August 29

 

Jazz's greatest innovator Charlie "Bird" Parker was born on this day in 1920 in Kansas City, the alto saxophonist whose bebop revolution and lightning-fast improvisational skills fundamentally changed the course of American music before his tragic death at just 34…

 

We remember the King of Pop on what would have been Michael Jackson's 67th birthday today, honoring the legendary entertainer whose moonwalk, infectious melodies, and groundbreaking music videos made him the most famous performer on the planet before his death in 2009…

 

The Beatles' live career reached its end today in 1966 with their final concert before a paying audience at San Francisco's Candlestick Park, closing the chapter on Beatlemania's touring years as the Fab Four retreated to the studio forever…

 

The blues lost its last living link to the Delta tradition today in 2011 when David "Honeyboy" Edwards died of congestive heart failure in Chicago at 96, taking with him the man who had played alongside Robert Johnson and witnessed blues history firsthand…

 

Hurricane Katrina's devastation touched music royalty today in 2005 when Fats Domino was dramatically rescued from his flooded Ninth Ward home in New Orleans, saving the rock and roll pioneer who had refused to evacuate his beloved city…

 

World music reached new artistic heights today in 1986 with the release of Paul Simon's 'Graceland,' the album that introduced Western audiences to South African musicians and sparked both controversy and acclaim for its cross-cultural collaborations.