Today in Music History Archives

1957 – American crooner Andy Williams was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Butterfly’, the US singers only UK No.1 and the first of 40 hit singles from 1957 until 2002 on the UK chart.

1960 – American DJ Alan Freed was indicted along with seven others for accepting $30,650 in payola from six record companies. Two years later, he was convicted and given a suspended sentence and a $300 fine.

1964 – A riot broke out in Hamilton, Scotland during a Rolling Stones UK tour when over 4,000 fans with forged tickets gate-crashed the bands gig at the Chantingall Hotel.

1963 – The first Monterey Folk Festival took place over three days in Monterey, California. The festival featured Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Peter Paul and Mary. The 1967 Monterey Rock festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by Jimi Hendrix and The Who as well as the first major public performances of Janis Joplin. It was also the first major performance by Otis Redding in front of a predominantly white audience.

1962 – B Bumble and the Stingers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Nut Rocker.’ The instrumental was based on Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker Suite.’