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Members of the Lumbee Native American tribe break up a rally of racist KKK (Ku Klux Klan) members at Maxton Field, North Carolina, USA. Later in the year, this clash of cultures will inspire the song The Battle Of Maxton Field by prolific songwriter Malvina Reynolds.
The Story Of My Life by Michael Holliday enters the Popular Singles Chart in the UK at No15. It will peak at No1 during a fifteen-week run on the chart. The song is written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
US R'n'B pioneer Joe Turner records Blues In The Night for Atlantic Records in New York City.
Big Joe Williams records Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Drop Down Mama, No More Whiskey and other tracks, for Delmar Records [later known as Delmark] in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Bill Doggett becomes the first black artist to play at a white night club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, when he begins a week of shows at Porky's Club.
Paul Anka plays at the Dome, Brighton, UK. Also on the bill are Lorrae Desmond, The Ken-Tones, the Peter Groves Trio and Roy Stevens.
Elvis Presley and his entourage drive in rented Cadillacs from Dallas, Texas, USA, to Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Harmonica virtuoso Eddy Manson appears on tv's Ed Sullivan Show in the USA playing selections from his new LP The Fi Is Hi on Vik Records.Joni James appears on The Dick Clark Show on ABC-tv in the USA, performing her MGM Records single Nothing Will Ever Change.
Female rock'n'roller Alis Lesley plays the last night of two weeks at Chez Emile, Quebec, Montreal, Canada.Steve Levine is born in Hampstead, London, UK. He will find success as a record producer and sound engineer working with The Clash, Culture Club, The Beach Boys, The Honeyz, Deniece Williams and others.
Jazz critic Steve Race writes a feature in UK pop music weekly Melody Maker celebrating what he believes to be the demise of rock'n'roll. When teenager Ian Samwell reads it, he is inspired to write the song Move It, which will become the first genuine British rock'n'roll hit, sung by Cliff Richard.
Stairway Of Love by Michael Holliday peaks at No3 in the Popular Singles Chart in the UK, during a thirteen-week stay on the chart.
Perry Como records All Through The Night, accompanied by The Ray Charles Singers, in RCA Victor Studio A, New York City, USA.
Tom Dooley by The Kingston Trio gets its first radio airplay from DJ Paul Colburn at KLUB in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Little Willie John, Sonny Til, The Danleers, The Fidelitys, The Kalin Twins, The Upsetters and Etta James play the final night in a week of shows at The Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York City, USA.
Johnny Dankworth And His Orchestra play at The Festival Hall, Kirkby In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK.
The Jimmy Smith Quintet records the album Six Views of the Blues at Van Gelder Studios, Hackensack, New Jersey, USA. The band includes Art Blakey on drums and Kenny Burrell on guitar.
The Coasters play at The Armory, Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA, with Ernie Freeman and his Orchestra.
Lloyd Price records his first version of Stagger Lee, as a b-side to You Need Love.
Volare by Domenico Modugno peaks at No10 in the Popular Singles Chart in the UK, during a twelve-week run on the chart.
Ruth Brown, The Moonglows and The Kodaks, play the final night of a week at The Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York City, USA.
In American music trade magazine Billboard, popular singer Jo Stafford is quoted as saying, 'Rock and Roll is an economic thing. Today's nine-to fourteen-year-old group is the first generation with enough money given to them by their parents to buy records in sufficient quantities to influence the market. In my youth if I asked my father for 45 cents to buy a record, he'd have thought seriously about having me committed.'A pop and rock package tour, The 1959 Cavalcade Of Stars, arrives at The Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, USA, featuring such acts as Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Eddie Fontaine, Rod McKuen, Scott Engel (later to become Scott Walker), The Robins and The Valiants.
Come Prima [More Than Ever] by Malcolm Vaughan enters the Popular Singles Chart in the UK at No15. It will peak at No5 during a fourteen-week run on the chart.
Bo Diddley, Dion and the Belmonts and Thurston Harris begin a week of shows at the Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York City, USA.
Upcoming songwriter-performer Neil Sedaka is signed to RCA Records in the USA by A+R man Steve Sholes, who had previously signed Elvis Presley.Larry Williams plays the sixth night in a week of headline dates at The Apollo, Harlem, New York City, USA.
Judy Garland releases the album Judy In Love, on Capitol Records in the USA. This is her first album to be recorded and released in stereo.
Eddie Cochran makes his UK singles chart debut with Summertime Blues, which will peak at No18. German-born rock'n'roll artist Heinz will be inspired to record the tribute song Just Like Eddie (1964), which opens on a bass lick very similar to the riff used in Summertime Blues.
American music trade magazine Billboard reports that Roulette Records has re-cut The Playmates' hit Beep Beep for the British market because brand names cannot be mentioned in songs played on UK radio. Thus the name Cadillac has been replaced by 'limousine' and Nash Rambler has become 'bubble car'.
British newspaper The Daily Sketch reveals that Elvis Presley is set to star in a special Christmas Show in London, UK. It never happens.
Britain's king of skiffle, Lonnie Donegan, records Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour, Little Liza Jane, On Top Of Old Smokey, Puttin' On the Style, Camptown Races and other tracks, in London, UK.
The Bill Evans Trio records Night And Day, Tenderly and other tracks in New York City, USA. (1958) Roberta Flack : Bill Evans is a real serious jazz pianist who, in my book, crossed over boundaries in terms of colour. He used the piano as his canvas.
James Brown records I Want You So Bad and There Must Be A Reason at Master Recorders, Los Angeles, California, USA, for Federal Records. The two tracks will become the two sides of Brown's next single.
Little Willie John releases a new single, No Regrets, on King Records, in the USA.
Marvin Rainwater plays the first night in two-weeks of shows at The Flame Club, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
The third day of deejay Alan Freed's ten day long Christmas Rock'n'Roll Spectacular is held at Loew's Theater, New York City, USA, starring Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Dion, Jackie Wilson, The Everly Brothers, Johnnie Ray, Frankie Avalon and The Moonglows.
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