Today in 1955, Elvis Presley made his TV debut, on “Louisiana Hayride” on KWKH-TV in Shreveport, La.
The number one album today in 1966 was Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass’ “Going Places”:
The number one single today in 1966:
The number one single today in 1983:
The 1992 Rolling Stone Music Awards Best Single and Best Video:
Birthdays begin with Murray Seafield Saint-George Head:
Alan Clark played keyboards for Dire Straits:
Teena Marie:
Andy Gibb:
Craig and Charlie Reed, better known as the Proclaimers:
John Frusciante played guitar for the Red Hot Chili Peppers:
Two deaths of note today in 1963: Patsy Cline and Hawkshaw Hawkins in a plane crash in Dyersburg, Va., on the way to a benefit for a DJ who had died in a car crash.
Two more deaths of note: John Belushi today in 1982 …
… and Viv Stanshall of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band in 1995:
The Grammy Awards premiered today in 1959. The Record of the Year came from a TV series:
Today in 1966, John Lennon demonstrated the ability to get publicity, if not positive publicity, when the London Evening Standard printed a story in which Lennon said:
Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue with that; I’m right and I will be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first — rock and roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.
Lennon’s comment prompted Bible Belt protests, including burning Beatles records. Of course, as the band pointed out, to burn Beatles records requires purchasing them first.
The number one single today in 1967:
Today in 1973, Pink Floyd began its 19-date North American tour at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison.
Today in 1994, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was hospitalized in Rome after overdosing on Rohypnol and champagne.
Today in 2003, a woman in Porth, Wales, was fined £1,000, had her stereo system impounded and was banned from playing loud music after playing too loudly the music of Cliff Richard.
Birthdays begin with one-hit-wonder Paul Mauriat:
Eric Allandale of the Foundations:
Bobby Womack:
Chris Squire played bass for Yes:
Emilio Estefan of the Miami Sound Machine:
Chris Rea:
Boon Gould of Level 42:
Jason Newsted played bass for Metallica:
Actress Patsy Kensit was married to Jim Kerr of Simple Minds and Liam Gallagher of Oasis:
Feargal Lawlor played drums for the Cranberries:
Two deaths of note today: Richard Manuel of The Band in 1986 …
… and Glenn Hughes, the first biker on the Village People, in 2001:
Today in 1966, Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay formed the Buffalo Springfield.
The number one British single today in 1967:
Today in 1971, the South African Broadcasting Corp. lifted its ban on broadcasting the Beatles.
Perhaps SABC felt safe given that the Beatles had broken up one year earlier.
Speaking of the Beatles, the number one British single today in 1973 was the first to debut on top of the charts since the Beatles:
Today in 1973, this song was the Grammy Awards’ Record of the Year:
The number one British single today in 1979 …
… was from the U.S.’ number one album, “Spirits Having Flown”:
The number one British single today in 1984 originally was recorded in German:
The number one single today in 1990:
Birthdays begin with Mike Pender of the Searchers:
Jance Garfat played bass for Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show:
Snowy White played guitar for Thin Lizzy and later for Pink Floyd:
Derek “Blue” Weaver played keyboards for the Bee Gees:
Chris Hughes of Adam and the Ants:
One death of note today in 2008: Norman Smith, who engineered every Beatles album between 1962 and 1965 (which earned him the nicknames “Normal Norman” and “Hurricane” from John Lennon), then became a one-hit wonder:
Today in 1961, Elvis Presley signed a five-year movie deal with producer Hal Wallis.
Today in 1966, Gene Clark announced he was leaving the Byrds because of his fear of flying.
Today in 1969, Jim Morrison of the Doors was arrested on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior during a concert at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami.
Morrison was found guilty and sentenced to eight months hard labor.
He was appealing the charges when he died in 1971.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist gave Morrison a posthumous pardon in 2010.
Today in 1975, the Grammy Awards handed out Grammys for a Paul McCartney single and the Stevie Wonder album “Fulfillingness First Finale”:
The number one British single today in 1980:
Today in 1986, Mr. Mister had the number one album, “Welcome to the Real World,” and single:
Today in 1990, Janet Jackson began her Rhythm Nation 1814 tour in Miami with a live panther.
Jackson fired the panther later in the spring over crowd safety concerns and the fact the panther kept urinating on the stage.
The winner of three Grammys today in 1995
Today in 1997, a New Jersey judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Motley Crue concert-goer who claimed his hearing had been irreparably damaged.
The judge said the man, who had sat in front of the stage, knew the risk he was taking.
Birthdays begin with Harry Belafonte:
Jerry Fisher sang for Blood Sweat and Tears:
Mike d’Abo sang for Manfred Mann:
Roger Daltrey of the Who:
Nik Kershaw:
One death of note today in 2005: Chris Curtis, drummer for the Searchers:
Today in 1955, Billboard magazine reported that sales of 45-rpm singles …
… had exceeded sales of 78-rpm singles for the first time.
The number one single today in 1966:
The number one album today in 1966 was the Beatles’ “Rubber Soul”:
Today in 1970, BBC-TV’s “Top of the Pops” showed the Brotherhood of Man …
… White Plains …
… and number one Edison Lighthouse …
… with the same singer, Tony Burrows. The BBC was described as “aghast” and banned Burrows … for a couple weeks, until Burrows returned as lead singer of the Pipkins:
Burrows returned to Top of the Pops four years later with yet another group:
The number one album today in 1983 turned out to be the number one album of all time:
The number one British single today in 1984:
Today in 2009, a never-before-publicly-heard 10-minute version of the Beatles’ “Revolution” hit the Internet:
Birthdays begin with Antoine “Fats” Domino:
Johnny Cash:
Bob “The Bear” Hite of Canned Heat:
Jonathan Cain played keyboards for Journey:
Michael Bolton, worthwhile here for one and only one song:
Two deaths of note today in 1977: Sherman Games of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers …
… and songwriter Ben Raleigh in 1997, after his cooking set his bathrobe on fire:
The number one country and western single today in 1956 was the singer’s number one number one:
The number one British album today in 1984 was the Thompson Twins’ “Into the Gap”:
The number one single today in 1984 was adapted by WGN-TV for its Chicago Cubs games — a good choice given that the Cubs that season decided to play like an actual baseball team:
The number one British single today in 1989:
Today in 1995, Frank Sinatra sang before a live audience for the final time, at a private party at his Frank Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament:
Birthdays begin with George Harrison …
… and end with Stewart Wood of the Bay City Rollers:
Steve Prestegard.com: The Presteblog 