1957: Elvis Presley made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, in which Sullivan presented Presley with a gold record for a million copies sold of his single “Love Me Tender.” The following week, the single hit the top of Billboard’s Best Sellers in Stores and Most Played by Jockeys charts.

1957: The Everly Brothers had their first #1 single on Billboard R&B and “Most Played by Jockeys” charts with “Wake Up Little Susie.”

1958: Buddy Holly made his last major television appearance lip-syncing to “It’s So Easy” and “Heartbeat” on ABC TV’s American Bandstand.

1962: After playing at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre three times as the Quarrymen, the Beatles played their first show at the prestigious venue for a NEMS Enterprises promotional event. Additional acts alongside headliner Little Richard included Craig Douglas, former Shadows bassist Jet Harris and The Jetblacks, Kenny Lynch, The Breakaways, and Sounds Incorporated.

1963: The Beach Boys released “Be True To Your School” from their fourth album, Little Deuce Coupe. The group had recorded two versions of the song earlier in September. The original recording, in a higher key and at a slower tempo, was included on Little Deuce Coupe and the second version was released as a single featuring Los Angeles girl group The Honeys, who chant various “cheerleader yells” before each chorus. The song reached #6 in US. On the flip side was “In My Room,” a collaboration between Brian Wilson and musician Gary Usher.

1964: The T.A.M.I. Show concert film was recorded at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Referred to as both the “Teenage Awards Music International” and “Teen Age Music International,” the two day event featured the famed Wrecking Crew session musicians backing performances by numerous rock and R&B acts including James Brown and the Famous Flames, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Supremes, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Lesley Gore, Jan and Dean, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and the Barbarians.

1966: “Gimme Some Lovin’” by The Spencer Davis Group was released. The single became the band’s first top 40 hit in the US and highest reaching single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #7.

1966: Face to Face, the Kinks’ fourth studio album and first to consist entirely of Ray Davies compositions, was released in the UK. Regarded as one of rock’s first concept album, the band had begun to introduce a softer style of writing with songs such as “A Well Respected Man” and “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” and the success of the LP’s lead single, “Sunny Afternoon,” proved to their manager that the new songwriting style would work. The LP was issued in the US in early December.

1972: Stevie Wonder released his fifteenth studio album, Talking Book.

1972: British band The Move debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Do Ya,” one of their last singles before transitioning into Electric Light Orchestra. In 1977, the band re-recorded the song and it reached #16 on the US charts.

1977: The Jam released “The Modern World,” the lead single and opening track from their second studio album, This is the Modern World.

1977: Queen released their sixth studio album, News of the World.

1978: Billy Joel released “My Life,” the first single from his sixth studio album, 52nd Street.

1982: The Dream Syndicate released their second record and debut full-length album, The Days of Wine & Roses.

1985: Pet Shop Boys released the second version of their single “West End Girls.” Originally recorded and released in 1984, the duo re-recorded the song with producer Stephen Hague after signing with EMI, and it was issued as the first single from their debut album, Please.

1985: Oingo Boingo released their fifth studio album, Dead Man’s Party.

1988: Mike + The Mechanics released their second album, Living Years. It became the band’s high charting LP on the UK chart, reaching #2, as well as their highest reaching album in the US, where it peaked at #13.

1991: Genesis released We Can’t Dance, their fourteenth studio album and last with drummer and signer Phil Collins before his departure to exclusively pursue solo projects.

1993: Bob Dylan released his twenty-ninth studio album, World Gone Wrong. Like his previous album, Good as I Been to You, it is a collection of only traditional folk songs, performed acoustically with guitar and harmonica.

1996: Apple Records released Anthology 3, the third and final compilation album of rarities and alternative tracks. It consists of tracks from the last three years of the band’s career, ranging from the initial sessions for The Beatles (better known as “the White Album”) to the last sessions for Let It Be and Abbey Road in 1969 and early 1970.

1997: After suffering a brain aneurysm that nearly took his life during an R.E.M. tour in 1995, drummer Bill Berry announced that he was departing the band after 17 years. R.E.M.’s members acquiesced and announced that they would continue as a trio.

2003: The Moody Blues released their sixteenth and final studio album, December. The Christmas themed album was the their first after Ray Thomas’ retirement from the band as well as their first to feature covers in addition to original material since their 1965 debut LP, The Magnificent Moodies.

2014: The Allman Brothers Band played their final show at New York’s Beacon Theatre, ending their 45-year career. After more than four hours of music, Gregg Allman addressed the crowd, recalled his first jam session with the band, and said, “Never did I have any idea it could come to this.”

Birthdays Today

Gershon Kingsley, pioneer of electronic music and the Moog synthesizer, half of electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and founder of the First Moog Quartet best known for his 1969 instrumental composition, “Popcorn,” was born in Bochum, Weimar Republic in 1922.

Graham Bond, keyboardist, saxophonist, and leader of the Graham Bond Organization who is considered a founding father of the English rhythm and blues boom of the 1960s, was born in Romford, England in 1937.

Curtis Lee, singer best known for his top 10 hit, “Pretty Little Angel Eyes,” was born in Yuma, AZ in 1939.

Jim Post, folk singer-songwriter, composer, playwright, actor, and half of 1960s duo Friend and Lover, best known for their hit single, “Reach Out of the Darkness,” was born in Houston, TX in 1939.

Jay Proctor, lead singer and founder of Jay & the Techniques, who are best known for their 1967 R&B hit “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie,” was born in Allentown, PA in 1940.

Hank Marvin, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and lead guitarist for the Shadows who has been cited as an influence by guitarists such as George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Roy Wood, Brian May, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Steve Howe, Pete Townshend, and Jeff Beck, was born Brian Robson Rankin in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England in 1941.

Wayne Fontana, rock and pop singer and solo artist best known for hits in the 1960s with the Mindbenders, was born Glyn Geoffrey Ellis in Levenshulme, Manchester, Lancashire, England in 1945.

Desmond Child, songwriter and producer who has written hits for several artists, was born in Gainesville, FL in 1953.

Stephen Morris, drummer for Joy Division and subsequently New Order, was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England in 1957.

William Reed, guitarist, composer, singer, and lead guitarist and co-founder of The Jesus and Mary Chain, was born in East Kilbride, Scotland in 1958.

Ben Harper, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, was born in Pomona, CA in 1969.