Pick a Day

Music History Events: TV Appearances

September 12, 2006 Toby Keith makes his first appearance on Stephen Colbert's talk show. Despite their political differences, they become good friends, and in 2015 Colbert inducts Keith into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

May 23, 2006 Jordin Sparks wins Season 6 of American Idol.

April 26, 2006 Country singer Kellie Pickler gets voted off Season Five of American Idol.

April 11, 2006 Paul Anka guest stars on "The Real Paul Anka" episode of Gilmore Girls.

November 16, 2005 I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash airs on CBS, with U2, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Lee Lewis and several others paying tribute to the singer.

November 14, 2004 Gwen Stefani performs on TV as a solo artist (no No Doubt) for the first time when she takes the stage at the American Music Awards to sing "What You Waiting For."

May 26, 2004 Fantasia Barrino wins season 3 of American Idol, becoming the first Black woman to win the competition. She later reveals that she was functionally illiterate at this time, having dropped out of high school in ninth grade.

February 10, 2004 Eminem is among the guests heard on the second season premiere episode of Comedy Central's Crank Yankers. The rapper gives voice to "Bobby's Brother" opposite comedian Jim Florentine's "Bobby" in a prank phone call to a restaurant.

December 28, 2003 Pete Townshend of The Who reveals to a London newspaper that he seriously considered suicide after a 2002 arrest for child pornography charges. The guitarist had claimed he was visiting child porn websites as research for a book dealing with his own sexual abuse as a child.

September 29, 2003 DMX guest stars on an episode of the UPN sitcom Eve. Starring fellow rapper Eve, the series is set in Miami, where DMX' character plays "the best tattoo artist in Miami."

May 21, 2003 Ruben Studdard wins Season 2 of American Idol, beating out Clay Aiken.

May 11, 2003 Jackson Browne appears on the "Brake My Wife, Please" episode of The Simpsons.

April 26, 2003 David Cassidy guests on the CBS show The Agency.

April 24, 2003 The Fox TV network airs the 2-hour special The Michael Jackson Interview: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See. The show contains footage of Michael Jackson's home movies, and is the superstar's rebuttal to the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, which aired in February on ABC. In that one, Jackson talks about sharing his bed with children.

April 22, 2003 The White Stripes begin a week-long stint as musical guests on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. They're Conan's favorite group; when the show ends in 2009, they play the final episode.

February 6, 2003 ABC's 20/20 airs the British documentary Living With Michael Jackson, where we see him climb a tree, go shopping, and talk about sharing his bed with kids.

January 5, 2003 Little Richard guest stars on the "Special Edna" episode of The Simpsons.

December 5, 2002 Elton John guest stars on Will and Grace, one of the first shows featuring a lead character who is gay.

November 6, 2002 Usher appears on the revived TV series The Twilight Zone, playing a police officer in the episode "To Protect and Serve."

October 30, 2002 The entire episode of The Late Show with David Letterman is dedicated to Warren Zevon, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He plays three songs (his last performances), chats candidly with the host, and offers this sage advice: "enjoy every sandwich."

September 30, 2002 Pat Boone guests on the TV series Seventh Heaven.

May 18, 2002 The Barry Manilow Ultimate Manilow concert special airs on CBS to promote his compilation album of the same name.

May 16, 2002 Cher appears on the TV show Will & Grace for the second time. This episode is titled "A.I.: Artificial Insemination."

May 7, 2002 Carole King guests on the WB Network's TV show Gilmore Girls (for which she also sings the opening song).

April 30, 2002 Roger Daltrey of The Who plays a music teacher on the "That '70s Musical" episode of That '70s Show.

February 24, 2002 Charlie Daniels appears on the "Peggy's Fan Fair" episode of the animated Fox TV series King Of The Hill.

January 14, 2002 Jon Bon Jovi makes the first of his 10 appearances on the TV series Ally McBeal playing Victor Morrison, a plumber who becomes Ally's boyfriend.

November 26, 2001 Elton John appears on the show Ally McBeal in the "I Want Love" episode.

November 7, 2001 Michael Jackson makes his first-ever instore appearance at the Virgin Megastore in New York's Times Square. The event is broadcast live on MTV's Total Request Live.

January 22, 2001 Chubby Checker guest stars on Fox's Ally McBeal in the episode "Mr. Bo."