Music History

Skeeter Davis, then a member of the Davis Sisters, was seriously injured in a car accident near Cincinnati on August 2, 1953. Her singing partner, Betty Jack Davis, was killed in the crash.

Elvis Presley returned to the Tennessee Employment Security Office as a job seeker. He expressed an interest in work involving cleaning and was referred for several job interviews.

Johnny Cash se oženil s Vivian Liberto v kostele St. Ann's Catholic Church v Memphisu.

Bill Haley filed a lawsuit against Dave Miller, founder of Essex Records, over unpaid royalties from earlier recordings.

Drummer D.J. Fontana, who occasionally performed with Elvis Presley, became a regular member of his backing band.

Look magazine reported that Elvis Presley was receiving approximately 3,000 fan letters a week.

Elvis Presley shared his success with his family by buying his mother a pink Cadillac.

Elvis Presley took Venetia Stevenson, Lamar Fike, George Klein and other friends to the Memphis Fairgrounds and then to a private midnight screening of the film "Loving You" at the Strand theater.

Elvis Presley underwent military service at Fort Hood, Texas, where he trained in tank operations as part of the 2nd Armored Division.

Elvis Presley absolvoval vojenský výcvik ve Fort Hood v Texasu v rámci pokročilého výcviku obsluhy tanků u 2. obrněné divize.

Bing Crosby and his second wife Kathryn had their first child together, Harry Lillis Crosby III.

During his military service in Memphis, Elvis spent most of the day and evening at the hospital with his mother, Gladys Presley.

While staying at home at Graceland, he received a telephone call from his father telling him that his mother Gladys had died. She died at the age of 46. At the time, he was a private in the US Army stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and was home on emergency leave. At her funeral two days later, he was so overcome with grief that he could not stand and had to be supported. More than 500 police officers supervised the service to keep the enormous crowd from gaining access.

At the age of 21, Buddy Holly married Maria Elena Santiago in a private ceremony at his parents' home in Lubbock, Texas.

At his mother Gladys Presley's funeral at Graceland, Elvis was so devastated that friends had to hold him up to keep him on his feet. More than 500 police officers supervised the funeral because of the huge crowd of fans. Fans sent more than 100,000 letters and postcards, approximately 500 telegrams and more than 200 floral arrangements.

The father of Elvis's longtime friend and Memphis Mafia member Red West died.

Elvis Presley was serving in the military in Germany.

Elvis Presley vykonával vojenskou službu v Německu.

Four male members of The Platters were arrested in Cincinnati and charged with aiding prostitution, obscenity and immoral conduct after police found them at the Sheraton Gibson hotel at a post-concert party with four nineteen-year-old women, three of whom were white. The charges were dismissed in December, but the arrests damaged the group's career in the meantime and led to their recordings being dropped from some major radio markets.

The Beatles went to assess drummer Pete Best at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Pete Best was then playing with The Blackjacks and was the daughter of club owner Mona Best.

Chuck Berry's second wife, Themetta Suggs, gave birth to their second child, Chuck Berry Jr.

Anita Wood announced that she had split from Elvis Presley, moved out of Graceland and returned to Jackson, Tennessee.

Robert Zimmerman legally changed his name to Bob Dylan.

John Lennon married his pregnant girlfriend Cynthia Powell at the Mount Pleasant Registry Office in Liverpool. Brian Epstein was the main witness and organized the wedding, paid for the wedding lunch and provided the newlyweds with his own apartment. Paul McCartney and Cynthia's sister-in-law Marjorie Powell signed the marriage document as witnesses at the end of the ceremony. George Harrison was also present but did not sign the documents. Cynthia's stepbrother Tony Powell was also present. John's aunt Mimi boycotted the wedding because she disapproved of the marriage. The attempt to keep the marriage secret failed when the newlyweds were spotted leaving the registry office. That same evening, Lennon performed with The Beatles at the nearby Riverpark Ballroom.

The Beatles arrived in Jersey in the English Channel. Before their first of four evenings at Springfield Ballroom, they spent the day driving go-karts and relaxing by the pool at The Revere Hotel.

