1953: Buddy Holly and Bob Montgomery auditioned for radio station KDAV’s Sunday Party program in Lubbock, Texas. The duo soon started a slot on Sunday afternoons that became known as The Bob and Buddy Show.

1961: Aretha Franklin’s recording of “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” was released as a single from her second album, The Electrifying Aretha Franklin.

1962: Tommy Roe went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with his first hit single, “Sheila.” Roe’s original version of the song was recorded in 1960 for Judd Records, but the single failed to chart. His second recording for ABC-Paramount, however, was done in the style of the Lubbock sound, popularized by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The new version, which bears a strong resemblance to the Cricket’s “Peggy Sue,” became Roe’s first #1 record and the title track of his first album. Originally titled “Frita,” it was suggested that the name be changed, and the coincidental presence of Roe’s Aunt Sheila at initial sessions for Judd inspired the new title.

1965: The Hollies released their third studio album, Hollies. In November, the band’s US label, Imperial Records, released the album with a slightly different track listing as Hear! Here! in America.

1965: Before flying back to England after their American tour, the Beatles visited their new friends The Byrds at a recording session at Columbia Studios in Hollywood. The Byrds were in the process of recording their versions of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’” and Gene Clark’s “She Don’t Care About Time” for their next album.

1967: John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers released their fourth studio album, Crusade, which features the first recordings of then-18-year-old guitarist Mick Taylor.

1967: The film The Fastest Guitar Alive, featuring Roy Orbison in his only starring role as an actor, was released.

1967: After joining the rhythm and blues scene in Europe after leaving college, Box Scaggs returned to the US, where he met up with old friend Steve Miller in San Francisco. Scaggs soon became a member of the Steve Miller Band, and after playing on the group’s first two albums, he left to pursue a successful solo career. Scaggs and Miller had initially met as teenage schoolmates, and at age fifteen, Scaggs had been the vocalist for Miller’s band, the Marksmen.

1972: David Bowie released “John, I’m Only Dancing” backed with “Hang On to Yourself.” During sessions for his next album, Aladdin Sane, Bowie re-recorded the song with a different arrangement featuring saxophonist Ken Fordham, which was released in 1973. The song was again completely reworked in 1974 to have a disco and funk sound, but wasn’t officially released until 1979.

1975: The Grateful Dead released their eighth studio album, Blues for Allah. It became the group’s highest-charting album until 1987’s In the Dark, reaching #12 on the Billboard pop chart.

1977: Generation X, with lead vocalist Billy Idol, released their debut single, “Your Generation.”

1977: Blondie signed their first major label contract with Chrysalis Records.

1980: Jethro Tull’s thirteenth studio album, A, was released in the US two days after it was issued in the UK.

1980: Simple Minds released their third studio album, Empires and Dances.

1981: Hall & Oates released their tenth studio album, Private Eyes. It became the duo’s first LP to reach the top 10 in the US and UK and produced two #1 singles.

1983: Guitarist Mick Jones was fired from the Clash. After years of touring and recording, Jones had been ready to take a break, but Joe Strummer wanted to capitalize on the band’s growing fame. Frustrated with Jones’ uncooperative behavior, Strummer and bassist Paul Simonon decided to assert control over the band and fired him. After hiring two new guitarists and recording one album, however, the band officially broke up the next year. Jones meanwhile co-founded General Public, which he left shortly after to later form Big Audio Dynamite.

1984: Tina Turner had her first and only solo #1 single with “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” which started three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It had been thirteen years since she and former husband Ike Turner had had a top 10 hit with their version of “Proud Mary.”

1986: The Bangles released “Walk Like an Egyptian,” the third single from their second studio album, Different Light. It became their first #1 hit, topping the charts in the US and several other countries.

1992: The Ramones released Mondo Bizarro, their twelfth studio album and first with new bassist, C.J. Ramone.

1993: The title track and first single from Billy Joel’s twelfth studio album, River of Dream, was released in the US.

1997: Genesis released their fifteenth and final studio album, Calling All Stations. After the departure of longtime drummer and lead singer Phil Collins in 1996, Ray Wilson was chosen to take his place. The group disbanded in 1998 after a tour of Europe, and reformed with Collins in 2006 for a tour of Europe and North America.

2009: John Fogerty released his eighth solo studio album, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again.

Birthdays Today

Tommy Evans, bass vocalist for The Drifters from 1956-1962, was born in 1927.

Marshall Lytle, double bassist and guitarist with Bill Haley & His Comets, was born in Old Fort, NC in 1933.

Conway Twitty, country and rockabilly singer, was born Harold Lloyd Jenkins in Friars Point, MS in 1933.

Archie Bell, solo singer and former leader of Archie Bell & the Drells, was born in Henderson, TX in 1944.

Barry Gibb, singer, songwriter, record producer, and member of the Bee Gees, was born in Douglas, Isle of Man in 1946.

Greg Errico, drummer with Sly & the Family Stone from 1967-1971 who also toured with David Bowie, Santana, Tower of Power, the Jerry Garcia Band, and Weather Report, was born in San Francisco, CA in 1948.

Graham Maby, bass guitarist who’s worked extensively with Joe Jackson in addition to artists such as Graham Parker, Garland Jeffreys, They Might Be Giants, Marshall Crenshaw, Joan Baez, Ian Hunter, and Dar Williams, was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England in 1952.

Bruce Foxton, singer, songwriter, musician, and bassist for the Jam, was born in Woking, Surrey, England in 1955.