Rock history records that Cuban band leader Perez Prado, often referred to as the King of the Mambo, led his orchestra to the top of the Cashbox Best Sellers list with a song called “Patricia”. Rock history records that It would also be the last record to climb to #1 on the Billboard Jockeys and Top 100 charts, both of which gave way the next week to the newly introduced Billboard Hot 100 chart.

RCA Victor issues Sam Cooke ‘s “Chain Gang”, which will prove to be the singer’s second most popular song of his career, reaching #2 on the Hot 100 and #9 in the UK. Rock history records that Cooke would say that he was inspired to write the song after seeing an actual chain gang of prisoners on a highway while he was on tour.

Rock history records that Hank Ballard And The Midnighters record “Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go”, which will peak at #6 on the Hot 100 next November. It will prove to be the band’s biggest hit record, displacing their previous Top Ten hit, “Finger Poppin’ Time”, which climbed to #7 earlier in the year. Over the course of his recording career, Ballard reached the chart fifteen times and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Motown Records’ Tamla label issues The Miracles ‘ “Mickey’s Monkey”. Rock history records that It will reach #8 on the Hot 100, #3 on the R&B chart, and go on to be the group’s third million-selling record in as many years, after “Shop Around” (#2 in 1961) and “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” (#8 in 1962).

Rock history records that The Rolling Stones album “Beggar’s Banquet” has its release delayed due to a fierce dispute with their labels, Decca in the UK and London Records in the US. Rock history records that The LP’s jacket featured a graffiti-covered bathroom wall and a toilet. While the band eventually relented to a plain white sleeve designed to look like a formal invitation, the original “toilet cover” was finally restored for reissues beginning in the 1980s and is now the standard art for the album. Rock history records that It was the first LP on which Mick Jagger played guitar.

Rock history records that The 5th Dimension ‘s Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo are wed. In a notable coincidence, their hit song “Wedding Bell Blues”, which features Marilyn singing “Bill, I love you so”, climbed to #1 on the charts just months after their actual wedding. Rock history records that The duo will leave the group in 1975 and score a US #1 and UK #7 hit of their own in 1977 with “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)”, which earned them a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group .

Lenny Hart, the former manager of The Greatful Dead, was taken into custody by San Diego Police after the band discovered he had embezzled approximately $155,000 from their profits. Rock history records that He was later convicted of criminal embezzlement and sentenced to six months in jail.

Rock history records that Van McCoy had the number one tune on the Billboard Hot 100 with “The Hustle”, a song that he claimed to have written in less than an hour. Rock history records that The song would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance early in 1976. Rock history records that It also did well around the world, reaching #3 in the UK, #9 in Australia and #1 in Canada.

Rock history records that The Amazing Rhythm Aces enter the Billboard Top 40 with a song about a casual, hotel interlude called “Third Rate Romance”, which will climb to #14. Rock history records that Although they would have other hits on the Country chart, this will be the only Pop chart entry for the Knoxville, Tennessee quintet.

Rock history records that The Eagles enjoy their first US #1 album when “One Of These Nights” tops the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart for the first of five weeks. Rock history records that It would yield three US Top 10 singles: “One of These Nights” (#1), “Lyin’ Eyes” (#2) and “Take It to the Limit” (#4). The LP sold over four million copies and was presented with a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, but lost to “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon.

Rock history records that With three of the four original backing musicians now departed, the last Three Dog Night concert is held in Los Angeles. Rock history records that When they would re-unite in 1981, all the original members except bassist Joe Schermie came back onboard, but their hit making days would be behind them. Rock history records that Between 1968 and 1975 they reached the Billboard album chart sixteen times and the Hot 100 twenty-one times.

Ted Nugent is presented with a Gold record for his self-titled album, which included two of his more well-known tracks, “Hey Baby” and “Stranglehold”. Rock history records that It was his first LP since since disbanding The Amboy Dukes the previous year. The effort reached #28 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and #56 on the UK Official Albums Chart, and sold over two million copies.

