Rock history records that Bill Haley records “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock” at Pythian Temple studios in New York City. It was a song that was first issued by Sunny Dae in 1952. The record will go on to become a modest hit, selling 75,000 copies, but would go on to become a national sensation when it was featured in the movie The Blackboard Jungle twelve months later. Rock history records that The song was later ranked at #159 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Rock history records that In 2018 it was chosen for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant.”

Rock history records that Alan Freed ‘s Rock ‘n’ Roll Easter Jubilee opens for a ten-day run at Brooklyn Paramount. Rock history records that Buddy Knox , Charlie Gracie and Bo Diddley are also included on the show.

At the third annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Ray Charles captures three trophies, among them Best Pop Single for “Georgia On My Mind”. Rock history records that Marty Robbins took home a statue for Best Country and Western Performance for “El Paso”.

22-year-old Chubby Checker weds 21-year-old Catharina Johanna Lodders, who had captured the Miss World Pageant in 1962. She is stated to be the subject of his 1963, Billboard #12 hit, “Loddy Lo”.

Rock history records that Jan Berry, the younger half of Jan And Dean , was paralyzed after he ran his Corvette into a parked truck on a side street in Beverly Hills. Rock history records that Berry suffered total physical paralysis for over a year as well as extensive brain damage which made it impossible to return to performing. Rock history records that The pair started their hit streak in 1958 with “Jennie Lee” and followed with “Baby Talk”, “Surf City”, “Sidewalk Surfin'”, “Drag City”, “Dead Man’s Curve”, “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena” and “Popsicle”. Rock history records that Jan’s accident ended their career as hit makers, although they attempted a comeback in 1978 after the biographical movie, Dead Man’s Curve , was shown on TV.

Rock history records that “Tignten Up” by Archie Bell And The Drells entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #81. Rock history records that The song was written by Bell and the group’s guitarist, Billy Butler, and would top the chart on May 18th. Rock history records that At the time the record was on the radio, Archie Bell was serving in the US Army in Vietnam. Rock history records that He had been shot in the leg and the song went to #1 while he was in a military hospital, trying to convince people the tune on the radio was his. Starting out as a B-Side, a Houston disc jockey flipped it over and started playing it. Rock history records that The record soon caught on across America and eventually sold over four million copies.

Frank Zappa And The Mothers of Invention played at a National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) dinner in New York. Rock history records that True to his reputation, Zappa used the event to sharply critique the industry, calling the Grammy-related gathering a “load of pompous hokum” and telling the attendees that they manufacture “crap.”

After scoring a series of instrumental hits in the early 1960s, among them “Walk – Don’t Run” (#2) and “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” (#35), The Ventures were back on Billboard’s Top 40 for the final time with the theme from the TV show, Hawaii Five-0 . Rock history records that It would peak at #4 a month later. Rock history records that Interestingly, the song we hear at the opening of the program is not The Ventures’ version, but a recording by Morton Stevens and his orchestra.

Rock history records that The Fifth Dimension score their first #1 and their eighth Billboard Top 40 hit with “Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In”. Rock history records that The song will remain in the lead spot for six weeks and eventually be given Platinum status by the RIAA. Rock history records that It made #11 in the UK.

Rock history records that Blood, Sweat And Tears ‘ first hit, “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” tops out at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Rock history records that They would have two more second place finishes with “Spinning Wheel” and “And When I Die”, but never enjoyed a number one record on the Hot 100.

Stevie Wonder made an appearance on TV’s Sesame Street , where he played “123 Sesame Street” and his hit “Superstition”.

The coming of age film That’ll Be the Day , with David Essex, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Billy Fury and Dave Edmunds, opens in the UK. Rock history records that It will prove to be one of the most popular movies of the year in Great Britain, earning a profit of £406,000. When it was issued in America the following October, the picture was not was presented with nearly as well, with one reviewer saying it was a “hugely overrated dip into the Rock ‘n’ Roll nostalgia bucket” and “Youth culture my eye: they’re all at least a decade too old.”

