This Date in Rock Music History: January 1

1955:  Elvis Presley performed at Eagles Hall in Houston, Texas.

1956:  "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets returned to #1 in the U.K.
1957:  Love the title--A new rock & roll show, Cool for Cats, premiered on BBC television in the U.K.
1959:  Elvis Presley wrecked his BMW while driving on the Autobahn in Germany.
1962:  The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records, playing 15 songs for the A&R man.  He declined to sign them, opting instead to sign the Tremeloes.  Bad career move for the A&R man.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 31

1955:  It's unusual for an artist's debut single to be a Christmas song, but on this date, a new group appeared on the chart for the first time with their version of "White Christmas", the first single for the Drifters.

1956:  Elvis Presley promoted Wink Martindale's upcoming charity concert on Wink's local television special in Memphis, Tennessee.
1961:  The Pendletons played under their their now more familiar name of the Beach Boys for the first time at a memorial concert for Ritchie Valens in Long Beach, California.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 30

1957:  Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" finished the year as the #1 R&B song, where it had been for six weeks.  

1957:  The top album was Elvis' Christmas Album, which many radio stations banned from airplay because they didn't think a rock and roll artist should play Christmas music.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 29

1955:  Barbra Streisand recorded her first song, at the age of 13.

1956:  Buddy Holly and four others chased and detained a shoplifter from a store in Lubbock, Texas.
1956:  Fats Domino sat atop the R&B chart  for the 11th week with "Blueberry Hill".  

This Date in Rock Music History: December 28

1959:  "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning moved from #100 to #50.
1960:  The movie Where the Boys Are, starring Connie Francis, premiered in the Gateway Theatre in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  (Note:  some websites claim the premiere was on December 31, but according to the newspaper 'The Sun-Sentinel', the simultaneous premieres were on December 28.)

1963:  The Singing Nun wrapped up a four-week stay at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Dominique".
1963:  "Dominique" was #1 for a fourth week overall.  Bobby Vinton provided the closest competition with "There!  I've Said It Again".
1963:  The Soundtrack to "West Side Story" re-entered the Top 10 in its 114th week of release.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 27

1960:  The Miracles made their television debut singing "Shop Around" on American Bandstand.  (Note:  numerous websites report that the group made their debut on the popular show on February 27, 1960, but this is inaccurate.  "Shop Around" was not released nationally until October 15, making the February 27 date impossible.  Jack Ryan, in his book 'Recollections, the Detroit Year:  The Motown Sound by the People who Made It', The Official R&B Music Hall of Fame, and 'TV.com' all confirm that the correct date is December 27, and that not only did the Miracles make their debut on the show, but they were the first Motown act to appear on 'American Bandstand'.)

This Date in Rock Music History: December 26

1957:  Elvis Presley donated thousands of teddy bears to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

Merry Christmas! This Date in Rock Music History, December 25

1954:  Johnny Ace shot himself before a Christmas concert in Houston, Texas.  (Note:  it was widely reported that Ace died in a game of Russian roulette.  Curtis Tillman, bass player for Big Mama Thornton, however, witnessed the incident.  He said that Ace had been drinking and was waving the pistol around.  He said "The gun's not loaded...see?"  Ace then pointed the gun at himself, the gun went off, and killed him.) 

1958:  The Everly Brothers, Jackie Wilson, Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon, Johnnie Ray, Bo Diddley, Eddie Cochran and the Moonglows performed at Alan Freed's Christmas Rock & Roll Spectacular at Loew's State Theatre in Manhattan, New York.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 24

1955:  The Lennon Sisters were the new featured vocalists on The Lawrence Welk Show on ABC-TV.

1964:  The Beatles began a second series of Christmas concerts at the Hammersmith Odeon on London, with help from the Yardbirds, Freddie and the Dreamers and others.
1966:  Tommy James & the Shondells recorded "I Think We're Alone Now".
1966:  "(I Know) I'm Losing You by the Temptations was the new #1 on the R&B chart, taking over from "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes.
1966:  The New Vaudeville Band made it four weeks in the #1 spot on the Easy Listening chart with "Winchester Cathedral".

