This Day In Music History

December 19th

In 1957, a young Elvis Presley was served his draft notice while home at Graceland for Christmas. He was sworn in as a private in the U.S. Army on March 24, 1958 and later sent to basic training in Fort Hood, Texas. Shipped to Germany, he will serve in Company D, 32nd Tank Battalion, 3rd Armor Corps, from October 1, 1958, to March 1, 1960.

On December 19, 1964 the Supremes' song “Come See About Me” hits #1 and stayed on top for 2 weeks.

MTV debuts its weekly animated series, "MTV Oddities," a show that features strange characters in unusual worlds and situations in 1994.

In 2005, Britney Spears sues US Weekly for $20 million in libel damages after the supermarket tab publishes a story claiming she and Kevin Federline made a "goofy" sex tape.

Band Aid 20 remained at # 1 in the UK for the third straight week with the holiday song called "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 2004.

In 2003, Bruce Springsteen and Nils Lofgren attended the funeral of their friend, eccentric Wall St. tycoon John Mulheren. Springsteen leads the assembly in Christmas carols, while Lofgren sings "Wind Beneath My Wings."

Pop Staples, the guitarist who headed the family gospel group the Staples Singers, dies after falling near his home in Dalton, IL on December 19, 2000. The Staple Singers had the pop hit in 1972 with "I'll Take You There."

The Byrds' original drummer Michael Clarke dies of liver failure in 1993, in Treasure Island, Fla.

In 1987, two girls die after being crushed in the crowd before a Public Enemy concert at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium.

The ABBA album “The Visitors” tops the British album charts in 1981.

In 1974, on his first ever solo world tour, George Harrison performs the first of two nights at Madison Square Garden.

At London's Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court Mick Jagger is fined 200 pounds for possession of marijuana in 1969. His girlfriend Marianne Faithfull is acquitted of a similar charge.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet with media guru Marshall McLuhan at the University of Toronto for a 45-minute rap session in 1969.

In 1968, a struggling rock and roll band called Led Zeppelin performs at the Exeter City Hall in England for a fee of 125 pounds. On many dates in the current tour, the band is billed as the New Yardbirds simply to draw an audience.

Birthday wishes to Ten Years After guitarist Alvin Lee who was born in Nottingham, England in 1944.

Earth, Wind & Fire leader Maurice White is born in Memphis in 1941.

Outspoken folksinger Phil Ochs celebrates a birthday (he was born in El Paso, Texas in 1940).

Later hailed as the father of New Orleans R&B, singer and pianist Professor Longhair is born in Bogalusa, LA in 1918.

In 1960, Neil Sedaka’s "Calendar Girl" was released.

Also in 1960, crooner Frank Sinatra recorded his first session with his own record company, Reprise Records. Frank did "Ring-A-Ding-Ding" and "Let’s Fall in Love."

Ron Woods joined the Rolling Stones in 1974.

The film "9 to 5," with Dolly Parton, opened on December 19, 1980.

In 2001, Stone Temple Pilots’ Scott Weiland pled guilty to domestic battery case that arose after fighting with his wife at a Hard Rock Hotel on November 19. The judge approved a plea bargain in which the case would be dismissed if Weiland had no more problems for the next six months and he completed 26 counseling sessions.

Also in 2001, Madonna is interviewed on NBC’s "Dateline."

The late Zal Yanovsky of the Lovin' Spoonful was born in 1944.

Charlie Ryan, who recorded the hit, "Hot Rod Lincoln" turns 92.

Buddy Holly is honored in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas when they named a street after him in 1996.

Bobby Darin records his famous hit "Mack The Knife," in 1958.

In 1955, Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes", a song that he wrote after seeing a young man get angry at his date for scuffing his shoes. Even though Elvis Presley's version is the most remembered, it only made it to #20 on the US chart, while the Perkins' original went to #2.

In 1975, the US Pop chart reaches a new all time low when "Convoy" by C.W. McCall earns a gold record. The novelty tune tells the story of interstate truck drivers and their run-ins with the law. And we thought Disco was bad!

In 1979, Elvis Presley's personal physician, George Nichopoulos, was charged with 'illegally and indiscriminately' prescribing over 12,000 tablets of uppers, downers, and painkillers for him during the 20 months preceding his death. Although he was acquitted this time, he was charged again in 1980 and again in 1992 and was stripped of his medical license in July 1995.