August 

August 1:

Born:     Francis Scott Key, author of Star Spangled Banner (1779)

             Dom DeLuise Bkln NY, comedian, actor (1933)

             Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead (1942)

             Dennis Paxton, The Dave Clark Five (1943)

Events:  1st class postage up to $0.04 (had been $0.03 for 26 years) (1958)

             Johnny Burnette, singer, best known for the hits Dreamin' and You're Sixteen, drowns at 30 (1964)

             110,000 attend Atlantic City Pop Festival (1969)

             Julian "Cannonball" Adderley sax player, dies of a stroke (1975)

             Cilla Black, singer and entertainer, best known for her 1964 hit "You're My World," dies at 72 (2015

August 2:

Born:    Peter O'Toole Ireland, actor (Lord Jim, Beckett, Lawrence of Arabia) (1932)

            Edward Patten, The Pips (1939)

Events: Jack Kirkwood actor (Fibber McGee & Molly), dies at 69 (1964)

            North Vietnam fires on a US destroyer in Gulf of Tonkin (1964)

            Race riot in Jersey City NJ (1964)

            Morley Safer's sends 1st Vietnam report indicating we are losing (1965)

            Brian Cole, The Association dies of drug overdose at 29. (1972)

            Vin Scully, long-time play-by-player announcer for Dodgers baseball dies at 94 (2022)

August 3:

Born:     Tony Bennett Queens NY, singer (I Left My Heart In San Francisco)  (1926)

             Beverly Lee, The Shirelles (1941)

             John Graham, Electric Light Orchestra (1951)

             Jay North North Hollywood Calif, actor ( Dennis - Dennis the Menace) (1952)

Events:   Allan Sherman releases "Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda"  (1963)

              Great Train Robbery-$2.5 M ($3.25 M) robbed (1963)

              Lenny Bruce [Leonard Alfred Schneider] dies of a drug overdose. (1966)

              Paul McCartney forms Wings. (1971)

              Carolyn Jones actress (Morticia-Addams Family), dies at 54 of cancer (1983)

              Ty Hardin, actor, best known for TV show Bronco dies at 87 (2017)

August 4:

Born:     Frankie Ford, singer (Sea Cruise)  (1940)

             Tina Cole Hollywood, singer, actress (Katie-My Three Sons) (1943)

             Rick Derringer, The McCoys (1947)

             Paul Leyton, The Seekers (1947)

Events:   Several United States radio stations ban The Beatles because John Lennon says they "are bigger than God." (1966)

              100,000 attend Newport Pop Festival, Costa Mesa, Calif (1968)

               Lee Hazelwood, record producer of Nancy Sinatra's 1966 hit These Boots Are Made for Walking and Frank and Nancy Sinatra's 1967 hit Somethin' Stupid, dies of kidney cancer at 78.  (2007)

               John Gosling, The Kinks keyboardist,  dies at 75 (2023)               

 August 5:

Born:     Rick Huxley, The Dave Clark Five (1942)

             Sammi Smith, singer, (Help Me Make It Through the Night) (1943)

             Loni Anderson St Paul Minn, actress (1944)

             Jimmy Webb (1946)

             Samantha Sang singer (Emotion) (1953)

Events:    Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" begins in Philadelphia. (1957)

               Marilyn Monroe dies. (1962)

               US begins bombing North Vietnam (1964)

               Martin Luther King Jr stoned during Chicago march (1966)

               The Beatles release "Revolver." (1966)

                "The Piper At The Gates of Dawn" becomes Pink Floyd's first hit. (1967)

               Bobby Gentry releases her only hit"Ode to Billy Joe" (1967)

               Howard Culver actor (Howie-Gunsmoke), dies at 66  (1984)

               Paul Brown NFL founder (Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals), dies at 82 (1991) 

               Judith Dunham, lead singer of the 1960s group The Seekers, best known for "I Will Never Find Another You",  dies at 79 (2022)          

August 6:

Born:  Lucille Ball Jamestown NY, comedienne/actress  (1911)

          Robert Mitchum Bridgeport Ct, actor (1917)