This Date in Rock Music History: December 23

1957:  The Champs recorded "Tequila" in three takes at Gold Star Recording Studio in Hollywood, California.
1957:  A new act appeared on the chart for the first time by the name of Tom & Jerry with the song "Hey Schoolgirl".  They have now sold over 105 million albums, but they really didn't take off until they changed their name to Simon & Garfunkel.

1957:  Sam Cooke once again was #1 on the R&B chart for a fifth week with "You Send Me".
1959:  Chuck Berry was arrested in St. Louis, Missouri for transporting a minor (14 year-old girl) across state lines for an immoral purpose. 
1959:  The Drifters recorded "This Magic Moment".

The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era Will Begin When The Evil One IS GONE!

There's a lot of great music waiting as soon as we get back to normalcy.  So if you want to hear all the great music contained within The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era, do everything you can to rid the world of the pathetic pest in the White House.

Merry Christmas to Everyone But Him!

This Date in Rock Music History: December 22

1956:  Elvis Presley finished the year with 17 hit songs, a Rock Era record that would stay until the magical year of 1964, when the Beatles had 30.
1958:  The creation of David Seville, the Chipmunks, made one of the biggest leaps to #1 of the Rock Era (10-1) with "The Chipmunk Song".  The Platters moved strongly to #2 with "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".  
1962:  Bob Dylan performed at the Singer's Club Christmas Party in London.
1962:  "Stranger On The Shore" by Mr. Acker Bilk dropped off the U.K. chart after 55 weeks, a Rock Era record for longevity at the time.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 21

1959:  The new single called "The Little Drummer Boy" by the Harry Simeone Chorale moved from 99 to 47.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 20

1957: Elvis Presley received his draft notice from the United States Army.
1958:  John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison appeared as The Quarrymen at the wedding reception of Harrison's older brother Harry.  The reception was at the Harrison family home at 25 Upton Green, Speke, Liverpool.
1962: The Osmond Brothers made their television debut on The Andy Williams Show on NBC.
1966:  Otis Redding was in concert at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 19

1957:  Tom & Jerry released the first single of their career, called "Hey, Schoolgirl".  We now know them as Simon & Garfunkel.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly show the name of the song as "Hey School Girl"; the correct title is "Hey, Schoolgirl", as shown on the 45 above.)

1961:  "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, a perennial fast mover this time of year on the chart, was up from 66 to 33.
1961:  "The Twist" by Chubby Checker set a Rock Era record at the time with 23 weeks on the chart.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 17

1955:  Carl Perkins wrote "Blue Suede Shoes".
1957:  Sam Cooke ruled over the R&B chart for a fourth week with "You Send Me".

This Date in Rock Music History: December 16

1957:  For the fourth week, Sam Cooke sat atop the R&B chart with "You Send Me".

This Date in Rock Music History: December 15

1956:  Elvis Presley performed on the Louisiana Hayride, broadcast live on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, for the final time after 50 appearances.

 1956:  Fats Domino had one of the biggest R&B songs of all-time with "Blueberry Hill", #1 for a ninth straight week.
1958:  A new soul artist debuted on the chart with "Try Me"; it was the first single by James Brown.
1958:  "Lonely Teardrops" by Jackie Wilson took over at #1 on the R&B chart.
1958:  The Teddy Bears held on to #1 for a third week with "To Know Him Is to Love Him".  There were two new entries in the Top 10:  The great song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" by the Platters at #6 and, moving from 37 to 10--"The Chipmunk Song" by the Chipmunks.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 14

1956:  Bill Haley starred in the movie Don't Knock the Rock which opened in theaters (it had premiered December 12 in New York City.)
1959:  The Kingston Trio took over at #1 on the Album chart with Here We Go Again!".

1962:  Bill Wyman made his live debut with the Rollin' Stones (as they were known back then) at the Ricky Tick Club in the Star and Garter Hotel in Windsor, England.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 13

1961:  The movie The Young Ones, starring Cliff Richard, premiered in London.

1961:  Mike Smith of Decca Records saw the Beatles perform at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.
1962:  Elvis Presley had his 13th #1 song in the U.K. with "Return To Sender".

