Imagine having tickets to this concert at the National Guard Armory in Amory, Miss., today in 1955: Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley:
Today in 1957, while Jerry Lee Lewis secretly married his 13-year-old second cousin (while he was still married — three taboos in one!), Al Priddy, a DJ on KEX in Portland, was fired for playing Presley’s version of “White Christmas,” on the ground that “it’s not in the spirit we associate with Christmas.”
The number one song today in 1963:
Today in 1967, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones was sentenced to three years probation and fined £1,000 on drug charges. Three psychiatrists said Jones was an “extremely frightened young man” with suicidal tendencies.
The number one single today in 1970:
The number one single today in 2002:
Birthdays today start with Frank Sinatra:
Dionne Warwick:
Tim Hauser of Manhattan Transfer:
Dicky Betts, who played guitar for the Allman Brothers Band …
… was born the same day as Grover Washington Jr.:
Rob Tyner of MC5:
Clive Bunker, who played drums for Jethro Tull …
… was born one year before Ralph Scala, organist and vocalist for the Blues Magoos:
Sheila E.:
Danny Boy of the House of Pain:
Two deaths of note: Today in 1985, Ian Stewart, cofounder of the Rolling Stones, who was removed from the band in 1963 but kept as piano and organ player and road manager; he played on all but one Stones album between 1964 and 1983:
The number one album today in 1961 was Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii” …
… while the number one single was a request:
Today in 1968, filming began for the Rolling Stones movie “Rock and Roll Circus,” featuring, in addition to the group, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, The Who, Eric Clapton and Jethro Tull, plus clowns and acrobats.
The film was released in 1996. (That is not a typo.)
The number one British single today in 1971:
Today in 1972, James Brown was arrested for trying to incite riot at a concert in Tennessee. After Brown threatened to sue the city for $1 million, the charges were dropped.
Today in 1973, Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley got the Keith Richards Defiance of Death Award when he was knocked unconscious after touching a short-circuited light during a concert in Florida. Frehley was carried from the stage, but returned 10 minutes later to finish the concert.
The number one single today in 1982:
The number one British single today in 1993 was later voted the most irritating number one Christmas single in a poll:
Today in 1998, a bottle thrown from the crowd hit Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson at their concert in Tucson, Ariz. While trying to eject a man from the crowd, a security guard was stabbed.
Today in 2001, actor David Soul won a lawsuit against London theater critic Matthew Wright. Wright had written a review critical of Soul’s performance at, he said, a performance on a Monday. The play wasn’t performed on Mondays, which meant Wright had criticized Soul’s performance without actually seeing it.
Today in 1959, the four members of the Platters, who had been arrested in Cincinnati Aug. 10 on drug and prostitution charges, were acquitted.
Still, unlike perhaps today, the acquittal didn’t undo the damage the charges caused to the group’s career.
The number one single on both sides of the Atlantic today in 1964:
The number one single on both sides of the Atlantic today in 1966:
The number one British album today in 1983 was the first “Now That’s What I Call Music” compilation:
The short list of birthdays begins with Chad Stuart of Chad and Jeremy:
Ralph Tavares of Tavares:
Producer and one-hit-wonder Paul Hardcastle:
Two deaths of note: Sam Cooke, killed in a motel at 33 today in 1964 …
… and Otis Redding, Jimmy King, Ron Caldwell, Phalin Jones and Carl Cunningham of the Bar-Kays, whose plane crashed into Lake Monona in Madison the afternoon before their scheduled concert today in 1967, leaving trumpet player Ben Cauley as the lone survivor:
Imagine having the opportunity to see Johnny Cash, with Elvis Presley his opening act, in concert at a high school. The concert was at Arkansas High School in Swifton, Ark., today in 1955:
Today in 1961, the Beatles played a concert at the Palais Ballroom in Aldershot, Great Britain. Because the local newspaper wouldn’t accept the promoter’s check for advertising, the concert wasn’t publicized, and attendance totaled 18.
After the concert, the Beatles reportedly were ordered out of town by local police due to their rowdiness.
That, however, doesn’t compare to what happened in New Haven, Conn., today in 1967. Before the Doors concert in the New Haven Arena, a policeman discovered singer Jim Morrison making out in a backstage shower with an 18-year-old girl.
The officer, unaware that he had discovered the lead singer of the concert, told Morrison and the woman to leave. After an argument, in which Morrison told the officer to “eat it,” the officer sprayed Morrison and his new friend with Mace. The concert was delayed one hour while Morrison recovered.
Halfway through the first set, Morrison decided to express his opinion about the New Haven police, daring them to arrest him. They did, on charges of inciting a riot, public obscenity and decency. The charges were later dropped for lack of evidence.
The number one album today in 1972 was the Moody Blues’ “Seventh Sojourn”:
The number one single today in 1978:
Today in 1988, a poll was released on the subject of the best background music for sex. Number three was Luther Vandross …
… number two was Beethoven …
… and number one was Neil Diamond.
Neil Diamond?
The number one single today in 1989:
Today in 2003, Ozzy Osbourne crashed his ATV at his home, breaking his collarbone, eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck.
Birthdays begin with Sam Strain of the Imperials and the O’Jays:
Today in 1940, the first NFL championship game was broadcast nationally on Mutual radio. Before long, Mutual announcer Red Barber probably wondered why they’d bothered.
Today in 1963, Frank Sinatra Jr. was kidnapped from a Lake Tahoe hotel. He was released two days later after his father paid $240,000 ransom. The kidnappers were arrested and sentenced to prison.
The top selling 8-track today in 1971:
The number one single today in 1984 …
… on the same day that Patrick Cavanaugh, former manager of the Coasters, was convicted of the murder of Coaster Buster Wilson, whose partially dismembered body was found in Modesto, Calif., four years earlier.
The number one British single today in 2003:
Birthdays begin with Bobby Elliot, drummer of the Hollies …
… who was born one year before Jim Morrison of the Doors:
Graham Knight of Marmalade …
… was born one year before Geoff Daking, drummer of the Blues Magoos …
… and Gregg Allman:
Dan Hartman was in the Edgar Winter Group before his solo career:
Phil Collen of Def Leppard:
Paul Rutherford of Frankie Goes to Hollywood:
Two deaths of note today: Gary Thain, bass player for Uriah Heep, today in 1975 …
The number one British album today in 1963 will be at number one for 21 weeks — “Meet the Beatles”:
The number one single here today in 1963 certainly was not a traditional pop song:
Today in 1967, Otis Redding recorded a song before heading on a concert tour that included Madison:
The number one British album today in 1968 was the Beatles’ “White Album”:
The number one British single today in 1974 was originally a country song:
See the comment from 1963 about the number one single today in 1974:
The number one song today in 1985:
The number one British song today in 1991:
The number one album today in 1991 was U2’s “Achtung Baby”:
The number one single today in 2003:
Only one birthday of note today: Tom Waits, whose voice was described as “like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car” makes him better known as writing for others:
On that day, a free festival in Altamont, Calif., featured the Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
The festival, attended by 300,000, also featured one concertgoer being stabbed to death by a member of the Hell’s Angels hired for security, plus a drowning and two men dying in a hit-and-run crash.
The number one album today in 1975 was Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy after All These Years”:
The number one British single today in 1986:
Birthdays start with Dave Brubeck:
Mike Smith, lead singer of the Dave Clark Five …
… was born one year before one-hit-wonder Jonathan King:
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