Rock 'n' Roll History for
December 10


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1949 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Fats Domino recorded his first tracks for Imperial Records. One of those songs was called "The Fat Man", which later became his nickname. It sold over a million copies and is widely regarded as the first Rock 'n' Roll record to do so.

1959 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Just as they are preparing for an extended European tour beginning with US military bases in Germany, the four male members of The Platters are acquitted of charges of aiding and abetting prostitution, lewdness and assignation stemming from an August 10th arrest in Cincinnati. It has often been reported that the scandal would severely damage the group's career, but they would go on to have seven more Billboard Top 40 hits, including "Harbor Lights" (US #8 in 1960) and "With This Ring" (US #14 in 1967).

1961 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
A week after first meeting with Brian Epstein to discuss his taking over The Beatles' managerial duties, John, Paul, George and Pete Best were back in Epstein's office for a second interview. After a Sam Leach booking in Aldershot the night before, where they played to only eighteen people because ads for the show failed to appear in a local paper, the band was now eager to listen to Epstein's proposal. Having been assured that they were not expected to change their musical style, John spoke for the others by saying "Right then, Brian... manage us!"

1966 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Brian Wilson's masterpiece, "Good Vibrations" becomes The Beach Boys' third Billboard number one hit. At a cost of $16,000 it was the most expensive single ever produced in music history up to that time. On December 21st, 1966, the song would be awarded a Gold Record by the RIAA and on March 30th, 2016 it would go Platinum.

December 10
New music reaching the US record charts this week included The Electric Prunes "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night", The Monkees' "I'm A Believer", The Blues Magoos' "We Ain't Got Nothin' Yet" and Keith's "98.6".

1967 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
26-year-old Otis Redding was killed when the twin engine Beechcraft he was flying in crashed into the icy waters of the Squaw Bay area of Lake Monona, just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. His death came just three days after he recorded his only number one hit, "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay". Four teen-aged members of his back-up group, The Bar-Kays, also perished. They were guitarist Jimmie King (18), saxophonist Phalon Jones (19), drummer Carl Cunningham (18), and keyboardist Ronnie Caldwell (18). Only 20-year-old trumpeter Ben Cauley, who was sitting directly behind Redding on the plane, survived. He and band mate James Alexander, who was on a different plane, would reform The Bar-Kays and went on to record with Stax artists such as Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, and The Staple Singers. Cauley would pass away on September 21st, 2015, at the age of 67.

December 10
A previously unrecorded group called The Steve Miller Blues Band signs with Capitol Records for an unheard of $750,000. The label persuades the group to drop the "Blues" from its name. They would go on to record fifteen albums that reached the Billboard 200 chart and nine Top 40 singles for Capitol.

1969 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
After songwriter Mark James had released his own unsuccessful version of "Suspicious Minds", Elvis Presley collects his 48th Gold Record for his rendition. It was The King's seventeenth and final number-one single in the United States. Rolling Stone later ranked it #91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

December 10
Testifying at his trial for possession of hashish and heroin in the Toronto Supreme Court, Jimi Hendrix claims that he had experimented with them, but has now outgrown drugs. After eight hours of deliberations, the jury finds him not guilty.

1971 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Frank Zappa was pushed by an angry fan into the orchestra pit during a concert in London, England. Zappa suffered a broken leg and ankle, as well as a fractured skull. He would spend nine months in a wheelchair and another three months in a surgical brace. Zappa had allegedly been flirting with the fan's girlfriend.

December 10
Davy Jones of The Monkees guest stars on The Brady Bunch episode "Getting Davy Jones", where Marcia says she can convince the singer to perform at her prom. It turns our to be a promise she has trouble fulfilling.

1972 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Roberta Flack and two members of her backup band are injured while driving into Manhattan. Flack needed surgery on her lip, but kept her scheduled European tour dates the next month.

1975 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
The album "The Who by Numbers", which contains the hit single "Squeeze Box", earns The Who another Gold record. It would be awarded Platinum status on February 8th, 1993. "Squeeze Box" reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1976 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Capitol Records releases the triple, live album "Wings over America". The LP includes "My Love" (UK #9, US #1), "Silly Love Songs" (UK #2, US #1), "Maybe I'm Amazed" (UK #28, US #10, "Band On The Run" (UK #3, US #1) and "Hi Hi Hi" (UK #6, US #10).