          Andy Warhol pop artist  (Some Records have his birth on August 8, 1930) (1927)

          Isaac Hayes (1938)

Events: Federal Voting Rights Act guarantees black voting rights (1965)

            Harry Reasoner newscaster (60 Minutes), dies at 68 (1991)

            Marvin Hamlisch, composer, Oscar, Emmy, Pulitizer Prize winner dies at 68 (2012) 

            Wayne Fontana, singer, known for his massive hit "Game of Love" with the Mindbenders dies at 74 (2020)            

August 7:

Born:      B.J. Thomas singer (Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head)  (1942)

Events:   Oliver Hardy, comedian of Laurel & Hardy, dies at 65 (1957)

              "The Twist" by Chubby Checker charts, becomes a national craze. (1960)

               US Congress approves Gulf of Tonkin resolution (1964)

               "It Ain't Me Babe, written by Bob Dylan, charts for The Turtles (1965)             

                Marshall Grant the upright bassist for Johnny Cash's original backing band, The Tennessee Two, and played on his records for decades, including his classic Sun Records songs like "I Walk The Line" dies at age 83 (2011)

               Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, a founding member of the long-running soul-funk band Kool & the Gang known for such hits as "Celebration" and "Get Down On It,"  dies at 70 (2021)

August 8:

Born:     Andy Warhol pop artist  (Some records have his birth as August 6, 1927) (1930)

             Mel Tillis country singer (1932)

             Joe Tex, singer (Hold What You've Got) (1933)

             Dustin Hoffman LA, actor (The Graduate) (1937)

             Connie Stevens, Brooklyn , NY), singer/actress (Hawaiian Eye) (1938)

             Donny Most, Brooklyn, NY, actor (Ralph Malph-Happy Days) (1953)

Events:   Kingsmen release "Louie, Louie," radio stations label it obscene (1963)

              "The House of The Rising Sun" becomes The Animals first hit. (1964)

              Race riot in Miami, Florida (1968)

              Pres Richard M Nixon announced he'd resign his office effective 12PM 08/09 (1974)

              Richard Deacon, actor (Mel-Dick Van Dyke Show), dies at 62 (1984)

              Patricia Neal, actress (The Day the Earth Stood Still, Hud, The Waltons Homecoming) dies at 84 (2010)

              Karen Black,  American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter, (Easy Rider, 5 Easy Pieces, Nashville) dies at 74 (2013)

              Glen Campell, singer, actor, dies at 81 after courageous battle with Alzheimers (2017)

              Olivia Newton-John, singer, actor dies at 73 after 30 year battle with cancer (2022)

August 9:

Born:     Barbara Mason, singer, (Yes, I'm Ready) (1947)

Events:  Race riot in Jacksonville, Florida (1960)

             James B Parsons is 1st black appointed to Federal District Court (1961)

              Britains rock TV show, Ready Steady Go, premiers (1963)

             Sharon Tate and friends were murdered. [Charles Manson murders] (1969)

             Richard Nixon resigns presidency, VP Gerald Ford becomes 38th president (1974)

             Robbie Robertson, Co-founder of The Band, dies at 80 (2023)

                                                        August 10:

Born:     Rhonda Fleming Hollywood Calif, actress (1923)

             Jimmy Dean, singer, actor (Seth Ward) (Big Bad John) Movie - Diamonds Are Forever (1928)

             Eddie Fisher Phila Pa, singer (Oh My Papa) (1928)

             Ronnie Spector, (Veronica Bennett) The Ronettes  (Be My Baby) (1947)

             Bobby Hatfield, The Righteous Brothers  (You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling) (1940)

             Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull (Bungle in the Jungle) (1947)

             Patti Austin singer (The Real Me) (1948)

             Eric Braum, Iron Butterfly (1950)

Events:   Clara Peller actress (Where's the Beef commerical for Wendy's), dies at 86 (1987)

               Isaac Hayes, singer, songwriter (Theme From Shaft,  Hold On I'm Comin') dies at age 65 (2008)

