Rock 'n' Roll History for
December 13


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1956 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
In a year when he had eleven US Top 40 hits, Elvis Presley endures a rare miss when a song called "Paralyzed" peaks at #78 during a one week stay. In the UK however, the record would reach #8 in August, 1957.

December 13
Patti Page reaches #11 on the Billboard chart with "Mama From The Train (A Kiss, A Kiss)", about memories of a now-deceased mother whose scrambled English leads to quaint phrasings. It was Patti's fifth of sixteen Top 40 hits.

1960 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Elvis Presley's "It's Now Or Never" sets a new record in the UK for achieving one million sales just six weeks after its release.

1961 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
A Decca Records representative named Mike Smith attends a Beatles' performance at The Cavern Club and will set up a recording audition for the group on January 1st, 1962. Decca would later reject the band, saying "The Beatles have no future in show business."

1962 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Elvis Presley had his 13th UK #1 single with "Return To Sender". The record included backing musicians, Scotty Moore on electric guitar, D.J. Fontana on drums, Dudley Brooks on piano, and Boots Randolph on baritone sax.

December 13
After scoring a US Top 20 hit with "She Can't Find Her Keys" earlier in the year, 17 year old Paul Peterson re-entered the charts with "My Dad", which would reach #6. The former Disney Mouseketeer and cast member of the TV's Donna Reed Show would go on to found A Minor Consideration, an organization committed to changing the working conditions for child performers.

1966 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Jimi Hendrix records "Foxy Lady" at CBS Studios in London, England. It would be released with that spelling on the album "Are You Experienced" next May 12th, but when it was issued as a single the following December, it was spelled "Foxey Lady". As with most of Hendrix's singles, it did not perform especially well, stalling at #67 on the Hot 100.

1974 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
George Harrison has lunch with President Gerald Ford at the White House. Later that same day, Ford meets with Peter Frampton.

1975 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
The Rolling Stones' request to put on a three day show for 100,000 fans on Easter Island is denied by the government of Chile, who say "The whole future of the island" would be damaged.

1976 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Three days after its release, "Wings Over America", the triple, live album by Paul McCartney And Wings, goes Gold. One week later, it would go Platinum. It peaked at #8 on the UK Official Albums Chart and reached #1 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.

1986 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Bruce Hornsby And The Range top the Billboard chart with "The Way It Is", a song that refers to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The tune reached #15 in the UK and was awarded a Gold Record, achieving sales of over 400,000 copies.

1991 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
John Denver's special, Montana Christmas Skies aired on CBS-TV. He was joined by Clint Black, Kathy Mattea. George Burns and Patty Loveless.

1996 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
The film, Jerry Maguire, co-starring Eagles' singer / guitarist Glenn Frey, makes its debut in US theatres. The movie's other star, Cuba Gooding Jr. is the son of Cuba Gooding Sr., the lead vocalist for The Main Ingredient, who are most often remembered for their 1972, #3 hit "Everybody Plays the Fool".

2002 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
58 year old Zal Yanovsky, former lead guitarist for The Lovin' Spoonful, suffered a fatal heart attack at his farm near Kingston, Ontario, Canada. After leaving the music business, Zal had become a chef and restaurateur.

2006 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
New York police arrested Koral Karsan and charged him with first-degree attempted grand larceny for allegedly trying to extort $2 million from John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. The 50 year old Karsan had worked for Ono as a chauffeur for over six years.

2008 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh marries Marjorie Bach, making him a brother-in-law to Ringo Starr, who is married to Marjorie's sister Barbara. It was his fifth marriage, and her second.

2012 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, announced that Carole King is the 2013 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

2015 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Officials at New York's Madison Square Garden reported that Billy Joel had sold out his 30th consecutive show at the 18,666 seat venue, set for June 17, 2016.

2018 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Jazz singer Nancy Wilson, who reached the Billboard Top 40 with "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am" in 1964 and "Face It Girl, It's Over" in 1968, passed away at the age of 81 after a long illness.

2019 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
A pair of John Lennon's sunglasses sold for about $183,000 (137,500 Pounds) after being put up for sale by Sotheby's in London. The round, green-tinted glasses were owned by the late musician's former chauffeur Alan Herring, who found them in the backseat of Ringo Starr's Mercedes in the summer of 1968.

2021 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
The publishing and management company Primary Wave announced that they had bought all of James Brown's music assets. Included in the sale were Brown's publishing, master income stream, and name and likeness rights. Although no figures were released by the company, The New York Times estimated the deal was worth approximately $90 million.

2024 - ClassicBands.com

December 13
Wham!, the British duo consisting of Andrew Ridgeley and the late George Michael, returned to the top of the UK Official Chart with their holiday hit, "Last Christmas". The song was originally released in 1984 when it peaked at #2 and has reached the Top Ten every year since 2016.



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