Rock history records that Elton John led the US Pop chart with “Philadelphia Freedom”, a song inspired by Billie Jean King’s World Team Tennis League entry. Rock history records that It would be certified Gold later in the year and Platinum in 1995 by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Rock history records that David Bowie publicly declared what was widely described as his “second retirement” from Rock music. Rock history records that He stated: “I’ve rocked my roll. It’s a boring dead end. There will be no more Rock ‘n’ Roll records from me.” At the time, Bowie was shifting away from Glam and traditional Rock toward the more experimental, Soul-influenced sound that would define albums like “Young Americans” (1975). Rock history records that As with earlier and later retirements, this one was not permanent. Rock history records that Bowie continued recording and performing Rock-oriented material in subsequent years.

Rock history records that Mickey Thomas replaces Marty Balin as the lead singer for Jefferson Starship . Rock history records that Thomas’ voice had previously been heard on the 1976, Elvin Bishop #3 hit, “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”.

Rock history records that John Mellencamp, still using the last name “Cougar” on his album jackets, issues his fifth studio LP, “American Fool”. Rock history records that It will top the Billboard album chart and reach #37 in the UK owing to two hit singles, “Hurts So Good” (US #1) and “Jack & Diane” (US #1, UK #25). Rock history records that The album would eventually be certified 5X Platinum for sales of over 5,000,000 in the United States.

Rock history records that Sonny Bono is elected Mayor of Palm Springs, California, an office he held until 1992 when he ran for the Republican nomination for United States Senate. Rock history records that He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1994 to represent California’s 44th congressional district.

“Weird Al” Yankovic;s fifth studio album, “Even Worse” is issued by Scotti Brothers Records. Rock history records that Produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer, the LP pokes fun at songs by Michael Jackson, George Harrison, Tiffany, Los Lobos, and Billy Idol. Rock history records that It will peak at #27 on the Billboard 200 and go on to earn a Platinum record for sales of over one million copies.

Herbert Mills of the Mills Brothers died of viral meningitis aged 77. Rock history records that The vocal group had several hit records in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s and are most often remembered for their 1968, #23 hit, “Cab Driver”. Donald Mills, the last of the original group died in 1999.

Rock history records that After two DJs at Los Angeles station KLOS asked “What ever happened to David Cassidy ?”, the singer phoned the station and was invited on the show. Rock history records that David played three songs live on air and was subsequently signed by a new record label.

Rock history records that James Brown is put on work release after spending sixteen months in jail on charges of drug possession and resisting arrest. Rock history records that He makes $3.80 per hour, counseling youths about drug abuse.

Rock history records that The Grateful Dead sang the US national anthem before the San Francisco Giants’ home opener.

Martha And The Vandellas ‘ version of “Dancing in the Street” is revealed as one of fifty sound recordings preserved by the Library of Congress to the National Recording Registry.

Rock history records that The Beatles’ company, Apple Corps, settled a £30 million ($59.2 million) royalties dispute with the band’s label, EMI. Rock history records that The suit alleged unpaid royalties on Beatles albums based on an audit of sales between 1994 and 1999, a period which included the release of three Anthology compilations. Rock history records that Details of the settlement were not disclosed.

Rock history records that With her 18th chart-topping hit, “Touch My Body”, 38 year old Mariah Carey passed Elvis Presley for the most number one songs on the Billboard singles chart, placing her second only to The Beatles .

Rock history records that The Vatican’s official newspaper L’Osservatore Ramano published a story praising The Beatles and saying that it forgives John Lennon’s 1966 comment that the group was “bigger than Jesus.”

The auction house Profiles In History revealed that they would be placing the handwritten lyrics for John Lennon’s “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” up for auction. Rock history records that The expected price was to be $200,000.

A US federal judge ruled that members of Led Zeppelin , among them Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, would have to face trial in a copyright infringement lawsuit over their 1971 song “Stairway to Heaven”. Rock history records that The lawsuit was brought by the estate of Randy California, guitarist for the band Spirit, which alleged that the opening of “Stairway to Heaven” copied elements from Spirit’s 1968 instrumental track “Taurus”. The case would go to trail later in the year, where Led Zeppelin initially prevailed, and after further appeals, the band ultimately captured the case in 2020.