1956 : Doris Day was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Whatever Will Be Will Be’, the singer actress’ second UK No.1 single. The Oscar-winning song was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much, with Doris Day and James Stewart in the lead roles.

1957 : Specialty Records hires a new A&R man named Sonny Bono.

1957 : American Bandstand first aired on US TV. Dick Clark had replaced Bob Horn the previous year when the show was still called Bandstand, Clark went on to host the show until 1989. Countless acts appeared on the show over the years, including Abba, The Doors, Talking Heads, Madonna, Otis Redding, R.E.M. and Pink Floyd.

1959 : Recorded on this day, The Isley Brothers – “Shout”

1964 : Recorded on this day, The Beach Boys – “When I Grow Up To Be A Man”

1965 : The Beatles were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Help!’ The group’s eighth consecutive UK No.1 single. John Lennon later stated he wrote the lyrics of the song to express his stress after the Beatles’ quick rise to success. “I was fat and depressed and I was crying out for ‘Help’.”

1965 : Jan Berry of Jan and Dean was accidentally knocked off a camera car and broke his leg on the first day of filming a new film Easy Come, Easy Go. Several other people were also hurt, causing Paramount to cancel the movie entirely.

1966 : The Beatles Revolver was released in the UK. The bands seventh album featured: ‘Taxman’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘I’m Only Sleeping’, ‘Here, There and Everywhere’, ‘She Said She Said’, ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’.

1968 : American country guitarist Luther Perkins died at the age of 40 as a result of severe burns and smoke inhalation. Perkins fell asleep at home in his den with a cigarette in his hand. He was dragged from the fire unconscious with severe second and third degree burns. Perkins never regained consciousness. He worked with Johnny Cash and The Carter Family and featured on the live album Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.

1969 : George Harrison had his new Moog synthesizer brought into the studio for The Beatles to use in finishing their forthcoming album ‘Abbey Road’. Moog overdubs were recorded onto ‘Because’.

1972 : Music mogul Clive Davis catches Aerosmith’s act at Max’s Kansas City in New York and immediately signs them with CBS Records for $125,000.

1972 : ’50s nostalgia picks up steam at the London Rock & Roll Show. Held at Wembley Stadium, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley, Bo Diddley, and Jerry Lee Lewis all perform.

1975 : Drummer Sandy West and guitarist Joan Jett formed the first ever all female heavy rock band after being introduced by producer Kim Fowley. The band released four studio albums, among its best known songs: ‘Cherry Bomb’, ‘Queens of Noise’ and a cover of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Rock n Roll’.

1975 : Stevie Wonder signs the largest contract for a single artist in history: $13 million over seven years for seven albums with Tamla/Motown.

1976 : NBC-TV airs the 15th anniversary Beach Boys special It’s OK, featuring cameos by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.

1977 : The Police, The Clash, The Damned, The Boys, The Rich Kids, Electric Kellar and Asphelt Jungle all appeared at the Mont de Marsan Punk festival in France.

1978 : The Rolling Stones went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Miss You’, the group’s eighth US No.1, was also a No.3 hit in the UK. The song was written by Mick Jagger after jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston during rehearsals for forthcoming club dates the Stones were playing.

1979 : Def Leppard signed to Phonogram records with an advance of £120,000 pounds ($180,000) giving them a 10% royalty on 100% of sales for the first two years.

1980 : The Osmonds officially disband.

1983 : After sleeping through much of his trial, David Crosby (The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) is sentenced to eight years for cocaine and firearm possession. Within a year, however, his conviction will be overturned.

1984 : Bruce Springsteen played the first of ten nights at the Meadowlands in New Jersey to mark the homecoming of the Born in the USA Tour.

1985 : Bruce Springsteen kicked off the fourth leg of his Born in the USA world tour at the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington D.C.

1989 : Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers had their first of three UK No.1’s with ‘Swing The Mood’. Produced by the father and son DJ team of Andy and John Pickles, Swing the Mood fused a number of early rock and roll records with liberal use of Glenn Miller’s ‘In The Mood.’

1992 : Jeff Porcaro drummer from Toto died age 38. His death has been the subject of controversy: some say the attack was caused by an allergic reaction to garden pesticide, while others say Porcaro’s heart was weakened by smoking and cocaine use. Porcaro also worked with many other acts including Sonny and Cher, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Steely Dan, Paul Simon and Boz Scaggs.

1993 : Randy Hobbs, bass player with The McCoys, Edgar Winter Group and Motrose was found dead in his hotel room in Dayton Ohio from a drug overdose aged 45.

1996 : Soul singer Wilson Pickett checks into a court-ordered rehab for cocaine addiction.

1996 : It was reported that UK TV music show ‘Top Of The Pops’ had hit rock bottom with it’s lowest audience ever – only two and a half million viewers. In its heyday the show attracted over 17 million viewers each week.

2000 : Police were called to Gary Glitter’s West London home after a crowd gathered outside and started to shout abuse. The former pop star was back in London to attend to business affairs before heading abroad again.

2003 : Dido started a four week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Life For Rent’ the UK singers second No.1 album.

2005 : Bob Dylan’s song ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ topped a poll of rock and film stars to find the music, movies, TV shows and books that changed the world. The 1965 single beat Elvis Presley’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ into second place in a survey for Uncut magazine. Sir Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Robert Downey Jr, Rolling Stone Keith Richards and Lou Reed were among those who gave their opinions.

2007 : DNA testing on about a dozen people who claimed late soul star James Brown was their father revealed that at least two of them were telling the truth. A former adviser for the singer, Buddy Dallas, said he could not confirm exact figures, as further test results were forthcoming. His will, which is being disputed in court, named six children.

2007 : Beatles fans feared the misuse of the Fab Four’s music had hit rock bottom following the decision to license ‘All You Need Is Love’ for use in a nappy advert. Procter & Gamble had purchased the rights to use the song from Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which now owned Northern Songs, the Beatles’ catalogue. The ad featured a baby jumping on a teddy bear in a disposable nappy which offered ‘ultimate leak protection.’

2009 : Steven Tyler of Aerosmith falls off the stage at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, suffering injuries to his head and neck, which force the rest of their tour to be canceled. Tyler fell when he was entertaining the crowd with a dance while a technical problem was being sorted.