Violence

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, is executed by beheading at the Tower Of London, London, England, UK, Europe. Her death will inspire the grimply humourous song With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm.

The WSM Barn Dance radio show in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, officially re-names itself The Grand Ole Opry. The show will become America's premier showcase for country music.

Child rapist, cannibal and serial killer Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish, aka The Werewolf Of Wysteria and The Brooklyn Vampire, is executed in the electric chair at Sing Sing, Ossining, New York State, USA. His gruesome crimes will provide the subject matter for songs including The Werewolf of Westeria by John 5, Albert Fish/Liverwurst by Green Jelly and Instruments of Hell by Exhumed.

Over 350 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes launch a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, killing 2,402 people and wounding a further 1,282. The attack will lead directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. Numerous patriotic songs will be inspired by this attack, notably Remember Pearl Harbour, a major hit for bandleader Sammy Kaye. Country music singer and songwriter Carson Robison recorded two; Remember Pearl Harbour [a different song with the same title] and We're Gonna Have To Slap The Dirty Little Jap, while bluesman Pete 'Doctor' Clayton released Pearl Harbour Blues.

Professional boxer Davey Moore dies as a result of inoperable brain damage at White Memorial Hospital, New York City, USA. The damage was inflicted in a featherweight championship fight four days earlier against Cuban Sugar Ramos in Dodgers Stadium. Moore's death will inspire the 1964 Bob Dylan song Who Killed Davey Moore, and also Davey Moore by Phil Ochs, which is even more scathingly critical of the boxing hierarchy.

Two girls have their clothes ripped off during scenes of hooliganism at a Rolling Stones show in The Kurhaus, Scheveningen, The Hague, Holland, Europe.

Joan Baez sings at an emergency rally against The Vietnam War in Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA.

Blues harmonica master Jazz Gillum is shot in the head during an argument, and is pronounced dead on arrival at Garfield Park Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

When The Rolling Stones play in the Panathinaikos Football Stadium, Alexandras Avenue, Athens, Greece, Europe, the event ends in a police-inspired riot. Mick Jagger throws some carnations in the air, so the police decide this is "an action of political significance" and begin beating up crew members and arresting fans.

Jr Walker And The All Stars play at the California Ballroom, Dunstable, and also at The Metro, Brighton, UK.

Fleetwood Mac play at Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK. After the show, they get into a fight with some locals at The Club A GoGo, which will inspire their guitarist Jeremy Spencer to write the song Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight.

Ben E. King plays at the California Ballroom, Dunstable, UK.

Twenty-six unarmed civil-rights protesters and bystanders are shot by soldiers of the British Army during a protest in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, UK. The incident will become known as Bloody Sunday and will be recorded in the U2 song Sunday Bloody Sunday. Others who have written songs on this topic include John Lennon, Roy Harper, Christy Moore, The Wolfetones and Cruachan.

The hit single Backstabbers by The O'Jays is awarded a Gold Disc in the USA by the R.I.A.A.

The tv special James Paul McCartney, featuring Paul McCartney, is broadcast on ABC in the USA. The climax of the show comes with a performance of Live And Let Die, during which McCartney's piano is rigged with pyrotechnics, intended as an explosive end to the song. Unfortunately, too much explosive has been packed into the piano, causing McCartney and other band members to be blown over. Luckily, no-one is seriously injured.

U2 play at The Town Hall Theatre, Ballina, Ireland, Europe, supported by Myster Men. According to a 2017 Hot Press magazine report, violence erupts at the show when locals attack the band and its road crew. A chair is allegedly broken over singer Bono's back and someone smashes Adam's glasses.

Daniel Beard, a member of the 5th Dimension from 1976 until 1981, dies in Manhattan, New York City, USA, when an arsonist sets fire to his apartment block.

A hardcore punk show at Mendiolas Ballroom, Los Angeles, California, USA, turns into a riot and 41 kids are arrested.

Having recently been knocked unconscious during a street fight in New York City, USA, guitarist Johnny Ramone of The Ramones undergoes four hours of brain surgery.

The original queen of protest music, Joan Baez, visits the women at the Greenham Common Peace Camp, demonstrating outside a US airbase in Berkshire, England, UK, Europe, and leads them in a camp-fire sing-song.

When Black Flag play at Club Lingerie, Hollywood, California, USA, frontman Henry Rollins has to disarm a knife-wielding fan in the front row.

Savatage play at The Boathouse, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. After the show, having misunderstood singer Jon Olivia's comments and lyrics about the political situation in Iran, a security guard punches him in the face.

Oystein Aarseth, aka Euronymous, a member of Norwegian death metal band Burzum, is found dead in the stairwell of his building, with 23 knife wounds in his corpse.

New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the city police lodge a protest against a new Bruce Springsteen song, American Skin, inspired by the 1999 police slaying of unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo.

Marilyn Manson stumps up $4,000 after pleading 'No contest' to charges to assault and battery and disorderly conduct, relating to an incident at a Michigan, USA, concert during which he 'gyrated' against a security guard.

British music video and film director Guy Ritchie is arrested for an alleged assault on a 20-year-old man outside the home he shares with Madonna in Kensington, London, England, UK, Europe.

Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett plays the second of two nights at The Stables, Milton Keynes, UK.

Omar Rodriguez, who drove his Lincoln Navigator into four security guards at a Prince concert is sentenced at Multnomah County Circuit Court, Oregon, USA, to six and a half years in prison.

Rapper The Game is refused permission to showcase his new range of sneakers at Magic Marketplace in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, because the organisers believe he was involved in the shooting of rap mogul Suge Knight.

Rapper Jim Jones of The Diplomats is charged with misdemeanour assault when he assists police in New York City, USA, with their inquiries into an alleged fight with members of singer Ne-Yo's entourage at the Louis Vuitton store in Manhattan on Christmas Eve.

Lawyer Donald Etra announces that r'n'b singer Rihanna is prepared to testify in court against her former boyfriend Chris Brown, following an incident in which he allegedly assaulted her at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, USA, a month earlier.

Busta Rhymes is arrested and charged with assault after allegedly throwing a protein drink at a worker during a dispute at the Steel Gym in New York City, USA. The rapper is released early the next morning.

It is reported that Chip Hawkes and Richard Westwood, both members of 1960s pop group The Tremeloes, have been accused of indecently assaulting an under-aged girl in Chester, England, UK, in 1968. The pair have been summonsed to appear in court.

R'n'B / soul singer Betty Willis dies aged 76, in Santa Ana, California, USA, after being attacked by a homeless man who tried to rape her, struck her repeatedly on the head and finally strangled her to death.

Rapper T.I. is arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, following an incident in which a security guard refused him entry to his gated Eagle's Landing community because he had lost his keys. In an intoxicated state, T.I. confronted the guard using "vulgar, profane and unbecoming language" which led to the rapped being held on three counts of disorderly conduct.