Today in 1955, the Louisiana Hayride TV show broadcast this concert live from Shreveport, La.:

The number one British single today in 1964:

Today in 1965 was the premiere of the BBC’s “Ready Steady Goes Live”:

The number one album today in 1971 was the late Janis Joplin’s “Pearl”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tGuJ34062s

The number one British single today in 1977:

Rumor has it the number one album today in 1977 was Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours”:

Birthdays start with one-half-hit wonder (or, put another way, half of a one-hit wonder) Serge Gainsbourg:

Marvin Gaye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wvPUdaGKm0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz-UvQYAmbg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z76RDhkB-6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKPoHgKcqag

Leon Russell:

Glen Dale sang and played guitar for the Fortunes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuJWaVWHIFU

Kurt Winter of the Guess Who:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqeSUAlI5uI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_JPqeZyRNY

Emmylou Harris:

Leon Wilkeson played bass for Lynyrd Skynyrd:

David Robinson of The Cars:

Keren Woodward of Bananarama:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkcU2_Vs7Xw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IddaRTuYRW4

Greg Camp of Smash Mouth:

Three deaths of note today: Drummer Buddy Rich in 1987 …

… Rob Pilatus, one half of Milli Vanilli, in 1998 …

… and Edwin Starr in 2003: