1956Argo released Clarence “Frogman” Henry’s “Ain’t Got No Home.” It reached No. 20 in early 1957, and his frog-like vocal on the record supplied the nickname used on later releases.
1956Elvis Presley earned a third consecutive Cashbox No. 1 as “Love Me Tender” replaced “Don’t Be Cruel,” which had succeeded “Hound Dog” after Presley began his run atop the chart in August.
1957Elvis mocked Oakland’s hip-swiveling restrictions by standing still and moving only his pinky. Los Angeles vice officers filmed him two nights later, but no charges followed; the moral panic was later described as Colonel Parker publicity designed to sell out the second show.
1957Brunswick released Buddy Holly and the Crickets’ “Oh, Boy!,” featuring backing vocals by the Picks. It reached No. 10 in America and No. 3 in Britain.
1960Tina Turner gave birth in Los Angeles to her second child, Ronald Renelle Turner, while on tour; Ike Turner was not present.
1960In his first Atlantic solo session after leaving the Drifters, Ben E. King recorded “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand by Me.” They reached No. 10 and No. 4 in America respectively, with “Stand by Me” later topping the UK chart.
1962Mick Jagger, Keith Richard, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, and drummer Tony Chapman recorded the Rolling Stones’ first demo at Curly Clayton Studios in London. Charlie Watts was being courted but remained at his advertising job.
1964The Supremes released “Come See About Me,” the third of five consecutive U.S. No. 1 singles; it reached No. 27 in Britain.
1964Sonny Bono, 31, and Cherilyn Sarkisian, 18, held an unofficial ceremony in a Tijuana hotel. They married legally in 1969 after Chastity’s birth, having first performed as Caesar and Cleo before becoming Sonny and Cher.
1973Gladys Knight and the Pips earned their only U.S. No. 1 with “Midnight Train to Georgia.” It became Knight’s signature song and won the 1974 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus.
1975Bruce Springsteen appeared simultaneously on Time and Newsweek covers, a publicity achievement arranged by manager Mike Appel amid acclaim for Born to Run.
1977Crystal Gayle recorded “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” at Jack’s Tracks in Nashville. It reached No. 2 pop, No. 1 country, and became a worldwide hit; writer Richard Leigh’s later dog-and-cataract story blurred whether a pet truly inspired the title.
1956Elvis Presley made his second Ed Sullivan Show appearance, performing “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender,” and “Hound Dog.” Sullivan also presented him with a Gold record for “Love Me Tender.”
1958Buddy Holly lip-synched “It’s So Easy” and “Heartbeat” on American Bandstand in what became his final major television appearance.
1961Brian Epstein later said customer Raymond Jones asked for Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers’ “My Bonnie” at his Liverpool shop, prompting his search for the Beatles. Although assistant Alistair Taylor claimed he invented the customer, historian Spencer Leigh later located a real Raymond Jones who confirmed Epstein’s account.
1962The Beatles and Little Richard began a two-week engagement at Hamburg’s Star-Club. There they befriended Little Richard’s sixteen-year-old organist Billy Preston, beginning a lifelong musical relationship.
1963The Beach Boys released “Be True to Your School,” whose melody borrowed Hawthorne High’s “Scarlet and Gold” fight song. It and B-side “In My Room” were the last 1960s recordings to feature original member David Marks.
1966Britain’s Musicians’ Union opposed government plans for a continuous pop station to replace pirate radio, fearing recorded music would eliminate live jobs. The dispute later influenced Radio 1’s balance of records and live sessions.
1967Diana Ross and the Supremes’ Greatest Hits began five weeks atop Billboard’s album chart. Florence Ballard appeared on the cover and recordings despite having been replaced by Cindy Birdsong before release.
1969The Guess Who earned an American Gold record for “Laughing.” Written by Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, the No. 10 hit capped the Winnipeg group’s breakthrough year in the United States.
1972The United States Council for World Affairs adopted the Who’s “Join Together” as its official theme, responding to Pete Townshend’s appeal for unity and peace.
1977Steve Perry made his first Journey concert appearance at San Francisco’s Old Waldorf. Over the next decade he led the band through seventeen Billboard Top 40 entries.
1977Warner Bros. released Neil Young’s Decade, covering work from 1966 through 1976. The compilation reached No. 43 in America and No. 46 in Britain and was certified Platinum in 1986.
1977Queen released News of the World, featuring “We Will Rock You,” “We Are the Champions,” and “Spread Your Wings.” The album reached No. 3 in America and No. 4 in Britain.
1955Billboard reviewed Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” as a rapid-fire novelty with nonsense words. Its pounding sound and uninhibited delivery became a model both for his later records and for rock and roll itself.
1955Sun Records founder Sam Phillips used proceeds from selling Elvis Presley’s contract to launch WHER in Memphis, America’s first all-female radio station. Women presented records and news and sold and produced commercials from a tiny pink-and-purple studio nicknamed the Doll Bin; the call letters lasted until 1972.
1957Bobby Helms recorded “Jingle Bell Rock.” It entered Billboard’s Top 10 by December, sold more than a million copies, became a Christmas standard, and was later recorded by roughly one hundred artists.
1958While serving with the U.S. Army, Elvis Presley attended Bill Haley and His Comets’ Stuttgart concert in uniform, then went backstage for photographs and time with the band.
1963British singer Michael Holliday died from a suspected drug overdose at 38. Despite No. 1 hits “The Story of My Life” and “Starry Eyed,” he privately struggled with severe stage fright and depression.
1966? and the Mysterians’ “96 Tears” reached No. 1 on Billboard two weeks after topping Cashbox. The singer who guarded his identity as Question Mark was Rudy Martinez of Michigan’s Saginaw Valley.
1966The Ronettes’ “I Can Hear Music” entered the Hot 100 at No. 100 and disappeared after one week, nearly two years after their last Top 40 hit. The Beach Boys’ 1969 cover later reached No. 24 in America and No. 10 in Britain.
1967Hair opened off-Broadway at New York’s Public Theater. The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical moved to Broadway in April 1968 for 1,750 performances, while songs from its cast album became major hits and advanced composer Galt MacDermot’s career.
1968Scepter released B.J. Thomas’s “Hooked on a Feeling.” It entered Billboard in December and reached No. 5 in America but did not chart in Britain.
1970Neil Diamond received a Gold record for “Cracklin’ Rosie,” his first U.S. No. 1 and third million-selling single.
1971Duane Allman died just short of his twenty-fifth birthday after losing control of his motorcycle while avoiding a lumber truck in Macon, Georgia. The influential guitarist’s death came as the Allman Brothers Band celebrated the breakthrough success of At Fillmore East.
1973The Who’s Quadrophenia went Gold in America only three days after release, based on $1 million in wholesale sales. The double album remained on the U.S. chart thirty-four weeks and the British chart eleven weeks.