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Featured Events
2009The first episode of the TV series Glee airs, featuring a Glee Club performance of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" that brings the song back to the charts. The Glee version lands at #4 - five spots higher than Journey's original.
1998Sonny and Cher get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For Sonny, who died January 5, 1998, it's a posthumous honor.
1993Depeche Mode begin their Devotional tour in Lille, France. They reach new levels of excess on the trek, culminating with lead singer Dave Gahan having a heart attack during a show.More
1992Billy Ray Cyrus releases his debut album, Some Gave All, featuring his signature song "Achy Breaky Heart." The album dominates the Billboard 200 chart for 17 consecutive weeks, and the single's music video spawns a line-dancing trend across the US, where a new breed of country music is already becoming a phenomenon. More
1951Jeffrey Ross Hyman is born in Queens, New York. He forms the Ramones and takes the stage name Joey Ramone. At first, he's the drummer, but he becomes the lead singer when Dee Dee struggles to sing and play bass at the same time.
1945Pete Townshend of The Who is born in Chiswick, United Kingdom.
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In Music History
2010David Guetta's "Gettin' Over You" becomes the billionth track to be Shazamed.
2007At Porter Wagoner's 50th anniversary celebration at the Grand Ole Opry, Dolly Parton sings "I Will Always Love You" to Wagoner, whom she wrote the song about in 1974.
2007Frank Guida, a Sicilian-American songwriter and music producer whose first hit was Tommy Facenda's "High School U.S.A.," dies in Norfolk, Virginia, at age 84.
2006Freddie Garrity (frontman of Freddie & the Dreamers) dies at age 69 while on holiday in North Wales.
2004Blues singer Arnold "Gatemouth" Moore dies in Yazoo City, Mississippi, at age 90.
2000Folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary celebrate their 40th year together with a US tour that kicks off with a three night stand in Las Vegas.
2000The Allman Brothers Band announce that founding guitarist Dickey Betts will not be a part of their summer tour. Reason given: "sadly, there are creative differences."
1997Backstreet Boys release "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," their breakthrough single in the US.
1996Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, Peter Frampton and Cypress Hill appear on the "Homerpalooza" episode of The Simpsons.
1992DJ/producer Marshmello is born Christopher Comstock in Philadelphia.
1992Pop/soul singer Sam Smith is born in London, England.
1991Odia Coates, known for a string of '70s duets with Paul Anka, including the #1 "(You're) Having My Baby," dies of breast cancer at age 49.
1990Five weeks after debuting at #39 on the Hot 100 chart, Madonna's "Vogue" moves into the #1 spot.
1984The song "Thriller" falls off the Hot 100, ending a run of hits from the Thriller album that started on November 6, 1982, when "The Girl Is Mine" entered the tally. In that stretch, only two weeks went by without a Thriller song on the chart.
Marilyn Monroe Sings "Happy Birthday, Mr. President"
1962
Less than three months before her death, Marilyn Monroe makes one of her last public appearances at President John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday celebration, where she famously sings "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" in his honor.
Doubling as a fundraising gala for the Democratic Party, the event is held ten days before the president's actual birthday at the third Madison Square Garden indoor arena in New York City, where over 15,000 guests attend. After an introduction by Peter Lawford making light of her notorious tardiness, Marilyn finally takes the stage wearing an ermine fur coat, which she quickly sheds to reveal a skin-tight, flesh-colored gown covered with 2,500 shimmering rhinestones. Accompanied by jazz pianist Hank Jones, she eases into a breathy rendition of "Happy Birthday to You," including a snippet with new lyrics to the tune of "Thanks For The Memory":
Thanks, Mr. President
For all the things you've done
The battles that you've won
The way you deal with U.S. Steel
And our problems by the ton
We thank you so much
The event is produced by Broadway composer and lyricist Richard Adler and choreographed by Carol Haney, both known for the popular Broadway production The Pajama Game. Marilyn dies months later, on August 5, of a barbiturates overdose at age 36. Her famous Jean Louis gown from the iconic performance is sold for over $1.26 million at a New York auction in 1999.
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