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Los Angeles-based doo-wop combo Variety Weekly reveals that the movie The Glenn Miller Story earned $7m at the box office in the USA, placing it among 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1954'.
American music trade magazine Billboard reports that two MOR crooners, Perry Como and Tony Bennett are about to release r'n'b-flavoured tracks. This is taken as indicative of increased interest from the major record labels in a style which was, until recently, an indpendent phenomenon. Como is reported to have covered Ko Ko Mo, originally by Gene And Eunice, but there is not word about which tracks Bennett has recorded.
Elvis Presley turns twenty, appears on the Louisiana Hayride radio show in Shreveport, Louisiana, and releases his third single, Milk Cow Blues Boogie, on Sun Records in the USA.
Doo-wop quartet The Penguins only hit single, Earth Angel, on DooTone Records, peaks at No8 in the Billboard Top 40 Singles chart in the USA.
Elvis Presley records I Got A Woman at Sun Studios, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and also plays live on KWKH Radio's Louisiana Hayride show in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
The DeJohn Sisters' only hit single [My Baby Don't Love Me] No More, peaks at No6 in the USA.
The Orioles complete a three-day engagement at the 5-4 Club, Los Angeles, California, USA.
The Bruce Turner Quintet records I've Got To Sing A Torch Song, Imagination, Love Is Just Around The Corner and You're A Heavenly Thing in London, UK, for Polygon Records.
Webb Pierce records I Don't Care for Decca Records in Castle Studio [founded by Paul Cohen] in The Tulane Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Fats Domino records Ain't That A Shame at Master Recorders, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Fats Domino plays the second of three nights at the 5-4 Club, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic, Wynonie Harris, Dinah Washington, The Ravens, Buddy Johnson, Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, and others take part in the fund-raising Concert At Midnite, Carnegie Hall, New York City. MC for the event is Ed Sullivan.
Jazz saxophonist Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis releases the album Modern Jazz in the USA.
Elvis Presley plays two shows in one day, both in Stamford, Texas. The first is at Stamford High School Auditorium, and second is at Roundup Hall.
Billy Eckstine is playing during a week of shows at The Empire, Liverpool, England, UK, Europe.Unchained Melody by Al Hibbler enters the Popular Singles Chart in the UK at No11. It will peak at No2 during a seventeen-week run on the chart.
Bo Diddley records Diddley Daddy and She's Fine She's Mine for Checker Records in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Originally released as the b-side of Diddley Daddy, She's Fine She's Mine, will inspire several other songs, notably You Don't Love Me by Willie Cobbs in 1960, Shimmy Shimmy Walk by The Megatons in 1962 and You Don't Love Me (No No No) by Dawn Penn in 1967.
Ruby
Murray plays at the The Gaumont, Salisbury, with Sid Phillips and his Band with Rick Mills & Rosemary
Archer and Audrey Jeans.
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.
The Modern Jazz Quartet records I'll Remember April, All Of You, and other material for Prestige Records at Van Gelder Studios, Hackensack, New Jersey, USA.
Noel Coward comes to the end of a four-week engagement at Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, accompanied by Carlton Hayes And His Orchestra and pianist/arranger Peter Matz.The Drifters play the third night in a week of shows at Weeke's Tavern, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.
Amos Johnson of The Village Choice magazine reviews a new album, Dusty Sings the Blues by Dusty Carr, with the words, "my antipathy toward the emergence of 'hillbilly' music grows exponentially. That said, Dusty Carr, with his maudlin simpering and manufactured worldliness, makes Elvis Presley and his ilk seem like downright artistes. Carr's wretched rendition of The Gal That Got Away should raise howls of laughter from even the most sedate cocktail party..."
Faron Young records It's A Great Like (If You Don't Weaken) and For The Love Of A Woman Like You, for Capitol Records in Castle Studio [founded by Paul Cohen] in The Tulane Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Bo Diddley records Bring It To Jerome, Pretty Thing and Heart-o-matic Love for Chess Records, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. On the same day, Little Walter records Crazy For My Baby for Chess's subsidiary label Checker.
US trade magazine Billboard runs a feature suggesting that the success of r'n'b artists such as LaVern Baker and Sarah Vaughan on the singles charts is attributable to the number of cover versions being made by white artists.
Lefty Frizzell headlines the first country music concert ever held at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California, USA.The Yellow Rose Of Texas by Mitch Miller and his Orchestra and Chorus enters the Billboard Top 40 singles chart in the USA, where it will peak at No1.
Eddie Calvert, aka The Man With The Golden Trumpet, plays at The Regal, Great Yarmouth, England, UK, Europe.Colin Moulding, bass player of XTC, is born at 2 Hinton Street, Gorse Hill, Swindon, Wiltshire, England, UK, Europe.
The Joe Harriott Quartet, featuring Joe Harriott (alto sax), Max Harris (piano), Sammy Stokes (bass) and Phil Seaman (drums) record Everything Happens To Me, Just Friends, Just Goofin' and Joe's Blues for Nixa Records in London, UK.
Elvis Presley plays live on KWKH Radio's weekly show The Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, 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.
The Kirchin Band plays at The Festival Hall, Kirkby, Lincolnshire, England, UK, Europe.Fats Domino records I'm In Love Again at J + M studios in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Little Richard's single, Tutti Frutti, is reviewed by Billboard magazine as a "cleverly styled novelty with nonsense words, rapid fire delivery."
Little Willie John, Champion Jack Dupree, Little George Smith and Otis Williams play the third night of a week at Apollo Theater, Harlem">The Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York City, USA.
The Everly Brothers make their first studio recordings at Castle Recording Studios in The Old Tulane Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The songs are their own compositions, The Sun Keep Shining, Keep A-lovin Me, If Her Life Isn't True and That's The Life I Have To Live.
Hernando's Hideaway by The Johnson Brothers reaches No1 in the UK singles chart for the first of two-weeks.
Chuck Berry plays the sixth night of a week of shows at The Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York City, USA.
Bill Haley and His Comets, Johnnie Ray and LaVern Baker play the first night in a five-day run at The Paramount, Brooklyn, New York City, USA.
While on furlough from the US Army, Clyde McPhatter resumes his recording career as a solo artist on Atlantic Records, debuting with Love Has Joined Us Together, a duet with Ruth Brown.
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