|
Health Issues
1984 : Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen loses an arm when he crashes his Corvette. He continues with the band, using computer aids and relying more on his feet. |
|
Awards and Honors (2)
| 1969 : A BBC TV special declares John Lennon Man Of The Decade, on the same day that Rolling Stone names him Man Of The Year and New Musical Express quotes him as saying he's thinking of leaving The Beatles. |
| 1996 : Queen Elizabeth II announces that Paul McCartney will be knighted - these announcements are traditionally made on New Year's Eve. |
Band Dynamics (2)
| 1971 : David Clayton-Thomas and Fred Lipsius play their last show with Blood, Sweat & Tears at a concert in Anaheim, California. Clayton-Thomas goes on to a solo career. |
| 1974 : Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are asked to join Fleetwood Mac. |
Births (15)
Certifications and Milestones (4)
| 1965 : The Beatles' I Feel Fine is certified gold. |
| 1965 : The Beatles' Beatles '65 is certified gold. |
| 1975 : Elvis Presley sets a new single-show solo record at a concert in Pontiac, Michigan, which earns $800,000. |
| 2008 : At halftime of the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, 40,148 fans perform the Y.M.C.A. dance while the Village People perform, establishing a Guinness World Record. It was the most memorable part of the game, which Oregon State won 3-0 over Pittsburgh. |
Charts (2)
| 1955 : The first version of Unchained Melody, recorded by Les Baxter, his Chorus and Orchestra, is named the top selling single of 1955 by Billboard. Baxter's version was featured in the movie Unchained; The Righteous Brothers would have a huge hit with the song in 1965. |
| 1966 : The Monkees' I'm A Believer hits #1. |
Concerts and Festivals (6)
| 1961 : The Beach Boys, formerly known as The Pendletons, make their onstage debut under their new name at a Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert in Long Beach, CA. They are paid $300 for the gig. |
| 1969 : Jimi Hendrix's new group, Band of Gypsys, makes its onstage debut tonight at the Fillmore East ballroom in New York City. The concert is later released on LP as simply Band Of Gypsys. |
| 1971 : The Band – complete with a full horn section – performs at the New York Academy of Music. The result was the double album, Rock of Ages, which was released the following year. |
| 1973 : AC/DC make their live debut at the Chequers Bar in Sydney, Australia and Journey at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. |
| 1978 : Bill Graham's Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco closes its doors for good after the Greateful Dead play their 48th concert there. Also appearing this night: The Blues Brothers. |
| 1980 : Bruce Springsteen plays an epic show at the Nassau Coliseum lasting 4 hours, 38 minutes and covering 38 songs. The best we can tell, it's the longest Springsteen show ever. |
Deaths (4)
| 1967 : Bert Berns |
| 1985 : Rick Nelson dies in a plane crash at age 45. A child star on The Ozzie And Harriet Show, he became a teen idol as a singer, charting 36 hits on the Top-40. |
| 1997 : Floyd Cramer |
| 2009 : Earl Gaines |
Debuts (2)
| 1961 : Janis Joplin makes her on-stage debut at the Halfway House in Beaumont, TX. |
| 1963 : The Kinks make their on-stage debut at London's Lotus House Restaurant. |
Good Deeds (1)
| 1991 : Ted Nugent, who often donates meat from his kills to charity, serves about 200 pounds of venison courtesy of the Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger program at a Detroit soup kitchen, telling clients, "I kill it, you grill it." |
Health Issues (1)
| 1984 : Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen loses an arm when he crashes his Corvette. He continues with the band, using computer aids and relying more on his feet. |
Legal Issues (3)
| 1912 : A rambunctious 12-year-old named Louis Armstrong fires his stepfather's pistol during New Years Eve festivities and is sent to the New Orleans Home for Colored Waifs, where he will learn to read and write music, as well as play cornet and bugle with the school band. |
| 1940 : A legal dispute between the two entities forces all US radio stations to stop playing music licensed by ASCAP (the American Society of Publishers and Composers) for a full ten months. While strengthening new rival BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.), it also means that several radio stations keep afloat by playing public domain songs, including classical and kids' music! |
| 1970 : Paul McCartney sues to dissolve The Beatles partnership and breaks ties with Allen Klein, who the other three members have chosen to manage their affairs. The case drags on for years until the partnership is finally dissolved in a 1975 private agreement. |
Marriages and Breakups (3)
| 1947 : Roy Rogers marries Dale Evans. |
| 1962 : John Phillips and Michelle Gilliam, later of The Mamas & The Papas, are married. |
| 1982 : E Street Band guitarist "Miami Steve" and/or "Little Steven" Van Zandt marries Maureen Santora at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Little Richard officiates; Bruce Springsteen is the best man; Percy Sledge sings When A Man Loves A Woman during the reception. |
Miscellaneous (4)
| 1967 : Sonny And Cher are suddenly disinvited to appear at tomorrow's Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA, after publicly backing the "Sunset Strip Rioters," teenagers protesting the city's new curfew. |
| 1971 : Elvis Presley announces to his entourage that his wife Priscilla will be divorcing him, saying simply, "She says she doesn't love me anymore." In contrast to previous years, tonight's New Year's Eve celebration is held at Graceland rather than a local club. |
| 1975 : Casablanca Records' single release party for Donna Summer's debut single, Love To Love You Baby features a life-size cake in the shape of the singer, flown in all the way from Los Angeles to New York. (It's Summer's 23rd birthday.) |
| 1982 : Max's Kansas City club in New York, where Bruce Springsteen, the New York Dolls, and The Velvet Underground played some of their first concerts, shuts its doors for good. |
Movies (1)
| 1960 : The risque (and soon to be hit) beach vacation movie, Where The Boys Are, premieres in New York City, starring Connie Francis. |
Recordings (2)
| 1969 : The debut performance of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsies is recorded for an eventual live album. |
| 1974 : Pink Floyd begin recording their landmark LP Wish You Were Here after abandoning an earlier concept of an album recorded entirely with household objects. |
Releases (1)
| 1965 : Alf Lennon, John's estranged deadbeat father, releases "That's My Life (My Love And My Home)," a single designed to ride the coattails of John's success and his recent song In My Life. Lennon instructs manager Brian Epstein to make sure it is blackballed in the UK. It is not a hit. |
TV, Radio, Press (4)
| 1968 : Billboard magazine reports that this year, for the first time, US total music sales have topped one billion dollars. |
| 1970 : On the same day Paul McCartney officially sues the other members of The Beatles for a legal dissolution of their "partnership,", British magazine Melody Maker announces that The Beatles are looking for a new bassist. |
| 1972 : Dick Clark begins a new holiday tradition as his first New Year's Rockin' Eve concert is broadcast on ABC-TV. Dick himself will host the annual event for the next 32 years. Guests for the inaugural event include Three Dog Night and Al Green. |
| 1991 : After 62 years, Radio Luxembourg, Europe's oldest commercial radio station, goes off the air for good. |
|
|
January ( 1180 Events )
February ( 1194 Events )
March ( 1346 Events )
April ( 1308 Events )
May ( 1346 Events )
June ( 1204 Events )
July ( 1201 Events )
August ( 1219 Events )
September ( 1210 Events )
October ( 1553 Events )
November ( 1180 Events )
December ( 1180 Events )
|
You can easily select between:
- One of many pre-designed looks.
- Create your your own custom widget design in matter of minutes. (available after authentication.)
Attention: This widget system is accessible for registered users only. You need to be logged in before you can choose and manage your widget!
Get the Music History Event of the Day delivered directly to you.
|