December 10
Queen release their fifth studio album "A Day at the Races". Like their previous album, "A Night at the Opera", the LP takes its name from a film by The Marx Brothers. The singles released from the compilation were "Somebody To Love" (US #13, UK #2), "Tie Your Mother Down" (US #49, UK #41), "Long Away" (did not chart), "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" (UK #17), and "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" (released in Japan only, #49).

1980 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
John Lennon's body is cremated at the Fercliff Mortuary in Hatsdale, New York. Yoko took possession of the ashes and reportedly brought them back to her Dakota apartment.

1983 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson started a six week run at #1 on the Billboard singles chart with "Say Say Say". It was Jackson's 10th chart topper, including solo and with The Jacksons, and was McCartney's 29th, including solo and with The Beatles.

December 10
Tina Turner's first solo hit, a cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", peaks at #6 in the UK. It would climb as far as #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 next January.

1985 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Vocalist Chuck Negron is fired from Three Dog Night by the other members of the band. Negron, who sang lead on many of the group's biggest hits, including "One", "Easy To Be Hard" and "Joy To The World", had waged a losing battle against drug addiction for many years. He would eventually get clean and continue to tour as a solo act, telling his life story in the book, Three Dog Nightmare.

1988 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Bill Champlin's vocals helped Chicago attain their third and final number one single when "Look Away" hit the top of the Billboard chart. It was one of three Top Ten hits from the "Chicago 19" album, along with "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" and "You're Not Alone".

December 10
Cliff Richard's 100th single, "Mistletoe And Wine" tops the UK chart. Since 1958, only nine of his releases had failed to crack the UK Top 40.

1991 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Pioneering Rock 'n' Roll disc jockey Alan Freed is posthumously awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

1996 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Faron Young, who reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961 with the Country cross-over hit "Hello Walls", died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 64.

1998 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Rick Danko, bass player for The Band, died in his sleep in Woodstock, New York, one day after celebrating his 56th birthday.

2003 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Bill Deal of Bill Deal And The Rhondels died of an apparent heart attack at age 59. Deal and his eight-member group had five chart hits in 1969 and 1970, including "May I" (#39), "I've Been Hurt" (#35) and "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am?" (#23).

2008 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
The Associated Press reported that the US military used loud music to "create fear, disorient... and prolong capture shock" for prisoners at military detention centers at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Among the songs blasted 24 hours a day were "Born In The USA" by Bruce Springsteen, "Hell's Bells" by AC/DC, "White America" by Eminem, "The Theme From Sesame Street" and "I Love You" from the Barney And Friends children's TV show.

2009 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
In an interview with Britain's Q magazine, Paul McCartney was asked if his marriage to Heather Mills was the worst mistake of his life. He replied "Okay, yeah. I suppose that has to be the prime contender." The divorce settlement cost Macca $38.9 million, plus annual payments for his daughter, Beatrice.

December 10
Billy Joel responded to tabloid reports that his daughter Alexa Ray Joel's recent overdose was motivated by a family dispute between her and her mother, Christie Brinkley. Billy said that the stories were false and that the public should "consider the source" when reading such articles.

2010 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Michael Jackson's first posthumous album, "Michael", is released by Epic Records and Sony Music Entertainment. The LP, featuring all new material, debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart and would be certified Platinum on January 19th, 2011.

2015 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Janis Joplin's psychedelic painted, 1965 Porsche sold for $1.76 million at RM Sotheby's auction in New York. The car was originally expected to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000.

2018 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Universal Music Group announced that Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" had become the most streamed song released in the 20th century. Since being issued in 1975, the track had been played more than 1.6 billion times on streaming services around the world.

2019 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Marie Fredriksson, the lead singer of Swedish pop group Roxette, passed away following a seventeen year battle with cancer at the age of 61. The band enjoyed four Billboard chart topping hits starting in 1989 with "The Look", followed by "Listen to Your Heart", "Joyride" and "Must Have Been Love".

2021 - ClassicBands.com

December 10
Mike Nesmith, guitarist for The Monkees, died of natural causes at his home, surrounded by family. He was 78. His songwriting credits with the group include "Mary, Mary", "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", "Tapioca Tundra", "Circle Sky" and "Listen to the Band". In 1967 his song "Different Drum" became a Billboard #13 hit for Linda Ronstadt And The Stone Poneys.

December 10
Les Emerson, guitarist for Five Man Electrical Band died of COVID-19 at the age of 77. His Canadian group is most often remembered for their 1971, Billboard #3 hit, "Signs", which warned us that "Long haired, freaky people need not apply."



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