... and more August 12 birthdays –
Percy Mayfield (1920) – songwriter ("Hit The Road Jack").
Joe Jones (1926) – R&B singer/songwriter ("You Talk Too Much").
Porter Wagoner (1927) – Country music artist.
Rod Bernard (1940) – Cajun/Creole musician.
Craig Douglas (1941) – British singer.
Ron Mael (1945) – keyboardist for Sparks.
Kid Creole (aka Thomas Browder, 1950) – Kid Creole and The Coconuts.
Pat Metheny (1954) – guitarist.
Jürgen Dehmel (1958) – bassist for Nena.
Roy Hay (1961) – guitarist for Culture Club.
Sir Mix-A-Lot (aka Anthony Ray, 1963) – hip hop MC.August 12 R.I.P. – Kyu Sakamoto (1985) – plane crash. Age 43. Japanese singer (“Sukiyaki”). Marty Paich (1995) – colon cancer. Age 70. L.A. session musician. Luther Allison (1997) – cancer. Age 57. Blues guitarist. Richie Hayward (2010) – lung disease, liver cancer. Age 64. Drummer for Little Feat. August 12 album releases – Big Brother and The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968) Roberta Flack – Chapter Two (1970) Paul Simon – Graceland (1986) Metallica – Metallica (1991) August 12 events – 1877 – Thomas Edison completes his prototype of the phonograph. 1939 – The Wizard Of Oz movie premieres in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. 1953 – The Four Lads record “Istanbul (Not Constantinople).” 1957 – Frankie Lymon quits The Teenagers for a solo career. 1957 – Johnny Mathis releases his single, “Chances Are” b/w “The Twelfth Of Never.” 1958 – Elvis Presley gets emergency leave from the Army to visit his mother in the hospital, who is deteriorating rapidly from hepatitis C. 1958 – The Crests record “Sixteen Candles” and “Molly Mae” in New York. 1960 – John, Paul, George and Stu audition drummer Pete Best and he lands the job (since he is the only one to audition). 1963 – Jim Ed Brown, of The Browns, joins the Grand Ole Opry. 1966 – The Beatles begin their final U.S. tour at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. 1968 – The New Yardbirds (soon to become Led Zeppelin) begin their first rehearsal beneath a record store at 22 Gerrard Street in Westminster, London. 1970 – Fleetwood Mac plays the first of five nights at the Whiskey A Go-Go, with opening act Mason Proffit. 1970 – The Hollywood Bowl hosts a memorial concert for recently deceased folk legend Woody Guthrie, featuring Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Pete Seeger, Odetta, and Tom Paxton. 1971 – The Carpenters release their single, “Superstar” b/w “Bless The Beasts And Children” on A&M Records. 1973 – The Eagles, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young all play the Corral Club in Topanga, California. 1977 – Guitarist Henri Padovani quits The Police, leaving them a trio. 1984 – Lionel Richie performs at the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. 1986 – Prince and The Revolution begin their Parade Tour at Wembley Stadium. This will be the last tour for The Revolution. 1989 – The two-day Moscow Music Peace Festival takes place at Lenin Stadium. Western acts at the event include Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row and The Scorpions. It is the first time Russian concert-goers are allowed to stand and dance at a concert. 1994 – The three-day Woodstock ’94 festival begins in Saugerties, New York. Festival artists include Blues Traveler, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Collective Soul, Metallica, Joe Cocker, Aerosmith and many others. 1997 – MTV premieres the Fleetwood Mac reunion concert, The Dance. 1998 – Stone Temple Pilots’ singer Scott Weiland pleads guilty to heroin possession and is sentenced to 90 days in a drug rehab facility. 1999 – Missouri governor Mel Carnahan declares the day "Porter Wagoner Day." 2000 – During their set at the Echo Basin Ranch in Mancos, Colorado, the members of .38 Special escape death when a gust of wind lifts, then collapses their stage canopy, bringing down tons of lighting equipment onto the stage. Two band members and several crew members are injured, but none seriously. 2003 – Lee Ryan, from the British boy band Blue, is arrested for drunk driving in London. 2007 – Cary, North Carolina declares the day “Chicago Day,” and the band shows up to accept the honor.
