August 20: What Happened On This Day In Rock History

August 20 has been a day of momentous occasions and significant losses in the world of music. From record-breaking tours and landmark albums to personal dramas and tragic deaths, this date has a history of moments that have shaped the industry and its cultural landscape.

Here’s What Happened In Rock Music on August 20

2024 – Coldplay’s ongoing Music of the Spheres World Tour was officially named the highest-grossing and best-selling rock tour of all time. With a gross of $945.7 million and 8.8 million tickets sold since its launch in March 2022, the tour surpassed all other treks on record, a lead that was set to grow with more shows planned in Australia and New Zealand.

2024 – The auction house Gottahaverockandroll.com put up for bid twenty-four performance contracts from The Beatles' 1964 North American Summer Tour. Each document featured a signature from either the band's manager, Brian Epstein, or a NEMS employee.

2020 – American rock drummer Frankie Banali, most widely known for his work with the multi-platinum heavy metal band Quiet Riot, died at the age of 68 from pancreatic cancer.

2019 – Rod Stewart, 74, attended his daughter Kimberly's 40th birthday party in Los Angeles, where he was joined by three of his ex-wives: Kimberly's mother Alana Stewart, Kelly Emberg, and Rachel Hunter. Stewart is a father to eight children from five different women.

2018 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that The Eagles' Greatest Hits 1971–1975 had officially surpassed Michael Jackson's Thriller to become the best-selling album of all time in the US. The album was certified 38x Platinum, signifying sales and streams equivalent to 38 million copies.

2017 – Actor and comedian Jerry Lewis, who also had a Billboard Top 10 hit in 1956 with "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody," died of natural causes at 91. While Lewis was a successful performer who hosted the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon for many years, his will revealed a tragic detail: he excluded all six of his sons, including musician Gary Lewis, from his inheritance, leaving his entire estate to his second wife and their adopted daughter.

2016 – Alice Cooper humorously announced his decision to run for President of the United States, naming actor Tom Hanks as his running mate. With a tongue-in-cheek campaign slogan of "I can do nothing as well as they can do nothing," Cooper was taking a swipe at the Democratic and Republican candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

2016 – Former 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts died at the age of 38 from a prescription drug overdose. The American rock band rose to international fame with their debut single, 'Kryptonite,' and their first album, The Better Life, went on to be certified 6x platinum in the US.

2016 – The Tragically Hip performed a sold-out farewell show in Kingston, Ontario, for their dying singer, Gord Downie. The concert was broadcast live across Canada and watched at hundreds of public screenings, serving as a massive farewell for the beloved singer.

2015 – A police task force investigating Internet crimes against children served a search warrant at the home of KISS rocker Gene Simmons. Police quickly clarified that neither Simmons nor his family were suspected in the case.

2015 – Michael McDonald reunited with The Doobie Brothers for an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where they performed a medley of their hits, "Long Train Runnin'" and "Takin' It To The Streets."

2009 – American keyboard player and bassist Larry Knechtel died at 69 from an apparent heart attack. He was a member of the legendary Wrecking Crew, a group of session musicians who played on countless hits for artists like Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, and Elvis Presley. He was also a member of the band Bread in the 1970s.

2008 – The daughter of country star Johnny Cash, Roseanne Cash, publicly called the use of her father's name to endorse a US presidential candidate "appalling." The remarks were in response to country star John Rich implying that Cash would have supported Republican John McCain.

2006 – The Rolling Stones performed the first of two nights at Twickenham Stadium in London as part of their 'A Bigger Bang' world tour. Feeder and The Charlatans were also on the bill.

2004 – A man from Stoke-on-Trent, England, named Bryan Adams as the "other man" in his divorce papers, claiming his wife's obsession with the singer had destroyed their marriage. The man, Rob Tinsley, said he had to live with a life-size cutout of Adams and posters of the singer on their bedroom walls.

1997 – The BBC aired the documentary Oasis Right Here Right Now, which featured the group discussing a tumultuous year and performing three new songs.

1992 – Still in the midst of controversy over his song "Cop Killer," Ice-T appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine dressed in a police officer's uniform with the cover story titled "You Gotta Problem With That?".

1991 – The film Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man debuted in US theaters. The film's soundtrack featured a song called "The Bigger They Come" by Peter Frampton and Steve Marriott, their first collaboration in 20 years since their days in the band Humble Pie.

1990 – Aerosmith performed at The Marquee Club in London. During the show, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page joined the band on stage for a blues jam.

1988 – Steve Winwood's fifth solo album, Roll With It, went to No. 1 on the US album chart. The title track had already topped the US singles charts.

1988 – Two rock fans died while "slam dancing" during a Guns N’ Roses set at the Monsters Of Rock Festival in Castle Donington, England. The lineup also featured Iron Maiden, Kiss, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, and Helloween.