Mick Jagger was stopped in Liverpool and fined £32 for speeding and driving without insurance. He was on his way to visit two fans who had been injured in a traffic accident.

The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein first met Elvis Presley's manager „Colonel“ Tom Parker over lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles after Epstein's telegram led to their meeting during The Beatles' American visit.

After a concert in New York, The Beatles met Bob Dylan for the first time at the Delmonico Hotel in Manhattan, where Dylan offered them marijuana and The Beatles tried it for the first time. Their mutual friend and writer Al Aronowitz was also present. Dylan was surprised that The Beatles had never tried marijuana because he had mistakenly interpreted the line “I can't hide” from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” as “I get high”. Paul McCartney later said that after the experience he felt as though he were “thinking for the first time”.

Zpěvák a klávesista Mike Smith z The Dave Clark Five byl během vystoupení v Chicagu stažen fanoušky z pódia a utrpěl dvě zlomená žebra.

The singer of The Dave Clark Five suffered two broken ribs after fans pulled him from the stage during a concert in Chicago at the beginning of the US tour.

Elvis, Vernon Presley and Colonel Tom Parker visited the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Elvis also held a benefit concert to raise funds for the memorial.

The Beatles held a star-studded party in Beverly Hills, during which John Lennon and George Harrison took LSD for the second time. During the experience, actor Peter Fonda said that he knew what it was like to be dead, which inspired Lennon to write the song „She Said She Said“.

Elvis Presley hosted The Beatles at his rented home on Perugia Way in Bel Air, California, during a break in their North American tour. The four-hour meeting included discussions about music and an unrehearsed jam session. The Beatles were initially nervous, but Presley broke the tension. While the musicians were getting acquainted, their managers Colonel Tom Parker and Brian Epstein played pool in the next room. John Lennon later said that without Elvis, The Beatles would have meant nothing.

On the final day of their five-day break during their North American tour, The Beatles visited a recording session by The Byrds and later, at around 10:00 p.m., visited Elvis Presley at his home on Perugia Way in Bel Air, Los Angeles. The meeting was initially somewhat stiff, but Elvis broke the tension by suggesting that they play together, followed by a jam session on Chuck Berry songs. Colonel Tom Parker and Brian Epstein played pool in the meantime. It was The Beatles' only personal meeting with Elvis Presley.

A fan of The Monkees hid aboard the band’s plane between concerts in Minneapolis and St. Louis. Her father subsequently threatened legal action over the transportation of a minor across state lines.

The Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at the Park Lane Hilton in London.

Keith Moon, drummer of The Who, celebrated his 21st birthday by driving a Lincoln Continental into the swimming pool of the Holiday Inn hotel in Flint, Michigan. The Who later received a $50,000 bill for the damage and were given a lifetime ban from Holiday Inn hotels.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at his lecture at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London. They later traveled to India and studied transcendental meditation with him.

Elvis and Priscilla Presley returned from Las Vegas to Memphis at 8:20 a.m.

Elvis Presley spent time at Circle G Ranch and, instead of horseback riding, took up target shooting.

At 6:00 p.m., Elvis Presley hosted a dinner for the cast and crew of the film “Charro!” at Goldwyn Studios. He then left for Las Vegas for a short stay at the Aladdin Hotel.

On August 2, 1969, Bob Dylan returned to his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota, for his ten-year high school reunion, marking the class of 1959. He and his wife Sara met classmates beforehand at the local Moose Lodge, but after a confrontation with a drunken former classmate, Dylan left and ultimately did not attend the reunion itself.

Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys was charged with failing to report for the civil service he was required to perform in lieu of two years of military service.

On the day Woodstock began, he sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 2 to the Isle of Wight. He decided to skip Woodstock and performed at the Isle of Wight Festival two weeks later.

She was originally booked to perform at Woodstock but had to cancel her appearance because of a television engagement. She later wrote the song “Woodstock”.

Bob Seger divorced his first wife after only ten months of marriage.