In 1958, Italy's leading male vocalist, Domenico Modugno hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with "Volare" (Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu). The song would become the year's best selling record and win three Grammy Awards.
In 1960, in Hollywood, Bobby Darin recorded "Lazy River" and "Artificial Flowers."
In 1960, at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, Paul Anka recorded "The Story Of My Love."
In 1961, an estimated 1500 people gathered for the first Mariposa Folk Festival, a two-day event at Oval Park in Orillia, Ontario. Ian & Sylvia, the Travellers and Al Cherny performed.
In 1961, in Nashville, Jimmy Dean recorded "Big Bad John." Released in September 1961, by the beginning of November it went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Dean the 1962 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording.
Peter, Paul & Mary's "If I Had A Hammer" was released in 1962.
In 1963, after two decades of working together, country music singers Ira Lonnie Loudermilk and his brother Charlie Elzer Loudermilk, known professionally as the Louvin Brothers, performed as a duo for the last time before beginning individual solo careers. Ira was killed in a 1965 car accident. Charlie died of pancreatic cancer in 2011.
In 1964, over 9,000 frenzied fans met the Beatles as they arrived in San Francisco, to begin an American tour. The Beatles were driven into a protective fence enclosure so that photographers could take pictures. As the 9,000 fans pressed against the fencing, it gave way, with the Beatles managing to get out split-seconds before it came crashing down.
In 1965, KPOI-Hawaii disc jockey Tom Moffat arranged for Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits to interview Elvis Presley live from his bungalow in Honolulu where he was relaxing between scenes during the filming of "Paradise, Hawaiian Style." At one point, Noone asked, "Who's your favorite group?" Laughing, Elvis replied, "The Boston Pops."
In 1965, in Atlanta, the Beatles performed to a sold-out crowd of 35,000 at Atlanta Stadium.
In 1965, ABC-TV's "Shindig!" featured Tina Turner, Bo Diddley, Jackie DeShannon, and Eddie Hodges.
In 1965, the Dave Clark Five movie "Having a Wild Weekend," co-starring Barbara Ferris, David de Keyser, Yootha Joyce, Robin Bailey, and David Lodge, had its North American premiere in New York City, four months after opening in the UK under the title "Catch Us If You Can."
In 1966, Paul Jones left Manfred Mann just as "Pretty Flamingo" was climbing the US charts. He was replaced by singer Mike D’Abo, who would take over lead vocals on the bands next hit, "The Mighty Quinn," a song written by Bob Dylan.
In 1966, in Washington, DC, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass performed for U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and his guests at the White House.
In 1969, Mick Jagger was accidentally shot in the hand during filming of Ned Kelly in Australia. The film was dogged by problems: Jagger's girlfriend of the time, Marianne Faithfull, had gone to Australia to play the lead female role (Ned's sister, Maggie), but the Jagger-Faithfull relationship was breaking up, and she took an overdose of sleeping tablets soon after arrival in Sydney resulting in being hospitalised in a coma, and pulling out of the film.
In 1969, Led Zeppelin performed at the Rock Pile, a small club with no seats located in an old Masonic Temple in downtown Toronto, with Edward Bear as their opening act.
In 1971, John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was certified as a million seller in the US. At the time, despite singing that West Virginia was "almost heaven," neither Denver or the song's writers, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert had ever been there.
In 1971, "The 5th Dimension Traveling Sunshine Show" TV special on ABC featured guests Dionne Warwick and the Carpenters.
In 1973, Diana Ross scored her second #1 single with "Touch Me In The Morning." The song marked a turning point in her career, coming immediately after her Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in her acting debut, Lady Sings the Blues.
In 1973, the number one album in the US was 'A Passion Play' by Jethro Tull.
In 1973, at Saratoga Springs, New York, jazz drummer Gene Krupa gave what turned out to be his last public performance as he played with the Benny Goodman Quartet: Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson and Slam Stewart. Krupa died seven weeks later.
In 1977, the Police made their live debut as a three-piece band when they played at Rebecca's Birmingham, England.
In 1978, Melvin Franklin of the Temptations was shot four times in the hand and the leg while trying to stop a man from stealing his car in Los Angeles. He survived.
In 1979, AC/DC, Nils Lofgren, the Stranglers and the Who all appeared at Wembley Stadium, London, England.
In 1981, the Moody Blues album 'Long Distance Voyager' was certified Platinum.
In 1982, the City of Liverpool named four Streets after the fab four: John Lennon Drive, Paul McCartney Way, George Harrison Close and Ringo Starr Drive.
In 1983, the Police plus Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and R.E.M. (their biggest gig to date) all appeared at Shea Stadium, New York City.
In 1984, George Michael was at #1 on the UK singles chart with his first solo single "Careless Whisper." It made George the first person to reach #1 as a solo artist and a member of a band in the same year. It gave Epic records UK their first UK million seller and the song was #1 in nearly 25 countries, selling over six million copies worldwide.
In 1986, former husband and wife folksingers Ian & Sylvia reunited for a concert at Kingswood Music Theatre in Canada's Wonderland amusement park near Toronto, the first Ian & Sylvia performance in 11 years. Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris, and Murray McLauchlan also performed.
In 1991, Rick Griffith, died after being forced off the road by a van he was attempting to pass on his Harley Heritage Softail motorbike. He designed album sleeves for Jimi Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane and designed countless Rock posters. One of his best known album covers was for the Grateful Dead's 'Aoxomoa' LP, and the legendary "Flying Eyeball" poster he designed for a series of concerts in San Francisco featuring the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Albert King and John Mayall.
In 1997, the Rolling Stones announce plans for their upcoming Bridges To Babylon tour in grand style. The band rolls up to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York in a red '55 Cadillac with Mick at the wheel.
In 2003, Tony Jackson, bass player with the Searchers, died from cirrhosis of the liver. The band had a 1964 UK #1 and US #13 single with "Needles And Pins."
In 2005, Kanye West called for an end to homophobia in the hip-hop community during an MTV interview saying "hip-hop was always about speaking your mind and about breaking down barriers, but everyone in hip-hop discriminates against gay people. Not just hip-hop, but America just discriminates, I wanna just, to come on TV and just tell my rappers, just tell my friends, Yo, stop it'."
In 2006, film-maker Adam Muskiewicz set up elviswanted.com as part of a documentary exploring the myth that the singer was still alive and offered a $3m reward for anybody who found Elvis Presley alive. The film was due for release in August 2007, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Presley's death.
In 2008, Pervis Jackson, bass vocalist and original member of the Motown group the Spinners, died of cancer at the age of 70. The band had a series of hits in the 1970s, including "Rubber Band Man,""Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" and "I'll Be Around."
In 2010, Kenny Edwards, an original member of the Stone Poneys, died of cancer at the age of 64. The group, lead by vocalist Linda Ronstadt, reached #13 in late 1967 with "Different Drum."
In 2010, French beauty brand Etat Libre D'Orange announced that they have teamed up with the Sex Pistols to bottle the scent of the punk era by launching the band's first fragrance. Company executives said "to wear this scent, you must resist tradition, fight conformity, and disregard aromatic conventions."
In 2012, Scott McKenzie, who sang the US #4 hit "San Francisco," the unofficial anthem for "the summer of love" in 1967, died of the nervous system disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome at the age of 73.
