In 1944, Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra recorded Sy Oliver's "Opus No. 1." Among those at the session were drummer Buddy Rich, trombonist Nelson Riddle, saxophonists Al Klink and Buddy DeFranco.
In 1944, Frank Sinatra recorded "Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week)."
In 1951, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, Marty Robbins recorded four songs at his first session for Columbia Records.
In 1952, the first ever UK Pop chart was published by the New Musical Express after staff asked 53 record shops to divulge their sales returns. "Here In My Heart" by Al Martino was the first #1.
In 1953, at the RCA Victor studios in New York City, Eddie Fisher recorded "Oh! My Pa-Pa (O Mein Papa)."
In 1957, during the Boston stop of Alan Freed's "Biggest Show Of Stars" tour, another "rock 'n' roll riot" broke out. Five audience members were arrested for fighting during a performance by Fats Domino, and one man in the crowd, a sailor, was stabbed during the fight.
In 1957, Jim Lowe was the guest performer on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."
In 1958, Cliff Richard (and the Drifters) recorded the song that became his third UK single, "Livin' Lovin' Doll," not to be confused with a different song, "Living Doll," which Richard recorded five months later.
In 1960, the term "Nashville Sound" was used for the first time in an article published in TIME magazine.
In 1960, Ray Charles' version of Hoagy Carmichael's 1930's standard "Georgia On My Mind" becomes the first of his three, US number one records. It made #24 in the UK.
In 1960, two years after charting with his Top 3 single "Topsy II," jazz drummer Cozy Cole was sent on a 20-week goodwill tour of Africa by the U.S. State Department.
In 1960, Elvis Presley's latest single, "It's Now Or Never," sold 780,000 copies in the UK during its first week of release, making it the fastest-selling song in the country's history.
In 1961, the Everly Brothers recorded "Crying In The Rain," which will make it to #6 in the US, becoming their twenty-fourth Top 40 hit. The song also reached #6 in the UK.
In 1962, at the Columbia Recording Studios in New York City, Bob Dylan recorded "Mixed-Up Confusion" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," the latter based on a melody taught to Dylan by folksinger Paul Clayton. In addition to the melody, Dylan borrowed a couple of lines from Clayton's "Who's Goin' To Buy You Ribbons When I'm Gone?" recorded in 1960.
In 1962, the Beatles played the final show of a 14 night run at the Star-Club, Hamburg, West Germany.
In 1964, at the start of her first UK tour, Dusty Springfield raised eyebrows when she told a local magazine interviewer: "I wish I'd been born colored. When it comes to singing and feeling, I want to be one of them and not me. Then I see how some of them are treated and I thank God I'm white."
In 1965, the Dave Clark Five performed "Over And Over" and "Catch Us If You Can" on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show."
The Monkees'"Daydream Believer" was certified Gold in 1967.
In 1967, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Pink Floyd began their first UK tour as one of the opening acts for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The Move, Nice, and Amen Corner were the other supporting performers on the bill.
In 1970, in Los Angeles, Elvis Presley performed in afternoon and evening concerts at the Forum Arena.
In 1971, Elvis Presley performed at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
In 1972, in southern California, Elvis Presley played the first of two nights at the Long Beach Arena.
In 1973, at Village Recorder Studio A in Los Angeles at the last session for his 'Planet Waves' album, Bob Dylan, backed by the Band, recorded "Forever Young" and "Dirge." This was a new version of "Forever Young," creating the second of two master takes of the song, both of which were included on the album.
In 1975, Queen played the first of two nights at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, England, the first nights on their 78-date A Night At The Opera World Tour.
In 1977, at the Myriad Convention Center in Oklahoma City, KISS played the first date on their 51-date Alive II Tour.
On this day in 1980, "Lady" by Kenny Rogers was the #1 song.
In 1981, on the US singles chart, four of the the top ten songs were by Australian artists (Olivia Newton-John, Little River Band, Air Supply, Rick Springfield).
In 1987, George Michael went to #1 on the UK album chart with his debut solo album 'Faith'. The album won several awards including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1989. To date, the album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Between 1987 and 1988, Faith produced six Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hits, four of which ("Faith,""Father Figure,""One More Try" and "Monkey") reached #1, making him the only British male singer to have four #1 singles from one LP on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1989, Vince Gill released his fourth studio album, "When I Call Your Name."
In 1990, in a Newsweek magazine article, Pete Townshend of the Who stated that he was bi-sexual.
In 1990, Milli Vanilli producer Frank Farian admits to reporters that Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus never sang a note on the "Milli Vanilli" album. The duo eventually returned their Best New Artist Grammy.
In 1991, a riot at a New Kids on the Block concert in Berlin, Germany injurred over 1,000 people.
In 1992, a member of John Mellencamp's band, keyboardist John Cascella, is found dead in his car in Indiana. Authorities suspected that Cascella had a heart attack while driving.
In 1995, the Rolling Stones released the album, 'Stripped. The album is notable for being unlike any previous live release by the band. It features a mix of intimate club recordings and live-in-the-studio reinterpretations of some classic and obscure recordings from their extensive catalog.
In 1995, Blur brought chaos to traffic in central London, England when over 3,000 fans turned up for a signing at 'Book's Etc' in Charring Cross Road.
In 1996, Michael Jackson married Debbie Rowe in Sydney Australia. The couple had met when he was diagnosed with vitiligo in the mid-1980s, and she was working as his dermatologist's assistant. The couple divorced on October 8, 1999, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson with Rowe receiving an $8-million settlement.
In 2000, Eddie Snyder, pianist for the Cascades on their 1963, Billboard #3 hit, "Rhythm Of The Rain," died of cancer at the age of 63.
In 2000, the trial of Michael Abram began. He had attacked George Harrison and his wife in their home in Britain on December 30, 1999.
In 2000, gospel singer Cecil Blackwood of the Blackwood Brothers died at the age of 46.
In 2000, UK Music shops HMV refused to stock the new single by the Offspring after the band decided to give the track away as a free download on their official website.
In 2004, Band Aid 20, a group of musicians that included Paul McCartney, Bono, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Robbie Williams, Keane, Snow Patrol, Travis and the Darkness, recorded a new, 20th anniversary version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?," a song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.
In 2004, the Rolling Stones were refused permission to pursue a claim against their former record company Decca for unpaid royalties through the courts. A High Court judge in London said the dispute would go to arbitration and not be decided in court. The dispute was over their Forty Licks compilation CD, which was released in 2002 and was the first collection to span their entire career.
In 2011, songwriter Lee Pockriss died at age 87.
In 2012, fiddler Martin Fay, a founding member of the Chieftains, died at the age of 76.
