Category: On This Day…

January 8, 1957 – Bill Haley & His Comets started the first ever ‘rock & roll tour’ of Australia, playing two sold out nights in Sydney. Freddie Bell and the Bell Boys opened the show, which also featured Big Joe Turner, LaVerne Baker, and The Platters, with the headlining Comets closing the show. #ROCkabillyHop @billhaleymusic #BillHaley
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January 8, 1935 – In Tupelo, Mississippi, shortly before dawn, in a two-room house built by her husband, Vernon Presley, and her brother-in-law, Gladys Presley gives birth to twin sons. The first, Jessie Garon, is born stillborn. The second, Elvis Aaron, is born alive and healthy. Elvis would be their only child. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #HappyBirthday
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January 7, 1955, ‘Rock Around the Clock’ by Bill Haley and his Comets, entered the UK chart for the first time. The original full title of the song was ‘We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock Tonight!’ and is often cited as the biggest-selling vinyl rock and roll single of all time with sales over 25m. #ROCkabillyHop @billhaleymusic #BillHaley #RockAroundTheClock
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January 7, 1950 – Gene Autry’s “Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer” was number one in Santa’s lineup and on the charts. #ROCkabillyHop #GeneAutry #RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer
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January 6, 1958 – “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis hits #2, where it stays for four weeks before dropping down. It is held out of the top spot all four weeks by “At The Hop” by Danny & the Juniors. @jerryleelewis #ROCkabillyHop #GreatBallsOfFire
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January 6, 1958 – “At The Hop” by Danny and the Juniors hits #1 for the first of seven weeks. The song was released in the fall of 1957 and would become one of the top-selling singles of 1958. #ROCkabillyHop #AtTheHop #DannyAndTheJuniors
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January 6, 1957 – Elvis makes his third and final appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Careful camera work ensures that “Elvis the Pelvis” is only seen from the waist up! #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis @EdSullivanShow #theKing
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January 6, 1955 – Buddy Holly saw Elvis Presley sing in Lubbock inspiring him to incorporate a rockabilly style into his music, which gradually evolved into rock and roll. Waylon Jennings, future Buddy Holly bassist and “outlaw” Country star, meets Elvis for the first time at this show in Lubbock, TX. @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets
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January 5, 1923 – Record producer Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records (which launched careers for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash), is born in Florence, Alabama. @sunrecords #ROCkabillyHop #HappyBirthday
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January 4, 1957 – Elvis Presley reports for his pre-induction Army physical in Memphis. The Colonel was quite concerned that by joining Uncle Sam’s Army, Presley’s career would be over. Elvis was officially drafted on March 24th,1958 and told reporters: “The Army can do anything it wants with me.” #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing
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