1976 in music

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Events

January-February

• January 7 - Kenneth Moss, a former record company executive, is sentenced to 120 days in the Los Angeles County Jail and four years probation for involuntary manslaughter in the 1974 drug induced death of Average White Band drummer Robbie McIntosh.
• January 13 - A trial begins for seven Brunswick Records and Dakar Records employees. The record company employees are charged with stealing more than $184,000 in royalties from artists.
• February 15 - Bette Midler bails seven members of her entourage out of jail after they are arrested on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession
• January 19 - Concert promoter Bill Sargent makes an offer of $30 million to the Beatles if they would reunite for a concert
• February 19 - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens is arrested and charged with the drug related murders of three men in San Jose, California.
• February 20 - Kiss gets their footprints added to the sidewalk outside Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theater.
• February 24 - Having been released one week before, The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) compilation becomes the first album in history to be certified platinum by the RIAA. The new platinum certification represents sales of at least 1 million copies for albums and 2 million copies for singles.

March-April

• March 4 - ABBA arrive at Sydney airport for a promotional tour in Australia.
• March 6 - EMI Records reissues all 22 previously released British Beatles singles, plus a new single of the classic "Yesterday". All 23 singles hit the UK charts at the same time
• March 7 - A wax likeness of Elton John is put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
• March 9 - The Who's Keith Moon collapses onstage ten minutes into a performance at the Boston Garden.
• March 15- Kiss releases Destroyer, their best-selling album ever, continuing their popularity through the 1970s.
• March 25 - Jackson Browne's wife Phyllis commits suicide.
• March 26 - In Paris, France, Wings guitarist Jimmy McCulloch breaks one of his fingers when he slips in his hotel bathroom following the final performance on the band's European tour. The injury ended up delaying the band's United States tour by three weeks.
• April 14 - Stevie Wonder announces that he has signed a "$13 million-plus" contract with Motown Records
• April 24 - Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels makes on on-air offer to pay the Beatles $3000 to reunite on the show. Lennon and McCartney were apparently watching the show together in New York and considered walking down to the studio to accept the check. On May 22, he raises his offer from $3000 to $3,200.
• April 29 - When his tour stops in Memphis, Tennessee, Bruce Springsteen jumps the wall at Elvis Presley's mansion, "Graceland", in an attempt to see his idol. Security guards stop Springsteen and escourt him off the grounds.

May-December

• May 3 - Paul McCartney and Wings start their Wings over America tour in Fort Worth, Texas. This is the first time McCartney has performed in the US since The Beatles' last concert in 1966 at Candlestick Park.
• May 3 - Paul Simon puts together a benefit show at Madison Square Garden to raise money for the New York Public Library. Phoebe Snow, Jimmy Cliff and the Brecker Brothers also perform. The concert brings in over $30,000 for the Library.
• May 19 - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is involved in a car accident. Cocaine is found in his wrecked car. Richards is given a court date of January 12, 1977.
• May 19 - Rumour spread by German press: ABBA members killed in plane crash, only Ani-Fridh survived.
• June - Former Spring Canyon keyboardist Mark Cook joins Daniel Amos
• 100 Club Punk Festival, the first international punk festival is held in London
• Fall - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr form a band called Feedback in Dublin. The band would later be renamed U2
• August 13 - The official ABBA logo with the reversed 'B' is born.
• October 8 - The Sex Pistols sign a contract with EMI Records
• October 10 - ABBA in New York on Midnight Special performing 'Fernando', 'Dancing Queen', 'Mamma Mia' and 'S.O.S.' live.
• November - Former Tower of Power lead singer Rich Stevens, and another person, are found guilty on two counts of murder.
• November 15- Kiss Rock & Roll Over is released.
• November 24 - The Band gives its last public performance; Martin Scorsese is on hand to film it.
• December 1 - The Sex Pistols cause media furor when they swear on prime time British TV.

unknown dates

• The Flowers of Romance, a band that included many seminal individuals within the punk movement, forms in the summer.
• Bonnie Raitt records Sweet Forgiveness, which will be a blockbuster album in 1977
• War records Galaxy, which will be a blockbuster album in 1977
• Joe Cocker performs a duet with himself (as portrayed by John Belushi) on Saturday Night Live .
• Evita is performed for the first time
• Cheryl Byron performs rapso in calypso tents for the first time, beginning the popularization of rapso
• Peter Brown's solo career begins
• Cheap Trick's career begins
• Devo's career begins
• Leif Garrett's solo career begins
• .38 Special's musical career begins
• Y&T (Yesterday & Today)'s musical career begins
• Elvis Costello & the Attractions forms
• The Jam forms
• Black Flag form
• The Damned form
• Diamond Head form
• Foreigner form
• Iron Maiden form
• Throbbing Gristle form
• Generation X form
• Wire form
• U.K. Subs form
• Cheap Trick signs a contract with Epic Records
• The Clash sign up to CBS
• Elvis Costello signs a contract with Columbia Records
• Steve Martin signs a contract with Warner Bros.
• Eddie Money signs a contract with CBS
• Culture form
• The Cure forms
• "Ten Percent" by Double Exposure, the first 12-inch single commercially available to the public (as opposed to DJ-only promotional copies).