In 1935, Red Foley recorded "Old Shep," in a studio at the Furniture Mart Building in Chicago.
In 1940, in New York City, the Longines Watch Company signed with experimental station W2XOR in what was the first FM radio advertising contract.
In 1955, Elvis Presley did two shows in Swifton, Arkansas: in the Swifton High School gymnasium, then at the B&I Club. He introduced his new song "Heartbreak Hotel," claiming "It's gonna be my first hit."
In 1957, Danny & the Junior's "At the Hop" was picked up by ABC-Paramount Records based on the strength and reaction to the group's performance on American Bandstand.
In 1957, the Bill Justis Combo played "Raunchy" on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."
On this day in 1959, "Heartaches By The Number" by Guy Mitchell was the #1 song.
In 1961, the Beatles played at the Palais Ballroom in Aldershot to a crowd of just 18 people. The date had not been advertised, owing to the local newspaper’s refusal to accept the promoter’s check. After the show The Beatles became rowdy, getting themselves ordered out of town by the local police.
In 1961, the Tokens'"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" topped the Cashbox Magazine Best Sellers Chart for the first of a four week run.
In 1962, the Four Seasons sang their current hit, "Big Girls Don't Cry" on The Ed Sullivan Show.
In 1962, Brian Epstein took George Martin to the Cavern Club in Liverpool to see the Beatles.
In 1962, Bobby Darin was the "mystery guest" on the CBS-TV quiz show "What's My Line?"
In 1963, Brenda Lee released the single "As Usual."
In 1964, "Shindig!" on ABC-TV featured performances by Manfred Mann, the Dixie Cups, Chubby Checker, and Kelly Garrett.
In 1967, in New Haven, Connecticut, prior to a Doors concert at the New Haven Arena, a policeman found singer Jim Morrison making out with an 18 year-old girl in a backstage shower and, after an argument, the policeman sprayed mace in Morrison's face. Once on stage, Morrison told the audience what had transpired and he began taunting the police, who eventually dragged him off the stage and arrested him for breach of the peace and resisting arrest. The crowd rioted and left the venue in disarray. Many fans were taken into custody. Later, more than 100 protestors gathered at the police station to demonstrate, resulting in even more arrests.
In 1967, Glen Campbell lip-synced "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."
In 1970, Helen Reddy became Australia's first female artist to have a #1 record on the US chart when "I Am Woman" reached the top of the Billboard hit parade. Surprisingly, the song didn't chart at all in the UK. Reddy would achieve two more US #1 singles over the next couple of years with, "Delta Dawn" and "Angie Baby."
In 1972, an orchestral performance of the Who's Tommy was performed at London's Rainbow Theatre with Pete Thownshend as the narrator and performances by Roger Daltrey, Richie Havens, Steve Winwood, Peter Sellers and others.
In 1974, George Harrison released his first album on his Dark Horse label, the approprietly called LP 'Dark Horse.'
Also in 1978, "Soul Man," John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's version, was released under the name, "The Blues Brothers." Belushi and Ackroyd would reach #14 in the US, while the original had topped out at #2.
In 1980, Yoko Ono issued a statement to the press that read: "There is no funeral for John. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him. Love, Yoko and Sean." She also pleaded with chanting and singing mourners outside The Dakota to re-convene in Central Park the following Sunday for ten minutes of silent prayer. Over 225,000 did.
In 1981, Sonny Til, the lead singer of the '50's Doo Wop group, the Orioles, died of a heart attack. He was 56.
In 1984, the Jacksons' five-month Victory tour concluded after 55 performances in 19 cities..
In 1988, according to a poll released in the US, the music of Neil Diamond was favored as the best background music during sex. Beethoven was the second choice and Luther Vandross was voted third.
In 1991, the legal battle over Bob Marley's $12 million estate was finally won by his widow Rita and her children. Son Ziggy named his daughter who was born that day, Justice Marley, in honor of the verdict.
In 1992, Bill Wyman left the Rolling Stones after over 30 years with the group.
In 1996, singer (I Know What Boys Like, Christmas Wrappings) Patty Donahue, lead vocalist of the Waitresses, died of lung cancer at age 40.
In 2000, Peter Yarrow has his guitar lost by Delta Airlines on a flight from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Washington, D.C. He had used the Larrivee guitar on every Peter, Paul and Mary album and in every concert since 1973.
In 2000, U2 performed "Beautiful Day" and "Elevation" during their first appearance on NBC-TV's "Saturday Night Live."
In 2002, Pat Boone returned to Billboard's Hot 100 after a 40 year absence. His new song, "Under God", was written in response to a lawsuit filed in San Francisco by an agnostic who claimed his daughter's constitutional rights were violated by having to say the words "under God" when her school recites the Pledge of Allegiance. The record briefly rose to number 25, ahead of songs by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Jay-Z. Boone's last Top 40 hit was "Speedy Gonzalez", which made it to number 6 in 1962.
In 2003, a grand jury in Rhode Island indicts the two owners of the club where 100 people were killed during a Great White concert, along with the group's road manager.
In 2005, a man charged with stealing more than $300,000 worth of Elvis Presley's jewelry from the Elvis-A-Rama museum appeared in a Las Vegas court. 30 year old Eliab Aguilar was arrested on November 3rd after police said he approached a retired Elvis impersonator and offered to sell him several items including Presley's 1953 class ring from Humes High School worth $32,000, a 41 carat ruby and diamond ring worth $77,000 and a gold-plated Smith & Wesson .38 special.
In 2005, Joss Stone, Ms. Dynamite and Lemar sang with the African Children's Choir and 1,200 school children to set the record for the most children singing simultaneously.
In 2005, Mike Botts, drummer for the Soft Rock band Bread, passed away in Burbank, California, one day after his 61st birthday, having suffered from colon cancer.
In 2006, Fred Marsden, the drummer for the Merseybeat band Gerry and the Pacemakers, died of cancer at the age of 66. The group disbanded in 1967. Gerry Marsden reformed the Pacemakers in 1973 but without Fred, who had given up the music business to be a telephone operator and later established The Pacemaker Driving School.
In 2006, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the last date of their Vertigo tour, U2 was joined on stage by members of Pearl Jam and Green Day.
In 2010, jazz saxophonist/flutist/composer James Moody died of pancreatic cancer at age 85.
In 2010, Florida's Clemency Board posthumously pardoned the late Jim Morrison of the Doors for his 40-year-old conviction for indecent exposure and profanity during a concert at Miami's Dinner Key Auditorium in 1969. His bandmates have always insisted that Morrison teased the crowd but never actually exposed himself.
In 2010, Eric Clapton announced his intention to sell off part of his extensive guitar collection to raise money for his Crossroads rehab center on the Caribbean island of Antigua.
In 2012, singer Jenni Rivera, known as the "Diva of the Banda," was among the seven passengers who died when their charted jet crashed in Mexico. Rivera, a mother of five who had recently divorced former MLB pitcher Esteban Loaiza, was 43.