               Billy Grammer, country singer, ("Gotta Travel On")  dies at 85 (2011)

               Eydie Gorme (singer, married to singer Steve Lawrence) dies at 84 (2013)

August 11:

Born:     Mike Hugg drummer, Manfred Mann (1942)

             Dennis Payton, The Dave Clark Five (1943)

             Jeff Hanna singer/guitarist (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) (1947)

             Eric Carmen Cleveland, Ohio, rocker (All by Myself) (1949)

Events:    Beach Boys release "Surfin' Safari" (1962)

               The Rolling Stones play a jazz festival headlined by Acker Bilk. (1963)

               The Kingston Trio are the mystery guest on "What's My Line?" (1963)

               Race riot in Paterson NJ (1964)

               Last Beatles concert tour of the US begins (1966)

               The Beatles launch the "Apple Records" label (1968)

               Peggy Castle actress (Lily Merrill-Lawman), dies at 46 (1973)

               Robin Williams, beloved comedian, actor, dies at 63 from suicide (2014)

               Trini Lopez, actor, muscian and singer, dies at 83 (2020)

August 12:

Born:     Ralph Waite White Plains NY, actor (John-Waltons, Roots) (1927)

             Buck Owens Sherman Texas, country singer (Hee Haw) (1929)

             Porter Wagoner country singer, discovered Dolly Parton  (1932)

             Sam Andrew, Big Brother and the Holding Company (1941)

             Deborah Walley Bridgeport Ct, actress (1941)

Events:  Race riot in Elizabeth NJ (1964)

             Race riot in West Side of Chicago (1965)

             Fleetwood Mac makes their first appearance at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in England. (1967)

             Janis Joplin gives her final concert at Harvard. (1970)

             Last American combat ground troops leave Vietnam (1972)

             Henry Fonda actor, dies at 77 from heart disease (1982)

             Lauren Bacall, stage and movie actress, dies at 89 (2014)

             Anne Heche, actor, dies at 53 (2022)

August 13:

Born:     Alfred Hitchcock (1899)

             Tony Santini, Sha Na Na (1948)

             Dan Fogelberg, singer (1951)

Events:  Construction on Berlin Wall begins in East Germany  (1961)

             King Curtis dies after being knifed. (1971)

             The One-to-One Concerts to benefit mentally challenged children is held, headlined by John and Yoko, Stevie Wonder, and Sha Na Na, among others, in Madison Square Garden. (1972)

             Jack Ryan inventor (Barbie Doll, Hot Wheels), dies at 65 (1991)

             Edward Kean, writer of "The Howdy Doody Show"and creator of the exclamation, "kowabunga, dies at age 85 (2010)

              Clarence Avant, known as "The Black Godfather" in the music industry dies at 92 (2023)

August 14:

Born:      David Crosby (1924)

              Alice Ghostly, Montana, actress (Bewitched) (1926)

              Steve Martin, Waco Tx, comedian (1945)

              Larry Graham rocker (One in a Million, You) (1946)

              Susan St James, LA Cal, (MacMillan & Wife) (1946)

Events:   Gladys Presley (Elvis' mom) dies. (1958)

              US mail truck in Plymouth, Mass robbed of more than $1.5 million (1962)

               "Hang on Sloopy"The McCoys first hit charts. (1965)

               British troops intervenes militarily in Northern Ireland (1969)

               NY Mets fall 9 games back, later to win the pennant, (later to be dubbed The Miracle Mets) (1969)

               Tony Williams, lead singer, The Platters dies at 64. (1992)

               Gena Rowlands, actress, Golden Globes winner best known as the older version of Rachael McAdams' character Alie in the movie Notebook dies at 94 (2024)

August 15:

Born:     Huntz Hall actor (The Bowery Boys) (1920)

             Rose Marie, NYC, actress (Sally Rogers-Dick Van Dyke Show) (1923)

             Bobby Helms, singer (Jingle Bell Rock, You, My Special Angel) (1933)

             Peter York, Spencer Davis Group (1942)

Events:   Thomas Edison makes the first recording: "Mary Had a Little Lamb." (1877)

