Today in Music History

The Victor Talking Machine Company was founded on October 3, 1901. It was formed by combining the interests of Eldridge R. Johnson and companies associated with Emile Berliner; it was legally incorporated on October 3, 1901, and organized two days later. It later became a major manufacturer of phonographs and gramophone records. In 1929, it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America, creating the RCA Victor brand, which became a major manufacturer of phonographs and gramophone records for several decades.

American rock 'n' roll and rockabilly singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota. He became famous for songs including “Twenty Flight Rock,” “C’mon Everybody” and “Summertime Blues,” which reached No. 8 in the US in 1958; in 1960, “Three Steps To Heaven” reached No. 1 in Britain. He experimented with multitrack recording, distortion and overdubbing as early as his first singles and played guitar, piano, bass and drums. He died on April 17, 1960, at the age of 21 in a car accident while touring in Britain; songwriter Sharon Sheeley and singer Gene Vincent were also in the car and survived the crash.

American singer and songwriter Alan O'Day was born in Hollywood, California. He became best known for his own song “Undercover Angel,” which became a million-selling hit in 1977 and reached No. 1 on the US chart. He also wrote Helen Reddy's hit “Angie Baby,” which reached No. 1 in 1974, and the song “Rock and Roll Heaven,” made famous by The Righteous Brothers. He later also contributed to the music for the animated series Muppet Babies. Alan O'Day died on May 17, 2013, at the age of 72 from cancer; contemporary reports identified it as brain cancer.

American rock 'n' roll singer Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans, was born in Spring Gully near Andrews, South Carolina, and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He popularized a number of dance styles, especially the Twist through the 1960 hit “The Twist,” originally recorded by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, and the Pony through his 1961 cover of “Pony Time.” His biggest UK hit was “Let's Twist Again” from 1962. “The Twist” was the first song to reach No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 twice, first in 1960 and again in 1962; this was not repeated until nearly 59 years later, when Mariah Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You” did so in December 2020. Chubby Checker also became famous for songs including “Limbo Rock” and “Pony Time.”

Antonio Martinez, born Antonio “Tony” Martínez, was born on October 3, 1945, in Madrid, Spain. He was the guitarist of the group Los Bravos, which scored the international hit “Black Is Black” in 1966; the song reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 4 in the US. With the song, Los Bravos became the first Spanish rock group to have a hit single simultaneously in the UK and the US.

Ten-year-old Elvis Presley made his first public performance at a talent contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo. His teacher, Mrs. Oleta Grimes, entered him in the contest after hearing him sing at school that morning. Elvis sang Red Foley's “Old Shep” without accompaniment and had to stand on a chair to reach the microphone. The talent contest was broadcast by radio station WELO. Elvis placed fifth and received a prize of $5 worth of tickets for the fair's rides. After the contest, he used the tickets on, among other things, more dangerous rides, despite his mother Gladys advising him against it, and she subsequently punished him.

Stan Kenton and his orchestra recorded the song “Painted Rhythm.”

American soul singer Patricia Ann Cole, known by her stage name PP Arnold, was born in Los Angeles, California. She first performed as a backing singer with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue and later established herself as a solo artist. She had several hits, including the original version of Cat Stevens' “The First Cut Is the Deepest,” and later released singles produced by Barry Gibb. As a session singer, she also worked with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters.

American trumpeter, singer and songwriter Ben Cauley was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a founding member of the Stax group The Bar-Kays and later became known as the sole survivor of the 1967 plane crash that killed soul singer Otis Redding and four members of The Bar-Kays. Cauley died on September 21, 2015.

American musician, guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Lindsey Buckingham was born on October 3, 1949, in Palo Alto, California. He joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975 with his then-partner Stevie Nicks and helped steer the group toward a more pop-oriented sound that led to some of its most successful albums and songs. Among the Fleetwood Mac hits he wrote and sang are “Go Your Own Way,” “Never Going Back Again,” “Tusk” and “Big Love.” The album Rumours became one of the group's most successful albums, and Buckingham later released seven solo studio albums and three live albums.

American jazz saxophonist and flutist Ronald “Ronnie” Laws was born in Houston, Texas. He was a member of Earth, Wind & Fire, where he played tenor and soprano saxophone and flute. The group had the US No. 1 single “Shining Star” in 1975 and the UK No. 3 single “Let's Groove” in 1981.

The long-running radio hit The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet, now featuring twelve-year-old Rick Nelson, premiered on CBS-TV. The show continued for another 14 years, bringing its total run to 22 years.

