On This Day, August 16 in Music History
EVENTS ON AUGUST 16 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day August 16 in 1938 – Blues musician and songwriter Robert Johnson died at the age of 27 after being poisoned.
1966 – Pop rock band The Monkees released their debut single ‘Last Train to Clarksville’. It peaked at number one in the United States and Canada.
1969 – The second day of the Woodstock music festival took place on Max Yasgur‘s dairy farm in Bethel, New York. It featured music acts such as The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Canned Heat, CCR, Santana, and Janis Joplin among others.
1975 – Founding member and frontman of the rock band Genesis, Peter Gabriel announced on this day August 16 that he was leaving the group to pursue a solo career.
1975 – American soul group The Stylistics dominated the UK charts as their compilation album ‘The Best of The Stylistics’ and the single ‘Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)’ were both at number one on their respective charts.
1976 – Swedish pop group ABBA released the single ‘Dancing Queen’. The song featured on their fourth studio album ‘Arrival’ and it reached No.1 in fourteen countries worldwide.
1977 – The King of Rock and Roll – Elvis Presley died on this day August 16 in music history of a heart attack, aged 42. He’s the best-selling solo music artist of all time with over 500 million records sold worldwide.
1985 – Rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers released their second studio album ‘Freaky Styley’ through EMI America Records.
1986 – Madonna started a five-week run at No.1 on the US Billboard 200 chart with her third studio album ‘True Blue’. The album was a worldwide hit and it topped the charts in 23 countries. She also topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on this day with ‘Papa Don’t Preach’, a single from her chart-topping album.
1994 – Neil Young released his 20th studio album ‘Sleeps with Angels’ through Reprise Records. It peaked at No.2 in the UK and reached No.9 in the US.
1997 – Hip hop group Bone Thugs N Harmony went to number one in the US with their third studio album ‘The Art of War’ on this day August 16 in music history.
1997 – Will Smith started a four-week run at No.1 in the UK with the theme song to the sci-fi action comedy film ‘Men in Black’ in which he also starred.
2000 – English session musician, record producer, and arranger Alan Caddy died at the age of 60. Best remembered for his work with The Tornados.
2003 – Robbie Williams scored his fifth consecutive number one album in the UK with ‘Escapology’ on this day August 16. The album was an international hit as well and it topped the charts in eleven other countries.
2005 – American jazz, swing, and bluegrass music fiddler Vassar Carlton Clements died on this day at the age of 77.
2008 – With their third studio album ‘Love on the Inside’, country music duo Sugarland topped the US Billboard 200 chart on this day August 16.
2008 – Katy Perry started a five-week run at number one in the UK with her debut single ‘I Kissed a Girl’. The song was an international hit and it topped the charts in seventeen countries worldwide.
2014 – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers reached number one in the US with their thirteenth and final studio album ‘Hypnotic Eye’.
2014 – Norwegian musical duo Nico & Winz started a two-week run at No.1 in the UK with ‘Am I Wrong’ on this day August 16.
2018 – The ‘Queen of Soul’ Aretha Franklin died on this day August 16 in music history at the age of 76. She is best remembered for hits such as ‘Respect’, ‘I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)’, ‘Think’, ‘Chain of Fools’, ‘(You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman’, etc.
BORN ON AUGUST 16 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1915 – American baritone singer Albert “Al” Hibbler was born on this day in Tyro, Mississippi. Best known for his solo work and as a member of Duke Ellington’s orchestra.
1922 – Pianist, bandleader, and arranger Ernest “Ernie” Freeman was born on this day August 16 in Cleveland, Ohio.
1928 – One half of the husband-and-wife pop duo Steve and Eydie, Eydie Gorme was born Edith Gormezano in the Bronx, New York. She’s also known for her solo work.
1934 – American singer and actress Revoyda Frierson also known professionally as Ketty Lester was born in Hope, Arkansas on this day August 16 in music history. She rose to fame with her 1961 hit single ‘Love Letters’.
1942 – R&B singer and songwriter Barbara George was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Best known for her chart-topping single ‘I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More)’.
1942 – Founding member and second tenor of the vocal quartet The Chi-Lites, Robert “Squirrel” Lester was born in McComb, Mississippi.
1944 – English singer-songwriter Kevin Ayers was born on this day August 16 in Herne Bay, Kent. He rose to fame as a founding member and frontman of the rock band Soft Machine.
1945 – American guitarist, singer, producer and recording engineer Gary Loizzo was born in Chicago, Illinois. Best known as the lead singer of the rock band The American Breed.
1948 – Frontman of the Dutch rock band Golden Earring, Barry Hay was born in Faizabad, India on this day August 16 in music history.
1949 – Founding member and drummer of the punk-rock band The Stooges, Scott Asheton was born in Washington, D.C.
1953 – American singer and keyboardist James “J.T.” Taylor was born on this day August 16 in Laurens, South Carolina. Best known as the lead singer of Kool & the Gang from 1979 until 1988.
1957 – Co-founder and multi-instrumentalist of the rock band INXS, Timothy “Tim” Farriss was born in Perth, Australia.
1958 – The Queen of Pop – Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan on this day August 16 in music history. She’s one of the best-selling and most successful solo artists of all time.
1964 – American musician Matthew “Matt” Lukin was born in Aberdeen, Washington. Best known as a founding member of the bands Melvins and Mudhoney.
1972 – Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and singer Emily Strayer was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She came to prominence as a founding member of the country music band The Chicks.
1980 – Founding member and bassist of the rock band Franz Ferdinand, Robert “Bob” Hardy was born on this day August 16 in Dewsbury, England.
1980 – American singer-songwriter and pianist Vanessa Carlton was born today in Milford, Pennsylvania. Best known for her debut hit single ‘A Thousand Miles’.
1991 – American rapper Jeffrey Lamar Williams better known professionally as Young Thug was born in Atlanta, Georgia.