Alan Freed’s Big Beat Show opened at Brooklyn’s Fox Theatre with Frankie Avalon, Jimmy Clanton, Chuck Berry, Bobby Freeman, Bill Haley and His Comets, and The Elegants. The integrated bill brought rock and roll to a large teenage audience during segregation.

The Quarrymen played for 300 teenagers at the opening of The Casbah Coffee Club, in the basement of Mona Best’s Liverpool home. The venue connected Pete Best to the group’s inner circle; he became their drummer exactly one year later.

British Invasion excitement sent U.S. and U.K. guitar sales soaring: first-half sales were 40% above 1963, while high-end models rose more than 80%.

The Honeycombs’ debut, “Have I the Right,” topped the British chart, also reaching No. 1 in Australia, Canada, and Sweden, No. 5 in America, and two million sales worldwide.

Roy Orbison released “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which reached No. 1 in America four weeks later, entered the Top Ten in 15 other countries, and eventually sold over seven million copies globally.

The Beatles played their final paid public concert at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, seven years after their first Casbah show. Before 25,000 fans, they performed 11 songs in just over half an hour and did not play any songs from the newly released “Revolver.”

Brian Epstein’s funeral took place in Liverpool without The Beatles, who stayed away to protect his family’s privacy and avoid attracting fans and press.

Edwin Starr’s “War” led the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and later earned a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Police arrested three people who allegedly planned to steal Elvis Presley’s body from its Memphis mausoleum and hold it for ransom. Elvis’s remains were subsequently moved to Graceland’s Meditation Garden.

Los Lobos took “La Bamba” to No. 1 on the Hot 100. The song came from a traditional Mexican tune and served as the title track of the film.

The Rolling Stones released “Steel Wheels” in the U.S. It reached No. 3 on Billboard and No. 2 in Britain.

Fats Domino, 77, was rescued by boat from New Orleans flooding after Hurricane Katrina. He had initially planned to stay home because his wife Rosemary was in poor health.

KISS bassist Gene Simmons took his stage name from rockabilly singer Jumpin’ Gene Simmons, who died at 69 after a long illness.

Iron Butterfly drummer Ron Bushy, remembered for the extended drum solo on “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” died at 79 after esophageal cancer.