Category: On This Day…

March 28, 1958 – Opening night of “Alan Freed’s Big Beat Show,” a two-month tour, finds Jerry Lee Lewis arguing with Chuck Berry over who will close the show. Freed decides Berry will get to go last, inciting a literally incendiary performance by Lewis, who torches his piano during his set-closing “Great Balls of Fire.” @jerryleelewis #ROCkabillyHop #GreatBallsOfFire #AlanFreed #BigBeatShow #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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March 28, 1975 – Barbra Streisand attends tonight’s Vegas gig and meets Elvis Presley backstage to discuss offering him the lead role in her latest film project: a remake of the classic “A Star Is Born.” Despite the fact that Streisand’s boyfriend, stylist Jon Peters, is slated to produce and direct, the King is said to be ecstatic about the project.​ #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #TCB #AStarIsBorn #BarbraStreisand #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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March 26, 1960 – Frankie Avalon headlines the “Dick Clark Show” performing “All Those Teardrops.” The song went to #22 on the Billboard Hot 100, #19 on the Cashbox chart, and #37 in the UK. #ROCkabillyHop @dickclarkprod #DickClarkShow #FrankieAvalon #AllThoseTeardrops #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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March 26, 1960 – Elvis Presley appears on “The Frank Sinatra Timex Show.” This is Presley’s first live performance since being discharged from the Army. Elvis performed “Stuck on You” and “Fame and Fortune”, the A and B sides of his first post-army RCA Victor single release. He also performed a duet with Sinatra singing “Love Me Tender” and Elvis singing Sinatra’s 1957 hit “Witchcraft” #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #TCB #FrankSinatra #RocHop #StuckOnYou #FameAndFortune #LoveMeTender #Witchcraft #OTD #RockNRoll
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March 25, 1958 – Eddie Cochran joins Tommy Facenda and Paul Peeks (Gene Vincent’s backing singers) for The Capitol Session. #RocHop #EddieCochran @EddieCochran_ #ROCkabillyHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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March 25, 1958 – Before the second show scheduled in Hammersmith, London, the last performance of the English tour, Bill Mauldin knocks the caps off of Buddy Holly’s two front teeth during a scuffle. Buddy repairs the damage with chewing gum and performs the second show with the gum spread over his front teeth. Source: The Buddy Holly Center, 1801 Crickets Ave., Lubbock. @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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March 25, 1934 – Johnny Burnette was born John Joseph Burnett in Memphis, Tennessee. Burnette was an American singer-songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, he and his older brother, Dorsey Burnette, and their friend Paul Burlison formed the band that later was known as the Rock and Roll Trio. #ROCkabillyHop #johnnyburnette #RockAndRollTrio #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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March 24, 1963 – Chubby Checker is a guest on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” He performs “Peanut Vendor” and a limbo medley of “Let’s Limbo Some More” and “Limbo Rock” and does the limbo on stage. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #EdSullivan @EdSullivanShow @Chubby_Checker #ChubbyChecker #PeanutVendor #LetsLimboSomeMore #LimboRock #OTD #RockNRoll
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March 23, 1963 – Doo-wop prince Dion DiMucci marries Sue Butterfield two years after releasing his hit “Runaround Sue.” His bride has nothing to do with the song, but often tells people she does so they will remember her. #ROCkabillyHop #RunaroundSue #DionAndTheBelmonts #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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March 23, 1955 – Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black audition for Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts show in New York and are rejected. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #TCB #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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