              Wiley Post & Will Rogers killed in plane crash in Alaska (1935)

              Elvis Presley and Colonel Parker sign a management deal. Their handshake deal is a a myth. (1955)

              Beatle's Shea Stadium concert (1965)

              Woodstock Music and Arts Fair opens on Max Yasgur's far for three days of peace and music. (1969)

              August 16:

Born:     Fess Parker [Davy Crockett] (1925)

             Robert Culp, Berkley Calif, actor (I Spy, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice) (1930)

             Eydie Gorme, singer married to  singer/actor Steve Lawrence, (Blame on the Bosa Nova) (1931)

             Julie Newmar Hollywood Calif, actress (Catwoman-Batman) (1935)

             Gary Clarke LA Calif, actor (Hondo, Virginian   ) (1936)

             Chris Curtis, The Searchers (1941)

             Gary Loizzo, American Breed (1945

Events:   Pete Best is fired by The Beatles and replaced by Ringo Starr. (1962)

              Elvis Presley dies. (1977)

              Amanda Blake actress (Gunsmoke), dies at 60 (1989)

              Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, dies at 76 (2018)

              Peter Fonda, actor, "Easy Rider" dies at 79 (2019)

       August 17:

Born:       Maureen O'Hara Dublin Ireland, actress (Miracle on 34th St, Parent Trap) (1921)

               Robert De Niro NYC, actor (1943)

Events:   Francis Gary Powers U-2 spy trial opens in Moscow  (1960)

               Woodstock closes and reality returns. (1969)

               Hurricane Camille claims more than 250 (1969)

               Paul Williams, The Temptations commits suicide at 34. (1973)

               Vivian Vance actress (Ethel Mertz-I Love Lucy), dies at 72 (1979)

               John Phillips, The Mamas and The Papas, is charged with operating a cocaine ring. (1980)

               Pearl Bailey Broadway actress/singer, dies at 72 from a heart attack (1990)

August 18:

Born:        Shelley Winters [Schrift], St Louis Mo, actress (Poisidon Adventure) (1922)

               Gail Fisher Orange NJ, actress (Peggy-Mannix) (1935)

                Robert Redford Calif, actor (1937)

                Patrick Swayze Houston Tx, actor/dancer (Dirty Dancing) (1952)

Events:    TV game show scandal investigation starts (1958)

                Construction on Berlin Wall completed (1961)

                James Meredith became 1st black graduate from U of Mississippi (1963)

                Scott McKenzie, singer, songwriter, (one hit wonder singer of song "San Francisco (Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" dies at 73 (2012)

                Phil Donohue, Emmy Awarded journalist and TV personality dies at 88 (2024)

August 19:

Born:       Gene Roddenberry executive producer (Star Trek) (1921)

              Johnny Nash (I Can See Clearly Now) (1940)

              Billy J. Kramer, singer, (Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotos) (Bad to Me) (1943)

              Ian Gillian heavy metal rocker (Deep Purple) (1945)

Events:   Groucho Marx dies. (1977)

              The second United States tour by The Beatles starts in The Cow Palace, San Francisco. (1964)

August 20:

Born:     Shirley Booth NYC, actress (Hazel-Hazel) (1907)

             Jim Reeves, singer, (1920)

             Isaac Hayes, singer, songwriter (1942)

             Robert Anthony Plant, Led Zeppelin (1948)

Events:  Rolling Stones release "Satisfaction"    (their 1st #1 US hit) (1965)

              Phyllis Diller, comedian/actor, dies at 95 (2012)

               Jerry Lewis, actor, comedian, long time host of the Labor DayWeekend  Muscular Distrophy broadcast, dies at 91 (2017)  

           Tom T. Hall, the singer-songwriter who composed "Harper Valley P.T.A." and sang about life’s simple joys as country music’s consummate blue collar bard, dies at 85 (2021)

             David Jacobs, Creator of "Dallas" and "Knots Landing," dies at 84 (2023)

                                                August 21:

Born:     Friz Freleng animator (Bugs Bunny) (1906)

