In 1956, Little Richard released the single "Long Tall Sally" b/w "Slippin' and Slidin.'"
In 1957, "The Xavier Cugat Show," a live, 15-minute program of mostly Latin music as performed by Cugat's band and his then-wife, singer Abbe Lane, premiered on NBC-TV.
On this day in 1960, "Theme From 'A Summer Place'" by Percy Faith was the #1 song.
In 1960, the Miracles made their first TV appearance on "American Bandstand."
In 1961, five months after topping the US charts with "The Twist," Chubby Checker does it again with "Pony Time." The song reached #27 in the UK.
In 1961, in Nashville, Roy Orbison recorded "Running Scared."
In 1964, at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, the Beatles recorded two John Lennon compositions, "If I Fell" and "Tell Me Why."
In 1964, for the first time ever, all ten spots on the UK Top Ten were UK acts, led by 21-year-old Cilla Black's version of "Anyone Who Had A Heart."
In 1965, the first of a 21 date tour that featured Del Shannon, Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders and Herman's Hermits, kicks off at Sheffield's City Hall, England.
In 1966, on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show," Petula Clark sang "Sign Of The Times" and "My Love," Gary Lewis & the Playboys performed "She's Just My Style" and "Sure Gonna Miss Her," and Nancy Sinatra sang "These Boots Are Made For Walkin.'"
In 1966, the Supremes were the mystery guests on the CBS-TV quiz show "What's My Line?"
In 1970, the ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' single by Simon & Garfunkel was certified Gold.
In 1970, Jefferson Airplane was fined $1,000 for onstage profanity in Oklahoma City.
In 1970, at the Texas Livestock Show in the Houston Astrodome, Elvis Presley gave his first stadium concerts: a sparsely attended afternoon show, then an evening performance that broke all attendance records for the venue.
In 1971, five months after her death, Janis Joplin began a nine-week stay at the top of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart with 'Pearl.' The LP has since been certified quadruple Platinum by the RIAA.
In 1972, T Rex performed at New York City's Carnegie Hall.
In 1977, Keith Richards' suite at the Harbour Castle Hotel on Toronto's lakefront was raided by Royal Canadian Mounted Police who arrested and charged him with possession of heroin with the intent to traffic and possession of cocaine. Bail was set at $25,000. He was given a suspended sentence and one-year probation on condition the Rolling Stones would play two benefit concerts for the blind.
In 1980, the Doobie Brothers'"What a Fool Believes" wins a Grammy Award for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while Billy Joel's '52nd Street' wins both Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
In 1984, a Pepsi commercial with the Jacksons debuts on MTV.
In 1988, George Michael reaches #1 in the US for the second time in his solo career with "Father Figure." He would go on to have a total of six after scoring three chart toppers with Andrew Ridgeley in Wham!
In 1990, Milli Vanilli's Rob Pilatus shared his perspective on life with Time magazine. In the interview he said, "Musically, we're more talented than any Bob Dylan or Paul McCartney. Mick Jagger can't produce a sound. I'm the new Elvis."
In 1990, in Florida, Janet Jackson gave a preview of her Rhythm Nation World Tour at the Pensacola Civic Center. The concert, with proceeds to benefit the local homeless, was announced just one day in advance, and all 7,600 of the $10 tickets sold in less than an hour. The Rhythm Nation World Tour, with an attendance of more than two million people, remains the most successful debut tour by any recording artist.
In 1991, James Brown was released on parole after serving more than two years of a six year jail sentence. He had been found guilty of carrying a gun, drug possession and leading police on a car chase through two US states.
In 1993, Marlena Davis of the Orlons lost her battle with lung cancer at the age of 48.
In 1995, Céline Dion made British music chart history by becoming the first artist in more than 30 years to have both the number one album and number one single for five straight weeks.
In 1997, forty-four people were hurt when a light tower collapsed during a Deep Purple concert in Santiago, Chile. The show resumed after about 40 minutes.
In 1997, singer Sade was arrested in Jamaica and charged with reckless driving. She alleges that the policeman who arrested her "wanted a bribe" which she wouldn't pay. After failing to appear in court to answer the charge, a warrant was issued for her immediate arrest. Sade left the country and was not allowed to return until 2002.
In 2000, ABC began airing the two-part TV-movie, "The Beach Boys: An American Family," starring Kevin Dunn, Jessica Shannon, Frederick Weller, Alley Mills, Nick Stabile, and Emmanuelle Vaugier.
In 2004, Michael Jackson was spotted in a Wal-Mart store in Snowmass, Colorado, wearing a ski mask as a disguise. After refusing to remove the mask for store employees, Jackson left the building, but was stopped by police shortly after. Jackson then complied with a request to remove the mask and officials said that there were no further problems.
In 2007, drummer/bandleader Bobby Rosengarden died of Alzheimer's disease at 82. As a studio musician, he recorded with Quincy Jones, Benny Goodman, Tony Bennett, Billie Holiday, Skitch Henderson, Harry Belafonte, Barbra Streisand, Jimi Hendrix, Carmen McRae, Miles Davis, Peter Nero, Dick Hyman, Ben E. King, Gerry Mulligan, and Duke Ellington, among others.
In 2009, in London, U2 played a four-song set on the rooftop of the BBC building, and introduced two new songs, "Get On Your Boots" and "Magnificent."
In 2010, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, who played bass for nearly 30 years with Daryl Hall and John Oates and also recorded with Elvis Costello and Billy Joel, died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 58.
In 2011, blues guitarist Eddie Kirkland, former bandleader for Otis Redding and who recorded with John Lee Hooker, among others, died from injuries suffered in a car accident at age 88.
In 2013, the Stone Temple Pilots announced the firing of their lead vocalist, Scott Weiland. Reacting to the announcement, Weiland put out a statement saying "Not sure how I can be 'terminated' from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of their biggest hits, but that's something for the lawyers to figure out."
In 2013, in Toledo, Ohio, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band began a 20-date American tour with a 24-song set at the Huntington Center.
In 2013, classical pianist Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn, Jr. died of bone cancer at 78. Cliburn gained worldwide fame in 1958, at the age of 23, when he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow.
In 2013, R&B singer Richard Street, a former member (1975-1995) of the Temptations, died at age 70.
