In 1955, Fats Domino released "Ain't It A Shame." While that is the original title, the song is more often called "Ain't That A Shame," the title Pat Boone used for his cover version. It is ranked #431 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and was the first song John Lennon learned to play.
In 1956, singer Bobby Helms auditioned for Decca Records and was promptly signed by the label.
In 1956, at the RCA Victor Studios in Nashville, Elvis Presley recorded "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You."
In 1960, at Bell Sound Studio in New York City, Lloyd Price recorded "Question."
In 1961, at RCA's Music Center of the World studios in Hollywood, Sam Cooke recorded "Cupid." The song charted at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #20 on the Hot R&B Sides chart; it performed best in the UK, peaking at #7 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is ranked #452 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In 1963, the Rolling Stones played at The Crawdaddy Club, Richmond. All four members of The Beatles were in the audience.
In 1964, the King Bees, (featuring a young David Bowie, then David Jones), played at a wedding reception at the Jack Of Clubs in London.
In 1965, Millie Small appeared on ABC-TV's "Shindig!" and performed her song "My Boy Lollipop." Other guests on the show included Jerry Lee Lewis, April & Nino, and Neil Sedaka.
In 1966, the Beatles recorded "Paperback Writer" and the vocals for "Eleanor Rigby."
In 1967, Polydor Records released the Bee Gees’ “New York Mining Disaster 1941” with a promotional slogan declaring them “the most significant talent since The Beatles.” The record became a Top 20 hit in the UK. and US.
In 1967, the final "Where the Action Is" aired on ABC-TV, with Paul Revere and the Raiders as the house band.
In 1967, David Bowie's novelty record "The Laughing Gnome" was released in the UK.
In 1967, a riot broke out at Warsaw's Palace Of Culture as the Rolling Stones made their first appearance in an Iron curtain Country; police used tear gas in a battle with 2,000 fans.
In 1968, producer Phil Spector marries Ronnie Bennett of the Ronettes. Although Ronnie's mother was in attendance. the other two Ronnettes, her sister Estelle and her cousin Nedra Talley were not invited. The union would prove to be a very unhappy one for Bennett, who filed for divorce in 1972, citing several instances of alleged cruelty.
In 1969, the Beatles’ recording of “The Ballad of John and Yoko” took place with just two members, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Paul played bass, drums and piano with John on guitars and lead vocals. At the time, George Harrison was on vacation abroad and Ringo Starr was filming "The Magic Christian." The song chronicled the events surrounding Lennon’s marriage to Yoko Ono.The song was banned from many radio stations as being blasphemous on account of the use of the word, “Christ.” On some stations, the word 'Christ' was edited in backwards to avoid the ban.
In 1969, the Monkees' TV special, 33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee, aired on NBC. The plot featured Rock musicians Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll as mad scientists looking for something to rot the minds of young people. The effort will prove to be The Monkees' final performance as a quartet until 1986, as Peter Tork quit the group at the end of the production.
In 1969, Elvis Presley released the single "In The Ghetto." The song was written by Mac Davis and was Presley's first Top 10 hit in the US in four years, peaking at #3, and his first UK Top 10 hit in three years, peaking at #2. It hit #1 on Cashbox. It was a #1 hit in Germany, Ireland, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.
In 1970, Stephen Stills broke his wrist in a car accident, resulting in the cancellation of an American tour by Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young. Stills drove into a parked car while watching a police patrol car in his rear-view mirror.
In 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival made their live UK debut when they played the first of two nights at The Royal Albert Hall, London.
In 1971, the Illinois Crime Commission issued a list of “drug-oriented records,” including “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum and the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
In 1972, in Greensboro, North Carolina, Elvis Presley performed at the Coliseum.
In 1973, Led Zeppelin started a two-week run on the top of the UK album chart with Houses of the Holy, also a #1 in the US. The young girl, featured on the cover of the album climbing up Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland, was six-year-old Samantha Gates.
In 1974, at the Roundhouse in London, the Who's Pete Townshend made his solo concert debut backed only by his own pre-recorded audio tapes.
In 1975, after rumours that Jimmy Page, Steve Marriott, Jeff Beck or Chris Spedding variously would replace Mick Taylor as guitarist in the Rolling Stones, a press release confirmed that Ron Wood would be joining the band for their forthcoming American tour.
In 1976, Stevie Wonder signed a $13 million deal with Motown, the largest music contract to that date. Wonder would go on to have a half a dozen Top Ten hits from several hot selling albums.
In 1976, the Bay City Rollers' singer Eric Faulkner nearly died after swallowing Seconal and Valium tablets. The 21 year old claimed to be weary of the group's hectic schedule.
In 1978, the Johnny Cash special "Spring Fever" aired on CBS-TV with guests Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, June Carter Cash, Rosanne Cash and Ray Charles.
