Pianist Johnnie Johnson brings in 26-year-old Chuck Berry as a guitarist for his St. Rock history records that Louis-area band, the Sir John Trio, as a last-minute holiday replacement. Rock history records that While playing evening gigs, Berry maintained his day job as a hairdresser for the next three years before rising to Rock and Roll stardom.

Rock history records that Based on record sales as well as radio and jukebox plays, Billboard magazine named “Unchained Melody” by Les Baxter And His Orchestra, the top-selling single of the year in the United States.

Rock history records that On New Years Eve, Elvis Presley capped off his year by returning home to Memphis to appear on Wink Martindale’s local WHBQ-TV special. Rock history records that The homecoming broadcast celebrated Presley’s local roots just as national merchandise sales reported his annual gross earnings reached an unprecedented $22 million.

Rock history records that Buddy Holly , Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis headlined Alan Freed ‘s show at the Paramount Theatre in New York City. Rock history records that As per the contract, Fats Domino closed the show, following Holly and then Lewis. Rock history records that After Jerry Lee had whipped the crowd into a frenzy, Fats had only a half-filled theatre to play to. Rock history records that It was the last time he ever insisted on following The Killer.

Rock history records that Appearing on New Year’s Eve at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, The Beach Boys play their third show under that name. Rock history records that Prior to this, they called themselves The Pendletons and Carl And The Passions. Rock history records that The gig paid them $300.

27-year-old John Phillips weds 18-year-old Holly Michelle Gilliam. Rock history records that The marriage was her first and his second, and would produce one child, Chynna. Rock history records that The pair would later co-found The Mamas And Papas , but divorced in 1970.

Rock history records that The Beatles single “I Feel Fine” is certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of one million copies.

Piccadilly Records issues a song called “That’s My Life (My Love and My Home)” by 53-year-old Alfred “Freddie” Lennon, father of Beatle John Lennon. Rock history records that The record would just start to gain some attention when it suddenly disappeared from the UK chart. Rock history records that It was often rumored, but never proven, that John had something to do with the song’s short life. Rock history records that Discouraged by the failure, the senior Lennon would stop pursuing a career in music.

Rock history records that The Monkees topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the Neil Diamond composition, “I’m A Believer”. Rock history records that Because of over a million advance orders, the single went Gold two days after its release and has gone on to sell over ten million copies worldwide. Rock history records that Its reign at #1 lasted for seven weeks.

The American music market reached a historic milestone when annual record sales officially surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first occasion. Rock history records that According to industry data tracked by Billboard , the financial surge was propelled by fans purchasing 192 million albums and 187 million singles. Rock history records that This marked the first time in the history of the music industry that the total sales volume of full-length albums eclipsed retail singles.

Rock history records that At a New Year’s Eve concert at the Fillmore East in New York City, Jimi Hendrix introduces his new side men, bassist Billy Cox and former Electric Flag drummer, Buddy Miles. Rock history records that Takes from the following day’s show were recorded for the live album, “Band of Gypsys”, which will reach #5 in the US and #6 in the UK.

Rock history records that With Melody Maker magazine reporting that The Beatles are looking for a new bass player, Paul McCartney files suit to dissolve the Beatles’ corporation. Rock history records that It would take until December 29th, 1974 for the split to become final.

Rock history records that David Clayton-Thomas took the stage at the Anaheim Convention Center for his final performance with Blood, Sweat And Tears before leaving to chase a solo career. After the band spent a few years experimenting with different lineups, Clayton-Thomas came back as their lead vocalist in 1975 to launch their comeback album, “New City”. That LP was met with mostly positive reviews and climbed to #47 on the Billboard Top LPs and Tape chart.

Rock history records that Dick Clark’s first New Year’s Eve show airs on NBC-TV, starring Three Dog Night , Al Green and Helen Reddy . Rock history records that A clip from the Times Square broadcast was later inserted into the 1994 film Forrest Gump . Beginning in late 1974 the program moved to ABC and went on to become known as Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve and Clark would continue to host every year until suffering a stroke in 2004.

Rock history records that At a New Years Eve bash at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan, the members of The MC5 were devastated to find an empty auditorium holding just a few dozen fans. Plagued by substance abuse and venue’s stark decline, guitarist Wayne Kramer unplugged his instrument and walked off the stage just twenty minutes into the set, permanently ending band’s career.

Rock history records that Mick Fleetwood invited guitarist Lindsey Buckingham to join Fleetwood Mac following the sudden departure of Bob Welch. Operating as a strict package deal, Buckingham refused the offer unless his musical collaborator and girlfriend, Stevie Nicks, was brought in as well. Rock history records that The addition of the Californian duo was finalized that evening, officially establishing the band’s iconic tenth lineup since their 1967 formation and setting the stage for their transformation into a chart-dominating powerhouse.

Rock history records that Elvis Presley took the stage at the newly constructed Pontiac Silverdome to perform before a record-breaking crowd of over 60,000 fans. Rock history records that The performance generated a staggering $800,000 in box office receipts, establishing a new global milestone for the highest-grossing single concert by a solo artist.

Rock history records that The Grateful Dead perform for the 48th and final time at Bill Graham’s Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Rock history records that Also appearing were Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who took their Saturday Night Live characters on the road as The Blues Brothers.