            Nancy Kulp Harrisburg Pa, actress (Jane-Beverly Hillbillies) (1921)

             Kenny Rogers, singer (1938)

             Jackie DeShannon, singer, (What the World Needs Now) (1944)

Events:  Martial law declared in South Vietnam (1963)

             Democratic Convention opens in Chicago (1968)

            Radio Prague (Czech) at 12:50 AM announces a soviet led invasion. Warsaw Pact forces enter Czechoslovakia to end reform movement (1968)

                                              August 22:

Born:     John Lee Hooker, blues jazz musician (1917)

             Honor Blackman, London, actress (Pussy Galore-Goldfinger) (1926)

             Dale Hawkins (1938)

             Fred Milano, The Belmonts (1939)

             Kathy Lennon, Santa Monica Calif, singer (Lennon Sisters) (1942)

Events:  Cynthia Lennon sues John Lennon for divorce on adultry (1968)

             Elvis makes his live comeback, starring four nights in Las Vegas' International Hotel.  These are his first live shows since 1961 and perhaps the all-time greatest comeback in entertainment history. (1969)

              Sebastian Cabot actor (Mr French-Family Affair), dies at 59 (1977)

              Jerry Leiber of Leiber-Stoller team, song writer, (Hound Dog, Charlie Brown, Little Egypt plus hundreds of others) dies at 78 (2011)

               Nickolas Ashford, songwriting and production of Ashford-Simpson, dies at 70 (2011)

August 23:

Born:    Gene Kelly Pitts, dancer/actor  (1912)

            Vera Miles actress (Psycho) (1930)

            Barbara Eden Tucson Az, actress (I Dream of Jeannie) (1934)

            Rudy Lewis, The Drifters (1936)

Events:  Oscar Hammerstein II, dies at 65 (1960)

             John Lennon and Cynthia Powell wed. (1962)

             "She Loves You" is released by The Beatles. (1963)

             Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground play their last gig together. He didn't inform the band he was leaving, he just quit. (1970)

              Hank Patterson actor (Fred Ziffel-Green Acres), dies at 87 (1975)

August 24:

Born:     David Frielberg, Jefferson Starship (1938)

             Ernie Wright, Little Anthony and the Imperials (1939)

Events:   "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," by Iron Butterfly charts. (1968)

              Mark Chapman, John Lennon's assassin, gets 20-years to life in prison. (1982)

              E.G. Marshall actor - "The Defenders", "Nixon", "Absolute Power", dies at 88 (1998)

              Julie Harris actor - "East of Eden" and CBS TV "Knots Landing" dies at 87 (2013)

              Former Whitesnake guitarist Bernie Marsden, dies at 72 (2023)

August 25:

Born:    Monty Hall Winnipeg Canada, TV game show host (Let's Make a Deal) (1923)

             Sean Connery, actor (1930)

             Anne Archer, LA Ca, actress (1947)

             Gene Simmons, Kiss (1949)

Events:   "Sherry" The 4 Seasons' first hit, is released. (1962)

             Truman Capote author (In Cold Blood), dies (1984)

             Neil Armstrong, astronaut ,first human to walk on moon, dies at 82 (2012)

August 26:

Born:   Vic Dana Buffalo, singer (Red Roses for a Blue Lady)  (1942)

Events: Art Baker, TV host (You Asked For It), dies at 67 (1966)

           Ted Knight actor (Mary Tyler Moore Show), dies at 62 (1986)

           Bob Barker, best known for  The Price is Right emcee dies at 99 (2023)

                                                    August 27:

Born:     Tommy Sands, singer/actor (1937)

             Susan "Tuesday" Weld NYC, actress (Dobie Gillis, Wild in Country) (1943)

             Barbara Bach [Goldbach], Queens NY, actress (Spy Who Loved Me) (1949)

Events:  Francis the Talking Mule is the mystery guest on "What's My Line" (1961)

               "Highway 61 Revisited,"Bob Dylan's first rock LP, is released. (1965)

              Brian Epstein [The Beatles first manager] dies of drug overdose. (1967)

