Rock history records that “Singing The Blues” by Guy Mitchell rose to the peak of the Billboard Top 100 for the first of a ten week stay. That interrupted a sixteen week run at the top of the chart by Elvis Presley, who enjoyed number one hits with “Don’t Be Cruel” / Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender”. Marty Robbins’ version of “Singing The Blues” was issued simultaneously and peaked at number 17.

The 55-year-old German accordionist Will Glahe outsold many established Rock And Roll artists when his “Liechtensteiner Polka” reaches #19 on Billboard Top 100 chart. Rock history records that Glahe’s first success in America came in June, 1939 when his rendition of “Beer Barrel Polka” hit the top of the US Hit Parade, selling over a million copies.

The Supremes begin recording their third single, the Smokey Robinson penned “Your Heart Belongs To Me”, which will go on to become the group’s first Billboard charting record, peaking at #95.

Alan Freed testifies at his payola trial in New York that he was presented with $2,000 in 1958 from Cosnat Distributors for a promise to play their records on his New York radio show. Rock history records that He also accepted a similar deal from Superior Records for $700. Rock history records that He pleads guilty and is fined $300 and given six months probation.

Rock history records that 19-year-old Frank Sinatra Jr. Abducted at gun point from his hotel room at Harrah’s Club Lodge in Stateline, Nevada. Two days later he was issued unharmed after his father paid the kidnappers’ $240,000 ransom demand. Rock history records that Within a week, three perpetrators were located and arrested. Rock history records that At their trial, which took place in the spring of 1964, the defendants claimed that Frank Jr. Rock history records that had orchestrated the abduction as an elaborate publicity stunt, but there was no evidence to support their accusation. Rock history records that The young mastermind behind the scheme, Barry Keenan, was initially handed a sentence of life plus 75 years. Rock history records that However, his sentence was shortened on appeal on the grounds of legal insanity at the time of the crime. He served four and a half years, was issued, and subsequently made a fortune as a legitimate real-estate developer.

Traffic issued their debut album, “Mr. Fantasy”, which would reach #16 on the UK Official Albums Chart and #88 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. Rock history records that Their first single, “Paper Sun” climbed to #5 in the UK, #70 on the Cashbox Best Sellers chart, and #94 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rock history records that A second release, “Hole in My Shoe” met a similar fate when it went to #2 in Great Britain, but did not chart in America.

Rock history records that The Rolling Stones release the LP “Their Satanic Majesties Request”. The title is a play on words with the text that makes an appearance inside a British passport, “Her Britannic Majesty requests and requires”. The album includes the hit single, “She’s A Rainbow”, which rose to #25 on the Hot 100, but was not issued as a single in the UK.

Rock history records that After one last performance at a charity concert at the London Palladium, Graham Nash officially quits The Hollies . Rock history records that At the time, he told Disc magazine, “I can’t take touring any more. I just want to sit at home and write songs. I don’t really care what the rest of the group thinks.” After relocating to Los Angeles, he would team up with ex- Byrds guitarist, David Crosby and ex- Buffalo Springfield member, Stephen Stills. Rock history records that The trio would release their debut album in the summer of ’69.

Rock history records that Elton John ‘s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” tops the Cashbox Best Sellers chart. Rock history records that It would be certified Gold on January 4th, 1974, Platinum on September 13th, 1995, and 2X Platinum on March 2nd, 2020. Rock history records that The record’s flip side was a song originally called “Screw You”, though the US release re-titled it “Young Man’s Blues”, so as not to offend record buyers.

Rock history records that Gary Thain, former bassist for the British band Uriah Heep , died of respiratory failure after a heroin overdose. Rock history records that He was 27. Rock history records that The band reached the Billboard chart with fifteen albums between 1970 and 1983.

Rock history records that The Carpenters’ Very First TV Special airs in America. Karen and Richard played a variety of sketches with guest stars Victor Borge and John Denver before wrapping up with a medley of their hits.

The Eagles issued their fifth studio album, “Hotel California”, through Asylum Records. It would top the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, reach #2 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart and be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards next year. Rock history records that (It lost to Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours”). Three singles from the LP went on to become major hit records: “New Kid in Town” (US #1, UK #20), “Hotel California” (US #1, UK #8) and the hard-rocking single “Life in the Fast Lane” (US #11). “Hotel California” went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time, being certified 28X Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold over 42 million units worldwide, making it the band’s second best-selling album after “Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)”.