American guitarist Dawayne Bailey, who performed and recorded with Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, Véronique Sanson and Chicago.

American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas. He was the frontman of blues-rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and was one of the most influential guitarists in the revival of interest in blues during the 1980s. He played on six songs on David Bowie's album Let's Dance, including the title track and “China Girl.” Vaughan died on August 27, 1990, at the age of 35 in a helicopter crash. His family successfully sued the company's operator for allowing an unfit pilot to fly in fog and received $2 million in damages. In the months following his death, more than 5.5 million of his albums were sold in the US.

Elvis performed at G. Rollie White Coliseum in College Station, Texas. It was the beginning of a four-day tour with other performers from Louisiana Hayride: Jimmy & Johnny, Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, David Houston, Willy Birdbrain and Daldon & Lulu. The concert began at 7:30 p.m.

The Mickey Mouse Club premiered on ABC on October 3, featuring its twelve-year-old star Annette Funicello prominently.

At the age of 23, Pat Boone began hosting the variety show The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom on ABC-TV. The program featured performers including The Four Lads, Ella Fitzgerald and Johnny Mathis, and its writers included Woody Allen. After three seasons, the show was canceled after losing the ratings battle to Bachelor Father starring John Forsythe on NBC. ABC subsequently replaced it with the sitcom My Three Sons starring Fred MacMurray. The program later appeared in Michael Moore's documentary film Roger & Me. At the time, TV Guide described it unflatteringly as a show “about as exciting as a milkshake with two straws.”

1958?lang=en" class="rmh-link">The Biggest Show Of Stars 1958 tour opened at Worcester Auditorium in Worcester, Massachusetts, as the fall continuation of the tour. Performers included Buddy Holly, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darin, The Olympics, Dion & The Belmonts, Bobby Freeman, The Elegants, Jimmy Clanton, The Danleers, Duane Eddy, Clyde McPhatter, and The Coasters.

Gail Greenwood, bassist of American alternative rock band Belly, which had the UK single “Feed The Tree” at No. 32 in 1993 and also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Ike and Tina Turner made their US television debut, performing “A Fool In Love” on American Bandstand on ABC-TV. It was their first nationwide television appearance; Tina Turner was heavily pregnant at the time. Released in 1960, “A Fool In Love” became their first hit and later reached No. 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B chart.

Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose and Hank Williams became the first people inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Robbie Jaymes of British pop group Modern Romance, which had the 1982 UK single “Best Years Of Our Lives” at No. 4. In 1983, further hits followed: “High Life” at No. 8, “Don't Stop That Crazy Rhythm” at No. 14 and the ballad “Walking in the Rain” at No. 7 on the UK chart.

A group of teenagers from Hawthorne, California, calling themselves The Pendletones, recorded the song "Surfin'" on October 3 at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles. The song was created during their first recording session, and the final master was selected from the recorded takes. When it was released as a single by Candix Records, it was credited to The Beach Boys, the new name given to the group by promotional executive Russ Reagan. "Surfin'" reached No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Candix estimated sales of 50,000 copies. The recording launched the career of one of America's most successful rock'n'roll groups.

Tommy Lee, born Thomas Lee Bass, was born on October 3, 1962, in Athens, Greece. He became famous as a founding member and drummer of Mötley Crüe, which had the UK single "You're All I Need" at No. 23 in 1988, while the album Dr. Feelgood reached No. 1 in the USA and No. 4 in the UK in 1989. Lee also founded the rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, pursued solo music projects, and attracted considerable media attention through his marriages to Elaine Starchuk, Heather Locklear, and Pamela Anderson, as well as conflicts with singer Vince Neil.

The Beatles completed the third of a total of five recording sessions for the song "I Wanna Be Your Man." The song, written by Lennon and McCartney, was originally intended exclusively as a single for The Rolling Stones, but they abandoned that plan. Both bands released the song as a single in November of the same year.

The Animals' debut album entered the US Billboard album chart and eventually reached No. 7, largely thanks to the song "House Of The Rising Sun." The British version of The Animals album was released a month later, had significantly different content, and reached No. 6 on the UK chart.

The Beatles filmed a performance for broadcast on the television program Shindig! at the Granville Theatre in London. The album A Hard Day’s Night had already been on the chart for 12 weeks, 11 of them at No. 1. At No. 2 was Something New by The Beatles, followed by Everybody Loves Somebody by Dean Martin and Peter, Paul and Mary in Concert. The Top 10 also included All Summer Long by The Beach Boys, How Glad I Am by Nancy Wilson, Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and João Gilberto, Funny Girl by Barbra Streisand, Hello, Dolly! by Louis Armstrong, and Keep On Pushing by The Impressions.

