII, I Am," a "second verse, same as the first" cover of a music hall song from 1910.
1963 Beach Party, starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, opens in theaters. It's the first of many movies with a beach theme, and it features music by the surf-rock pioneer Dick Dale. Twenty-four years later, Frankie and Annette appear in Back To The Beach, where they are now parents of crazy teenagers.
1957 The Quarrymen (minus new member Paul McCartney, away at Scout camp) make their debut at Liverpool's Cavern Club. Manager Alan Sytner instructs them not to play Rock and Roll, but midway through their skiffle performance, John lights into a version of Elvis' "Don't Be Cruel," which the crowd loves. The group, of course, becomes The Beatles.
7 AUGUST
In Music History
2017 The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society reports that a recently identified new species of ancient crocodile has been named Lemmysuchus obtusidens in honor of the Motörhead frontman.
2012 Grayson County, Texas, police respond to a call and discover country singer Randy Travis lying naked in the road and smelling of alcohol. Travis had crashed his vehicle into a construction zone just previously. In fact, there was an earlier call the same day from a convenience store owner, who said Travis had entered his store - still naked - and tried to buy cigarettes, but left when he realized he had no money. Travis is booked for DWI and resisting arrest, tying on another in a string of run-ins with the law.
2012 Madonna plays a concert in Moscow during which she expresses support for the group Pussy Riot, who have been jailed for performing their song "Mother Of God, Putin's Run" in a Moscow cathedral.
2011 Marshall Grant (upright bassist for the Tennessee Two, Johnny Cash's backing band) dies of an aneurysm at age 83 in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
2011 Big Boi of OutKast is arrested in Miami on drug charges when police find ecstasy and Viagra in baggage with his name on it.
2009 Folk singer/musician Mike Seeger (of New Lost City Ramblers) dies of cancer eight days before his 76th birthday in Lexington, Virginia.
2008 After dating for 10 years, Jewel and rodeo star Ty Murray marry in the Bahamas. They split up six years later.
2007 The Isley Brothers' Ron Isley begins serving a 37-month sentence for tax evasion. His request for a reduced sentence because of his health issues doesn't fly with a judge who calls him a "serial tax avoider." The IRS claims that Isley failed to pay $3.1 million in taxes.
2005 "Walking In Memphis" singer Marc Cohn is shot in the head during an attempted carjacking in Denver, Colorado. Miraculously, he makes a full recovery.More
2005 The Showtime cable TV original series Weeds debuts. The series, about a drug-dealing suburban mom, is notable for using the song "Little Boxes," by folk artist Malvina Reynolds, for its theme song. The folk song, originally released in 1962, enjoys a popular revival.
2003 The Osmonds are awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
2002 Ween drummer Claude Coleman, Jr. breaks his back and pelvis in a car accident. The other members of Ween organize benefit shows to help cover Coleman's medical bills, and in December 2002, Coleman returns to his place behind the drum kit.
2001 Composer/musician/actor Larry Adler dies in London, England, at age 87.
2001 Usher puts out his third album, 8701, the title a reference to the release date. It includes two #1 hits: "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad."
1996 ZZ Top's album Eliminator is certified Diamond for sales of 10 million copies in America.
Heavy Metal Hits Theaters
1981The animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal is released. Although it shares its name with the hard-rock genre, the film isn't intended to have anything to do with music, but instead is an anthology of various stories from the comic magazine Heavy Metal. Almost as an afterthought, an all-star soundtrack is added, featuring songs by Sammy Hagar, Devo, Blue Öyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Journey, and Black Sabbath, to name a few.
The film does only middling business at the box office and is scratched by critics for being deeply flawed, it becomes a cult classic, thanks in large part to its soundtrack.
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