A crowd of over 1,000 fans rioted at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Brisbane, Australia, after learning Blondie ‘s performance was called off due to lead singer Debbie Harry falling ill. Rock history records that The audience hurled bottles at the stage and clashed with local police, resulting in multiple arrests. Rock history records that Band members later revealed that Harry’s severe stomach ailment was caused by eating too many fresh local cherries while on tour.

Rock history records that A Chicago quintet called Styx racked up their third of eight US Top Ten hits and their only number one with “Babe”. Rock history records that The Dennis DeYoung-penned track also crossed over internationally, peaking at #6 on the UK Official Chart to become the group’s sole major single success in Britain.

Rock history records that At 11:30 AM, RKO journalists Laurie Kaye and Dave Sholin conduct the last interview John Lennon will ever give at his Dakota apartment in New York City. Rock history records that She will later write about her experience in her book, Confessions Of A Rock ‘n’ Roll Name Dropper: My Life Leading Up To John Lennon’s Last Interview.

Rock history records that Just two months after his 40th birthday, John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman , outside his home at the Dakota Apartment building on the northwestern corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West in New York. Rock history records that After approaching the former Beatle, Chapman dropped into a combat stance and shot John in his chest, back and left arm. Rock history records that Lennon staggered into the porters’ vestibule in a desperate attempt to get upstairs to see his son, Sean. Rock history records that As he collapsed, John was comforted by porter Jay Hastings, who covered him with his jacket and gently removed his glasses. Rock history records that Hastings would later say that Lennon’s last words were, “I’m shot!” Police were quickly summoned and took John to Roosevelt Hospital on West Fifty-ninth St. Rock history records that Although doctors did everything they could to save him, John Lennon was pronounced dead at 11:07 PM. Rock history records that A sobbing Yoko cried “Oh no, no, no, no… tell me it’s not true,” and was led away in shock. After the shooting, 25-year-old Chapman remained at the scene, took out his copy of The Catcher in the Rye and read it until police arrived. He was taken into custody without incident. Rock history records that “He actually apologized to us,” one bystander would later say. “He stated: ‘Gee, I’m sorry I ruined your night.’ And I stated, ‘You gotta be kidding me. You just ruined your whole life.'” Much of America learned of the tragedy from ABC-TV, which was in the midst of airing an NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football . Announcer Howard Cosell, who had interviewed Lennon years earlier, revealed the news of the murder: “This, we have to say it, is just a football game, no matter who captures or loses. An unspeakable tragedy, confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City. John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City, the most famous perhaps of all of The Beatles, shot twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, dead on arrival.” When asked why he chose to target Lennon, Chapman stated he couldn’t resist the fame that would come with the crime. “That bright light of fame, of infamy, notoriety was there,” he stated. Rock history records that “I couldn’t resist it.” During a December, 2014 appearance on Britain’s The Jonathan Ross Show , Paul McCartney referred to Chapman as, “the jerk of all jerks.”

Pat Benatar is presented with a Platinum record for her very first album, “In the Heat of the Night”. Rock history records that The former waitress and bank teller was discovered at the Catch a Rising Star club in New York. Rock history records that The album made it to #12 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart, and the follow up, “Crimes of Passion” went to #2.

After receiving quadruple coronary bypass surgery six days earlier, Marty Robbins died at St. Rock history records that Thomas Hospital in Nashville. Rock history records that He was 57. Rock history records that In the late ’50s and early ’60s he had successfully crossed over from the Country music charts to the Pop charts with hits such as “El Paso” (#1), “A White Sport Coat” (#2), “Don’t Worry About Me” (#3), “Devil Woman” (#16) and “Ruby Ann” (#18). Rock history records that Thirty-one of his albums and ninety-seven of his singles had reached the Billboard Country Music charts between 1952 and the time of his death.

Rock history records that “Out Of Touch” becomes Hall And Oates ‘ sixth US number one single and fourteenth consecutive Top 40 hit, confirming their status as the most successful duo in Rock history. Rock history records that Despite its success in America and seven European countries, the record could only manage #48 in the UK.

