Business

Dame N elly Melba signs a recording contract with the Gramophone Company. She drives a hard bargain, insisting that her records sell at a higher rate than any other recording artist, with an unprecedented advance.

Singer and actress Judy Garland, aged just 13, signs her first contract with MGM.

It is reported that the huge success of The Weavers folk hit Goodnight Irene has inspired a revival in the fortunes of waltz-time songs, with at least eleven waltzes released recently, including Tennessee Waltz and My Heart Cries For You.

Country music star Hank Williams signs a contract with Acuff-Rose Publishers, giving him (among other things) three cents per copy of the sheet music sold on his composition Me And My Broken Heart.

A copyright application for the song Hound Dog, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, is lodged in the USA.

Songwriter Preston Foster, aka Red Foster, files a claim to copyright as author of his song I've Got My Mojo Working. The song will provide a major hit for Muddy Waters and will become the subject of a long drawn out copyright dispute.

A violent snow storm prevents Jackie Wilson and Linda Hopkins from travelling from New York City, USA, to The Town House, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, where they are scheduled to play a show.

Pearl Bailey headlines a benefit show at The Lake Meadows Club, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The show is in honour of Hank Schwab, head of the local Art And Jazz Society.

Elvis Presley is in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, helping to choose doubles for his role as a boxer in the film Kid Galahad.

The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein and his brother Clive form NEMS Enterprises, in Liverpool, UK.

Eden Kane, Jimmy Crawford, The Citizens, Neville And June, The Reg Guest Trio, The Ravens and The Gary Edwards Combo are set to play tonight at The Palace, Newark, England, UK, Europe, but when headliner Eden Kane fails to turn up, the show has to go ahead without him. The remaining nine gigs on the tour have to be cancelled.

The UK's singing milkman Craig Douglas advertises a new kind of juke box called the Scopitone, which features colour film clips to accompany each disc. The idea, invented in France, does not catch on.

Songwriter Sammy Cahn is telephoned by Irvin Feld, manager of Paul Anka. Feld tells Cahn that Anka in Berlin, Germany, Europe, waiting to start work with Cahn on planning a live show at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, USA.

Elvis Presley's father, Vernon Presley, moves house to a property immediately behind his son's mansion, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

In Los Angeles, California, USA, Capitol Records deny the breach of contract allegation of record producer Hite Morgan, who claims that the company has used the Beach Boys song, Surfin' in circumstances other than those in which their original 1962 agreement was made.

Rising English pop star David Jones changes his name to David Bowie, allegedly to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees.

Gerry Marsden of Liverpool band Gerry and the Pacemakers marries the band's former fan club secretary, Pauline Behan, at St Mary's Church, Woolton, Lancashire, UK. Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles, is a guest at the wedding.

The Bee Gees switch on the Xmas illuminations in Carnaby Street, London, UK.

A reception to honour the album The Ages Of Rock by composer, songwriter and jazz pianist Cy Coleman is held at The Continental Plaza Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Responding to a small ad in the Surrey Advertiser, bass player Doug Ferguson auditions to join Guildford, England, UK, band Strange Brew. He impresses the group with his Fender jazz bass played through a pair of Vox T-60 speakers with amps and is offered the gig on the spot. Soon after they change their name to The Brew, before eventually becoming Camel.

Graham Nash announces his intention to leave The Hollies to form Crosby, Stills And Nash.

Newsweek magazine in the USA carries a report on 'The Bosstown Sound', claiming that such Boston, Massachusetts-based bands as The Ultimate Spinach, Earth Opera and Phluph are the coming wave of rock giants.

Love Can Make You Happy by Mercy is awarded gold disc status by the R.I.A.A. for one million sales in the USA.

Creedence Clearwater Revival and Booker T. And The MG's jam together at Creedence's rehearsal space, Cosmo's Factory, Berkeley, California, USA.

The contract to design and build Spacelab 1 - a re-useable science laboratory for space flights - is given by the European Space Agency (ESA) to a consortium of companies from eight European countries under the leadership of the German space company ERNO Raumfahrttechnik in Bremen. Kraftwerk's 1978 song Spacelab is a celebration of this major technical step forward. Spacelab will first be launched successfully in 1983 from Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida, USA, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Aspiring young UK band The Jam place a newspaper small ad stating "Jam require lead guitarist." No suitable applicants respond.

In an ongoing battle for managerial control of Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel countersues the artist. The resulting dispute will prevent Springsteen from recording for the next ten months. The legal fracas centres around Springsteen's intention of replacing Appel with Jon Landau.

In the UK, Island Records introduces a range of One Plus One cassettes, which feature a pre-recorded album on one side and a blank tape on the other so that fans can make their own recordings.

When Eddie Van Halen has his left wrist x-rayed at Hand Surgery Associates New York City, USA, a fracture is found, resulting in the cancellation of the next three shows on the Hide Your Sheep Tour.

Polydor Records' Head Of Press, Johnny Black, visits Vangelis in his studio near Marble Arch, London, England, UK, Europe, to arrange a brief photo-session for The Observer newspaper. (See Johnny Black's diary entry, attached, for more details).

The Business play at Oddy's Club, at The Tower, Oldham, England, UK, Europe, supported by The Burial.

It is announced that Elton John, who suffered throat problems during his recent tour of Australia, Oceania, is to undergo throat surgery, because of which he has cancelled all 1987 performances including a tour of the USA.

America's Spin magazine, set up two years earlier by Penthouse boss Bob Guccione, as a rival to Rolling Stone, ceases publication, having been hit by bans in major retail outlets related to the publication's 'explicit sexual content'.

Former Beach Boys' manager Stephen Love (Mike Love's brother) is sentenced to five years' probation for embezzling more than $900,000 from the group.

Captured Angel by Dan Fogelberg is certified as a platinum album by the R.I.A.A. in the USA.

Rapper Snoop Dogg holds his second annual Snooper Bowl charity football game in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

It is reported that Norway's ailing Hove Festival has filed for bankruptcy.

The album The Life Of Pablo by Kanye West debuts at No1 in the Billboard 200 Albums chart, having sold 94,000 'album-equivalent' units. (In its second week, it will sell just 1000 copies and, in the third week, a mere 98).

When The Killers play on the Caribbean island of St. Barts for Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, they are unexpectedly joined onstage by Sir Paul McCartney, who plays a song by The Beatles, Helter Skelter, with the Las Vegas quartet, led by Brandon Flowers. The Rolling Stones and Guns N' Roses also perform mini-sets at the same event.

People With Money reports that Ed Sheeran is the highest-paid singer in the world, having earned $96m between April 2016 and April 2017, an almost $60m lead over his closest competition.

To discuss a possible reunion, all five of the Spice Girls (Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Geri Horner, Mel B and Mel C), meet up at Horner's home in London, England, UK, Europe. This marks the first time the entire group has been in the same room since 2012.

U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald of California dismisses a copyright lawsuit brought by songwriting duo Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, over the lyrics of the Taylor Swift hit Shake It Off.