This Date in Rock Music History: October 11

1955:  Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and a new star by the name of Elvis Presley began an eleven-concert swing through the South with a stop in Abilene, Texas.

1960:  The audience at the Village Vanguard was introduced to a promising new singer in her stage debut.  Aretha Franklin sang at the club in New York City.
1961:  The Highwaymen had the top U.K. song with "Michael".

This Date in Rock Music History: October 10

1959:  We all have career choices to make.  On this date, Ken Brown decided to leave the Quarrymen, leaving John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison to fend for themselves.  (Don't worry about them; they were going to be fine...)  The group had played at the popular Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool, England in a show that Brown was unable to perform due to a heavy cold.  McCartney felt that Brown should not get a share of the performance fee since he did not perform.  Lennon and Harrison sided with McCartney and so Brown quit the group.  

1959:  Brenda Lee was hospitalized with a thyroid deficiency in Nashville, Tennessee.
1963:  The Rolling Stones, the Everly Brothers, Little Richard and Bo Diddley performed at the Gaumont in Wolverhampton, England.
1964:  The Beatles were in concert with two shows at De Montfort Hall in Leicester, England.
1964:  Brian Epstein signed a contract to manage the New Christy Minstrels, which would in the next few years include Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes and Barry McGuire among its members.

This Date in Rock Music History: October 9

1959:  Bobby Darin became the youngest performer to ever headline the Sands Hotel's Copa Room in Las Vegas, Nevada (21 years old).  Johnny Mathis held the previous record at age 23.