Buddy Holly released “Peggy Sue,” later No. 3 U.S., No. 6 UK, and a sixteen-week chart record. Crickets Joe Mauldin and Jerry Allison played despite lacking label credit; it entered the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The Beatles ended their first North American tour with a New York Paramount charity concert for 3,682 fans, raising money for children’s health through tickets costing up to $100.

Ron Dante and studio musicians took fictional Archies single “Sugar, Sugar” to No. 1 for four weeks. Already Gold, it later led Britain for eight weeks and became bubblegum pop’s defining hit.

John Lennon privately told McCartney and Starr he wanted a Beatles divorce. Allen Klein secured silence to protect a new EMI/Capitol deal, leaving the public unaware until McCartney’s April 1970 announcement.

Creedence Clearwater Revival earned its only UK No. 1 with “Bad Moon Rising,” previously a U.S. No. 2.

Blind Faith’s debut topped U.S. and UK album charts and sold half a million in a month; the supergroup comprised Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech.

Jim Morrison was acquitted of lewd behavior but convicted of exposure and profanity over the Miami Doors concert. He appealed sentences totaling eight months’ hard labor and died before retrial; Florida pardoned him posthumously in 2010.

Jim Croce, guitarist Maury Muehleisen, and four others died when their charter plane struck a tree after a Louisiana concert. Croce had just completed I Got a Name; investigators cited darkness, fog, and pilot disorientation.

David Bowie’s “Fame,” co-written with Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, topped Billboard; Lennon also supplied guitar and falsetto backing vocals.

Bay City Rollers debuted on American television during Howard Cosell’s variety premiere with a Les McKeown remake of “Saturday Night,” which reached No. 1 in January 1976.

ABC premiered Captain and Tennille’s variety show; after twenty episodes the duo left television to concentrate on music.

Ringo Starr released critically rejected Ringo the 4th, which reached only No. 162 U.S., missed Britain, produced no chart singles, and contributed to Atlantic dropping him.

The Who’s Who Are You went Gold weeks after Keith Moon’s death, later No. 2; its title track became CSI’s opening theme.

Queen’s The Game began five weeks at No. 1 with chart-toppers “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Another One Bites the Dust.”

Huey Lewis and the News’ “Stuck with You” began three weeks at No. 1, also topping Canada and Zimbabwe and reaching No. 12 UK.

Billy Joel received a Walk of Fame star outside the Pantages Theatre at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard and joked that “Say Goodbye to Hollywood” never anticipated sidewalk recognition.

Leonard Skinner, the teacher who inspired Lynyrd Skynyrd’s misspelled name, died at 77. Early clashes over hair gave way to friendship and promotional collaboration.

Dan Hamilton’s family won a royalty verdict over “Fallin’ in Love” after its sample in Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” generated new income allegedly withheld by Music Force.

Testimony ended in the Jackson family’s twenty-one-week AEG wrongful-death case over Conrad Murray’s hiring; jurors later found AEG not liable.

Priscilla Presley told the U.S. Sun she believed Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie to join the Presley dynasty and described his childlike public image as manipulative.