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During an appointment with his optometrist in Lubbock, Texas, Buddy Holly is told that he must wear glasses.
Francis Warren Nicholls, Jr. is born in The Bronx, New York City, USA. He will find fame as DJ and producer Frankie Knuckles, often referred to as The Godfather Of House Music.
The movie Young at Heart, starring Doris Day and Frank Sinatra has its New York City, USA, premiere.
Jack Parnell And His Music Makers play at The Festival Hall, Kirkby In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Chicago-born singer Joni James enters the Billboard Singles Chart in the USA with How Important Can It Be?, which will peak at No2, during a run of sixteen weeks.
Bluesman Jimmy Reed enjoys his first Billboard R'n'B chart entry in the USA with You Don't Have To Go. It peaks at No9.
Elvis Presley plays in South Side Elementary School, Bastrop, Mississippi, USA, supporting Duke Of Paducah, Mother Maybelle and The Carter Sisters, as part of the WSM Grand Ole Opry Show.
Webb Pierce records I Don't Care for Decca Records in Castle Studio [founded by Paul Cohen] in The Tulane Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
The DeJohn Sisters and Eartha Kitt appear on the Toast Of The Town Show, broadcast live from New York City, USA, and hosted by Ed Sullivan.
Jump blues star Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five have a recording session at Webster Hall, New York City, USA.
Unchained Melody by Al Hibbler enters the Billboard Top 40 Singles Chart in the USA. It will peak at No3 during a nineteen-week run on the chart.
Unchained Melody by Al Hibbler enters the Billboard Top 40 Singles Chart in the USA. It will peak at No3 during a nineteen-week run on the chart.
Jazz saxophonist Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis releases the album Modern Jazz in the USA.
At Universal Studios in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Chuck Berry records his first Chess Records single, Maybellene, a re-written version of a country fiddle tune called Ida Red.
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It is reported that more than 18m copies of the song The
Ballad Of Davy Crockett, in versions recorded by several
artists including Fess
Parker, Bill Hayes and
Tennessee
Ernie Ford, have been bought in the past eighteen months, making it America's most popular song.
There are four versions of Stranger In Paradise in the UK singles chart - by Tony Bennett, Tony Martin, The Four Aces and Eddie Calvert.
The Miles Davis Quartet records I Didn't, Will You Still Be Mine?, Green Haze, I See Your Face Before Me, A Night In Tunisia and A Gal In Calico, at VGS Recording Studios, Hackensack, New Jersey, USA, for Prestige Records.
When Oscar Pettiford plays at the Cafe Bohemia, New York City, USA, saxophonist Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley is in the audience, and is invited on stage to jam.
Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and others appear at the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
Folk singer/songwriter and recording artist Caroline Aiken is born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. During a long career she will work with Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, Muddy Waters, Janis Ian, Indigo Girls and many others.
The film Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, starring Jennifer Jones and William Holden, is released to cinemas in the USA. The title song will win an Academy Award as Best Song.
The Clovers and Ruth Brown play the fifth night of a week at The Apollo, Harlem, New York City, USA.
Colin Moulding, bass player of XTC, is born at 2 Hinton Street, Gorse Hill, Swindon, Wiltshire, England, UK, Europe.
Californian r'n'b combo The Jewels record Goin', Goin', Gone and Rickety Rock for Imperial Records in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Bill Haley turns down a $2000 dollar a day, fifteen-date tour of Australia because some of his band members are afraid of flying.
Joe Williams plays live with the Count BasieOrchestra at Birdland, New York City, USA.
24-year-old movie star and rebel without a clue James Dean dies when his Porsche collides with another vehicle at a crossroads
on Route 466 in California, USA. His legend will inspire mentions in popular songs by The Eagles, Taylor Swift, Don McLean, Madonna, David Essex, R.E.M. and more.
Ella Fitzgerald's manager, Norman Granz, holds a press conference in Houston, Texas, USA, declaring that the previous night's arrest of Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Illinois Jacquet, on gambling charges was racially motivated, because local police did not want mixed audiences at concerts in the city.Chicago-born singer Joni James enters the Billboard Singles Chart in the USA with You Are My Love, which will peak at No6, during a run of ten weeks.
Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars release a new single, Mack The Knife, in the USA. It will peak at No20.
Miles Davis has his first recording session for Columbia Records - while he is still under contract to Prestige Records.
Little Richard releases a new single, Tutti Frutti, in the USA on Specialty Records.
Johanneshovs Isstadion is opened in Stockholm, Sweden, as a sports arena. Now known as Hovet [The Court], it has also become popular as a music venue with an official capacity of 8,300. Artists who have played here include the Foo Fighters, Muse and Oasis.
Bo Diddley records Diddy Wah Diddey, Dancing Girl and I'm Looking For A Woman, for Chess Records, in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Records, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, sells Elvis Presley's recording contract to a partnership consisting of 'Colonel' Tom Parker plus Hill and Range Song Publishers.
Teen crooner Pat Boone's cover version of Fats Domino's Ain't That A Shame enters the UK singles chart, where it will peak at No7 during an eleven-week run.
In a package tour called the Lucky Seven Blues Show, Little Willie John, Champion Jack Dupree, Little George Smith and Otis Williams play in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
In a package tour called the Lucky Seven Blues Show, Little Willie John, Champion Jack Dupree, Little George Smith and Otis Williams play in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
Fats Domino opens for a series of shows at the Club Harlem, Los Angeles, California, USA.
William Broad is born in Edgeware, London, UK. As Billy Idol he will become a leading punk rocker.
Nashville-based music business manager Eddie Crandall writes to Lubbock, Texas, USA, radio deejay Dave Stone : "I'm very confident I can do something as far as getting Buddy Holly a recording contract. It may not be a major, but even a small one would be beneficial to someone who is trying to get a break. And he's got to start somewhere. Anyway, I'll see what I can do. Col Parker suggested I try and help Buddy as he's pretty well tied up - And with your friendship, I'll try my darndest to help him."Buddy Holly records Love Me, Don't Come Back Knockin', Moonlight Baby and I Guess I Was Just A Fool, during a recording session at Nesman Studios, Wichita Falls, Texas, USA.
Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Holiday Jubilee begins at The Academy of Music, New York City, USA. featuring Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra, LaVern Baker, Teddy Randazzo And The Three Chuckles, Richard Barrett And The Valentines, Boyd Bennett And The Rockets, Earl Carroll and The Cadillacs, The Bonnie Sisters, Gloria Mann, James Sheppard and The Heartbeats, The Wrens and Don Cherry.
Ruth Brown and Clyde McPhatter play the first of five nights at The Brooklyn Paramount, New York City, USA.
Bill Haley And His Comets release a new single, See You Later, Alligator, on Decca Records in the USA.
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