"Thriller" Video Debuts On MTV - Music History - Calendar Event of the Day

 

1983 Michael Jackson's 14-minute "Thriller" video debuts on MTV. Directed by John Landis, the short film shows Michael Jackson turning into a werewolf and leading a dance routine with various undead creatures. Read the full story   More Events:   1957 Al Priddy, a disc jockey at the Portland, Oregon, radio station KEX, is fired for playing the Elvis Presley version of "White Christmas," which the station has banned, their program manager saying it "desecrates the Spirit of Christmas and transgresses the composer's intent." The story makes national news, but it turns out to be a brilliant publicity stunt - Priddy is back on the air two weeks later, with the station claiming letters were pouring in to support the DJ. As part of the stunt, Priddy recorded the GM calling in to "fire" him for playing the song and played the conversation on his show before he left.   1981 Britney Spears is born in McComb, Mississippi, raised in Louisiana. At 11 she joins the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club; at 16 she releases her first single, the #1 hit "...Baby One More Time."   1995 "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey's duet with Boyz II Men, hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and holds the top spot for a record 16 weeks.   See More Events

Michael Jackson Crowns Himself King Of Pop - Music History - Calendar Event of the day

 

1991 Per Michael Jackson's wishes, one week before his controversial "Black Or White" music video airs, a memo circulates at MTV instructing the network's on-air personnel to refer to Jackson as the King of Pop at least twice a week during the next two weeks. Read the full story   More Events:   1986 David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright announce they are working on a new Pink Floyd album despite a lawsuit from original member Roger Waters trying to retire the group. The album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, is issued the following year; soon after, the lawsuit is settled.   2008 Eighteen-year-old Taylor Swift releases her second album, Fearless, which goes on to sell over 10 million copies in America. Standout tracks include "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me."   1982 Prince begins his 1999 tour with a show in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The opening acts are two groups he put together in Minneapolis: The Time and Vanity 6.   See More Events

Newlyweds Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley Bring PDA To VMAs - Music History - Calendar Event of The Day

 

1994 Nearly four months after tying the knot in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley make their first public appearance as a married couple at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Jackson infamously plants a sloppy smooch on his bride. Read the full story   More Events:   1997 The first episode of the legal dramedy Ally McBeal airs on FOX. Vonda Shepard, an unknown singer, catches her big break when she sings the theme song "Searchin' My Soul." Shepard also becomes a series regular, playing a lounge singer who gives voice to Ally's troubles through music at the end of each episode.   2016 Lance Bass of *NSYNC hosts Finding Prince Charming on the Logo network, the first all-gay dating show.   1993 Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) appear on stage together for the first time, performing at Club Lingerie in Los Angeles. They play "Pennyroyal Tea" and "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"   See More Events Click here for the previous post

Michael Jackson Buys Beatles Catalog - Music History Calendar - Event of the Day

 

1985 Three years after their duet "The Girl Is Mine," Paul McCartney advises Michael Jackson to invest in publishing. Jackson makes a winning bid of $47.5 million for the rights to over 250 Lennon-McCartney Beatles songs owned by ATV publishing, which turns out to be a great investment, but kills their friendship. Read the full story   More Events:   2002 Guns N' Roses kick off their Chinese Democracy world tour with a show in Hong Kong. The album they are touring behind doesn't show up for another six years.   2015 The first presidential playlists are released. Barack Obama's selections include tracks by Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and John Legend.   1965 Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" hits #1 for the first of three weeks.   See More Events Click here for the previous post

Michael Jackson Dies - Music History Calendar - Event of The Day

 

Michael Jackson Dies     2009 Fifty-year-old Michael Jackson is found dead in the Los Angeles mansion he is renting. The shocking news spreads quickly through social media outlets, and Jackson is the subject of numerous tributes over the next few weeks. Read the full story   More Events:   1963 George Michael is born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou in London. He becomes a teen idol in the UK with the duo Wham! then makes the transition to serious solo artist with the 1984 song "Careless Whisper."   2014 Beyoncé and Jay-Z kick off their On The Run tour with a show in Miami, with the couple co-headlining. The tour is one of the most profitable ever on a per-show basis, averaging over $5 million per concert.   1967 The Beatles premiere the song "All You Need Is Love" to 400 million people on a worldwide TV program.   See More Events Click here for the previous post