Pick a Day

Music History Events: Awards and Honors

January 18, 1975 Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago officially declares today Bobby Vinton Day as a tribute to the artist.

November 7, 1974 Hard rocker Ted Nugent (of The Amboy Dukes) becomes national squirrel shooting champion.

March 2, 1974 Stevie Wonder wins four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for Innervisions. Gladys Knight & The Pips win for "Neither One of Us" (Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus) and "Midnight Train To Georgia" (Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Group).

March 2, 1974 Olivia Newton-John wins the Grammy for Best Female Vocal Country Performance for "Let Me Be There." Country veterans are miffed, but reach full outrage when she takes the CMA award for Female Vocalist of the Year.

August 15, 1973 Baltimore, Maryland, declares today "Cass Elliot Day" in honor of the native singer for The Mamas & The Papas.

July 21, 1973 "Mary Wilson Day" is declared in Detroit in honor of The Supremes member.

May 1, 1973 Washington, DC, mayor Walter Washington officially declares today Marvin Gaye day in the singer's hometown.

March 27, 1973 Liza Minnelli wins an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Cabaret, beating out Diana Ross, who starred in Lady Sings The Blues.

March 3, 1973 The live album The Concert for Bangla Desh, taken from the Madison Square Garden benefit concert organized by George Harrison, and featuring Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, wins the Grammy for Album of the Year.

October 30, 1972 Nine years after The Beatles did it, Elton John becomes the second rock act to play a Command Performance for Britain's royalty.

August 11, 1972 The mayor of San Antonio, Texas, declares today "Cheech and Chong Day" after the popular comedy duo, although neither was born anywhere near the city.

March 14, 1972 Carole King's Tapestry takes Album of The Year at the Grammy Awards. Carly Simon wins for Best New Artist.

February 14, 1972 Blaming burnout, Steppenwolf break up for the first time, saying, "We were locked into an image and style of music and there was nothing for us to look forward to." The group, which released six albums from 1968-1971, get back together in 1974.

January 17, 1972 Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee, is renamed "Elvis Presley Blvd."

December 17, 1970 The Beach Boys play a Royal Command Performance for Princess Margaret at London's Royal Albert Hall.

October 11, 1970 Elvis Presley is made an honorary "special" deputy sheriff of Bel Air, California.

June 9, 1970 Bob Dylan receives an honorary Doctorate of Music from Princeton University.

March 11, 1970 The 5th Dimension win the Record of the Year Grammy for "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In." Blood, Sweat & Tears, nominated for a record 11 awards, win three, including Album of the Year. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young win Best New Artist.

December 31, 1969 A BBC TV special declares John Lennon Man Of The Decade on the same day that Rolling Stone names him Man Of The Year and New Musical Express quotes him as saying he's thinking of leaving The Beatles.

April 14, 1969 Barbra Streisand (in Funny Girl) ties Katherine Hepburn (in The Lion In Winter) for the Best Actress Academy Award.

March 12, 1969 Simon & Garfunkel are among the winners at the Grammy Awards, taking Record of the Year for "Mrs. Robinson." Glen Campbell wins Album of the Year for By The Time I Get To Phoenix.

November 19, 1968 Onstage with The Supremes at the Royal Command Variety Performance in London, Diana Ross interrupts the show with a plea for greater interracial understanding. She receives a two-minute ovation from the audience, which includes members of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II herself stands after Ross' moving performance of West Side Story's "Somewhere."

November 2, 1968 Cream is presented with a Platinum album for Wheels Of Fire at the Madison Square Garden stop of their farewell tour.

June 4, 1967 The Monkees, starring the eponymous band, wins an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

May 9, 1967 "Damita Jo Day" is held in the singer's hometown of Austin, Texas.

September 19, 1966 Herb Alpert performs for Princess Grace Kelly at her Monaco palace.

June 24, 1966 The Richard Carpenter Trio (with sister Karen on drums) wins a "Battle Of The Bands" at the Hollywood Bowl.

March 15, 1966 Big winners at the Grammy Awards are Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, who take Record of the Year for "A Taste of Honey." Frank Sinatra wins Album of the Year for September Of My Years, and Tom Jones wins Best New Artist.

November 8, 1965 The Dave Clark Five perform for Queen Elizabeth II at London's annual Royal Variety Performance.

October 26, 1965 The Beatles are awarded Members of the British Empire (MBE) medals from Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace. John Lennon claims they smoked marijuana in the bathroom before receiving the awards, although George Harrison said it was just tobacco. Harrison and Paul McCartney put the awards on their jackets for the Sgt. Pepper album cover; Lennon sends his back in 1969.