In 1902, 29-year-old Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso was paid $50 each to record 10 songs on wax for the Gramophone and Typewriter Company in Italy. He would go on to become the world's first recording star. Two years later, he began recording in America for the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor). Over a 16-year span, he would earn millions of dollars in royalties from the retail sales of his 260 recordings.
In 1939, Frank Sinatra made his first recording, a song called "Our Love," with the Frank Mane band.
In 1958, Jerry Lee Lewis was involved in a couple of firsts for ABC-TV's "American Bandstand." He was the first to actually sing rather than lip-sync on the show, and the first to perform three songs on one episode, namely "Great Balls Of Fire,""Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On," and "Breathless."
In 1959, Britain's EMI Records announces that it has now stopped all production of 78 rpm discs.
In 1962, Gary "U.S." Bonds appears on The Ed Sullivan Show performing his latest hit, "Twist, Twist, Senora," which will reach #9 in April.
In 1965, three of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Bill Wyman, were caught urinating against a garage wall in Romford, Essex, after playing the final shows on a U.K. tour. On July 22, they were each fined £5 for insulting behavior.
In 1965, the Standells appeared on an episode of CBS-TV's "The Munsters."
In 1967, after three minor chart makers, an Oklahoma group called Five Americans release their biggest hit, "Western Union," which would rise to #5 on The Hot 100. Norman Ezell, guitarist for the group explained how they came up with "Western Union Man.""Mike Raybon, our lead guitar player, was just fooling around with his guitar when he came up with a unique sound," Norman said. It sort of reminded us of a telegraph key. "That's when we decided to write 'Western Union Man.'"
Also in 1967, the Beatles enjoy their thirteenth US #1 single with "Penny Lane." The song's title refers to the busy shopping area around Allerton Road and Smithdown Road in Liverpool where John and Paul would meet to catch a bus into the centre of the city.
In 1972, the Chicago vocal group, the Chi-Lites make their second appearance on TV's Soul Train, where they perform their newest release, "Oh Girl." The tune will go on to top the Billboard Pop and R&B charts and reach #14 in the UK. Not bad for a song that writer Eugene Record would later say he was surprised that the record company even wanted to issue as a single.
In 1973, Paul McCartney and Wings played a benefit gig for the drug charity, Release at The Hard Rock Cafe in England.
On this day in 1975, "My Eyes Adored You" by Frankie Valli was the #1 song.
In 1976, the Film 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' featuring David Bowie premiered in London.
In 1978, more than 300,000 people attended the California Jam II music festival at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California for performances by Aerosmith, Santana, Foreigner, Heart, Ted Nugent, Dave Mason, and Bob Welch (with special guests Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood). The festival was a sequel to the original California Jam held in 1974.
In 1978, the Bee Gees continued an amazing hot streak of three consecutive #1 hits with "Night Fever." After "Oh, Darling" stalled at #15, they would have three more chart toppers in a row.
In 1981, driving home from a basketball game in Philadelphia, Teddy Pendergrass was involved in a car accident that left him partially paralyzed from the neck down. Pendergrass had been with The Cadillacs and Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes before going solo in 1977. Two years would pass before he could return to performing.
In 1988, band leader/jazz trumpeter/flugelhornist/cornetist Billy Butterfield, a leading sideman during the swing era, died of cancer at age 71. On October 7, 1940, during his brief stay with Artie Shaw's orchestra, he performed what has been described as a "legendary trumpet solo" on the hit recording of "Stardust."
On this day in 1988, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley was the #1 song.
In 1989, a California radio station arranged to have all of its Cat Stevens records destroyed by steamroller in protest of the singer’s support of Ayatollah Khomeini.
In 1994, the Rolling Stones announced that Darryl Jones was going to be the replacement for Bill Wyman. Wyman had announced that he would no longer be touring with the band.
In 1996, the Sex Pistols announced that they were reuniting for a 20th anniversary tour.
In 1997, Yanni became the first western composer/performer to play at the Taj Mahal in India.
In 1998, Elton John told a British TV interviewer that tributes to Princess Diana, killed in a car crash the previous August, should stop. He said it was "time to give it a rest." John's recording of "Candle in the Wind '97," which he performed at the princess's funeral, became the best-selling single in history and raised millions for the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
In 1998, Michael Jackson and his son went shopping at a toy store in Munich, Germany. Jackson was dressed as an Arab woman.
In 2000, the US Postal Service issued a 20-cent stamped postcard that featured the historic Ryman Auditorium, the home of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 30 years.
In 2000, a film company paid over a million dollars for nine hours of film shot by Yoko Ono during the '70s that showed John Lennon smoking hash and talking about his political beliefs.
In 2001, singer, guitarist, and songwriter John Phillips, formerly of The Mamas & the Papas, died at the age of 65 of heart failure. Mamas and The Papas had the US No.1 'Monday, Monday'. Phillips was married to Michelle Gilliam, they had one child together, Chynna Phillips, vocalist of the 1990's pop trio Wilson Phillips. His second solo album was released on Rolling Stones records and featured Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood.
In 2002, in Concord, CA, about 1,500 teenagers swarmed a music store to get autographs from the band B2K. The Sun Valley Mall was temporarily shut down due to the unexpectedly large crowd.
In 2010, in Austin, Texas, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks, made their first appearance as the Court Yard Hounds at the South By Southwest Festival.
In 2011, Terence "Jet" Harris, bass guitarist for The Shadows, died from throat cancer at the age of 71. Jet played on the hit "Apache" and during their days as Cliff Richard's backing band, performed on the chart-topper "Living Doll". In 1962 he left the group and had solo hits with "Besame Mucho" and "The Man With The Golden Arm".
In 2013, the Billboard 200 albums chart welcomed some old friends into its Top 10 this week when Bon Jovi's "What About Now" debuted at #1, David Bowie's "The Next Day" reached #2 and Eric Clapton's "Old Stock" came in at #7.
