Rock 'n' Roll History for
September 13


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1958 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Cashbox magazine expands its record chart to include the top 100 best sellers in America. The publication began in 1942 as a jukebox and industry journal and would continue to publish in the shadow of Billboard until going out of business in October, 1996. In the mid-2000s, Cashbox re-appeared online.

September 13
"To Know Him Is To Love Him" by the Teddy Bears cracks the Billboard Top 40. The song was written and arranged by 18 year old Phil Spector, who took the song's title from the inscription on his father's tombstone. The record would be number one by the end of the year.

September 13
Cliff Richard made his British TV debut on Jack Good's Oh Boy program, where he performed "Move It". Before he was allowed to appear on the show, Richard was ordered to remove his sideburns.


1960 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
In Britain, the director of public prosecution is called upon to ban the American hit "Tell Laura I Love Her" by Ray Peterson. The song was being denounced in the press as likely to inspire a teen-age "glorious death cult." The story tells of a lovesick youngster who drives in a stock car race to win the hand of his sweetheart. He crashes and just before dying, groans out the words of the title.

September 13
With the American music scene still reeling from the "payola" scandal, the US Federal Communications act was amended to outlaw payments of cash or gifts in exchange for air play of records.

1962 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Elvis Presley had his 12th UK #1 hit with "She's Not You". The single, backed by "Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello", topped out at #5 in the US.

1965 - ClassicBands.com.

September 13
Ringo Starr's first wife, Maureen gives birth to their son, Zak Starkey at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in Hammersmith, London.

September 13
Five weeks after it was issued in the UK, The Beatles' tune "Yesterday" is released in America. It would top the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, starting on October 9th, and spend a total of eleven weeks on the chart. The record took only five weeks to sell a million copies in the U.S.

1968 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Clarence Carter received a Gold record for his million-selling hit, "Slip Away". The singer from Montgomery, Alabama, had been blind since age one and taught himself to play guitar by age 11.

1969 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
John Lennon put a band together for the Rock 'n' Roll Revival Concert in Toronto, Canada that included Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman (bass player from Manfred Mann) and drummer Alan White (who would later join Yes). Also on the bill were Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Gene Vincent, Alice Cooper and The Doors. The concert would produce a live album called "Live Peace in Toronto 1969".

1970 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
At Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa, Florida, Elvis Presley stumbles over the lyrics to "In The Ghetto" and gets a case of the giggles that forces him to stop the show until he can regain control of himself.

1974 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
With his current album "Fulfillingness' First Finale" sitting atop the Billboard 200 chart, Stevie Wonder kicks off his first tour since an accident left him in a coma for four days last year. A log fell on the car he was riding in as it passed a lumber truck.


1975 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Janis Ian's "At Seventeen" peaks at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it would stay for two weeks. Janis would say that she gained the inspiration to write the song after reading a New York Times article about a girl who thought her life would improve after she attended a debutante ball, and her ensuing letdown when it did not.

September 13
The Isley Brothers album "The Heat Is On" assents to the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart for a one week stay. The LP would spend forty weeks on the chart and would be certified Double Platinum on August 17th, 1999.

1976 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Peter Frampton's fourth solo album, "Frampton", goes Gold. It's his commercial breakthrough LP containing the hits "Show Me the Way" and "Baby I Love Your Way".

September 13
Columbia Records releases Bob Dylan's live album, "Hard Rain". Despite lukewarm reviews, the LP would peak at #17 in the US and #3 in the UK. and eventually earned Gold certification from the R.I.A.A.

September 13
Lynyrd Skynyrd issues their first live album, "One More from the Road". Containing an excellent version of "Sweet Home Alabama", the double LP would be certified Gold six weeks later and Platinum by the end of the year. It was recognized as 3X Platinum on July 21st, 1987.

1979 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
ABBA embarked on their first North American concert tour in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The show was the group's first in over two years, and they needed a venue where they could "shake the bugs out of their show before hitting the big U.S. market." The city was carefully chosen because Edmonton audiences had reputation of being appreciative and forgiving.

1980 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Trying to cash in on the popularity of American Bandstand and Soul Train, the American syndicated music television series Solid Gold premieres, hosted by Dionne Warwick. After she was fired in 1981, a revolving door of moderators took her place, including Andy Gibb, Marilyn McCoo, Rex Smith, Rick Dees, Nina Blackwood and Arsenio Hall. The program's final episode ran on July 23rd, 1988.

1985 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
"We Are The World" wins Best Group Video and the Viewer's Choice at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Don Henley's "The Boys Of Summer" video is graced with four trophies, including Best Video. Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" gets the nod for Best Male Video and Tina Turner wins Best Female Video for "What's Love Got To Do With It".

1991 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Alice Cooper sells copies of his new record, "Hey Stoopid" for 99 cents in New York's Times Square.


2005 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Paul McCartney released his 20th post-Beatles album, "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard". The reviews were far more favorable than for many of his other efforts.

2006 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
A judge dismissed part of a $2 million lawsuit by Beach Boys' vocalist Mike Love that claimed ex-band mate Al Jardine illegally used the name The Beach Boys while touring solo.

September 13
Singer Marianne Faithfull announced that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and had rescheduled her latest tour. Having caught the condition at an early stage, she was later declared to be cancer free.

2009 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
92-year-old Vera Lynn, who made her name by entertaining troops in World War II, became the oldest living artist to have a UK number one album. "We'll Meet Again - The Very Best of Vera Lynn" took the top spot in the British charts, even outselling much-hyped re-mastered versions of the Beatles' back catalogue, according to the UK's Official Charts Company. The previous oldest living artist to top the charts was Bob Dylan, who at 67 saw his album "Together Through Life" become number one in the UK earlier in the year.

2010 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
George Michael was sent to jail for eight weeks after being convicted of driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis in Hampstead, north London last July. He smiled in disbelief as the sentence was passed and he was led away to the cells.

2011 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
James Williams, the man convicted of murdering Walter Scott, the lead singer for Bob Kuban And The In-Men on their 1966 hit "The Cheater", died in prison at the age of 72 while serving his life sentence.


2012 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart was accused of assaulting a person at one of his shows on September 8th. The 69-year-old Hart responded by saying "Any accusation or claim of assault against me is completely false and without any basis whatsoever."

2013 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Stevie Nicks broke the news that Christine McVie would join her former band mates in Fleetwood Mac on one song for two shows during the band's upcoming European tour.

September 13
The BBC announced that previously unreleased recordings and studio chatter by The Beatles would be made available for the first time. "On Air - Live At The BBC Volume 2", due out on November 11th, follows the popular "Live at the BBC" album issued in 1994 that sold more than five million copies around the world in six weeks.

2015 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Gary Richrath, songwriter and lead guitarist for REO Speedwagon from 1970 until 1989, died due to complications from surgery. He was 65 years old. Richrath was fired from the band after tensions between him and Kevin Cronin boiled over. Although the group enjoyed thirteen Billboard Top 40 hits with Richrath on board, they never had another after his dismissal.

2019 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
Eddie Money, whose eleven Billboard Top 40 hits included "Take Me Home Tonight" (#4 in 1986) and "Walk On Water" (#9 in 1988) passed away at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer.


2022 - ClassicBands.com

September 13
The New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision issued a statement that revealed that John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, had been denied parole following an August 31st interview. It marked the 12th time that Chapman had been denied.



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