This Day in Music

Billboard Staff
Updated ·2 min read
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2002 – Celebrated artist Peter Howson unveils 10 nude portraits of Madonna-his latest works-to the world. The artist painted the works from imagination, since Madonna’s husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, allegedly forbade her to pose when Howson inquired.

2000 – Sony Music Entertainment announces plans to make its first commercial digital downloads available to U.S. consumers. Sony says it will offer about 50 hit songs from Lauryn Hill, Pearl Jam, Michael Jackson, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and others.

1999 – Siti Nurhaliza is the top winner at the sixth Anugerah Inustri Muzik (AIM) Awards, presented at the Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nurhaliza takes album of the year, best pop album, and best female vocal honors for “Adiwarna.”

1998 – Eddie O’Jay, one of the pioneers of black radio broadcasting, passes away at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, N.Y. following complications from two heart attacks. Born Edward O. Jackson, he shortens his tag to “O’Jay” for the air; veteran soul group the O’Jays are named by him.

1995 – Country star Lee Greenwood and wife, Kim, welcome a baby boy, Dalton Lee, in Nashville.

1977 – No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Don’t Give Up on Us,” David Soul. Soul starred as detective Ken Hutchinson in TV’s “Starsky and Hutch.”

1967 – No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Somethin’ Stupid,” Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra. The duo is the only father-daughter team to top the pop chart.

1957 – Ricky Nelson sings for first time on TV’s “Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” He performs “I’m Walking.”

1952 – No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Wheel of Fortune,” Kay Starr.

1921 – Sheb Wooley is born Shelby F. Wooley near Erick, Okla. He writes the theme song for the TV show “Hee-Haw” and the No. 1 novelty song “The Purple People Eater.”

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