2003 – Nigerian Drummer Bahatunde Olatunji, whose albums introduced African percussion to a wide U.S. audience, dies of diabetes in Salinas, Calif. He is 76.
2003 – Country star Shania Twain picks up the Artist of the Year Award along with the Fan Choice Award at the soldout 32nd annual Juno Awards, held in Ottawa and televised live nationally. The two awards were added to her Country Recording of the Year nod, given out the day before.
2002 – Sarah McLachlan’s audience grows by one when the Canadian musician gives birth to daughter India Ann Sushil Sood, her and drummer-husband, Ashwin Sood’s first child.
2001 – Soul vocalist Charles Pettigrew of the duo Charles & Eddie dies in Philadelphia after a long battle with cancer. The group achieved international success with the 1992 single “Would I Lie To You?,” which reached No. 16 on The Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in 16 countries.
2000 – Veteran singer/songwriter Joaquin Sabina sweeps the annual Premios de la Musica awards ceremony, held at Madrid’s refurbished Vista Alegre bullring. Sabina wins four awards, for best pop author, pop artist, song, and album (“19 Dias y 500 Noches”).
1999 – Returning to the stage for the first time since his recent bout with pneumonia, Johnny Cash electrifies an audience in New York with a surprise appearance at an all-star concert in his honor.
1999 – Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, the bearded half of ABBA, take to the stage in London, 25 years after the band’s debut at the Eurovision Song Contest for the opening of “Mamma Mia!” the comedy/romance musical set to ABBA’s greatest hits. At the Prince Edward Theatre in London, the duo receives a standing ovation after the musical.
1999 – Red Norvo, who performed with such greats as Charles Mingus and Frank Sinatra and is credited with introducing the xylophone to jazz, dies at the age of 91.
1999 – Microsoft’s digital download technology, MS Audio 4.0, is unveiled.
1999 – Sony Corp. announces plans to begin selling Super Audio CD players and related products in Japan. Sony’s first SACD products are targeted mainly at the high end of the audio market. The SCD-1 SACD player has a suggested retail price of 500,000 Yen ($4,200).
1999 – Marcel Avram, the 61-year-old German concert promoter jailed for three and a half years in December 1997 after being convicted on charges of tax evasion, is unexpectedly freed. He had been in poor health since being incarcerated.
1998 – Tammy Wynette, whose hit “Stand By Your Man” stands among the classic recordings of all time, dies in her sleep at her Nashville home. She is 55. Known as “The First Lady of Country Music,” Wynette had 18 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country singles chart beginning in 1968 with “Take Me To Your World.”
1998 – A group of 27 country artists led by Tim McGraw and including Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Randy Travis, Pam Tillis, Deana Carter, and Mindy McCready files suit against Los Angeles resident Jim Salmon who registered the names of the plaintiffs as Website domain names.
1977 – No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Dancing Queen,” Abba. This is the only No. 1 song by the international phenomenon.
1975 – No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Philadelphia Freedom,” Elton John.
1974 – California Jam music festival attracts 200,000.
1960 – The Everly Brothers open their first British tour in London.
1945 – Bob Marley is born Robert Nesta Marley in Rhoden Hall, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.
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