Mississippi

Thousands of spectators gather beside the Mississippi river in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, to await the arrival of the winner of "The Steamboat Race Of The Century" between The Robert E. Lee and The Natchez. The winner is the Robert E. Lee, and the event will inspire the 1912 song Waiting For The Robert E. Lee, which will become a popular standard, recorded by Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Al Jolson, Benny Goodman and many others.

Sheet music for the song Cupid, appears as a supplement to the New York Herald in New Yoirk City, USA. The song was composed by L. M. French and published by Sol Bloom of New York City. (N.B. This is an entirely different song from the one of the same name made famous by Sam Cooke)

Acoustic country blues fiddler, guitarist and vocalist Will Batts is born in Michigan, Mississippi, USA.

Joseph William Perkins is born in Belzoni, Mississippi, USA. He will find fame as blues pianist Pinetop Perkins.

Alphonso Thompson is born in Centreville, Mississippi, USA. Under the name Sonny Thompson he will become a much-recorded smooth jazz and r'n'b pianist and bandleader in the early 1950s.

Charley Patton records Shake It And Break It (But Don't Let It Fall Mama) in Richmond, Indiana, USA, for Paramount Records. Using his pseudonym, The Masked Marvel, he also records Mississippi Boweavil Blues.

Ben Peters, a country music songwriter who will compose many No1 country songs, is born in Greenville, Mississippi, USA. Charley Pride alone will record 40 of his songs, four of which will reach No1 on the Billboard country charts in the USA.

James Johnson is born in Darling, Mississippi, USA. He will achieve success as blues guitarist and recording artist Super Chikan.

Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Felton Pilate of 1970s funk band Con Funk Shun is born in Jackson, Mississippi, USA.

Bo Diddley records I'm A Man, for Chess Records, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The track is an 'answer song' to Muddy Waters' and Willie Dixon's 1954 composition Hoochie Coochie Man. I'm A Man will, in its turn, inspire Muddy Waters to compose and record Manish Boy (aka Mannish Boy).

Bo Diddley by Bo Diddley enters the Billboard R'n'B Singles chart in the USA, where it will peak at No1. The song has particular significance in the history of rock'n'roll because it is widely regarded as the first to have introduced African rhythms into rock through its adaptation of the insistent djouba rhythm, also known as The Hambone. This rhythm has inspired and formed the basis of numerous other rock recordings by artists including Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away, The Who's Magic Bus, Bruce Springsteen's She's the One, George Michael's Faith and Jealous Love by Anders Osborne, to name just a handful.

Elvis Presley and his entourage drive in rented Cadillacs from Dallas, Texas, USA, to Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Dave 'Baby' Cortez, Bo Diddley, The Heartbeats, The Fiestas, The Cadillacs and Bobby Day play the last night in a week of shows at The Howard Theater, Washington DC, USA.

Having been deposed by Jerry Butler's He Will Break Your Heart for one week, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters return to No1 in the Billboard Singles Chart with Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go.

Elvis Presley is in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, re-shooting the ending of Wild In The Country, because pre-release screening audiences did not like the original ending in which Hope Lange committed suicide.

Elvis Presley continues with studio-based filming for the movie Blue Hawaii, at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Elvis Presley continues with location filming his latest movie, Follow That Dream, in Crystal River, Florida, USA.

Elvis Presley continues filming studio-based scenes for his latest movie, Follow That Dream, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

The Blackwood Brothers Quartet plays a live show in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.

Jerry Kennedy's Dancing Guitars (including Boots Randolph on sax) record His Latest Flame, Little Sister, Heartbreak Hotel and other Elvis Presley covers at Bradley Film and Recording Studio, 804 16th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Tennessee Ernie Ford releases a new single, Take Your Girlie To The Movies, on Capitol Records in the USA. On the same day, he releases a new LP, Here Comes The Mississippi Showboat!, also on Capitol.

Sam Cooke, Jerry Butler, The Drifters, and Esther Phillips play a live show in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

Elvis Presley throws a party for friends at his mansion, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Sam Cooke plays the last night of a week of shows at Club Harlem, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

Elvis Presley continues with location filming for his next film, Kissin' Cousins, at Big Bear, near San Bernardino, California, USA.

The musical comedy film Bye Bye Birdie opens at cinemas in Belgium, Europe. The film, based on Elvis Presley being drafted into the US Army, stars Janet Leigh and Dick Van Dyke, with Jesse Pearson as fictitious pop idol Conrad Birdie (a pun on Conway Twitty), along with Ann-Margret and Bobby Rydell. TV show host Ed Sullivan appears as himself.

Elvis Presley's 1963 Christmas greetings cards are mailed out. One card bears the message from 'Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa', while the other is a blue paper fold-out Christmas card with photographs of Graceland and the words 'greetings from The Presleys'.

Elvis Presley spends Christmas at home in Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, with his girlfriend Priscilla Beaulieu.

Elvis Presley spends New Year's Eve at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. This is Priscilla's first New Year's Eve spent living at Graceland.

Sam Cooke has a recording session at RCA Studios, Los Angeles, California, USA, working on the song Cousin Of Mine.

Elvis Presley's seventeenth movie Girl Happy is premiered in the USA. It will not open to the public until the 14th.

Crying In The Chapel by Elvis Presley enters the UK singles chart, where it will peak at No1.

Crying In The Chapel by Elvis Presley reaches No1 in the UK singles chart, where it will remain for one week.

Crying In The Chapel by Elvis Presley reaches No1 in the Australian pop singles chart.

Roosevelt Holts records Corrina and Louise Blues for The Franklinton Muscatel Society in Franklinton, Louisiana, USA.

Bo Diddley plays at The Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, London, England, UK.

Elvis Presley sends a Christmas card showing a nativity scene to Sheila Leyden in Merton Park, England, UK, Europe, with the return address showing the card was from Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

U.S. Male by Elvis Presley enters the Billboard Best-Selling Singles chart in the USA, where it will peak at No28 during a four-week run.

Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Joe Callicot, Nathan Beauregard and the Rev. Robert Wilkins play at The Memphis Country Blues Festival, Overton Shell, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell record tracks for their joint album, Bobbie Gentry And Glen Campbell in Capitol Recording Studio, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Blues and R'n'B guitarist, singer and songwriter Boogie Bill Webb, dies aged 66 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Britney Spears injures her knee during a video shoot for the song Outrageous. As a result, the remainder of the dates on her Onyx Hotel tour will be cancelled.

Rumours hit the internet claiming that 80s pop singer Rick Astley, made famous by his hit Never Gonna Give You Up, has been found dead in his hotel room in Berlin, Germany, Europe. Since the death of Michael Jackson, similar rumours have claimed the deaths of Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears.

Charley Pride, Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss And Union Station play at The White House, Washington DC, USA, as part of an educational workshop about country music.

Country singer and songwriter Jerry Chesnut dies aged 87 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Chesnut is credited with writing hit songs that were performed by Elvis Presley, George Jones, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton.