September 22, 1998 The first Family Values Tour, created by Korn and featuring Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube and Rammstein, launches with a show in Rochester, New York.
September 18, 1998 On the Grand Ole Opry, Jett Williams pays tribute to her late father, Hank Williams, who would have been 75 the day before. Daughter salutes father by performing "Your Cheatin' Heart," a song released after his death on New Year's Eve, 1952. "He never sang the song on the Opry. He never sang it live," Williams tells the audience.
September 15, 1998 Brandy and Monica, who have been lighting up the chatrooms on AOL, perform their duet "The Boy Is Mine" at the MTV Video Music Awards amid rumors that the young divas have serious beef. Clearing things up, their managers issue a statement saying: "The fact is that Brandy and Monica did interviews together, had their picture taken together, had adjoining dressing rooms, sat together at the show, and held hands and prayed together prior to going on stage to perform."
September 14, 1998 MTV debuts Total Request Live, a countdown of the Top 10 fan-requested music videos, hosted by Carson Daly. By the end of its 10-year run, the show is a cultural phenomenon.More
September 2, 1998 Sandra Denton (aka Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa) gives birth to a daughter named Egypt. The father is Naughty by Nature rapper Treach.
August 28, 1998 Pearl Jam's video for "Do The Evolution," their first since "Jeremy" in 1992, debuts on MTV. The band does not appear in the video, which is animated by Todd McFarlane.More
August 25, 1998 Fugees member Lauryn Hill releases her solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It becomes the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.More
August 24, 1998 Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats and Live Aid fame begins hosting a show on the London radio station XFM. In his first broadcast, he announces (incorrectly) that Ian Dury has died.More
August 24, 1998 Composer/conductor Gene Page dies after a long illness in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, at age 58. Page did arrangements for The Supremes, Whitney Houston and Barbra Streisand and many others. He also scored the 1972 Blaxploitation flick Blacula.
August 24, 1998 53-year-old Ingrid Pedersen announces that she is the long-lost illegitimate half-sister of John Lennon, explaining that she kept her secret for so many years as a way of protecting her now-deceased adoptive parents.
August 22, 1998 With Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley in the audience, Jim Carrey joins Elton John on stage at a show in Anaheim, California, where the pair duet on "Rocket Man." After a reasonably straight rendition, Carrey sits at the piano and smashes his head into the keys.
August 18, 1998 After getting dropped by Jive and releasing two independent albums, Kid Rock issues Devil Without A Cause, his first album with Lava Records. It sells 11 million copies, making the rumpled rap-rocker a huge star.More
August 18, 1998 Korn release their biggest album, Follow The Leader, which includes "Freak On A Leash" and "Got The Life."
August 15, 1998 Pete Townshend, Joni Mitchell and Lou Reed, along with original Woodstock acts Richie Havens and Melanie, play Day 2 of the A Day In The Garden festival in Bethel, New York, where the 1969 festival took place. Mitchell closes her set with "Woodstock."
August 14, 1998 The "A Day in the Garden" festival (which lasts three days) kicks off in Bethel, New York, where the original Woodstock took place 29 years earlier. A mix of rock legends (Pete Townshend, Stevie Nicks) and new bands (Third Eye Blind, The Goo Goo Dolls) play the event.More
August 5, 1998 Lars Ulrich of Metallica has his first child, a son named Myles.
August 2, 1998 The Beatles are named "Favourite Recording Artist Of All Time" in a poll conducted by the UK music magazine Mojo, beating out Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Queen, and Elton John in that order.
July 8, 1998 The Smithsonian and Library of Congress agree to house the music and film archives of Frank Sinatra.
June 30, 1998 System Of A Down release their frantic self-titled debut album. The singles "Sugar" and "Spiders" earn airplay on rock radio and MTV, and as the band builds a following through touring, it goes on to sell over a million copies in America.
June 23, 1998 The soundtrack to the blockbuster disaster movie Armageddon is released, anchored by the Aerosmith power balled "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing." It also contains the first Journey song since Steve Perry's departure: "Remember Me," with their new lead singer, Steve Augeri. The soundtrack goes to #1 and sells over 4 million copies in America.
June 13, 1998 During the Dave Matthews Band set at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in Washington, DC's RFK Stadium, concert-goer Lysa Selfon is struck by lightning. With help from an off duty paramedic, she is revived and eventually makes a full recovery.
June 9, 1998 The Spice Girls play their first concert after the departure of Geri Halliwell, teaming up with opera star Luciano Pavarotti in Modena, Italy.
June 9, 1998 Jimmy Buffett's memoir A Pirate Looks At Fifty is released. It reaches #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List for Nonfiction. The title is taken from his 1974 song "A Pirate Looks At Forty."
June 6, 1998 Powered by a faux feud contrived by their label, "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica hits #1, where it stays for 13 weeks, longer than any other female duet. They perform the song together just once (at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards) until 2012, when they start sharing the stage for showcases and "battles." In 2025 they team up for The Boy Is Mine tour, with the song used as the closer.
June 2, 1998 50 Cent makes his major-label debut, dropping a verse on the Onyx song "React." Over the next few years, he gets shot nine times, appears on the 8 Mile soundtrack, and releases his Dr. Dre-produced hit single, "In Da Club."
May 31, 1998 Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) announces that she is leaving Spice Girls, releasing a statement saying: "Sadly I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls. This is because of differences between us. I'm sure the group will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best... PS, I'll be back." Halliwell was planning to leave the group in September at the end of their world tour, but grows frustrated and leaves early. The group continues as a quartet, but splits up in 2000. In 2007, they reunite with Halliwell back on board.
May 30, 1998 Former 2 Live Crew leader Luther "Luke" Campbell's "Raise The Roof" peaks at #26 on the Hot 100. Also a #1 rap hit, it spawns a dance craze.More
May 23, 1998 Steve Lacy is born in Compton, California. The neo-soul singer begins his music career as a guitarist in the alternative R&B band the Internet before going solo with his debut EP, Steve Lacy's Demo, in 2017.More
May 20, 1998 Frank Sinatra's funeral takes place in Beverly Hills, which draws 400 invited guests and a slew of onlookers. Tony Bennett, Angie Dickinson, Joey Bishop (the only surviving member of the Rat Pack), Liza Minnelli, Jack Nicholson, Tony Danza and Tom Selleck all show up to pay their respects.
May 19, 1998 After signing with DreamWorks Records thanks to the demo tape his dad, Loudon Wainwright III, passed on to the label, Rufus Wainwright releases his self-titled debut album. A standout track is "Baby," which showcases his opera influence.
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