1966:  Jimi Hendrix recorded "Foxey Lady".
1966:  Hendrix made his television debut on Ready Steady Go!  on ITV in the U.K.
1969:  The Supremes' great song "Someday We'll Be Together" took over at #1 on the R&B chart.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 12

1955:  Bill Haley & the Comets recorded "See You Later Alligator".

1955:  Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash were at the National Guard Armory in Armory, Mississippi.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 11

1958:  The Coasters recorded "Charlie Brown", with guest saxophonist King Curtis.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 10

1949:  Fats Domino recorded his first songs for Imperial Records, including "The Fat Man", which later became his nickname.

1961:  After their first live concerts in south England, the Beatles returned to Liverpool for a show at Hambleton Hall.
1961:  James Brown performed at the Evergreen Ballroom in Lacey, Washington.
1961:  The Beatles and Brian Epstein reached an informal managerial agreement, on the condition that Epstein would get the group a recording contract.
1963:  Donny Osmond made his debut with the Osmonds on The Andy Williams Show on NBC.
1964:  The Beatles scored their sixth #1 in the U.K. with "I Feel Fine".

This Date in Rock Music History: December 9

1957:  Smooth Sam Cooke remained at #1 on the R&B chart for a third week with "You Send Me".
1961:  The Beatles paid their dues at the Palais Ballroom in Aldershot, England before 18 people, as the show had not been promoted well by Sam Leach.  Leach thought he had booked the group in London, but Aldershot was a small military town 37 miles from London.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 8

1958:  A new artist was introduced that would continue to hit the charts for the next 30 years.  Neil Sedaka debuted with his first career single "The Diary".
1958:  "A Lover's Question" by Clyde McPhatter was the #1 song on the R&B chart.
1960:  Fabian visited Elvis Presley at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 7

1958: George Harrison joined the Quarrymen, named after John Lennon's school. The group also included Paul McCartney, Len Garry and John Lowe.  (Note:  most websites show this date as February 6, however, David Bedford, in his book 'The Fab one Hundred and Four', contradicts this date.  Bedford points out that guitarist Eric Griffiths left the group because he was being replaced by Harrison.  In new research conducted by Bedford, he shows the Merchant Navy records of Griffiths, who joined his first ship on February 11.  Obviously, one doesn't just hop aboard a ship right after deciding to join the Navy.  In fact, Eric qualified as an officer cadet in January, 1958, meaning that in order to complete his training, he would have had to sign up for the Merchant Navy no later than mid-December, 1957.  All sources agree that Harrison joined the Quarrymen following an audition at Wilson Hall in Liverpool.  Records showed that the Quarrymen played the venue on December 7, after which time Griffiths quit music and joined the Navy.)   

This Date in Rock Music History: December 6

1964:  The movie Ferry Cross the Mersey, starring Gerry & the Pacemakers, premiered a the New Victoria Cinema in London.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 5

1959:  Gene Vincent ("Be-Bop-A-Lula") met television producer Jack Good upon arriving in England.  It was Good who convinced him to adopt an all-leather look.

1960:  Elvis Presley raced to #1 with his new album G.I. Blues, his fifth #1.
1961:  Ray Charles was arrested in Indianapolis, Indiana for possession of drugs.
1964:  "Ringo" by Lorne Greene was the #1 Easy Listening song for a third week.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 4

1956:  Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins recorded some gospel standards together at Sun Records studios in Memphis, Tennessee in what became known as "The Million Dollar Quartet".  What made the recordings so special is that they weren't planned.  Perkins was in the studio to record new material, including a reworked version of "Matchbox".  Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Records, had asked piano madman Jerry Lee Lewis to play the piano on the Perkins session to add some zest to the recording.  Sometime that afternoon, Elvis, a former Sun artist who had switched to RCA, dropped by the studio.  Presley was the hottest star in the business, having reached #1 five times in the last year.  Presley and Phillips talked in the control room before Elvis went into the studio.  Cash also dropped by, and soon, the jam session began.  Phillips left the tapes running in order to "capture the moment".  The session, however, would not be released for 25 years.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 3

1938:  Alfred Lennon married Julie Stanley.  That partnership would soon produce a son, John, that would go on to change the world and alter popular music forever.

