October 31

 

Soul music's godfather faced ugly charges today in 1995 when James Brown was arrested in Aiken, South Carolina for assaulting his 47-year-old wife Adrienne, adding another troubling chapter to the hardest working man in show business's long history of domestic violence allegations and legal problems…

 

Beatle memorabilia reached new heights today in 2005 when the iconic white suit worn by John Lennon on the cover of 'Abbey Road' sold for $118,000 at a Las Vegas auction, proving that even the band's clothing carried extraordinary value to devoted collectors…

 

Genius met addiction today in 1964 when Ray Charles was arrested at Boston's Logan Airport with heroin and marijuana, resulting in a conviction that led the blind pianist to finally confront his decades-long drug dependency and emerge clean…

 

U2's rhythmic foundation Larry Mullen Jr. was born on this day in 1961, the Dublin drummer who famously posted the note on his school bulletin board seeking musicians that would lead to forming one of rock's biggest bands, remaining their steady timekeeper for over four decades…

 

Hip-hop's most notorious one-hit wonder Vanilla Ice celebrates his 58th birthday today, the rapper whose "Ice Ice Baby" became the first hip-hop single to top the Billboard charts before his fall from grace made him a punchline and cautionary tale…

 

Hollywood met hippie chaos today in 1970 when Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas married actor Dennis Hopper in a union that lasted just eight days before being annulled, making it one of entertainment history's shortest marriages between two counterculture icons.