Legal

According to her tombstone, this is the date on which Bessie Smith is born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. (Her marriage licence shows 1894, and some biographers say 1898)

Gang leaders and multiple murderers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are ambushed and killed by a posse of four Texas police officers on a rural road in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, USA. Their outlaw lives and crimes will be glamourised as time goes by and will inspire several songs. Georgie Fame's The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde was a UK No1 hit in 1967, and Merle Haggard's identically-named but entirely different 1968 composition The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde also became popular. Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot recorded Gainsbourg's Bonnie And Clyde, and Mel Torme recorded A Day In The Life Of Bonnie And Clyde.

Tonight's edition of popular radio show The WLS National Barn Dance, broadcast live from the Eighth Street Theater, Chicago, Illinois, USA. features The Hilltoppers, Red Foley And His Merrymakers, Pokey Martin, Smilin' Ed McConnel, Uncle Ezra, The Maple City Four, Verne, Lee and Mary, The Hoosier Hot Shots, Henry Burr, Sally Foster, Otto and His Novelodeons, Lucille Long, Lulu Belle, Skyland Scotty, Sunshine Sue And The Rock Creek Rangers, The Prairie Ramblers and more.

Justice Joseph M. Callahan of the United States Supreme Court rules in favour of bandleader Paul Whiteman, in a case in which popular pianist/vocalist Ramona is suing him, claiming that he charges large fees for her services but gives her too little of the profit.

Folk singer and songwriter Woody Guthrie joins a demonstration march for 'the telefone girls' in Oakland, California, USA, but the event is broken up by police.

Actress and singer Judy Holliday marries David Oppenheim, a clarinetist with the New York City Symphony Orchestra.

Actor and singing star Howard Keel marries Helen Anderson, a young dancer he had met while he was starring in Oklahoma at The Drury Lane Theatre in London, UK.

Lou Busch and Eddy Hansen register copyright on the song Rattlesnake Rag through Chatsworth Music of New York City, USA.

It is reported that Frank Sinatra has been signed up by Capitol Records after ten years with Columbia Records.

The Everly Brothers sign a recording contract with Cadence Records in Nashville, Tennessee.

Buddy Holly releases a posthumous single, Peggy Sue Got Married, on Coral Records in the USA.

UK singer/songwriter Stephen Duffy is born. In his career he will play with Duran Duran, have a hit as Tintin, form thecritically acclaimed The Lilac Time, and pursue a lengthy solo career.

When singing cowboy Gene Autry pleads guilty in Los Angeles, California, USA, to drunk driving, he receives a 30-day suspended sentence, a $500 fine and three years probation.

In a letter to The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, German record producer Bert Kaempfert agrees to release The Beatles from the recording contract they had signed with him in Hamburg, Germany, Europe, in May 1961.

The Alan Price Combo, comprising Boots S lade (bass), Roy Mills (drums), John Walters (trumpet), Terry Childs (baritone sax), Steve Gregor (tenor sax) and Pete Kirtley (guitar), starts a residency at The Club A-Go-Go, Newcastle, England, UK, and signs with Decca Records.

Two members of Country Joe And The Fish's touring band, Mark Ryan and Charles Loring IV, attend an arraignment hearing in Keene, New Hampshire, USA. The hearing relates to Ryan and Loring having been arrested two days earlier for possession of marijuana before a show at Franklin Pierce College Field House, Rindge, New Hampshire. Country Joe, Barry Melton and Bill Belmont were charged with being in the vicinity of the others.

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour tv show in the USA features folk diva Joan Baez who dedicates the song The Green, Green Grass Of Home to her husband David Harris, currently serving time in jail as a draft resistor. The CBS network had prevented transmission of the show earlier in the month.

During a break from his obscenity trial in the Justice Building, Dade County, Miami, Florida, USA, Jim Morrison of The Doors spends the day in the Florida Everglades.

A writ issued on behalf of Paul McCartney by the Chancery Division of the High Court, London, formally begins the legal process which will result in the dissolution of The Beatles.

Blues performer Taj Mahal marries Inshirah Geter, and they will go on to have six children.