1956:  Guy Mitchell had the top song with "Singing The Blues".

This Date in Rock Music History: December 2

1957:  Connie Francis appeared on the chart for the first time with "The Majesty Of Love".

1959:  Bobby Darin was on the television show This Is Your Life.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 1

1956:  The rock & roll movie Shake, Rattle and Rock opened in theaters.  (Note:  there are several websites which call the movie 'Shake, Rattle and Roll' (presumably after the Bill Haley song of the same name).  There was no such movie in the 50's; there was a film series of the 90's called 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'.  The movie that opened on this date was a comedy called Shake, Rattle and Rock, according to 'Turner Classic Movies' and other authoritative sites.)

1956:  "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino was the #1 R&B song for the seventh week.
1957:  Buddy Holly & the Crickets, Sam Cooke and the Rays made their debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.  Holly & the Crickets performed "That'll Be The Day" and "Peggy Sue" while Sam Cooke sang "You Send Me".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 30

1954:  Nat King Cole played the first of six nights at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 29

1959:  Bobby Darin won Best New Artist and Record of the Year for "Mack The Knife" at the Grammy Awards. 

This Date in Rock Music History: November 28

  1960:  Elvis Presley had his 43rd hit and 15th #1 in four years--"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" 

This Date in Rock Music History: November 27

1962:  The Beatles recorded for BBC Radio in the U.K. for the first time, performing, "Twist And Shout", "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" at the BBC Paris Studio in London for BBC's Talent Spot program.

1963:  The Elvis Presley movie Fun In Acapulco opened in theaters.
1964:  The Beatles performed on the British television show Ready Steady Go!
1965:  Marvin Gaye moved to #1 on the R&B chart with "Ain't That Peculiar".
1965:  Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass remained #1 on the Easy Listening chart for the fifth week with "A Taste Of Honey".
1965:  Whipped Cream & Other Delights was the new #1 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.
1967:  The Beatles released the album Magical Mystery Tour in the U.S.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 26

1962:  The Beatles recorded "Please Please Me" in 18 takes and "Ask Me Why" for the flip side during a three-hour session at EMI Studios in London.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 25

1957:  The great Sam Cooke took over at #1 on the R&B chart with "You Send Me".
1961:  Don and Phil Everly were both inducted into the United States Marine Corps Reserves, working as artillerymen for the 8th Battalion.   

This Date in Rock Music History: November 24

1958:  The Platters were up 36 notches with their new single "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes".
1958:  Conway Twitty had the new #1 song with "It's Only Make Believe", knocking "Tom Dooley" by the Kingston Trio down a notch.  The Teddy Bears appeared to have a big hit with "To Know Him Is To Love Him", but "Topsy II" by Cozy Cole and "It's All In The Game" both fell.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Beep Beep" by the Playmates, Elvis Presley hopped into the Top 10 with two songs--"One Night", moving 14-7 and "I Got Stung".  Ricky Nelson dropped with "Lonesome Town" and Bobby Darin had #10 with "Queen Of The Hop".
1962:  Brenda Lee made it three weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "All Alone Am I".
1964:  After changing their name from the High Numbers because their manager told them they'd be mistaken for a bingo game, the Who played at the Marquee in London.  It was the beginning of a seven-week residency for the group.
1966:  The Beatles began recording "Strawberry Fields Forever" at Abbey Road Studios in London.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 23

1899:  The first jukebox was placed in the Palais Royal Hotel in San Francisco, California.
1959:  After taking a week off, "Mack The Knife" returned to inflict more damage on the chart with a seventh week at #1 for Bobby Darin.
1960:  Elvis Presley's first movie since returning from military service, G.I. Blues, was released.
1962:  The Beatles auditioned at St. James' Church Hall in London for the BBC, that was looking for people with the potential to be on television. They failed.  The person responsible for the decision was no doubt fired and made to wear the tattoo "I'm the world's biggest loser" on their forehead for the rest of their life.
1963:  Dale & Grace reached #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "I'm Leaving It Up To You".
1963:  Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs had the top R&B song with "Sugar Shack".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 22

1955:  Sun Records sold the recording contract of Elvis Presley to RCA Records for $40,000.  Presley manager Sam Phillips invested his portion of that in the struggling chain of hotels called Holiday Inn and became a millionaire.
1957:  Simon and Garfunkel appeared under the name Tom & Jerry on American Bandstand.
1961:  Bob Dylan finished recording his debut album.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 21

1956:  The Elvis Presley movie Love Me Tender opened nationally in theaters.  It had premiered November 16 in New York City.

