On November 23, 1899, in San Francisco, the Palais Royal Hotel installed the first coin-operated machine that by about 1940 was known as a "jukebox." In the beginning it was a crude slot-machine apparatus connected to an Edison phonograph which, upon receiving a coin, unlocked the mechanism, allowing the listener to turn a crank that simultaneously wound the spring motor and placed the reproducer's stylus in the starting groove. The music was heard via one of four listening tubes. Despite its then-high price of a nickel a song, the new contraption took in $1000 in its first six months of operation.
In 1956, a 19-year-old sheet metal worker named Louis Balint was arrested after punching Elvis Presley at a hotel bar in Toledo, Ohio. Balint was upset that his wife carried a picture of Elvis in her wallet. He was fined $19.60 but ended up being jailed for seven days because he was unable to pay the fine.
In 1959, Alan Freed was dismissed from his daily television show, "The Big Beat," over allegations that he accepted money to play certain records. Freed denied any wrongdoing.
In 1962, the Beatles did a ten-minute audition for BBC Television at St. James' Church Hall in London. Four days later, Brian Epstein received a polite rejection letter from the BBC.
On this day in 1963, "I’m Leaving It Up To You" by Dale & Grace was the #1 song.
In 1964, the Rolling Stones were late arriving for the BBC radio shows, "Top Gear" and "Saturday Club" and as a result were banned by the BBC for "unprofessionalism."
On November 23, 1964, the Beatles released the single "I Feel Fine" b/w "She's A Woman" in the US (it was issued in the UK four days later). The single reached the top of the British charts on December 12th of that year, displacing the Rolling Stones' "Little Red Rooster," and remained there for five weeks. It also reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1964.
In 1967, San Francisco disc jockey Tom Donahue, inventor of "classic rock" and "deep cut" radio, told Rolling Stone magazine, "Top Forty radio, as we know it today and have known it for the last ten years, is dead, and its rotting corpse is stinking up the airwaves."
In 1968, Led Zeppelin signed with Atlantic Records on the recommendation of Dusty Springfield.
In 1968, the musical special, "The Cowsills: A Family Thing," aired on NBC-TV.
On November 23, 1970, George Harrison released the single "My Sweet Lord" in the US. It was issued on January 15, 1971 in the UK. In Britain, the original single was officially a double-A Side with "What Is Life." In the US it was a double-A-side with "Isn't It a Pity"- with both sides featuring a full Apple label. Entering the British charts in the first week at #7 and then hitting the top for five weeks, it was the first single by an ex-Beatle to reach number one. It did so again in the UK when reissued in January 2002 after Harrison's death from cancer. It reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on December 26, 1970, remaining on top for four weeks.
On November 23, 1970, Cat Stevens released the 'Tea for the Tillerman' album. Stevens, a former art student, created the artwork featured on the record's cover. This album, Stevens' second during 1970, includes many of Stevens' best-known songs including "Where Do the Children Play?", "Hard Headed Woman", "Wild World", "Sad Lisa", "Into White" and "Father and Son." In 2006, the album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2007, the album was included in the list of "The Definitive 200 Albums of All Time", released by The National Association of Recording Merchandisers and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 1972, Bob Dylan arrived in Durango, Colorado to begin work on his role in "Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid," Sam Peckinpah's next movie
In 1974, the group Spooky Tooth disbanded. The members went on to fame elsewhere: Gary Wright as a solo artist with "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive," Henry McCullough as one of the guitarists for Wings, Mick Jones as the guitarist for Foreigner, and Chris Stainton as a sideman for Eric Clapton.
Frankie Valli released "My Eyes Adored You" in 1974.
Also in 1974, Billy Swan, a former member of Kris Kristofferson's band and writer of Clyde McPhatter's "Lover Please", has a US number one single of his own, "I Can Help." It reached #6 in the UK.
