The database currently contains 7367 historical events.
No events found for this day.
Unable to load events from the database.
- The musical Babes in Toyland premiered in New York City.
- American jazz double bassist Ray Brown was born. He was known for his long-standing collaborations with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald. He was also a founding member of the group that later evolved into the Modern Jazz Quartet.
- Anita Jean Grilli, known as Anita Kerr, was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She was a singer, songwriter, arranger, conductor, and producer. She led the Anita Kerr Singers, who provided backing vocals for numerous performers, including Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Red Foley, Rosemary Clooney, Roy Orbison, and Willie Nelson.
- Gospel singer and songwriter Etterlene DeBarge was born. She was a member of the family vocal group DeBarge. The group's song "Rhythm of the Night" reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.
- Harry James and his orchestra recorded "On a Little Street in Singapore".
- British singer Chris Farlowe was born in London. He was known for the hit "Out of Time", which topped the UK chart in 1966. The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Farlowe later performed with Colosseum and Atomic Rooster.
- American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Paul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey. He became famous as one half of the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. He met Art Garfunkel while they were performing in a school production of Alice in Wonderland. Together, they recorded hits including "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", and "The Boxer". Simon also enjoyed solo success with the album Graceland and the song "You Can Call Me Al".
- Robert Lamm, keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and founding member of the rock band Chicago, was born in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote many of the band’s best-known songs, including “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “25 or 6 to 4,” and “Harry Truman.”
- Saxophonist and clarinetist Alan Wakeman was born. He was known for his work with the band Soft Machine.
- American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter Sammy Hagar was born in Salinas, California. He became famous with the band Montrose and through his solo career, with songs such as “There’s Only One Way to Rock” and “I Can’t Drive 55.” In 1985, he replaced David Lee Roth as the lead singer of Van Halen.
- American singer, guitarist, pianist, and multi-instrumentalist John Ford Coley was born in Dallas, Texas. He was known as one half of the duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. Their single "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" reached number two on the US chart.
- Peter Spencer, a member of the British rock band Smokie, was born. In 1975, the band had a UK hit with “If You Think You Know How to Love Me” and also became famous for “Living Next Door to Alice.” The band changed its original name, Smokey, to Smokie after facing the threat of legal action from Smokey Robinson.
- Simon Nicol, guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and founding member of the British folk-rock band Fairport Convention, was born in London. The band was one of the leading pioneers of British folk rock.
- Elvis Presley performed with Scotty Moore and Bill Black at the Eagle's Nest club in Memphis. The Tiny Dixon Band and The Eagles were also on the bill.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Municipal Auditorium in Amarillo, Texas, as part of a concert bill featuring Jimmy Newman, Johnny Cash, Floyd Cramer, Jimmy Day, Wanda Jackson, Porter Wagoner, and Bobby Lord. Contemporary advertising described him as the "King of Western Bop" and a "cool cat".
- Filming began on the movie "Don't Knock the Rock", featuring Bill Haley.
- Elvis Presley performed twice at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas, in the afternoon and evening. According to the source, each show attracted approximately 8,000 people. The set included "Blue Suede Shoes", "Love Me Tender", "Hound Dog", and "Don't Be Cruel".
- Elvis Presley's single "Blue Moon" reached number 55 on the US chart.
- CBS aired the one-hour special The Edsel Show, promoting the new Ford Edsel automobile. The show featured Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Louis Armstrong, and Lindsay Crosby with The Four Preps. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Program of the Year but did not win.
- Scotty Moore and Bill Black performed at the Texas State Fair in Dallas. Fair performances took place four times a day from October 5 through October 20.
- Frank Sinatra's album Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely reached number one on the US album chart.
- The single "Tears on My Pillow" reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Little Anthony and the Imperials' biggest hit. Over the following seven years, the group scored six more hits, including "Goin' Out of My Head" and "Hurt So Bad", both of which reached the Top 10.
- Billboard magazine published an article about the vocal group The Teddy Bears, noting that 18-year-old Phil Spector, writer and arranger of their hit “To Know Him Is to Love Him,” was studying to become a court stenographer. The same issue featured the Best Sellers in Stores chart for the last time, as retail sales data had been incorporated into the new Hot 100 chart.