1960:  George Harrison was deported from Germany because he was too young to perform there with the Beatles.  Harrison spent the night teaching John Lennon his guitar parts, then used all the money he had left to purchase train tickets, tips, and taxi fares.  The group had to play without him at the Kaiserkeller Club in Hamburg.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 20

1955:  Bo Diddley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.  He was requested to perform "Sixteen Tons" but after he sang "Bo Diddley" instead, he was banned from future shows.
1955:  "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets went to #1 in the U.K.
1956:  Fats Domino continued to own the #1 R&B song for a fourth week with "Blueberry Hill".
1959:  WABC Radio in New York City fired disc jockey Allan Freed after he refused to deny that he had accepted payola.
1961:  Bob Dylan began recording his self-titled album at Columbia Studios in New York City.  (Note:  many websites incorrectly put the date as October 20.  According to a review of the Archives of Sony Records in New York City, Dylan recorded his album in two sessions, November 20th and November 22nd.)

This Date in Rock Music History: November 19

1954:  Sammy Davis, Jr. was in a serious car accident in San Bernadino, California.  Three days later, Davis lost his ability to see with his left eye.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 18

1956:  Fats Domino performed "Blueberry Hill" on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1964:  The Supremes and the Righteous Brothers were on the television show Shindig!

This Date in Rock Music History: November 17

1957:  Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps appeared on national television for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show.  (Note:  numerous other "timeline" websites and other sites show that this date was November 25.  In the first place, The Ed Sullivan Show aired on Sunday nights, not Monday, and in 1957, Sunday fell on November 3, 10, 17 and 24th.  According to the book 'Handbook of Texas Music' by Laurie E. Jasinski, as well as the book 'Race with the Devil:  Gene Vincent's Life in the Fast Lane' by Susan VanHecke, as well as 'TV.com' and other television history sites, the correct date is November 17.)
1958:  Duane Eddy roared up the chart from 71 to 25 with "Cannonball".

1958:  The Kingston Trio hit #1 with "Tom Dooley".  
1961:  The Beatles played a lunch show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, then ventured to the Village Hall, Knotty Ash for a nighttime concert.
1962:  "Big Girls Don't Cry" was the new #1 song on the R&B chart for the 4 Seasons.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 16

1959:  "Mr. Blue" by the Fleetwoods finally dislodged "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin as the #1 song after six weeks.  But Macky would be back for more.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 15

1956:  Elvis Presley appeared in a movie for the first time as Love Me Tender opened at the Paramount Theatre in New York City.  (Note:  there are conflicting reports of the date of the premiere.  The books 'Icons of Rock:  An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever' by Scott Schinder and Andy Schwartz and 'Elvis:  Day by Day' by Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen state that the movie premiered on November 15.  The newspaper 'The Examiner' and The Graceland.com website also show the premiere as the 15th.  The books 'The Elvis Movies' by James L. Neibaur and 'Elvis Presley:  A Biography' by Kathleen Tracy state that the premiere was on November 16.  This would be a tossup to determine the accurate date, unless those sources all saw the picture of the marquee above, which clearly shows that the premiere was on the 15th...)   

This Date in Rock Music History: November 14

1960:  "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis Presley became the fastest-selling single ever in the U.K. at the time, moving 780,000 copies in a week.

1960:  Cozy Cole began a 20-week goodwill tour of Africa that was sponsored by the United States State Department.
1960:  Jerry Butler moved back to the #1 spot on the R&B chart with "He Will Break Your Heart".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 13

1961:  "Please Mr. Postman" delivered a #1 R&B song for the Marvelettes.

1961:  "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean was #1 for a second week.  The only new Top 10 song was a big one--"Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes.
1964:  The first official biography of the Rolling Stones, Our Own Story, was published.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 12

1955:  Fats Domino had the top R&B song for a third week with "All By Myself".  

