August 20: Significant Events in Rock History
August 20 has seen its fair share of notable events in the realm of rock music, ranging from groundbreaking tours and iconic albums to personal controversies and heart-wrenching losses that have left a lasting impact on the music industry.
In 2024, Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour made history by becoming the highest-grossing and best-selling rock tour of all time, generating a staggering $945.7 million in revenue and selling 8.8 million tickets since its launch. The auction house Gottahaverockandroll.com also featured twenty-four performance contracts from The Beatles’ 1964 North American Summer Tour, signed by the band’s manager Brian Epstein or a NEMS employee.
Tragedy struck in 2020 when renowned American rock drummer Frankie Banali, known for his work with Quiet Riot, passed away at 68 due to pancreatic cancer. In 2019, Rod Stewart celebrated his daughter’s 40th birthday in Los Angeles, where he was joined by three of his ex-wives, highlighting his complex family dynamics with eight children from five different women.
2018 marked a significant milestone as The Eagles’ Greatest Hits 1971–1975 surpassed Michael Jackson’s Thriller to become the best-selling album in the US, certified 38x Platinum. The passing of actor and comedian Jerry Lewis in 2017 revealed a bittersweet inheritance story, where he excluded his six sons and left his estate to his second wife and their adopted daughter.
In a lighthearted turn of events in 2016, Alice Cooper jokingly announced his run for President of the United States with actor Tom Hanks as his running mate, poking fun at the mainstream candidates. The music world mourned the loss of former 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts, who succumbed to a prescription drug overdose at 38 years old.
A poignant moment occurred in 2016 when The Tragically Hip held a sold-out farewell show in Kingston, Ontario, for their terminally ill lead singer, Gord Downie, broadcast live across Canada. Gene Simmons of KISS found himself in an unexpected situation in 2015 when a police task force investigating Internet crimes searched his home but clarified that he and his family were not suspects.
Musical reunions took center stage in 2015 as Michael McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers for a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, showcasing a medley of their hits. The industry suffered a loss in 2009 with the passing of Larry Knechtel, a member of the Wrecking Crew whose session work contributed to countless hits for iconic artists.
Notable figures like Roseanne Cash, daughter of Johnny Cash, spoke out against the use of her father’s name in political contexts in 2008. These moments on August 20 throughout the years have shaped the narrative of rock music, blending triumphs with tribulations that continue to resonate within the industry.