After ten months of legal battles and nearly two years after the success of Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen and his former manager, Mike Appel, settle their differences and part ways. The move finally enables Springsteen to record a followup to Born to Run with Jon Landau, the producer of his choice.

Iron Maiden is signed to a recording contract by EMI.

In Memphis, Tennessee, USA, Dr. George C. Nichopoulous is indicted on fourteen charges of over-prescribing drugs to Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and others.

Political rocker Billy Bragg is arrested at an anti-apartheid sit-in outside South Africa House, London, England, UK, Europe.

The Monterey Jazz Festival begins in California, USA, with acts including The Johnny Otis Revue and Lionel Hampton.

The Replacements sign to Sire Records in the USA.

Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac marries Portuguese musician Eduardo Quintela de Mendonca in London, England, UK, Europe.

Judge Judy Sheindlin, a Family Court judge in New York City, USA, orders singer Tom Jones to pay $200 weekly in child support to model Katherine Berkery. Sheindlin will go on to become a TV star known to millions as Judge Judy.

In court in Jamaica, Caribbean, singer Grace Jones is cleared of cocaine possession.

The Miami Herald reviews the 2 Live Crew LP As Nasty As They Wanna Be with the words, "Many of 2 Live Crew's lyrics are so filled with hard-core sexual, sadistic and masochistic material that they could not be printed here, even in censored form." Within a few days the LP will be judged obscene in Florida, USA, largely on the basis of this review.

The trial of heavy metal band Judas Priest - based on allegations that subliminal messages in their 1978 LP Stained Class contributed to the deaths by suicide of fans Raymond Belknap and James Vance - comes to the end of its third week in Reno, Nevada, USA. Phyllis Vance, the mother of James, states, "They live off of young fans like my son, kids who invest all their money in bands like Judas Priest. James was my only child. He was my life. All the money in the world couldn't bring him back."

Wheelchair-bound 1960's pop idol Heinz Burt is given a formal caution by magistrates in Southampton, England, UK, Europe, for playing music too loud in his flat.

While recording their latest album in Wisconsin, USA, Garbage begin a law suit against their record label, Almo Sounds, alleging that their original contract specified that they could to leave the company if the chairman ever left. Label boss Jerry Moss recently departed from Almo Sounds when it was sold to the Universal Music Group, so Garbage are keen to enforce their contract.

Miranda Lee Richards plays at Park West, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

New York City Police Department Detective William Courtney seeks a search warrant to help pursue murder enquiries involving Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, the drug kingpin believed to have links with the Murder Inc. rap label.

Nathan Moore, former lead singer of hit-making 1980s pop group Brother Beyond, attends Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, London, England, UK, Europe, where he pleads guilty to charges of kerb crawling in the Kings Cross area of London. He is fined £250 and ordered to play £50 costs.

It is reported that Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars is being sued for $10m by his ex-girlfriend, Robin Mantooth, who claims that he broke a promise to provide financial support for her if they broke up.

During Michael Jackson's trial on child abuse charges in Santa Maria, California, actor Macaulay Culkin testifies, declaring that Jackson never touched him sexually in any way. He acknowledges that he did sleep in Jackson's bed, but that was only because he happened to fall asleep there.

Selena Gomez attends a party at Soho House, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, to mark her appearance on the front cover of the latest issue of fashion magazine Nylon.

Having spent two years on the run, Pirate Bay founder Peter Sunde is arrested during a raid on a farm in the south of Sweden, Europe.

John Carter Cash, songwriter and producer (and son of Johnny Cash) is arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after a drunken incident in Deer Lake Airport, Newfoundland, Canada, during which he removed most of his clothing.

When Kasabian play at The SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, a photograph of a banner proclaiming "London is full of c***s" is projected on the screen behind the group during the song Clouds. The band later claims that the banner was "a production fault". At the same gig, a gang of thieves steal £10,000 worth of mobile phones belonging to fans of the band.

British record labels association the BPI wins two significant new piracy cases, confirming for the first time that cyberlockers, stream rippers and those who use them – are breaking the law. The rulings followed an online hearing by Mr Justice Miles at The High Court, London, England, UK, Europe, who ruled that the operators and users of the websites use the services of internet companies (ISPs) to infringe copyright and that therefore the ISPs should block access to them.