This Date in Rock Music History: May 1

1955:  Elvis Presley played three concerts at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1955:  Leonard Chess signed Chuck Berry to a recording contract.





1957:  The Kingston Trio formed in Palo Alto, California.
1957:  Elvis Presley was on the cover of the first issue of 16 Magazine.
1961:  Tony Orlando had his first hit with "Halfway To Paradise".
1961:  "(Dance The) Mess Around" by Chubby Checker is on the list of biggest movers of all-time.  The song never peaked great , but on this date it was one of the hottest songs around, moving from 79-28.
1961:  Del Shannon continued to own the #1 song with "Runaway", one of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era*.
1962:  The Beatles began a month-long gig at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.
1965:  One of rock's great instrumentals, "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" by Sounds Orchestral reached the summit on the Adult Contemporary chart.





                                      "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"...

1965:  The Soundtrack to "Mary Poppins" continued to set the pace on the Album chart for the fourth straight week.  Introducing Herman's Hermits was #2, the Soundtrack to "Goldfinger" came in third and the Beach Boys Today!  was #4.  The rest of the Top 10 Albums:  The Rolling Stones, Now!  was #5, the "Sound of Music" Soundtrack was #6, Ramblin Rose spent its 100th week on the chart for Nat "King" Cole at #7, The Return of Roger Miller fell to #8, the Soundtrack to "My Fair Lady" was #9 and Andy Williams had the #10 album with Dear Heart.
1965:  The Beatles rose from 56 to 19 with "Ticket To Ride".






1965:  Herman's Hermits had one of the fastest-rising songs to #1 in the Rock Era on this date.  "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" debuted at #12 in its first week on April 16, rose to #2 the next week and on this date in 1965 was the new #1 song.  Only 11 songs in history that did not debut at #1 got to #1 quicker.
1967:  The F.B.I. arrested Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys for avoiding the draft.
1967:  Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.  
1969:  Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash taped a special for television at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
1969:  The Who debut their rock opera Tommy for members of the media at Ronnie's Jazz Club in London.  (Note:  several websites claim the debut was May 2, but the correct date is May 1, according to the official website of the Who.)
1971:  The Soundtrack to "Jesus Christ Superstar" overtook Pearl by the late Janis Joplin as the #1 album.  Up to Date from the Partridge Family was third while Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young moved from #14 to #4 with their live album 4 Way Street.  
1971:  The Jackson 5 rose to #1 on the R&B chart with "Never Can Say Goodbye".
1971:  "If" by Bread spent a second week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.






1971:  "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night remained at #1 for a third week while "Put Your Hand In The Hand" by Ocean would peak at #2.  The Jackson 5 slid up one with "Never Can Say Goodbye".  The rest of the Top 10:  "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye at #4, Neil Diamond's "I Am...I Said" was song #5, "If" from Bread moved up to 6, the Bells were at 7 with "Stay Awhile", Paul McCartney dropped to #8 with "Another Day", the Temptations came in next with their former #1 "Just My Imagination" and Daddy Dewdrop was a one-hit wonder with "Chick-A-Boom".
1972:  Paul Simon released his self-titled first album as a solo performer.
1972:  The O'Jay's were at #1 on the R&B chart with their great song "Livin' For the Weekend".
1973:  Bachman-Turner Overdrive released their self-titled debut album.









1973:  It was declared to be "Marvin Gaye Day" in Washington, D.C.
1973:  The Carpenters performed at a White House dinner for West German Chancellor Willy Brandt.










1975:  The Rolling Stones announced their North American tour by playing "Brown Sugar" on the back of a flatbed truck while driving down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.










1976:  The Captain & Tennille released their cover of the Miracles' hit "Shop Around".
1976:  Barry Manilow had the #1 Adult Contemporary song with "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again".










1976:  The Bellamy Brothers had their first and only #1 with "Let Your Love Flow".  Maxine Nightingale had a solid #2 with "Right Back Where We Started From", the Sylvers were up to 3 with "Boogie Fever" and John Sebastian climbed up with "Welcome Back".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Commodores maintained at 5 with their great song "Sweet Love", Johnnie Taylor fell to #6 with "Disco Lady", Peter Frampton's first hit "Show Me The Way" was at #7, Elvin Bishop had #8 with "Fooled Around And Fell In Love", Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was #9 and Diana Ross soared from 29-10 with "Love Hangover".







           
                  "Say You Love Me", one of the top tracks from 'Fleetwood Mac'...