1966:  Lou Rawls reached the pinnacle of the R&B chart with "Love Is A Hurtin' Thing".
1966:  The self-titled debut album The Monkees reached #1.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 11

1957:  Elvis Presley performed at the Schofield Barracks in Hawai'i, his final concert of the 50's.

1961:  Joan Baez performed a sold-out show at the Town Hall in New York City.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 10

1958:  Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls were injured in a car accident that claimed the life of the driver near Marion, Arkansas.

1958:  Frank Sinatra began filming the movie A Hole in the Head.
1958:  "Topsy II" by Cozy Cole spent a third week at #1 on the R&B chart.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 9

1955:  The Everly Brothers recorded their first songs at the Old Tulane Hotel Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.  The duo recorded four tracks in 22 minutes.

1956:  Buddy Holly set out on his first tour.
1959:  RCA offered Sam Cooke $100,000 to leave Keen Records.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 8

1951:  Frank Sinatra married actress Ava Gardner.

1953:  Pat Boone married Shirley Foley.
1959:  Smokey Robinson and Claudette Rogers of the Miracles were married.
1960:  Elvis Presley began filming the movie Wild in the Country.
1960:  Hank Ballard and the Midnighters were at #1 for a third week on the R&B chart with Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 6

1954:  Elvis Presley signed a year-long contract with the Louisiana Hayride.

1961:  Lee Dorsey grabbed the #1 spot on the R&B chart with "Ya Ya".
1961:  "Big Bad John" was the #1 Easy Listening song for the third week.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 5

1956:  The Nat King Cole Show debuted on NBC-TV.

1960:  Johnny Horton ("Battle Of New Orleans" and "North To Alaska") was killed in a car accident in Milano, Texas at age 33.  The drunk driver who killed Horton received only minor injuries.
1963:  The Beatles gave two shows at the Adelphi Cinema in Slough, England.
1965:  The Doors played for a private party on the Pioneer Club Boat Ride in Los Angeles.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 4

1957:  We first heard of a new singer from Detroit on this date as Jackie Wilson debuted with his first chart single--"Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet)".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 3

1956:  Fats Domino had the #1 R&B song with "Blueberry Hill".

This Date in Rock Music History: November 2

1959:  "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin was #1 for the fifth consecutive week.

1963:  Dion walked out of a taping of the British television show Ready Steady Go!, complaining that the go-go dancers were distracting him.  Welcome to the club.

This Date in Rock Music History: November 1

1955:  The Famous Flames, led by lead singer James Brown, recorded their first demo, singing "Please, Please, Please" at a radio station in Macon, Georgia.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 31

1952:  26 year-old Chuck Berry was hired as a guitarist in Johnnie Johnson's band playing evening gigs in St. Louis, Missouri.  Berry kept his job as a hairdresser for the next three years.

1959:  The Quarrymen changed their name to Johnny and the Moondogs.
1960:  The Drifters took the #1 spot on the R&B chart with "Save The Last Dance For Me".
1960:  The Drifters moved up to #1 overall with "Save The Last Dance For Me".  

This Date in Rock Music History: October 30

1961:  Glen Campbell's first single of his career debuted on this date as his version of "Turn Around, Look At Me" entered the chart.

1961:  Ray Charles owned the top R&B song for the fifth week with "Hit The Road, Jack".
1963:  Producer George Martin of the Beatles completed work on "Money" by adding piano chords to the song for the album With the Beatles.
1963:  The Beatles performed "She Loves You", "Twist And Shout", "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Long Tall Sally" in front of a studio audience at the Arenateatern (arena theatre) in the Gröna Lund amusement park for the television show Drop In in Stockholm, Sweden.
1965:  The Who were in concert at Manchester University in Manchester, England.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 29

1957:  Bobby Helms recorded "Jingle Bell Rock" at the Bradley Film and Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 28

1955:  Buddy Holly opened for Marty Robbins in Lubbock, Texas.

1956:  Elvis Presley returned to The Ed Sullivan Show for a second time and was presented with a Gold record for "Love Me Tender" by Sullivan.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 27

1957:  The Crickets had the #1 song in the U.K. with "That'll Be The Day".