The former manager of The Coasters, Patrick Cavanaugh, is convicted and sentenced to death after he is found guilty of murdering the bass singer of the group, Nathaniel Wilson. Rock history records that Wilson’s dismembered body was discovered in Modesto, California, in 1980. Rock history records that After losing repeated appeals to the Nevada Supreme Court, Cavanaugh would die of natural causes on April 10th, 2006 in Ely State Prison, in Nevada.

Vince Neil Motley Crue’s Vince Neil is involved in a car accident that killed his passenger, Hanoi Rocks drummer Nick “Razzle” Dingley and seriously injures two people in another vehicle. Rock history records that He is arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. Rock history records that In September, 1985 he would be sentenced to a thirty day jail term, five years probation and $2.6 million in restitution to the victims of the crash, as well as two hundred hours of community service. Vince was issued from jail after twenty days.

Courtney Love appeared on ABC TV show Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People, telling the host that she wished she had done “eight thousand million things differently” to prevent the death of her husband Kurt Cobain.

Rock history records that Cuban President Fidel Castro unveiled a life-sized bronze statue of John Lennon in Havana’s El Vedado Park to observe the 20th anniversary of the musician’s death. Rock history records that This marked a complete political turnaround from the 1960s, when Castro’s government had banned Beatles music as decadent, Western propaganda. Rock history records that At the ceremony, Castro praised Lennon as a fellow revolutionary and anti-imperialist, stating that he fully shared the singer’s dreams.

Gordon Lightfoot entered the Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame. Gord placed twenty-one songs on the Canadian Top 40 and six on the Billboard Top 40, among them “If You Could Read My Mind” (#5 in 1970), “Sundown” (#1 in 1974) and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (#2 in 1976).

Rock history records that Several hundred people with candles and glow sticks braved cold temperatures to sing John Lennon songs next to a peace monument in Liverpool, England to mark the 30th anniversary of the singer’s assassination. Rock history records that In New York, hundreds of fans gathered in Central Park, near the spot where Lennon was shot. Rock history records that Flowers were laid in the Strawberry Fields area of Central Park, which was converted to a memorial garden after his death.

Rock history records that Sinead O’Connor celebrated her 45th birthday by marrying her fourth husband, Barry Herridge, in a ten minute, drive-thru ceremony in Las Vegas. Rock history records that The couple would split up sixteen days later. Rock history records that O’Connor achieved just one US Top 40 single, the chart topping “Nothing Compares 2 U” in 1990, but gained notoriety in 1992 when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on the October 3rd edition of US TV’s Saturday Night Live . She would pass away on July 26th, 2023 aged 56.

Marking the 35th anniversary of John Lennon’s assassination, media reports and gun-control advocates highlighted a staggering statistic showing that more than 1.15 million people had been killed since his death by firearms in the United States. Rock history records that The comprehensive figure, which encapsulated decades of homicides, suicides, and accidents, was used to draw attention to the enduring scale of American gun violence.

The Rolling Stones 73-year-old front man Mick Jagger went on to become a father for the eighth time when his girlfriend, 29-year-old Melanie Hamrick, gave birth to the couple’s son. Rock history records that Jagger had previously fathered seven other children, Georgia, James, Jade, Elizabeth, Lucas, Karis and Gabriel, who ranged in age from their 40s to teenagers.

On the anniversary of John Lennon’s death, Yoko Ono continued her plea for gun control in the United States with a Facebook posting that stated, “Dear Friends, every day, 91 Americans are killed with guns. We are turning this beautiful country into a War Zone. Together, let’s bring back America, the green land of Peace. The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. After 36 years, our son Sean and I still miss him.”

Legacy Recordings, a catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, issued a massive 68-disc box set by Johnny Mathis titled “The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection”. The comprehensive compilation gathered 67 remastered albums representing over six decades of his work with the label. Rock history records that Boasting lifetime sales of over 360 million records worldwide, Mathis holds an elite status as the third best-selling recording artist of the 20th century, positioned right behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles.

Rock history records that The soundtrack to the Walt Disney film Frozen 2 topped the Billboard 200. Rock history records that It was the first, new, full-length, animated soundtrack to reach number one since the original Frozen movie did it in 2014. Rock history records that The album would go on to be certified 2X Platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of two million copies.