In 1955, Jimmy Young was at #1 on the UK singles chart with his version of "Unchained Melody," (a theme for the obscure prison film 'Unchained' and a hit for the Righteous Brothers in 1965). Young scored another ten Top 40 hit singles and went on to become one of UK's favorite radio DJ's.
In 1957, at Bell Sound Studio in New York City, Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Honeycomb."
In 1958, at Bell Sound Studio in New York City, Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Are You Really Mine."
In 1958, at the Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City, Marty Robbins recorded "Sittin' In a Treehouse."
In 1958, at Bell Sound Studio in New York City, Buddy Knox recorded "Somebody Touched Me."
In 1958, at Gold Star Recording Studios in Hollywood, Ritchie Valens recorded "Come On, Let's Go,""Framed," and "Donna."
In 1958, at Metropolitan Studios in New York City, Connie Francis recorded "Stupid Cupid," which turned out to be a huge break for the tune's fledgling songwriters, Howard Greenfield and Neil Sedaka.
In 1959, at Cosimo Studios in New Orleans, Fats Domino recorded "I Want To Walk You Home."
In 1959, at the Cosimo Recording Studio in New Orleans, Fats Domino recorded "I Want To Walk You Home."
In 1963, "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto was the #1 song.
In 1964, touring Australia, the Beatles played at Sydney Stadium in Sydney. This was Paul McCartney's 22nd birthday and after the show his guests included 17 girls who were winners of the Daily Mirrors 'Why I would like to be a guest at a Beatles birthday party' competition.
In 1965, composer/conductor George Melachrino died at age 56. Along with Mantovani, Percy Faith, and Andre Kostelanetz, he was a leading exponent of the so-called "Golden Age of Mood Music."
In 1966, our parents were delighted to find out that Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night" overtook the Rolling Stones'"Paint It Black" as the best selling single in the US.
In 1967, the Jimi Hendrix Experience made its debut performance on the final day of the Monterey Pop Festival in California. Hendrix wowed concertgoers with his playing and by setting his guitar on fire.
In 1967, Spanky and Our Gang performed "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show."
In 1968, an adaptations of John Lennon's In His Own Write premiers at London's National Theatre.
In 1972, in Fort Worth, Texas, Elvis Presley performed at the Tarrant County Convention Center.
In 1972, in Dallas, the Eagles performed at Memorial Auditorium.
In 1974, Rare Earth drummer Peter Hoorelbeke is arrested after throwing his drumsticks into the crowd.
In 1975, Elvis Presley was reported to have had some cosmetic surgery done to his face at Mid South hospital in Memphis.
In 1976, ABBA gives a performance in Stockholm for Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath on the eve of their wedding. ABBA sang "Dancing Queen" for the first time, as a tribute to Sweden's queen-to-be.
In 1976, on NBC-TV's "The Midnight Special," guest hosts Seals & Crofts introduced performances by Billy Joel, Thelma Houston, Freddy Fender, Tanya Tucker, and Eddie Kendricks.
Also in 1976, Electric Light Orchestra's greatest hits collection, 'OLE ELO' goes Gold, just as they begin their first major British tour.
In 1977, Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten was slashed on his face and hands by knife-wielding youths on a London street. They objected to the Pistols' anti-monarchist song "God Save the Queen". The next day, another member of the Pistols, Paul Cook, was beaten by a gang armed with iron pipes.
In 1977, James Taylor enters the Billboard chart with an update of Jimmy Jones's 1960 #1 hit, "Handy Man." Taylor's version will reach #4.
In 1977, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers supported by the Boomtown Rats appeared at Friars, Aylesbury, England.
Also in 1977, the Beatles''Live At The Hollywood Bowl,' recorded in August, 1964 and August, 1965, rose to the top of the UK album chart. Across the pond, it would climb to #2 on the Billboard Hot 200.
In 1983, Swiss band Yello released the first three-dimensional picture disc, complete with 3-D glasses.
In 1984, Judas Priest are banned for life from playing Madison Square Garden after fans rip out cushions and seats. The group pays for the damages.
In 1984, Elvis Costello and the Attractions released the album 'Goodbye Cruel World.'
In 1987, a woman sued Motley Crue for $5,000 claiming that she lost her hearing because a concert was too loud.
In 1988, Rick Astley went to #1 on the US singles chart with "Together Forever," his second US #1, a #2 hit in the UK.
In 1988, nearly 80,000 people filled the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for the final concert of Depeche Mode's world tour.
In 1993, A&M Records chairman Jerry Moss and vice-chairman Herb Alpert announced they were leaving the company they founded more than 30 years earlier. They had sold A&M in 1990 to Polygram for about $500 million. Moss and Alpert started the label in the garage of Alpert's Los Angeles home in 1962.
In 1994, the Beastie Boys entered the US album chart at #1 with 'III Communication.'
In 1997, during a North American tour U2 played the first of two nights at Oakland Coliseum, San Francisco supported by Oasis.
In 1998, David Cassidy began selling a two-CD set exclusively on the cable TV shopping channel QVC. no word on the sales figures.....
In 2000, It was reported that sales of pirate music CDs had now exceeded more than 500 million a year and accounted for one in every five sold. The Phonographic Industry estimated it was costing the music industry £3 billion ($5.1 billion) in lost sales.
In 2002, U2 lost a bid to prevent the demolition of Hanover Quay studio in Dublin.’Over 8,000 fans signed an online petition to preserve the studio, where the group recorded ‘All That You Can't Leave Behind’ and some of their 'Pop' album.
In 2003, pop Idol creator Simon Fuller became the first British music manager since the Beatles' Brian Epstein to hold the top three positions in the US singles chart. Fuller, who steered the Spice Girls and S Club 7 to success, was in charge of bestselling artists Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, together with the American Idol 2 Final 10. During 2003 Fuller sold more than ten million records around the world and has had 96 #1 singles and 79 top-placed albums in both the US and UK during his career. He was named in the latest Sunday Times Rich List as the 359th wealthiest person in the UK with assets of £90 million ($153 million).
In 2004, Ray Charles' funeral was held at the First AME Church in Los Angeles. Stevie Wonder, Glen Campbell, B.B. King, Wynton Marsalis, and Willie Nelson performed during the service. Non-performing mourners included Clint Eastwood, Berry Gordy, Jr., and Little Richard.
In 2007, singer and record producer Hank Medress died of lung cancer at 68. He was the vocalist on the Tokens 1961 US #1 hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," Medress was also in the vocal quartet the Linc-Tones with Neil Sedaka and produced the hit single "He's So Fine" by the Chiffons, as well as Tony Orlando's "Knock Three Times."
In 2010, John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to the Beatles song "A Day In The Life" sold for $1.2m at an auction at Sotheby's in New York. The double-sided sheet of paper with notes written in felt marker and blue ink also contained some corrections and other notes penned in red ink.
In 2011, Clarence Clemons, the burly sax player who helped develop Bruce Springsteen’s early sound, died just six days after suffering a stroke at his Florida home. He was 69.
In 2013, in Toronto, Joni Mitchell came out of retirement to read poetry and sing in the first of a two-night stint at Massey Hall. The Mitchell tribute concert opened with Rufus Wainwright, Glen Hansard, Lizz Wright, Kathleen Edwards, Liam Titcomb and Al Spx performing Mitchell songs.