- Gerry Darby was born. He was a member of the British jazz and soul group Carmel, which reached number 15 on the UK chart in 1983 with the single "Bad Day".
- American singer, actress, and doll designer Marie Osmond, born Olive Marie Osmond, was born in Ogden, Utah. Her single "Paper Roses" reached number five in the United States and number two in the United Kingdom in 1973. She co-hosted the television variety show Donny & Marie with her brother Donny.
- Joseph Bellardini, known as Joey Belladonna, was born in Oswego, New York. He is the singer of the heavy metal band Anthrax. He joined the group in 1984 and sang on the albums Among the Living and State of Euphoria. He left in 1992 but returned in 2005. Anthrax is one of the leading thrash metal bands and part of the genre's so-called "Big Four", alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.
- The song “Save the Last Dance for Me” reached number one on the US Billboard pop chart.
- Don Everly collapsed during a rehearsal at London's Prince of Wales Theatre on the eve of The Everly Brothers' UK tour, which was scheduled to include 22 concerts. He returned urgently to the United States for treatment, and his brother Phil Everly subsequently performed the scheduled concerts alone.
- Nat King Cole's song "Ramblin' Rose" remained at number one on the Easy Listening chart for a fifth week.
- Rob Marche, guitarist for the British new wave band JoBoxers, was born. The band scored a UK hit in 1983 with “Boxer Beat,” which reached number three.
- The Beatles headlined the live television broadcast of Sunday Night at the London Palladium on the British ITV network. They performed “From Me to You,” “She Loves You,” “Twist and Shout,” and “I’ll Get You.” Approximately 15 million viewers watched the broadcast, and the performance helped spark Beatlemania in the UK. Crowds of fans gathered outside the theater, and clashes with police occurred.
- The Beatles completed recording “Drive My Car” for the album Rubber Soul during an approximately five-hour studio session at Abbey Road Studios in London, which ended after midnight. They finished the song in four takes, with additional overdubs.
- The Who recorded “My Generation” at a studio in London. Pete Townshend wrote it to express the anger and frustration of teenagers at the time. Roger Daltrey later explained that he deliberately stuttered the lyrics to match the rhythm of the music. The BBC initially refused to broadcast the song, fearing it might offend people who stuttered, but later changed its position. The single was released on October 29, became one of the band’s best-known songs, and reached number two on the UK chart, where it was beaten by “The Carnival Is Over” by The Seekers. In the US, it reached number 74.
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience played their first live show in France. The concert took place during the band’s first few days of existence, less than a week before their UK debut.
- Cream performed at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Michigan.
- Pat Boone, then owner of the Oakland Oaks basketball team, sang the national anthem at the first game of the newly formed American Basketball Association.
- Spanish baritone Carlos Marín was born in Madrid. He was a member of the international vocal group Il Divo, founded by Simon Cowell. The group's self-titled 2004 album reached number one in 14 countries. Marín died in December 2021 at the age of 53.
- Florence Ballard of The Supremes gave birth to premature twin girls, two months before their due date.
- John Lennon recorded three takes of "Julia" as his solo contribution to The Beatles' album commonly known as the White Album.
- The Grateful Dead performed at the famous Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco.
- Mary Hopkin performed at London's Savoy Theatre. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were in the audience; they had produced her hit "Those Were the Days" for Apple Records.
- Neil Diamond released the single "Holly Holy".
- Peter, Paul and Mary released the single “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”
- Nine days after Janis Joplin's death, a private memorial service attended by ten people was held in Los Angeles. Her ashes were later scattered over the Pacific Ocean and along Stinson Beach in California's Marin County.
- Tenor Paul Potts, winner of the first series of Britain's Got Talent, was born in Bristol, England. His 2007 album One Chance reached number one in the UK and topped charts in 13 countries.
- The Who performed at the Locarno Ballroom in Leeds, England.
- Clothing and equipment belonging to The Who were included in one of the first rock memorabilia auctions at The Fillmore East. Items offered included broken drumsticks, a fragment of Pete Townshend’s guitar, Roger Daltrey’s fringed suede jacket, and Keith Moon’s lighter.