In 1956, Patti Page recorded "Allegheny Moon."
In 1958, angry that his radio station employer did not back his defense after he was charged with inciting a riot at a recent Boston show, Alan Freed resigned from WINS in New York City, claiming his bosses refused to "stand by my policies and principles." In Hershey, Pennsylvania on that same day, Freed debuted his new package tour that starred Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Danny & the Juniors, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Larry Williams, and the Chantels.
In 1959, sixteen-year-old singer Wayne Newton began a two-week engagement at the Freemont Hotel in Las Vegas, and was such a popular attraction that he headlined at the venue for more than three years.
In 1959, UK music paper Melody Maker introduced a Juke Box Top 20 Chart compiled from 200 Juke Boxes around the UK.
In 1961, in RCA Studio B in Nashville, Ann-Margret recorded "I Just Don't Understand," which became her first and only Top 40 hit, peaking at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
In 1962, Brian Epstein met with EMI producer George Martin who signed the Beatles to record demos on June 4, 1962. It was the Beatles' first recording contract.
In 1963, the Rolling Stones signed their first management contract with Andrew Loog Oldham's Impact management company, agreeing to license their recording output to the UK's Decca label.
Also in 1963, Paul McCartney met Jane Asher for the first time after a show at London's Royal Albert Hall.
In 1964, at London's Astoria Theatre, Chuck Berry made his British concert debut, with the Animals, the Nashville Teens, and the Swinging Blue Jeans as his opening acts.
In 1964, Gene Vincent and the Shouts appeared at The Rhodes Centre, Bishop's Gate, England. The poster advertised that the first 50 girls would be admitted free; tickets cost six shillings and six pence, ($0.94).
In 1965, Vladimir Horowitz played his first public concert in 12 years at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The audience applauded the piano virtuoso with a standing ovation that lasted for 30 minutes.
Also in 1965, Bob Dylan gave his first major concert performance in Great Britain, opening at London's Royal Albert Hall for an audience that included the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Donovan, and Marianne Faithfull.
In 1966, the Doors played at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, auditioning to be the venue's house band.
In 1966, singer Karen Carpenter, at age 16, signed with Magic Lamp Records, her first recording contract.
Also in 1966, in New York City, the Young Rascals recorded "You Better Run."
In 1967, Sandie Shaw was at #1 on the UK singles chart with "Puppet On A String." This week's two highest new entries were Jimi Hendrix with "The Wind Cries Mary" and The Kinks "Waterloo Sunset."
In 1969, Beatles guitarist George Harrison's experimental album 'Electronic Sound' was released on Zapple records in the UK (May 26 in the US). The album features two lengthy pieces performed on the Moog synthesizer. Because of its experimental and highly non-commercial nature, it failed to chart in the UK, and barely made the US Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at #191.
In 1973, Mick Jagger added $150,000 of his own money to the $350,000 raised by the Rolling Stones' January benefit concert for victims of a Nicaraguan earthquake.
In 1974, at New York's Felt Forum in Madison Square Garden, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, and Arlo Guthrie performed "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Spanish Is The Loving Tongue" at a Chilean benefit concert.
On May 9, 1974, opening for Bonnie Raitt at the Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered one of the most important performances of Springsteen's career. Playing his full two-hour set at Raitt's insistence, he was so impressive that Rolling Stone's Jon Landau later wrote in Boston's The Real Paper, "I saw rock and roll's future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen. And on a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time." Landau later became Springsteen's manager and producer.
In 1975, Kiss, James Gang and Rush all appeared at Ohio Northern University in Ada Ohio. Advance tickets cost $5.00.
In 1981, Adam and the Ants were at #1 on the UK singles chart with "Stand And Deliver." The song enjoyed a five-week run at the top.
In 1987, Starship started a four-week run at #1 on the UK singles chart with a song co-written by Albert Hammond and Diane Warren, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." At 48, it made lead singer Grace Slick the oldest female to reach #1 on the UK chart, (later broken by Cher's "Believe" in 1999).
In 1988, several US department stores refused to stock the newly released Prince album, 'Lovesexy,' because of its cover photo which featured a nude picture of him.
In 1989, country music singer Keith Whitley died from alcohol poisoning at the age of 33.
In 1990, Irish singer Sinead O'Connor refuses to perform on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live after shock comedian Andrew Dice Clay is named as host. Two years later, O'Connor would do some shocking of her own when she ripped up a picture of the Pope on the same show, sending her career into ruins.
In 1992, on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," with guest host Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen performed three songs in his network television debut.
In 1993, "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson was the #1 song.
In 1998, in St. Charles, Illinois, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson performed his first solo concert.
In 1998, Jimmy Page appeared on US TV's 'Saturday Night Live' with rapper Sean 'Puffy' Combs and performed "Come With Me" from the 'Godzilla' movie soundtrack. The song sampled the guitar riff from Led Zeppelin's song "Kashmir."
In 2000, a US appeals court upheld a $5.4 million suit saying that Michael Bolton had plagarized parts of the song "Love is a Wonderful Thing" from an Isley Brothers song of the same name.
In 2001, songwriter ("Rock Around The Clock") and actor James Myers, a/k/a Jimmy DeKnight, died at the age of 81.
In 2001, Kenny Rogers won a Career Achievement honor at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
In 2001, Michael Jackson released a statement saying he had no plans to sell the Beatles catalog.
In 2009, Rick Ross went to #1 on the US album chart with 'Deeper Than Rap,' the rappers third studio album.
In 2010, singer/actress Lena Horne died at the age of 92.
In 2013, David Bowie's latest video, which stars Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard, was temporarily pulled from YouTube over its graphic content. "The Next Day" features heavy religious imagery, including Cotillard bleeding from stigmata marks. The video sees Bowie performing in a basement bar, surrounded by religious figures, while Oldman, dressed as a priest, punches a beggar before dancing with a prostitute, played by Oscar-winner Cotillard. YouTube admitted making the "wrong call" in removing the video, and reinstated it with an adult content warning.