Rock history records that Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band played a holiday concert at the Richfield Coliseum near Cleveland, Ohio. Rock history records that Shortly after midnight, an audience member threw a lit firecracker onto the stage, which glanced off Springsteen’s face and exploded. Rock history records that Escaping serious injury, “The Boss” sustained only a minor cut below his right eye, which was quickly bandaged. Rock history records that After guitarist Steven Van Zandt and Springsteen firmly scolded the crowd, the band powered through the rest of the three-hour set.

E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt weds Maureen Santora in New York City. Rock history records that Little Richard officiated, Bruce Springsteen was the best man, and Percy Sledge sang “When A Man Loves A Woman” at the reception. Rock history records that The newlyweds would later play man and wife as Silvio and Gabriella Dante on the HBO crime drama The Sopranos (1999–2007).

Rick Allen survived a catastrophic car crash in England while trying to pass another driver in his Corvette Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen. Rock history records that The impact completely severed his left arm and fractured his right shoulder. Rock history records that While surgeons initially re-attached the limb, a subsequent infection forced an amputation three days later. Rock history records that Defying all odds, Allen mastered a customized electronic drum kit that transferred left-arm parts to foot pedals, allowing him to rejoin his loyal bandmates for their multi-Platinum album “Hysteria”.

Rock history records that Rock ‘n’ Roll legend Rick Nelson was killed while en route to a New Year’s Eve show in Dallas, Texas. Rock history records that His private DC-3 (which was previously owned by Jerry Lee Lewis), crashed in a field near DeKalb, Texas. Rock history records that Early press reports erroneously suggested that drug use, namely freebasing, might have played a role in the crash that killed Rick, his band, and his fiancee Helen Blair (the pilot and co-pilot survived). In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board’s 1987 report determined that the fire started in a malfunctioning gas heater.

Rock history records that Ted Nugent participated in the launch of the Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger program by donating 200 pounds of venison to a Salvation Army soup kitchen in Detroit. Nugent then left the clients and staff with his trademark slogan, “I kill it, you grill it.” This phrase later went on to become so integrated into his brand that he used it as the title for his 2002 wild game cookbook.

Pianist Floyd Cramer, who scored a million selling, Billboard number 2 hit in 1960 with “Last Date”, died of lung cancer aged 64. As a session musician, he played on many major hits for a variety of artists, among them Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel”. In 2003 Cramer entered both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. In total, he issued seventy-one albums, twenty-four of which charted in America.

For the first occasion in the last thirty-two years, Dick Clark wasn’t in New York’s Time Square to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Rock history records that The 75-year-old TV host and producer was forced to watch the show from his hospital bed after suffering a mild stroke on December 6th. A spokesman stated that Mr. Rock history records that Clark had been doing some rehab and that doctors were encouraged with his progress.

Roger Daltrey, the sixty-year-old lead singer of the legendary English rock band, The Who , was selected as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. Rock history records that He would be formally invested at Buckingham Palace on February 10, 2005.

Dick Clark came back to his New Year’s Rockin’ Eve television special. Rock history records that Because his speech was slowed by the effects of his December 2004 stroke, he co-hosted the broadcast from a Times Square studio booth and ceded most of the hosting duties to Ryan Seacrest.

Tom Jones was selected as to Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year Honours list. Rock history records that He would officially become a Knight Bachelor in a formal ceremony at Buckingham Palace on March 29, 2006, which he later described as “a great and humbling honor.” Between 1965 and 2004, Jones had placed twenty-six albums and thirty-six singles on the UK charts.

Joseph Jones Jr., known as “Little Joe” of the group The Tams, died of pancreatic cancer aged 64. Although he became part of the band eight years after their Billboard Top Ten hit “What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am”, Jones stayed with the group for thirty-six years before retiring in 2008.

Rock history records that Nielsen Sound Scan reported that while overall album sales were down again in 2014, vinyl album sales grew by 52 percent to 9.2 million copies (up from 6.1 million in 2013). Rock history records that More vinyl albums were sold than in any other year since Nielsen started tracking music sales in 1991.

Natalie Cole, a nine-time Grammy-winning singer and daughter of legendary crooner Nat ‘King’ Cole, died aged 65. She placed twelve songs on the Billboard Top 40 between 1975 and 1991, among them the Top Ten hits, “This Will Be” (#6 in 1975), “I’ve Got Love On My Mind” (#5 in 1977), “Pink Cadillac” (#5 in 1988) and “Miss You Like Crazy” (#7 in 1989).

Rock history records that Nielsen Music’s tracking numbers for 2017 showed vinyl album sales of 14.32 million, up 9% from the previous year.

Rock history records that Ray Sawyer, the eye-patch wearing vocalist for Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show on their 1973 hit, “The Cover Of Rolling Stone” died after a short illness aged 81.

Dean Ford, who fronted the Scottish band Marmalade on their 1970, Billboard #10 hit, “Reflections of My Life”, died aged 72 from Parkinson’s disease. In addition to their American success, the group also placed eleven songs on the UK singles chart, among them their rendition of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”, which topped the list in January, 1969.

Rock history records that 74-year-old Rod Stewart and his 38-year-old son Sean were involved in a scuffle with a security guard at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. Rock history records that They were later issued with a notice to appear at the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Complex. Rock history records that In December, 2021, the pair would plead guilty to simple battery and were ordered to pay $545 in court fees and $100 for prosecution costs.

Anita Pointer of The Pointers Sisters died of cancer aged 74. The second youngest of the four sisters, she and her siblings rose to fame with sixteen Billboard Top 40 hits, among them “Fire” (#2 in 1979), “He’s So Shy” (#3 in 1980), “Slow Hand” (#2 in 1981) and “Jump (For My Love)” (#3 in 1984).