1968: A year before Woodstock, the East Coast sees its first 3-day rock festival, the Miami Pop Festival. Headliners include: Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, The Turtles, Joni Mitchell, Procol Harum, Steppenwolf, Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly, The McCoys, Fleetwood Mac, The Box Tops, Three Dog Night, Pacific Gas and Electric and The Grateful Dead.

1957: The U.S. Army relents and lets its newest draftee, Elvis Presley delay his induction in order to finish filming King Creole.

1963: The Beatles release a little song called “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” That would be the song that would very quickly make them a worldwide sensation.

Merry Christmas! (Also a good day for drummers)

1959: 18-year old apprentice electrician, Richard Starkey gets his first real set of drums for Christmas. Shortly thereafter he changes his name to Ringo Starr and becomes an important fixture of Liverpool’s emerging rock scene.

1966: 16-year old Canadian kid Robbie Bachman gets his first drum kit. Three years later, brother Randy Bachmann asks him to join Randy’s new band Bachmann-Turner Overdrive.

Make sure you listen to “The Little Drummer Boy” today!

Two rock ‘n’ roll classics were recorded in this day.

1958: Bobby Darin is in the studio laying down vocals for his classic version of “Beyond the Sea."

1966: Tommy James and his band the Shondells record “I Think We’re Alone Now,” the first of an impressive run of Sixties’ hits. (Tommy had yet to get the memo about Beatles' haircuts being mandatory for rock stars.)

1964: Following up their first appearance on ABC's Shindig! (performing "Little Saint Nick," "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Papa Oom Mow Mow," and "Monster Mash"), the Beach Boys board a flight from Los Angeles to a concert in Houston. During the flight group leader, Brian Wilson suffers a nervous breakdown. In the immediate aftermath, Brian retires from touring with the band. Prominent L.A. session guitar player, Glen Campbell (who had already been playing on many of the Beach Boys records) takes his place on stage. Campbell is eventually replaced by permanent member Bruce Johnston.

1979: An all-star benefit performance, the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea premieres at London's Hammersmith Odeon. Topping the bill are organizer Paul McCartney, the Who, Queen, and an all-star "Rockestra."

1970: Elvis Presley visits the White House to have President Nixon make him an honorary deputy of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Presley pledges his unwavering help in fighting the war on drugs.

At the time, the irony of this moment is lost on all of us.

1975: A former member of the James Gang and already a successful solo artist, Joe Walsh joins the Eagles, replacing Bernie Leadon, who left after the band decided to pursue a more rock-based sound.

Good decision, as their first album with Walsh and more rock, Hotel California, goes on to become the best-selling LP in the group’s long, mega-successful career.

1955: Carl Perkins records "Blue Suede Shoes", a song that he wrote after seeing a young man get angry at his date for scuffing his shoes. Even though today Elvis Presley's version is better known today, his cover only made it to # 20 on the Billboard Top 100. Perkins' original went to # 2 and stayed on the chart for 17 weeks.