1954 : Working together for the first time in a recording studio with Scotty Moore and Bill Black, Elvis Presley fools around during a break with an up-tempo version of ‘That’s All Right.’ Producer Sam Phillips has them repeat the jam and records it. It became Presley’s first release on Sun Records.

1955 : Chuck Berry’s song “Maybellene” is copyrighted in Berry’s name alone, but Alan Freed’s name is added as a form of payola.

1963 : The Beatles played at the Plaza Ballroom in Dudley in the West Midlands. Appearing with The Beatles – Denny and the Diplomats, led by Denny Laine, who went on to join the Moody Blues and eventually, Paul McCartney’s group Wings.

1964 : U.S. President Lyndon Johnson invites The Four Seasons to play at the White House.

1965 : Marty Balin and Paul Kantner formed a Folk-Rock group that would evolve into the Jefferson Airplane, the premier San Francisco psychedelic band of the late ’60s. The Airplane made its debut the following month at a Haight-Ashbury club, and was signed to RCA later in the year.

1965 : Dick Clark launches a musical variety show called Where The Action Is, with Paul Revere & the Raiders as the house band. The show lasts 3 seasons on ABC and features many top musical acts of the era.

1965 : Motown President Berry Gordy, Jr. appears on the popular TV show To Tell The Truth. The Supremes perform after his identity is revealed.

1966 : On the recommendation of Rolling Stone Keith Richards’ girlfriend, Chas Chandler from The Animals went to see Jimi Hendrix play at The Cafe Wha in New York City. Chandler suggests that Hendrix should come to England, which he does and forms The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Chandler became his manager.

1969 : The Rolling Stones gave a free concert in London’s Hyde Park before an audience of 250,000, as a tribute to Brian Jones who had died two days earlier. Mick Jagger read an extract from Percy Bysshe Shelley’s ‘Adonais’ and released 3,500 butterflies; it was also guitarist’s Mick Taylor’s debut with the Stones, King Crimson, Family, The Third Ear Band, Screw and Alexis Korner’s New Church also appeared on the day.

1969 : The Who, Mr Chuck Berry and Bodast all played two shows (5.30 and 8.30pm), on this Sunday night at The Royal Albert Hall. Tickets from 5 to 30 shillings.

1969 : Jerry Butler and The Impressions “reunite” on ABC-TV’s American Bandstand (singing separately).

1975 : Pink Floyd, Captain Beefheart, Steve Miller and Roy Harper all appeared at The Knebworth Festival, England, tickets cost £3.50. Pink Floyd premiered their new album ‘Wish You Were Here’ with the help of Spitfires, pyrotechnics and an exploding plane which flies into the stage.

1978 : The manufacturing of ‘Some Girls’ the new album by The Rolling Stones was halted at EMI’s pressing plant after complaints from celebrities including Lucille Ball who were featured in mock advertisements on the album sleeve.

1982 : Sun records musical director Bill Justis died of cancer aged 55. He worked with Sam Phillips at Sun Records, worked with also worked with Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis. Had the 1957 US No. 2 single ‘Raunchy’ (the first Rock and Roll instrumental hit). Also had a No.1 hit in Australia in 1963 with ‘Tamoure.’

1983 : Suicidal Tendencies release their self-titled debut album. The album spawns Suicidal Tendencies’ biggest hit to date, “Institutionalized.”

1984 : The Everly Brothers launch their first tour together in eleven years, in Cincinnati.

1993 : Whitney Houston played the first of three nights at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. This was the first date on Houston’s 115 date world tour.

1994 : Hootie & the Blowfish release Cracked Rear View. It’s their debut album, and it takes off at the beginning of 1995, becoming the best-selling album in the history of Atlantic Records.

1995 : More than 100 Grateful Dead fans were hurt when a wooden deck collapsed at a campground lodge in Wentzville, Missouri. Hundreds of people were on or under the deck sheltering from heavy rain. More than 4,000 Deadheads were staying at the campground while attending Grateful Dead concerts in the St. Louis suburb.

1999 : The Eurythmics announced their first world tour for more than 10 years and that all profits would be given to charity. The duo made the announcement from the Greenpeace boat ‘Rainbow Warrior’ moored on the River Thames in London.

2002 : It was reported that Dr Dre had become the richest music star after earning £62m in the last year, £37m from his own earnings plus £25m from his record label Aftermath.

2003 : The Daily Star ran a front-page story claiming that the body of Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards had been found. Fishermen in an angling contest discovered bones half buried in mud on the riverbank near Avonmouth. Edwards disappeared in Feb 1995, his car was found at a service station at the Seven Bridge a well-known suicide spot.

2005 : Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour said artists who had seen album sales soar after the Live 8 concerts should donate their profits to charity, saying: “This is money that should be used to save lives.” UK sales figures released two days after the London concert showed Pink Floyd’s Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd had risen by 1343%, The Who’s – Then and Now by 863% and Annie Lennox – Eurythmics Greatest Hits by 500%.

2007 : English jazz and blues singer and film critic George Melly died at his London home at the age of 80 of lung cancer and vascular dementia. His final concert took place at the 100 Club in London on 10th June of this year in aid of Admiral Nurses, part of the charity for Dementia.

2007 : A rock festival headlined by the Manic Street Preachers, Keane and Placebo in Swansea, Wales was postponed due to bad weather. More than 50 bands were due to play The Fflam Festival (the Welsh word for flame) at Singleton Park from 13-15 July.

2009 : Michael Jackson started a seven week run at No.1 on the UK album charts with ‘The Essential Michael Jackson’, and was one of eight Jackson albums in the top twenty after the singers death on 25th June.

2012 : For the second year in a row, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood was honoured in two categories at the annual Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards. The 65-year-old won the specialist programme of the year award for his Absolute Radio show, and saw his weekly guest slot named best feature. Absolute also took the station of the year award.