Rock history records that 23-year-old Johnny Cash lays down his first tracks at Sam Phillips’ Memphis Recording Studio. Rock history records that With Luther Perkins on guitar and Marshall Grant on bass, Johnny sang five Country / Gospel numbers, of which “Mr. Porter” was the only useable cut. Rock history records that Phillips tells Johnny to come back when he’s written a hit.

While en route to an appearance on The Perry Como Show , Carl Perkins was presented with a broken collarbone and a concussion in a car accident that killed his brother Jay just outside Dover, Delaware. Rock history records that An eight seat Chrysler Imperial that was loaned to Perkins while he awaited delivery of his new Cadillac Sixty Special, plowed into the back of a pickup truck after his manager, Dick Stuart fell asleep. Rock history records that The accident also killed the local farmer who was driving the pickup and Perkins would spend several days in the hospital.

The Beatles ‘ first album, “Please Please Me” is issued in England. Rock history records that The LP would reach the top spot in May and remained there for thirty weeks before being replaced by “With the Beatles”. Rock history records that The collection, minus “Please Please Me” and “Ask Me Why” would be issued by Vee-Jay Records in North America on January 10th, 1964 as “Introducing… The Beatles”.

Paramount Pictures issues Elvis Presley’s twenty-third movie, Easy Come, Easy Go . Rock history records that His love interest in the film, Pat Priest, is most often remembered for playing Marilyn Munster on the television show The Munsters from 1964 to 1966. Rock history records that The soundtrack to the film was a six song EP that saw three singles issued, “Easy Come, Easy Go”, “The Love Machine” and “You Gotta Stop”. Rock history records that None of them cracked the Billboard Hot 100.

John Lennon issues the single, “Power To The People”, which would rise to #10 on the Casbox chart, #11 on the Hot 100, and #6 on the British record chart. Rock history records that In later years John would describe the song as “another quickie” and “rather embarrassing.”

Rock history records that At a truck stop in Jackson, Alabama, The Allman Brothers Band are arrested by state troopers and charged with marijuana and heroin possession after drugs are found in the back seat of the band’s car.

Asylum records issues the Eagles ‘ album, “On The Border”, their first LP to feature guitarist Don Felder . Rock history records that The disc, which sold over two million copies, would climb to #17 on the Billboard 200 chart on the strength of three singles, “Already Gone” (US #32), “James Dean” (US #77) and “Best of My Love” (US #1).

Franki Valli came back to the US Top 40 for the first occasion in nearly seven years when “My Eyes Adored You” went to number one. Rock history records that The song was originally titled “Blue Eyes In Georgia” by its writers, Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, but Valli altered the lyrics to suit himself. Rock history records that Originally recorded by all of The Four Seasons, Mowtown Records declined to release it, and when the group left the label, Valli purchased the rights to the song for $4000 and shopped it to other record companies. Rock history records that After rejections from Capitol and Atlantic Records, the Private Stock label took a chance on it. Rock history records that The song went on to crack the Top Ten in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and England. Rock history records that The often mis-heard lyrics, “Walking home every day over Barnegat Bridge and Bay”, are a reference to a real place in Ocean County, New Jersey.

31 year old Barry Manilow plays “Mandy” and his latest release, “It’s A Miracle” on American Bandstand .

Rock history records that Led Zeppelin ‘s sixth studio album, “Physical Graffiti” hit number 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it would stay for six straight weeks. Rock history records that The two-disc set sold eight million copies in the United States and was the first album to go Platinum on advance orders alone. A single from the LP, “Trampled Underfoot” climbed to #38 on Billboard’s Top 40 during a brief, two-week stay.

Rock history records that The John Denver TV special, Thank God, I’m A Country Boy aired on ABC-TV. Rock history records that Guests included Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and Roger Miller.

Rock history records that Pink Floyd top the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of four weeks with “Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2”. The song would go on to sell over four million copies worldwide and topped singles charts in fourteen countries.

