[On This Day] September 3 – A Musical History

September 3, 1963 – Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records is absorbed by Warner Brothers

Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records was acquired by Warner Brothers on this date in 1963. Reprise Records would ultimately boast a roster full of legendary names: Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, The Meters, Fleetwood Mac & more.

September 3, 1968 – Ringo Returns To The Beatles

Drummer Ringo Starr briefly departed from the band over growing disputes during the famed recording sessions for The White Album. After a considerable amount of groveling from his bandmates, Ringo decides to continue his career with The Beatles. Upon his arrival to the studio, he finds his drum kit covered in flowers awaiting his return.

September 3, 1977 – 125,000 People See The Grateful Dead, New Riders & Marshall Tucker Band

The Grateful Dead, New Riders Of The Purple Sage and Marshall Tucker Band packed Englishtown Raceway in Old Bridge, NJ for an 11-hour marathon of live music.

September 3, 1982 – 400,000 Show Up To US Festival in San Bernadino, CA

US Festival boasted what was arguably the greatest lineup in America since Woodstock. Financed by Apple’s Steve Wozniack, the three day festival hosted headlining artists such as Talking Heads, The Police, Fleetwood Mac, The Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffet and Tom Petty.

September 3, 1982 – Culture Club Releases Their Biggest Hit

The UK release of Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? was met with strong opposition from critics. It would go on to be the career defining song for Boy George and his Culture Club brethren.

September 3, 1983 – Metallica Wraps Up Their First Tour

Metallica performs at The Stone in San Francisco, CA for the final show of their very first US tour. Metallica has since gone on to become one of the most successful touring bands of all-time.

September 3, 1987 – Fugazi Performs Live For The First Time

Fugazi performs live for the first time at the Wilson Center in Washington D.C. This was one of only a few shows that Fugazi played as a three-piece outfit. Tickets were $5 and included an all you can eat buffet. Guy Picciotto would join the band a little later on to round out the band’s roster.

September 3, 2002 – Napster Shuts Down For Good

A last ditch effort to salvage the popular peer-to-peer music download site was struck down in court effectively ending the company that began the free music revolution. Artists such as Lars Ulrich from Metallica had been very vocal regarding their opposition to Napster’s new form of spreading music. While this might have been a small victory for Mr. Ulrich and his constituents, music sharing sites continued to grow in number and in popularity amongst fans across the globe.

September 3, 2005 – Fats Domino Is Rescued After Hurricane Katrina

The 77-year old Blues musician had been missing since Hurricane Katrina initially hit NOLA and was assumed to be dead by members of the media. Fats Domino was finally discovered and rescued from the flood at his home in New Orleans on September 3, 2005.

September 3, 2009 – Madonna Tour Grosses $408 Million

Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet World Tour came to an end on this day in 2009. The tour was wildly successful–so successful that its $408,000,000 in box office receipts would prove to be the highest grossing tour for a solo musician in history. The tour ran from August 2008 through September 2009; stopping in 32 different countries along the way.