1952 : Ahmet Ertegun began recording his newest signing, 21 year old Ray Charles at Atlantic Records on West 56th St in New York City. Ertegun had purchased the singers contract from the Swingtime label for $2,500.

1956 : Police were called to break up a crowd of rowdy teenagers following the showing of the film Rock Around The Clock at the Trocadero Cinema in London, England. The following day, The Times printed a reader’s letter that said: “The hypnotic rhythm and the wild gestures have a maddening effect on a rhythm loving age group and the result of its impact is the relaxing of all self control.” The film was quickly banned in several English cities.

1962 : After George Martin insisted that session drummer Andy White took Ringo Starr’s place, The Beatles returned to EMI Studios in London for a third attempt at recording their first single. ‘Love Me Do’ was selected to be The Beatles’ first A-side, with “P.S. I Love You” on the flip side (a reversal of the original plan). The single that was released on October 5th featured a version of ‘Love Me Do’ with Ringo on drums, but the album ‘Please Please Me’ included a version with Andy White on drums.

1964 : The London Evening News reported that a 16 year-old Eltham Collage boy, introduced as Laurie Yarham, was everyone’s idea of a winner in a Mick Jagger look-a-like competition. Laurie looked like Mick Jagger and seemed to know his every action and the audience at Greenwich Town Hall were delighted, until the winner turned out to be Mick’s younger brother Chris Jagger.

1965 : The Beatles started a nine-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Help!’, the group’s sixth US chart topper.

1967 : Frank Sinatra, who is playing at The Sands casino in Las Vegas, gets in a fight when he is denied credit as part of a policy put in by the new owners. He breaks two teeth in the altercation, and soon takes his talents (and money) to Caesar’s Palace.

1967 : Filming began for The Beatles ‘Magical Mystery Tour’. There was no script, nor a very clear idea of exactly what was to be accomplished, not even a clear direction about where the bus was supposed to go. The ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ bus set off for the West Country in England stopping for the night in Teignmouth, Devon were hundreds of fans greeted The Beatles at their hotel.

1968 : Bassist from Sly and the Family Stone, Larry Graham was busted for cannabis possession as the band arrived in London to start a UK tour.

1971 : Donny Osmond started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Go Away Little Girl’. The singers only US solo chart topper. The song had also been a No.1 for Steve Lawrence in 1963.

1971 : The Jackson 5 cartoon series, called The Jackson 5ive, debuts on ABC. Each episode showed various adventures with animated versions of the group, along with Michael’s pet mice Ray and Charles, and his snake Rosie. The cartoon ran from 1971-1973.

1976 : KC and the Sunshine Band went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘(Shake Shake Shake), Shake Your Body’, the group’s third US No.1, a No.22 hit in the UK.

1977 : David Bowie recorded a guest appearance on ‘Bing Crosby’s ‘Merrie Olde Christmas’ TV show duetting with Crosby on ‘Peace On Earth – Little Drummer Boy. The track became a UK No.3 hit five years later in 1982.

1982 : Chicago started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Hard To Say I’m Sorry’, the group’s second US No.1. Taken from the film ‘Summer Lovers’, a No.4 hit in the UK.

1982 : John “Cougar” Mellencamp became the only male artist to have two singles in the US Top Ten as well as the No.1 album. ‘Jack and Diane’ was No.4, while ‘Hurts So Good’ was at No.8. His album ‘American Fool’ was at No.1 for the first of nine weeks.

1987 : Founder member of The Wailers Peter Tosh was shot dead at his home in Kingston Jamaica by armed robbers.

1987 : Peter Gabriel cleaned up at this year’s MTV Awards, winning best video, best male video, best concept video, best special effects and five other awards for the track ‘Sledgehammer’.

1987 : Level 42’s ‘It’s Over’, became the first CD video single to go on sale in the UK. It contained twenty minutes of music and five minutes of video (which remained unseen until CDV players went on sale).

1988 : Michael Jackson appeared at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England on his Bad World Tour. Over 3,000 fans were treated by the St. John Ambulance service for passing out, hysteria and being crushed amongst the crowd of 125,000 fans, the largest concert of the 123-date world tour.

1988 : Metallica kicked off their 222-date Damaged Justice world tour at the MTK Football Stadium in Budapest, Hungary.

1993 : Mariah Carey started a eight week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Dreamlover’. Also on the same day her fourth album ‘Music Box’ went to No.1 in the UK.

1996, Noel Gallagher walked out on the rest of Oasis half way through an American tour after a fight with his brother Liam in a hotel in Charlotte North Carolina. Noel flew back to London the following day.

2000 : Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow release a cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin'” as a duet. The single reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for a week. The single also appears in the 2000 film Duets, which starred the pair.

2001 : Walking to work in New York (as an comic book illustrator) Gerard Way witnessed the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre. The day’s events inspired him to start a band, which became My Chemical Romance with Way becoming their lead singer.

2001 : Most radio stations simulcast news after the terrorist attacks take place. As stations gradually return to music, they try to be sensitive about what songs they play, but Clear Channel Communications goes overboard with a list of 165 songs they ask their stations to avoid, including Smooth Criminal and What A Wonderful World.

2003 : Tommy Chong, one-half of the comedy team of Cheech and Chong, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 for selling drug paraphernalia over the Internet. The 65 year-old Chong pled guilty to the charges last May. He remained free until April, 2004, when he went to jail.

2004 : American lyricist Fred Ebb died of a heart attack at his home in New York City. Co-wrote, ‘New York, New York’ and ‘Chicago’ and worked with Liza Minnelli.

2004 : Former Westlife singer Brian McFadden was hailed a hero after tackling a mugger who snatched a German tourist’s handbag in North London. McFadden ran after the mugger and wrestled him to the ground.

2005 : Grammy-award winning guitarist and singer Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown died in Texas at the age of 81. Recorded with Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder and Frank Zappa during a career that spanned 50 years.

2006 : A study from the University of Leicester found that more than a quarter of classical music fans had tried cannabis. Researchers were trying to find out what people’s taste in music revealed about their lifestyles. The UK study also revealed that blues buffs are the most likely to have received a driving penalty. Hip hop and dance music fans were more likely to have multiple sex partners and were among the biggest drug-takers surveyed. More than 2,500 people were interviewed for the study, which was published in the scientific journal Psychology of Music.