Although they had found the UK chart with several earlier entries, The Jam top the list for the first occasion with “Going Underground”. Rock history records that They would repeat this success three more times before disbanding in 1982. Rock history records that Despite their immense popularity in Britain, the band never found an audience in North America.

Rock history records that Diana Ross ‘ first solo album for RCA, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” goes Platinum less than three months after its release. The LP climbed as high as #15 in the United States (#4 R&B), #17 in the United Kingdom and in the top ten in Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.

Capitol Records issues the album, “Katrina and the Waves” by the English Rock band of the same name. Rock history records that The LP would rise to #25 in the US and #28 in the UK and feature the multi-million selling single, “Walking on Sunshine” (US #9, UK #8).

Mark Dinning, who scored a US number one hit in 1960 with “Teen Angel”, died following a heart attack aged 52. Rock history records that The song had been written by his sister, Jeannie. Rock history records that Although he never had another hit, Mark continued performing throughout the 1960s, but felt his lack of success was because “groups were in and singles were out” once the British Invasion started. Rock history records that He died just after returning home from a club appearance in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Rock history records that After enjoying eleven previous Billboard Top 40 hits, Heart achieved their first chart topping single with “These Dreams”. Rock history records that Over the next eight years they would score eight more hits on that list.

Dave Guard, a founding member of The Kingston Trio died of cancer aged 56. Rock history records that The group had seventeen chart singles and nine Gold albums between 1958 and 1963. Rock history records that Guard left the group in 1961 to form The Whiskey Hill Singers.

Rock history records that Former Turtles ‘ drummer Don Murray died from complications during surgery. Rock history records that He was 50. The group enjoyed nine Billboard Top 40 hits, among them “It Ain’t Me Babe” (#8 in 1965), “Happy Together” (#1 in 1967), “She’d Rather Be With Me” (#3 in 1967), “Elenor” (#6 in 1968) and “You Showed Me” (#6 in 1969).

Earl Beal, of the Philadelphia vocal group The Silhouettes, died aged 76. Rock history records that The group topped the Billboard chart in 1958 with “Get A Job”.

Rock history records that Ozzy Osbourne led a Yahoo poll as the UK’s favorite ambassador to welcome aliens to Earth.

Paul McCartney revealed that his 1971 album “Ram”, which included the hit single “Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey”, had been re-mastered and would be re-issued next May. Rock history records that Macca was quoted as saying “This is an album from a long, long time ago, when the world was different. It reminds me of my hippie days and the free attitude with which it was created.”

Billy Bland, who scored a #7 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 with “Let The Little Girl Dance”, died aged 84. Rock history records that He also had two other minor hits that same year, “Harmony” (#91) and “You Were Born To Be Loved” (#94), but left the music industry for good in 1963. Rock history records that By 1980, Billy was running a soul food restaurant in Harlem.

Rock history records that Former Boston drummer, 67-year-old Sib Hashian, collapsed and died on stage during a performance on a Caribbean cruise ship. Rock history records that The Legends Of Rock cruise also featured Sib’s old Boston bandmate Barry Goudreau, original Beach Boys star David Marks , and Foreigner singer Lou Gramm . Hashian had played on Boston’s 1967 self-titled debut album that featured the giant hit, “Over A Feeling”.

Scott Walker of The Walker Brothers died of cancer aged 76. Rock history records that The Los Angeles trio, who weren’t really related, enjoyed a pair of hit records with “Make It Easy On Yourself” (US #16, UK #1 in 1965) and “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” (US #13, UK #1 in 1966). Scott came into the world Noel Scott Engel, but changed his name after the group moved to England in 1965.

Bluegrass musician Eric Weissberg, who had a #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Dueling Banjos” from the movie Deliverance in 1973, died aged 80.

Rock history records that Forbes declared that Journey’s 1981 hit, “Don’t Stop Believin'” to be The Biggest Song Of All Time. Rock history records that According to The Recording Industry Association Of America, the record has been certified 18X Platinum.

Rock history records that Tony Orlando retired from live touring permanently with a final concert at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, where the ladies of Dawn surprised him on stage for an emotional reunion.