1999 More than 9.1 million viewers tune in to the Brit Awards broadcast on the U.K.’s ITV commercial network.
1998 Do-it-yourself singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco’s label Righteous Babe Records ships 250,000 units of her latest album, “Little Plastic Castle,” just to keep up with a greatly increased demand for the ever more popular anti-pop artist’s material.
1990 Emma Anderson admits in an interview that her band Lush is the “Most hated band in London.”
1982 Jazz pianist Thelonious Monk dies of a stroke at the age of 64.
1979 The Clash opens its first U.S. tour at the Palladium in New York City.
1976 Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatrical Society votes Bette Midler “Woman of the Year.”
1969 Johnny Cash records a session in Nashville, Tenn., with Bob Dylan. “Girl from the North Country” is the only duet released from the session.
1960 The Everly Brothers sign with Warner Bros. Records in a 10-year contract worth $1 million.
1941 Singer Gene Pitney is born in Hartford, Conn. Four of his songs make the top 10 on Billboard’s singles chart. His biggest hit, “Only Love Can Break a Heart,” reaches No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1962.