              Billy Sands, actor (Phil Silvers Show, McHale's Navy), dies at 73 (1984)

              Stevie Ray Vaughan blues guitarist, dies in a helicopter crash at 35 (1990)

August 28:

Born:      Peggy Ryan Long Beach Calif, actress (Jenny-Hawaii Five-0) (1924)

              David Soul Chicago, actor (Starsky & Hutch) (1943)

              Dan Serephine, Chicago (1948)

Events:   Martin Luther King delivers the "I Have a Dream" speech. (1963)

               Bob Dylan introduces The Beatles to smoking pot in the Delmonico Hotel, New York (1964)

               Police & anti-war demonstrators clash at Chicago's Democratic National Convention (1968)

               Jan Clayton actress (Ellen Miller-Lassie), dies at 66 (1983)

               Ruth Gordon actress, dies at 88 suffering a stroke in her sleep (1985)

August 29:

Born:    Ingrid Bergman, Sweden, actress (Casablanca, Cactus Flower) (1915)

            Isabel Sanford NYC, actress (Louise-Jeffersons/All in the Family) (1917)

            Dinah Washington, singer (1924)

             Donald O'Connor Chicago Ill, dancer/actor (Singing in the Rain and The Francis Talking Mule Movies) 1925)

            Michael Jackson, singer (1958)

Events: George Harrison joins The Quarrymen, a band already including John Lennon and Paul McCartney. (1958)

               "Oh Pretty Woman" charts for Roy Orbison. (1964)

               Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" released (1964)

               The Beatles play their final concert together in Candlestick Park, San Francisco, although nobody knew it at the time. They did perform free atop Apple's London building in 1969 in public. (1966)

               The final episode of "The Fugitive" starring David Janssen airs.  He catches the one-armed man, gets him to confess, but loses him to death; but the police hear it all. (1967)

               Ingrid Bergman academy award winning actress, dies on 67th birthday (1982)

               Simon Oakland actor (Toma, Kolchak, Baa Baa Black Sheep), dies at 61 (1983)

               Lee Marvin, actor, (The Dirty Dozen, Paint Your Wagon) dies in Tucson, Ariz at 63 (1987)

               Gene Wilder, actor, film director, author, dies at age 83 (2016)

               Ed Asner, actor and activist best known for portraying Lou Grant on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its subsequent spinoff,  dies at 91 (2021)

           August 30:

Born:    Fred MacMurray Kankakee Ill, actor (Caine Mutiny, The Absent Minded Professor, The Shaggy Dog, My Three Sons) (1907)

            Kitty Wells Nashville Tn, country singer (Grand Ole Opry) (1919) 

            John Phillips, The Mamas and The Papas (1935)

           Chuck Colbert, American Breed (1944)

Events: Casey Stengel announces his retirement after 55 years in baseball   (1965)

            US Senate confirm Thurgood Marshall as 1st black justice (1967)

            The Beatles release their first Apple record, "Hey Jude/Revolution" (1968)

            120,000 attend Texas International Pop Festival (1969)

            25,000 attend 2nd Annual Sky River Rock Festival, Tenino Wash (1969)

            Valerie Harper, actress, best known as Rhoda in TV Comedies "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Rhoda" dies at 80 (2019)

August 31:

Born:  James Coburn, Laurel NE, actor (Our Man Flint, Magnificent Seven) (1928)

           Eldridge Cleaver,  Black Panther (1935)

          Van Morrison, singer (Brown Eyed Girl) (1945)

          Rick Roberts, Firefall (1949)

Events: Rocky Marciano former heavyweight champ, dies in a plane crash (1964)

            House of Reps joins Senate establish Dept of Housing & Urban Develop (1965)

            25,000 attend New Orleans Pop Festival (1969)

            David Frost, British Broadcasting Journalist, dies at 74 (2013) 

            Tom Seaver,  New York Mets legend, who earned the nickname "Tom Terrific" during a 20-year career that saw him win 311 games and three Cy Young awards dies at 75 (2020)

            Michael Constantine, actor, best known as the principal on Room 222 dies at 94 (2021)