1983 – Madness, Joan Jett, The Police, and R.E.M. were among the acts who performed at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

1981 – Bruce Springsteen performed at the Los Angeles Sports Arena to benefit the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation and the Mental Health Association.

1980 – John Lennon began recording his final album, Double Fantasy. The album would be released on November 17th by the newly-formed Geffen Records and would go on to win the 1982 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

1979 – Bob Dylan released Slow Train Coming, an album of religious songs that alienated many of his long-time fans. Despite this, the album contained the Grammy Award-winning single 'Gotta Serve Somebody.'

1973 – Bruce Springsteen played the first of a seven-night run at Oliver's in Boston, Massachusetts, where he performed two 60-minute sets each night.

1973 – The Rolling Stones released "Angie," which would go on to top the Billboard chart. The song was a subject of much speculation regarding its inspiration, but in his 2010 memoir Life, Keith Richards stated he had chosen the name randomly.

1970 – Creedence Clearwater Revival's fifth studio album, Cosmo's Factory, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200, a position it held for nine weeks. The album featured hit singles like "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and "Who'll Stop The Rain."

1969 – Frank Zappa temporarily disbanded The Mothers of Invention following an eight-day tour in Canada. Zappa stated he was "tired of playing for people who clap for all the wrong reasons."

1969 – After completing 'I Want You (She’s So Heavy),' The Beatles worked on the running order for the Abbey Road album. This session marked the last time all four Beatles were together in Abbey Road studios. The album's final track order was decided here, and Paul McCartney's 'Her Majesty' was included on the album by accident after a tape operator spliced it onto the end of the master tape.

1968 – Dr. David M. Lipscomb of the University of Tennessee's audio lab reported that a guinea pig subjected to 88 hours of rock music at 120 decibels over three months had suffered acute inner-ear damage. In response, a New York disco owner humorously said, "Should a major increase in guinea pig attendance occur at The Scene, we'll certainly bear their comfort in mind."

1966 – During their final tour of America, The Beatles were forced to cancel and reschedule a performance at Cincinnati's Crosley Field. Heavy rain and a lack of cover made electrocution a near certainty if they had attempted to perform.

1966 – The Beatles' album Yesterday...And Today started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart, marking their eighth No.1 album. Issued only in the United States and Canada, the album is remembered primarily for the controversy surrounding its original "butcher cover" image.

1965 – Davy Jones & The Lower Third released the single 'You've Got a Habit of Leaving.' This was the last song David Bowie released under his birth name, David Jones, before he changed it to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees.

1965 – The Rolling Stones' manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, and his partner Tony Calder launched Immediate Records. The label's launch party was attended by Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, and Nico, and it would become the home of artists like the Small Faces and the Nice. A young producer and guitarist, Jimmy Page, also worked for the label.

1955 – Elvis Presley's "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" was released by Sun Records. The song would become a No. 1 hit on the Billboard National Country Music Chart, giving Elvis his first national exposure.

1954 – Slim Whitman, Billy Walker, Sugarfoot Collins, Sonny Harvelle, Tinker Fry, Curly Harris, and a young Elvis Presley, all appeared at the Hillbilly Hoedown, Overton Park Shell, in Memphis Tennessee. Elvis was so nervous he stood up on the balls of his feet and shook his leg in time with the music, when he came offstage he asked why people were yelling at him. Someone told him it was because he was shaking his leg, which with the baggy pleated pants created a wild gyrating effect in time with the music.

Rock Birthdays: August 20

Here are just some of the rock birthdays from August 20:

• 1923 – Roland Janes (Rockabilly Guitarist / Record Producer)
• 1934 – 'Sneaky' Pete Kleinow of The Flying Burrito Brothers (Steel Guitarist)
• 1937 – Clem Cattini of The Tornadoes (Drums)
• 1940 – John Lantree of The Honeycombs (Musician)
• 1941 – Dave Brock of Hawkwind (Singer / Songwriter / Musician)
• 1947 – James Pankow of Chicago (Trombone)
• 1948 – Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin (Vocals)
• 1949 – Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy (Singer / Bass)
• 1952 – Doug Fieger of The Knack (Singer-songwriter)
• 1952 – John Hiatt (Rock Guitarist / Pianist / Singer / Songwriter)
• 1966 – Dimebag Darrell of Pantera (Guitar)
• 1971 – Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit (Vocals)
• 1985 – Michael Shuman of Queens of the Stone Age (Bass)

August 20: On This Day In Rock History

August 20 consistently delivers moments that define the diverse and evolving narrative of rock music. From record-breaking performances and innovative releases to moments of both celebration and challenge, this date continues to remind us of the enduring power and cultural impact of music across generations. The stories from this day underscore the rich legacy and ongoing influence of artists and events in rock history.