Category: On This Day…

January 2, 1965 – Elvis Presley went to #1 on the US album chart with the soundtrack from ‘Roustabout,’ Presley’s eighth #1 album. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #TCB #Roustabout #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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January 2, 1960 – Little Anthony and the Imperials perform “Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop” on ABC’s “Dick Clark Show.” Jack Scott, Santo and Johnny, and Larry Hall also perform on this day’s show. #OTD #RockNRoll #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #SantoAndJohnny #ShimmyShimmyKoKoBop
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January 2, 1958 – Norman Petty signs a contract for Buddy Holly & The Crickets to perform on tour and in radio promotions in Australia, beginning Jan. 30. Source: The Buddy Holly Center, 1801 Crickets Ave., Lubbock. @BuddyHolly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #BuddyHolly #TheCrickets #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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January 2, 1950 – Sam Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service, which he later renamed Sun Studio. Among the artists to record there was Elvis Presley, who gets his start recording with Phillips. #ROCkabillyHop @sunrecords @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #TCB #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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January 1, 1959 – For the first time, ABC-TV’s teen dance program “American Bandstand” leads the US daytime television ratings. #ROCkabillyHop #AmericanBandstand @dickclarkprod #DickClark #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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January 1, 1959 – Johnny Cash played a free concert for the inmates of San Quentin Prison, California. One of the audience members was 19-year-old Merle Haggard, who was in the midst of a 15-year sentence (he served three years) for grand theft auto and armed robbery. @JohnnyCash #ManInBlack #OTD #RockNRoll #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #MerleHaggard
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January 1, 1956 – Carl Perkins releases “Blue Suede Shoes” his first and only Top 40 hit. The first song to hit the US Pop, Country, and R&B charts at the same time it made the slow climb up the charts, appearing on all three in May, which is when it reached its peak of #2 on the Pop charts. #ROCkabillyHop #BlueSuedeShoes #CarlPerkins #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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January 1, 1956 – Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” went to #1 on the UK singles chart for the second time. The single is often cited as the biggest-selling vinyl rock and roll single of all time with sales of over 25 million. #OTD #RockNRoll #ROCkabillyHop @billhaleymusic #BillHaley #RocHop
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December 31, 1961 – “The Pendletons” performed their first gig under their new name, “The Beach Boys,” on the bill with Ike & Tina Turner at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert at the Long Beach Civic Auditorium, California. They earn $300 for their efforts. #ROCkabillyHop #RitchieValens #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 31, 1955 – Elvis Presley’s “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” made #1 on the country singles chart. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #TCB #theKing #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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