In 1975, Queen's, "Bohemian Rhapsody" hit #1 in the UK, where it stayed until the end of January 1976, longer than any other song since Slim Whitman's "Rose Marie" in 1955. The promotional video that accompanied the song is generally acknowledged as being the first UK Pop video and cost £5,000 to produce.
In 1976, Jerry Lee Lewis visited Elvis Presley's Memphis home very early in the morning and was told that Elvis was asleep. Lewis returned after sunrise, invited there by Elvis himself, however not all of the Graceland security guards were told, and when Jerry Lee was again refused permission to enter, he allegedly brandished a gun and claimed he'd come to kill Presley. Lewis, who later said he was just making a joke, was promptly arrested.
In 1979, at the Oslo Airport in Norway, Marianne Faithfull was arrested for possession of marijuana but was released after signing a confession.
In 1979, NBC-TV aired "The Rod Stewart Special."
In 1988, "Buster," starring Phil Collins (in his film debut) and Julie Walters, opened in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters. Collins singles were released from the soundtrack, including "A Groovy Kind of Love."
In 1989, as part of his 104-date world tour, Paul McCartney played the first of five nights at the Forum in Los Angeles, his first North American concert performances in 13 years.
In 1990, MTV banned Madonna's "Justify My Love" video because it contained brief nudity. It was also banned from regular rotation on MuchMusic in Canada. On December 3, 1990, ABC-TV's "Nightline" played the video in its entirety, then interviewed Madonna live about the video's sexual content and censorship.
In 1992, country music publisher/singer/fiddler Roy Acuff, known as "The King of Country Music," died of heart failure at 89.
In 1994, songwriter Tommy Boyce committed suicide by shooting himself at his Nashville home. Besides writing "Last Train To Clarksville," "Valleri" and "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone" for The Monkees, Boyce and his partner Bobby Hart scored a number eight hit of their own with "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" in 1967.
In 1995, singer/saxophonist Junior Walker of Jr. Walker and the All Stars died of cancer at age 64.
On November 23, 1998, the world's first portable mp3 player went on sale, despite strenuous objections from the Recording Industry Association of America. The unit cost $200 and could play about a dozen songs. Music hasn't been the same since.....
In 2000, Vince Gill and Dolly Parton hosted "Grand Ole Opry, A Celebration" on CBS-TV, a musical tribute on the Opry's 75th anniversary.
In 2001, singer O.C. Smith died at the age of 69. His biggest hits were two 1968 tunes, "The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp" and the Grammy Award winning "Little Green Apples". Smith's final entry into the US Top 40 was 1969's "Daddy's Little Man", although the Soul-flavored "La La Peace Song" proved popular in 1974 and "Together" was a chart entry in 1977.
In 2002, Otis Redding's widow and his former manager sued Scott Freeman, author of a 2001 biography of the late singer. The book mentioned rumors that Redding's then-manager, with help from the mob, caused Redding's plane to crash in 1967 in order to collect on his life insurance. The lawsuit sought $15 million in damages and claimed that the book also detailed rumors about the R&B legend's drug use, extramarital affairs and divorce, causing "harm to the plaintiffs."
In 2005, Dan McTeague, a Member of Parliament from Toronto, tried to have 50 Cent barred from entering Canada for a series of concerts later in the year. McTeague claimed the controversial rapper shouldn't be permitted to cross the border because he promotes gun violence.
In 2006, jazz singer Anita O’Day died of cardiac arrest at 87.
In 2006, lyricist and screenwriter Betty Comden, known for her collaborations with Adolph Green, died of heart failure at age 89.
In 2009, singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot said it's "not likely" he will ever release another album of new material. Lightfoot said his last record, 2004's 'Harmony,' fulfilled his recording contract and he did not foresee making another album.
birthdays today include (among others): Alan Paul (Manhattan Transfer) (64), Sandra Stevens (Brotherhood of Man) (64), Bruce Hornsby (59), Ken Block (Sister Hazel) (47), Charles Adler (Lamb of God) (41) and Miley Cyrus (21)