"Shake, Rattle and Roll” became the first rock and roll song to make it onto the U.K. singles chart. The year was 1954 and it was performed by
Bill Haley and His Comets. “Jingle Bell Rock,” the first rock ’n’ roll Christmas song was a #6 hit for
Bobby Helms in 1957. “Jingle Bell Rock” would make the top 100 again in 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1997.
Eddie Kendricks of
The Temptations was born in 1939.
Birthday wishes to
Paul Butterfield (born in 1942).
Paul Rodgers celebrates a birthday (born in 1949).
Birthday wishes to
Mike Mills of the rock group
R.E.M. (1958).
Hound Dog Taylor died in 1975 of cancer.
We lost Grover Washington Jr. who died of a heart attack in 1999, at the age of 56.
In 1961,
Garth Hudson joins
Levon Helm,
Robbie Robertson,
Rick Danko and
Richard Manuel in the
Hawks, who serve as Arkansas rockabilly singer
Ronnie Hawkins’ backup band.
In 1977,
Neil Young released “Decade,” a triple-album retrospective.
In 1993,
MTV launches "
The State," a weekly sketch comedy show that takes a raw comedic look at the pop culture of the day.
In 1965-
The Supremes open the Houston Astrodome with a concert that also starred
Judy Garland.
Carl Perkins writes "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1955.
Olivia Newton-John appears in the NBC-TV movie "A Mom For Christmas," in 1990.
Andy Williams records "Love Story," in 1970.
In 1955, while their hit "Only You" was at the #2 position, the
Platters' "The Great Pretender" enters the Billboard R&B chart at #13.
Also in 1955,
Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons" is number one on both the Pop and Country & Western charts.
In 1963,
James Carroll at
WWDC in Washington, DC, became
the first disc jockey to broadcast a
Beatles record on American airwaves. Carroll played "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend, who had brought the single back from Britain. Due to listener demand, it played daily, every hour and since it hadn't been officially released in the States, Capitol Records initially considered court action, but instead released the single earlier than planned.
The
Royal Guardsmen's "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" enters the Billboard Pop chart in 1966, where it peaks at #2 during its eleven week run.
The
Four Tops' "Standing in the Shadows of Love" enters the Billboard Hot 100 on December 17, 1966. During a ten week stay, the tune will peak at #6 and also reaches #2 on the R&B chart.
In 1969, an estimated 40 million viewers tuned in to see 36 year old
Tiny Tim marry 17 year old Victoria May Budinger, whom he refers to as "Miss Vicki," on NBC's "The Tonight Show." The couple would later have one daughter, Tulip and would be divorced in 1972.
The
Beach Boys play a command performance for Princess Margaret at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1970.
In 1977,
Elvis Costello appears on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live, where producer Lorne Michaels refuses to allow him to perform "Radio, Radio" (because of the song's criticism of the broadcasting industry). A few measures into "Less than Zero," Costello halts his group and goes into "Radio, Radio." He will never be invited back.
In 1982,
Karen Carpenter made her last public appearance, singing Christmas carols at Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California.
Paul McCartney's limo catches fire en route to a TV taping in Newcastle, England in 1986. Both he and Linda escape unharmed.
In 1986, The
Doobie Brothers reunite for a benefit in Palo Alto, California. The performance inspires a reunion tour the next year.
Outside his birthday party at the Russian Tea Room in New York City in 1999, the
Rolling Stones' Keith Richards decides to keep a guitar that he was asked to autograph. The owner of the guitar decides not to press charges saying, "It's Keith, man."
Elvis Presley's daughter
Lisa Marie agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman
Robert FX Sillerman in a deal worth $100m in 2004. Sillerman will run Presley's Memphis home, Graceland, will own Elvis' name and likeness, the rights to his photographs and revenue from his music and films. Lisa Marie will retain possession of Graceland and many of her father's "personal effects.” The agreement was to pay her $53 million in cash and absolve her of $25million in debts that was owed by the estate. She will also receive shares in the new company expected to be worth more than $20 million. Actress
Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie's mother and Presley's former wife, remained executive consultant to the business.
In 2006 we lost
Dennis Payton, saxophonist for
The Dave Clark Five, who died of cancer on December 17th, at the age of 63.