This Date in Rock Music History: October 26

1959:  Marty Robbins released the single "El Paso".
1959:  B.B. King and wife celebrated the birth of their daughter Shirley in Memphis, Tennessee.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 25

1958:  Cliff Richard made his radio debut on Saturday Night on the BBC.

1962:  Paul Petersen performed "My Dad" on The Donna Reed Show in ABC-TV.
1962:  Ronnie Smith, who replaced Buddy Holly as lead singer of the Crickets for the remainder of the Winter Dance Party after Holly died in a plane crash, hung himself in a Texas state hospital after he had been committed for drug abuse.  The Day the Music Died indeed.
1963:  Ricky Nelson and his wife celebrated the birth of daughter Tracy in Santa Monica, California.
1963:  The Beatles began their first tour of Sweden, playing at the Nya Aulan, Sundstavagen in Karistad.  
1964:  The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing "Around And Around" and "Time Is On My Side".

This Date in Rock Music History: October 24

1960:  Neil Sedaka recorded eight takes of "Calendar Girl".

1960:  For the ninth week, "Kiddio" by Brook Benton held off challengers for the #1 spot on the R&B chart.
1962:  James Brown recorded the album Live at the Apollo, Volume I at the Apollo Theatre in New York City.
1963:  The Beatles recorded "I Saw Her Standing There", "From Me to You", "Money", "She Loves You", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Twist and Shout" for a radio program in Stockholm, Sweden as they got ready for a five-night tour of Sweden, their first tour outside the U.K. 
1964:  The Rolling Stones played two shows at the Academy of Music in New York City.
1964:  "We'll Sing In The Sunshine" by Gale Garnett once again topped the Easy Listening chart for the fifth week.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 23

1961:  It was only October, but Jimmy Dean would have the final #1 for the year on the Easy Listening chart as "Big Bad John" ruled for its first of 10 weeks on this date.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 22

           There haven't been many better than Tony Williams, lead singer of the Platters...

1955:  The Platters finally ended Chuck Berry's monopoly on the R&B chart with their great song "Only You (And You Alone)".  

1957:  Dick Clark interviewed Ricky Nelson by phone on American Bandstand.  It would be the closest Ricky ever got to appearing on the show. 

1961:  Chubby Checker performed "The Twist" and "Let's Twist Again" on The Ed Sullivan Show.  Both songs received renewed radio airplay despite already being hits and, amazingly, "The Twist" went all the way to #1 again, becoming the only song of the Rock Era to reach #1...twice.

1963:  24-year-old Kenny Rogers married for the third time, to Margo Gladys Anderson.

1964:  The High Numbers auditioned for but were not signed by EMI Records.  Just so you know, EMI, the High Numbers became the Who.

1965:  The Beatles had three sessions at EMI Studios in London.  George Martin recorded the electric piano solo for "In My Life".  The group recorded three more takes of "Nowhere Man", which they had started the night before, from 2:30 to 7 p.m.  The Beatles completed work on "Nowhere Man" in the final session from 7-11 that night. 

1965:  The Rolling Stones released the single "Get Off My Cloud" in the U.K.

1965:  The Kingston Trio were on the television show Convoy on NBC.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 21

1957:  A new talented singer emerged on the scene today as Sam Cooke's first single, "You Send Me" debuted on the chart.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 20

1955:  Harry Belafonte recorded "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)".

1955:  Elvis Presley, Pat Boone and Bill Haley & the Comets filmed a performance at Brooklyn High School in Cleveland, Ohio in the afternoon and a concert at St. Michael's Hall at night.  (Note:  numerous sites show the date as the 19th, but the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website shows it as October 20.) 
1956:  Elvis Presley entered the chart with "Love Me Tender".
1958:  Bobby Day enjoyed a third straight week at #1 on the R&B chart with "Rock-in Robin".
1959:  Patty Duke starred in the Broadway production of The Miracle Worker, which opened today. at the Playhouse Theatre
1960:  The Elvis Presley movie G.I. Blues premiered in theaters.  (Note:  the film premiered at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, Texas on August 18, and was shown on military bases beginning October 23, but the movie did not open nationally until November 23, according to numerous Elvis websites)

This Date in Rock Music History: October 19

1955:  Elvis Presley and Pat Boone were in concert in Cleveland, Ohio.