In 1979, the Doobie Brothers went to #1 on the US singles chart with "What A Fool Believes," the group's second US #1, it made #31 in the UK.
Iron Maiden's self-titled debut album was released in 1980.
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In 1980, a New Jersey State assemblyman introduces a resolution to make Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" the official state song. After some consideration, the song was eventually cited by legislators as the state's "rock anthem."
In 1980, ABC aired Olivia Newton John's TV special "Olivia's Hollywood Nights," with guest performers Elton John, the Carpenters, and Andy Gibb.
In 1983, the Pretenders bass player Pete Farndon died from a drug overdose. He was sacked from the group on June 14th 1982, (two days before Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott was found dead of heart failure). Farndon was in the midst of forming a new band with former Clash drummer Topper Headon when he died.
In 1984, Michael Jackson made a one hundred thousand dollar contribution to establish a 19-bed cancer research unit at a New York hospital.
In 1984, Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' LP marked its 37th week at #1 in US, the longest run in rock history to that date.
In 1986, members of the First Church of the Nazarene in Ironton, Ohio, held a record burning after evangelist Jim Brown told them that the song "A Horse is a Horse," the theme song from the US TV show Mr. Ed, contained satanic messages when played backwards.
In 1990, Thurston Harris, who had a US #6 hit in 1957 with "Little Bitty Pretty One," died of a heart attack at the age of 58.
In 1990, Madonna scored her seventh UK #1 single with "Vogue," also a US #1 hit. Taken from her soundtrack album 'I'm Breathless' (Music from and Inspired by the film Dick Tracy).
In 1990, Tommy Page went to #1 on the US singles chart with "I'll Be Your Everything."
In 1993, Paul McCartney kicked off a 24-date North American tour at the Sam Boys Silver Bowl in Las Vegas.
In 1993, in Bosnia, Joan Baez performed for 700 people in war-torn Sarajevo. Many in the audience wept as Baez sang John Lennon's anti-war song, "Imagine."
In 1994, Kurt Cobain was cremated at the Bleitz Funeral Home in Seattle. The death certificate listed Cobain’s occupation as “Poet/Musician” and his type of business as “Punk Rock.”
In 1995, Burl Ives, who reached the US Top 40 with "Little Bitty Tear" (#9), "Funny Way Of Laughing" (#10) and "Call Me Mr. In-Between" (#19) as well as recording the Christmas classic "Holly, Jolly Christmas," died of cancer at the age of 85.
In 1999, Metallica filed suit against Napster Inc, Yale University, the University of Southern California and Indiana University for copyright infringement. Yale and Indiana were dropped from the suit after they blocked access to Napster on campus servers.
In 1999, UK singer, songwriter and actor Anthony Newley died of cancer. Scored 12 UK Top 40 singles from 1959-1962 including the #1 single "Why." He won the 1963 Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "What Kind of Fool Am I?" He was also married to the actress Joan Collins from 1963 to 1971.
In 2002, Ashanti started a ten week run at #1 on the US singles chart with "Foolish" and on the same day started a three week run at #1 on the US album chart with her self-titled album.
In 2004, Dolly Parton received the Living Legend Medal from the U.S. Library of Congress for her contributions to the cultural heritage of the United States.
In 2005, Steve Jablecki, singer and guitarist for the L.A. group, Wadsworth Mansion, who reached #7 in the US with "Sweet Mary" in 1971, died at the age of 59.
In 2007, legendary crooner Don Ho, who entertained Hawaiian tourists for decades wearing raspberry-tinted sunglasses and singing his catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," died of heart failure. He was 76.
In 2009, a planned auction of nearly 1,400 items from the former home of Michael Jackson was cancelled. A public preview of the collection had already begun in Los Angeles and the exhibition of Jackson's possessions would stay open until the end of next week. A last-minute settlement meant Jackson's belongings would now be returned to him. In response, he had dropped a lawsuit against Juliens Auctions.
In 2009, hundreds of fans and friends, including Paul McCartney and Tom Petty, were on hand to see George Harrison receive a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Capitol Records building.
In 2010, country music singer George Strait became the first act to place a record in the Top 10, on any of the Billboard magazine charts, for 30 consecutive years. His streak continued in 2011 and 2012.
In 2012, Cleveland's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame welcomes Donovan, Laura Nyro, The Miracles, The Small Faces, The Comets, The Blue Caps, The Crickets and The Midnighters
In 2013, Justin Bieber caused outrage after writing a message in a guestbook at the Anne Frank Museum, which stated he hoped the Holocaust victim would have been a fan. The 19-year-old wrote: "Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber." It provoked fierce online criticism of the Canadian singer, who was in Amsterdam as part of a tour.
In 2013, songwriter/singer George Jackson died of cancer at 67.
birthdays today include: Loretta Lynn (82) and Ritchie Blackmore (69) (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