1976:  Led Zeppelin moved to a familiar spot on the Album chart with Presence, displacing Wings at the Speed of Sound at #1.  Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 was third while Queen's A Night at the Opera spent a second week at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Eargasm from Johnnie Taylor, Frampton Comes Alive!  from Peter Frampton, Marvin Gaye moved into the Top 10 with I Want You, the self-titled Fleetwood Mac was still going strong after 40 weeks, the Captain & Tennille's follow-up album Song of Joy and Robin Trower Live!  moved up to #10.
1980:  Fleetwood Mac performed at the Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Washington.
1979:  Elton John became the first rock musician to perform in Israel, beginning a tour there at the Philharmonic Hall in Jerusalem.
1982:  The "Chariots of Fire" Soundtrack was the #1 album for a third week.  The Go-Go's climbed back up with Beauty and the Beat, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts were at 3 with I Love Rock-n-Roll, Rick Springfield remained in the #4 spot with Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet and the debut from Asia was #5.
1982:  "Chariots Of Fire" by Vangelis was on top for a fifth week in a row on the Adult Contemporary chart.


1982:  Asia vaulted from #55 to 20 with their debut single, "Heat Of The Moment".













1982:  Joan Jett & the Blackhearts remained at #1 for a seventh week with one of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era*, "I Love Rock & Roll".
1986:  Hugo Peretti, writer and producer of many great songs, died at age 69 in Englewood, New Jersey.  Peretti is responsible for "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley, "Twistin' The Night Away" by Sam Cooke, "Shout" by the Isley Brothers, "The Hustle" by Van McCoy, "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by the Stylistics and dozens of other hits.
1993:  Silk held on to #1 on the R&B chart for an eighth and final week with "Freak Me".










1993:  "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston from the movie The Bodyguard was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1996:  Ben Folds Five made their U.K. debut at the 100 Club in London.
1995: Metallica began recording the album Load.  (Note:  some websites claim the group began recording on February 15, but the correct date is May 1, according to the band's official website.)
1997:  Rick Parfitt, guitarist with Status Quo, underwent a quadruple heart bypass operation.

1999:  An exhibition of Paul McCartney's paintings opened in Siegen, Germany.

2003:  The Dixie Chicks began their tour at the BI-Lo Center in Greenville, South Carolina with opening acts Joan Osbourne and Michelle Branch.
2003:  Soul great Barry White suffered a stroke after being hospitalized for kidney failure.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly say White had the stroke on May 2.  The news was reported May 2 in morning papers, but he suffered the stroke on May 1, as reported by 'Billboard' and other reputable sources.)
2004:  Usher spent a fifth week at #1 (out of 9) with the album Confessions.
2005:  Nine Inch Nails closed the show at the Coachella Festival at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California.  Others who performed were New Order and Mos Def.
2005:  Bruce Springsteen's album Devils and Dust debuted at #1 in the U.K.
2005:  Tony Christie remained at #1 for the seventh week in a row in the U.K. with "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo."

2005:  Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 debuted at #1 with his debut album Something To Be.  It was the first time a solo performer from a rock group had ever debuted at #1 with his first album.
2006:  Johnny Paris of Johnny & the Hurricanes ("Red River Rock") died of leukemia in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the age of 65.

Born This Day:
1929:  Sonny James was born in Hackleburg, Alabama.


1939:  Judy Collins was born in Seattle, Washington.
1939:  Willie Ackerman, drummer who played on "El Paso" by Marty Robbins and "Amos Moses" for Jerry Reed, and also worked with the Monkees, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Patsy Cline and Louis Armstrong among others, was born in Nashville, Tennessee; died in his sleep on December 13, 2012 in Nashville.

1945:  Rita Coolidge was born in Lafayette, Tennessee.  (Note:  some websites claim Coolidge was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but according to the book 'Kristofferson:  The Wild American' by Stephen Miller, Rita was born in Lafayette.)1946:  Nick Fortuna, bassist of the Buckinghams, was born in Chicago, Illinois
1949:  Jim Clench, bassist for April Wine and later in Bachman Turner Overdrive; died November 3, 2010 in Montreal.









1953:  Glen Ballard, songwriter and lead singer of Argent, who wrote ("Man In The Mirror" for Michael Jackson, and "Ironic" and 'Hand In My Pocket" for Alanis Morissette, and "You're In Love" for Wilson Phillips, among others) and also was a producer (Jagged Little Pill for Morissette, and albums by Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Dave Matthews Band, Josh Groban, Wilson Phillips, and Curtis Stigers, among others), was born in Natchez, Mississippi.  (Note:  some websites list his birth as March 1, but according to Ballard's official website and other credible sources, he was born on May 1.)

1954:  Ray Parker, Jr. of Raydio ("Jack And Jill" from 1978) and solo performer, was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1957:  Steve Farris, guitarist of Mr. Mister, was born in Fremont, Nebraska.
1959:  Phil Smith, saxophone player of Haircut One-Hundred ("Love Plus One" from 1982), was born in Redbridge, Essex, England.
1966:  Johnny Colt, bass guitarist of the Black Crowes, was born in Cherry Point, North Carolina.
1968:  D'Arcy Wretzky, original bass player of the Smashing Pumpkins, was born in South Haven, Michigan.