1958:  Brenda Lee recorded "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree".

This Date in Rock Music History: October 18

1957:  Paul McCartney performed with the Quarrymen for the first time at the New Clubmoor Hall in Liverpool, England.  McCartney, who played lead guitar, didn't perform well in his solo, which eventually led to George Harrison being invited into the group and Paul switching to bass.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 17

1956:  Mickey & Sylvia recorded "Love Is Strange".

1957:  The Elvis Presley movie Jailhouse Rock premiered in Memphis, Tennessee at the same theater where Elvis used to work as an usher-- Loew's State Theatre.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 16

1951:  Little Richard recorded for the first time in Atlanta, Georgia, recording "Every Hour", "Goin' To Get Rich Quick", "Taxi Blues", and "Why Did You Leave Me".
1954:  Elvis Presley made his famous first radio appearance on the Louisiana Hayride.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 15

1955:  Fans were lucky to be at this show.  Buddy Holly opened for Elvis Presley in Lubbock, Texas.  Talent scout Eddie Crandall saw the show and afterwards, arranged for Holly to audition for Decca Records.

1955:  For the 11th week, "Maybelline" by Chuck Berry topped the R&B chart.  

This Date in Rock Music History: October 14

1955:  Buddy Holly opened for Bill Haley & the Comets in Lubbock, Texas.  Eddie Crandell was in the audience and arranged for Holly to record his first demo.

1959:  Bobby Darin reached #1 in the U.K. with "Mack The Knife".
1964:  Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones and Shirley Ann Arnold were secretly married in Bradford, England.
1964:  The Beatles played two performances at the ABC Cinema in Ardwick, Manchester, England.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 13

1957:  Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra introduced the new product from Ford, the Ford Edsel, on an hour long television special.

1958:  Frank Sinatra had the top album with Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely.
1958:  "It's All In the Game" by Tommy Edwards was the #1 song.
1962:  Don Everly collapsed while rehearsing at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London prior to the first of 22 dates of an Everly Brothers concert tour of the U.K.  He flew back to the United States for treatment and brother Phil performed solo for the entire tour.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 12

1957:  Buddy Holly & the Crickets, the Drifters and Chuck Berry were in concert at the Mission Beach Ballroom in San Diego, California.

1962:  The Beatles opened for Little Richard with Billy J. Kramer also appearing at the Tower Ballroom in Wallasey, Merseyside, England. 

1963:  For the sixth consecutive week, "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton topped the chart.
1963:  Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs first moved into the #1 slot on this date with "Sugar Shack".  
1964:  The 45 "I Feel Fine" by the Beatles had 750,000 advance orders in the U.K. alone.
1965:  The Beatles recorded "This Bird Has Flown", later renamed "Norwegian Wood", with George Harrison on sitar for the first time.  They also recorded "Run for Your Life" in five takes.  Both tracks were recorded at Abbey Road studios and would appear on the Rubber Soul album.
1966:  The Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed in London, with Hendrix, Noel Redding and Mitch Miller combining their talents.
1966:  Sammy Davis, Jr. did a cameo appearance on the popular television series Batman.
1967:  The Doors were in concert at the Surf Club in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts.
1968:  The Hollies had the top U.K. album with their Greatest Hits package.

1968:  Cheap Thrills by Big Brother & the Holding Company moved into the #1 position on the Album chart.  Waiting for the Sun from the Doors dropped and Feliciano! by Jose Feliciano was #3.  The Rascals were at #4 with Time Peace, their Greatest Hits album, and Glen Campbell moved up to #5 with Gentle On My Mind.  The rest of the Top 10:  In-A-Gadda-Da Vida by Iron Butterfly, containing the memorable title track, Realization by Johnny Rivers, The Time Has Come by the Chambers Brothers moved from 13 to 8, Crown of Creation by Jefferson Airplane entered the Top 10 and the self-titled Steppenwolf was #10.
1968:  "The Fool On The Hill", the remake by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, spent a sixth week at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.