Rock history records that Tragedy struck Led Zeppelin ‘s lead singer Robert Plant when his five-year-old son, Karac, died suddenly of a stomach virus. The remaining seven dates on Led Zeppelin’s US tour were called off and the band headed for home. Rock history records that Plant was later quoted as saying that 1977 was “the year it all stopped for me. Nothing could make it all right again and nothing ever will.”

Billy Joel plays a show at Olympic Stadium in Moscow, after which, audience members carry him out on their shoulders. The Russian tour was recorded and issued as a live double album titled “Kontsert” (An English translation of the Russian word for “Concert”) later that year.

Brent Mydland, keyboard player for The Grateful Dead , was discovered dead of a drug overdose in his home in Lafayette, California. Rock history records that He was 37. He became part of the band in 1979, replacing Keith Godchaux.

Mary Wells , most often remembered for her hits “Two Lovers” (US #7 in 1963) and “My Guy” (US #1 in 1964), died of cancer of the larynx aged 49. Rock history records that When she was diagnosed in 1990, she had no medical insurance and lost her modest home in L.A. Rock history records that when she couldn’t pay the rent. One year later she was presented with a six figure settlement from Motown Records after she filed a lawsuit for unpaid royalties. Rock history records that Mary was laid to rest in Glendale California’s Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Arvel Jett Reeves, who bugged a jet used by singer Michael Jackson intending to sell recordings to the media, was sentenced to eight months in jail. Rock history records that He was also fined $1,000 and was ordered to spend six additional months in a halfway house that offered drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment.

The Ford Motor Company went on to become the first major auto manufacturer to announce plans to ditch the CD player in favor of a USB port. A company spokesperson stated “The in-car CD player, much like pay telephones, is destined to fade away in the face of exciting new technology.” GM and Chrysler would follow in 2015, although the devices were still available on some models. Rock history records that CD players have been estimated to cost auto makers about $30 to install.

Rock history records that Two people charged with attempting to extort $500,000 from Stevie Wonder over a video that portrays the Grammy-winning musician in a negative light, pleaded not guilty. Rock history records that Next September they would change their plea to no contest and were sentenced to time served (292 days), three years of probation, and were ordered to stay away from Wonder and his associates.

Rock history records that J.J. Cale, the Grammy award winning singer / songwriter who scored a Billboard #22 hit in 1972 with “Crazy Mama”, suffered a fatal heart attack aged 74. Rock history records that He also penned songs recorded by Waylon Jennings, Poco, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty and Carlos Santana, as well as writing “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton. In 2014, Clapton and other friends issued the tribute album “The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale”.

76-year-old Paul McCartney came back to the Cavern Club in Liverpool for a two hour performance in front of 270 fans. Macca thrilled the crowd by playing Beatles classics among them “Love Me Do”, “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Get Back”, as well as songs from his new album “Egypt Station”. During the show he remarked, “All those years ago we came here and played, and we didn’t know if we had any future. We did okay,” he stated. Rock history records that “Coming back here with all my guys and all my crew and stuff, it’s pretty amazing.”

Randy Meisner, bassist and founding member of the Eagles , died in Los Angeles at the age 77, due to complications from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD). Rock history records that He played on the band’s first five albums, “Eagles”, “Desperado”, “On The Border”, “One of These Nights”, and “Hotel California”, and provided lead vocals on their 1976, Billboard #4 hit, “Take It To The Limit”. Rock history records that Meisner was inducted with the Eagles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Rock history records that One of Queen ‘s most popular songs, “Don’t Stop Me Now” surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube. Rock history records that First appearing on the band’s 1979 album, “Jazz”, the track rose to #1 on the UK Rock & Metal chart and #7 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. Uploaded to Queen’s official YouTube channel on August 1, 2008, the song has made an appearance in several films, commercials, and television shows.