| 55 years ago (1959) | Dolly Parton's first record, Puppy Love, is released on Gold Band Records. Billboard's capsule review notes, “She sounds about 12 years old. She happens to be 13 years old.” |
| 54 years ago (1960) | Elvis Presley's return to Hollywood to film G.I. Blues is greeted by tremendous fanfare. Of course, it's the top story on the nightly news and even makes page one of the local newspapers. |
| 46 years ago (1968) | The band Deep Purple, composed of Jon Lord, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice, Rod Evans, and Nick Semper, perform their concert debut in Tastrup, Denmark. |
| 45 years ago (1969) | The L.A. Free Festival in Venice, California ends in violence before it really begins with many hurt and 117 arrested. The trouble starts when police chase one youth through the crowd on the beach. When they cuff him, the crowd starts chanting “Pig, pig, pig!” A riot ensues and none of the bands scheduled to play appear. |
| 44 years ago (1970) | The New York Times reports Catholic and Protestant youth groups have adopted the yellow submarine as a religious symbol. |
| 38 years ago (1976) | The Rolling Stones' Black and Blue album is released, and though the critics give it a lukewarm response, and feminists protest an ad campaign which features a photograph of a bound and bruised model, it reaches #1 and goes platinum in two months. |
| 33 years ago (1981) | One time member of The Mamas and the Papas, John Phillips, is put behind bars in Los Angeles after pleading guilty to drug possession charges. His five-year sentence will be suspended after thirty days in exchange for 250 hours worth of community service. |
| 23 years ago (1991) | Steve Marriot of the Small Faces dies in a house fire. He was 44 years old. |
| 15 years ago (1999) | Billy Joel performs what he says is his last public pop music concert at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. He plans on devoting his efforts to classical music. |
| 14 years ago (2000) | Robert Plant appears at Disney's Theatre of the Stars in Orlando, Florida to leave his handprints outside the theatre. |