The Supremes' song "Baby Love" entered the music charts.

Manfred Mann became the first Western band to perform behind the Iron Curtain.

The Zombies released the song "She's Not There" in the USA.

Dan Miller, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter of American alternative rock group They Might Be Giants, was born in Rochester, New York. In 1990, the group had the UK hit “Birdhouse In Your Soul” at No. 6 and won two Grammy Awards – in 2002 for the song “Boss of Me” and in 2009 for the album Here Come the 123s.

American singer and songwriter Chris Collingwood, lead singer and founding member of power pop group Fountains of Wayne, was born in Britain and grew up in Sellersville, Pennsylvania. The group had the Grammy-nominated song “Stacy's Mom” in 2003.

James Brown performed two concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall with his 18-piece American band.

American folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Woodrow "Woody" Guthrie died on October 3, 1967, at the age of 55 from complications associated with Huntington's disease. He spent approximately the last 13 years of his life in hospitals and, during his final period, was at Creedmoor State Hospital in Queens, New York. He wrote hundreds to thousands of songs, the best known being "This Land Is Your Land," and had a major influence on Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and generations of folk musicians. The 1970s film Bound for Glory is based on his life, and "This Land Is Your Land" is among his most important works.

The Beatles recorded the first take of George Harrison's new song "Savoy Truffle" at Trident Studios in London. George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr recorded the basic track in a single take – drums, bass, and lead guitar. John Lennon was not present and did not participate in the recording. The song was inspired by Eric Clapton's love of chocolate, particularly Mackintosh's Good News chocolates. Further overdubs followed on October 5, 11, and 14, and the song appeared on The Beatles album, commonly known as the "White Album."

Gwen Stefani was born in Fullerton, California. In 1987, she became the singer of No Doubt, a group founded by her brother Eric. In 2004, she released her first solo album, and in 2014 she became a coach on The Voice. With No Doubt, she had the UK No. 1 single “Don't Speak” in 1997, which also set a record of 16 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. The 1997 album Tragic Kingdom reached No. 1 in the US and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. As a solo artist, she had the 2005 US No. 1 single “Hollaback Girl” from the album Love, Angel, Music, Baby, which was among the five best-selling albums in the world in 2004. Stefani was married to Bush singer and guitarist Gavin Rossdale and later married country musician Blake Shelton. She became best known as the frontwoman of No Doubt and subsequently for her successful solo career.

Pink Floyd performed at the Debating Hall at Birmingham University in Birmingham, England.

Creedence Clearwater Revival's album Cosmo’s Factory spent its seventh week at No. 1 on the US album chart on October 3, 1970, out of a total of nine weeks at the top. The Woodstock soundtrack was No. 2, Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen was No. 3, and Chicago II by Chicago was No. 4. Also in the Top 10 were The Band's Stage Fright, Grand Funk Railroad's Closer to Home, The Moody Blues' A Question of Balance, The Who's Tommy, Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 and Neil Young's new release After the Gold Rush.

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, where it was in its third week at the top. At No. 2 was “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, No. 3 was “Candida” by Dawn and No. 4 was “Cracklin’ Rosie” by Neil Diamond. Also in the Top 10 were “Julie, Do Ya’ Love Me” by Bobby Sherman, “I’ll Be There” by Jackson 5, “(I Know) I’m Losing You” by Rare Earth, “Snowbird” by Anne Murray, “War” by Edwin Starr and “All Right Now” by Free.

Janis Joplin listened to the instrumental track of “Buried Alive In The Blues” at Sunset Studios and planned to record the vocals for her album Pearl on October 5. She died the following day.

Lifetime was formed by Jack Bruce of Cream, John McLaughlin of Miles Davis's group, Larry Young and Tony Williams.

The Chambers Brothers performed at The Warehouse club in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Hawkwind performed at the Northcote Arms in Southall, England.

Singer and founding member of boy band Backstreet Boys Kevin Richardson was born in Lexington, Kentucky. Backstreet Boys had the US single “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” at No. 2 in 1997 and the UK No. 1 single “I Want It That Way” in 1999.

American musician Garrett Dutton, known by his stage name G. Love, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known as the frontman of G. Love & Special Sauce.

Led Zeppelin played their second concert of the evening at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan.