1948 : Toast Of The Town, which would later be called The Ed Sullivan Show, premiered on CBS-TV. The first show was produced on a budget of $1,375. Only $375 was allocated for talent and $200 of that was shared by the young stars of that night’s program, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

1953 : Eddie Fisher was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I’m Walking Behind You’. The American singer had a variety television series, Coke Time with Eddie Fisher on NBC from 1953 – 1957.

1956 : Elvis Presley appears on Wink Martindale’s local Memphis TV show to promote a benefit concert.

1963 : Gerry And The Pacemakers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I Like It’, the group’s second No.1.

1965 : The Beatles began a 14-day European tour with two performances at the Palais Des Sports in Paris, France. The Beatles’ set list for this tour: ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘She’s a Woman’, ‘I’m a Loser’, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Baby’s In Black’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, ‘Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby’, ‘Rock and Roll Music’, ‘I Feel Fine’, ‘Ticket to Ride’, and ‘Long Tall Sally’.

1969 : David Bowie recorded ‘Space Oddity’ at Trident Studios London. The track went on to become a UK No.1 when re-released in 1975. Written about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut. Bowie wrote this after seeing the 1968 Stanley Kubrick movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. He would later revisit his Major Tom character in the songs ‘Ashes to Ashes’ and ‘Hallo Spaceboy’.

1969 : The first of a three day Festival in Newport, California, featuring: Ike And Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, The Rascals, Steppenwolf, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Eric Burdon and Love. A three day ticket cost $15. Hendrix received $125,000 for his appearance, at the time it was the highest fee ever paid to a rock act for a single appearance.

1971 : On this week’s UK singles chart, No.5, Tammi Lynn, ‘I’m Gonna Run Away From You’, No.4, Blue Mink, ‘The Banner Man’, No.3, Tony Christie, ‘I Did What I Did For Maria’, No.2, Dawn, ‘Knock Three Times’, and at No.1, Middle Of The Road ‘Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep’, the Scottish group’s only No.1 hit.

1972 : The Tallahatchee Bridge in Greenwood, Mississippi, made famous in Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode To Billie Joe”, collapses.

1973 : Neil Diamond appeared on the 20th anniversary show of American Bandstand. The US TV show also featured Little Richard, Cheech and Chong, Paul Revere and the Raiders and Three Dog Night.

1974 : Van Morrison, The Allman Brothers, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tim Buckley, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Doobie Brothers all appeared at Knebworth Park, Stevenage, England. A special PA system was used for the event, claiming to be the best ever for an outside show, weighing 12 tons and needing five technicians.

1981 : Stars on 45 went to No.1 on the US singles chart, a medley of Beatles songs set to a disco beat. It was the start of a flood of ‘Stars On’ hits including Stars on Stevie Wonder, punk songs, Status Quo and Chas & Dave.

1986, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Tina Turner and Elton John all appeared at the fourth annual ‘Prince’s Trust Rock Gala’ held in London.

1987 : The Firm were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Star Trekkin’, a novelty song parodying the characters of Star Trek.

1987 : Aerosmith appeared at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, the first night on their Permanent Vacation 147 date world tour.

1988 : Saxon release their Destiny album on the EMI label.

1992 : Mariah Carey scored her sixth US No.1 single with ‘I’ll Be There’, a No.2 hit in the UK. The song was also a US No.1 for The Jackson Five in 1970.

1995 : Jeff Buckley played the first night of a UK tour at The Queens Hall, Edinburgh.

1995 : George Jones and Tammy Wynette, who divorced in 1975 after 6 years of marriage, release an album together called One and also go on tour.

1997 : Lawrence Payton of The Four Tops died from liver cancer aged 59. (1965 US No.1 single ‘I Can’t Help Myself’, 1967 UK No.6 single ‘Standing In The Shadows of Love’).

1998 : Black Sabbath, Foo Fighters, Korn, Pantera, Soulfly, Slayer, Fear Factory, Coal Chamber, Life of Agony, Limp Bizkit, Entombed, Human Waste Project, Neurosis, and Pitchshifter all appeared at Ozzfest, Milton Keynes Bowl, England.

2000 : The Ronettes were awarded $2.6 million (£1.5 million) in back earnings from Phil Spector. New York judge Paula Omansky ruled that the legendary producer had cheated them out of royalties.

2001 : The Cult return with their seventh studio album, and first new recording in seven years, “Beyond Good and Evil”.

2003 : For his 54th birthday, Lionel Richie receives a special gift: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. According to Richie, the star’s location on Hollywood Blvd. isn’t far from the Holiday Inn where The Commodores stayed on there first trip to L.A. while recording their debut album.

2004 : Britney Spears went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Everytime’, the singers fifth UK No.1. Velvet Revolver were at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Contraband.’

2004 : Organisers at a Paul McCartney gig hired three jets to spray dry ice into the clouds so it wouldn’t rain during the concert. The gig in Petersburg, Russia, was McCartney’s 3,000 concert appearance. He had performed 2,535 gigs with the Quarrymen and the Beatles, 140 gigs with Wings and 325 solo shows.

2006 : Claydes Charles Smith, co-founder and lead guitarist of Kool & the Gang died aged 57 after a long illness. They had the 1981 US No.1 & UK No.7 single ‘Celebration’ and 15 other Top 40 hits.

2008 : American singer songwriter Jimmy Buffett announced that his Margaritaville Holdings has partnered with New York gambling company Coastal Marina to buy the Trump Marina Hotel Casino for $316 million. His vast business empire also included tequila, beer, frozen food, footwear, restaurants, a resort, a record label and a recording studio. In 2006, Rolling Stone magazine estimated Buffett’s earnings at $44 million.

2009 : Dave Matthews Band went to No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King’, the bands seventh studio album.