1954: A young truck driver named Elvis Presley strolls into the Memphis Recording Service saying he wants to record a song for his mother's birthday (a dubious claim as it was still many months away). He records "Casual Love Affair" and "I’ll Never Stand in Your Way."

The owner of the studio, Sam Phillips, hears the recording and immediately calls Elvis back to record professionally for Phillips’ Sun Records.

1987: Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

1978: Rhino Records, an independent record store in L.A. releases its first album, “Wildman” by Wild Man Fisher. From that humble beginning, Rhino’s music & video releases today (all mainly in the “oldies” category) preserve much of our musical heritage.

Happy New Year!

1962: The Beatles with Pete Best still on drums audition for Decca Records in London. Decca A&R man Dick Rowe tells the boys’ manager, Brain Epstein, "Guitar groups are on the way out,” and instead signs Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, who also had a New Years’ audition. Rowe redeems himself by signing The Rolling Stones, Them (Van Morrison), The Moody Blues, The Zombies, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Tom Jones, and The Small Faces to Decca in the years after Beatlemania sweeps the UK.

Two rock icons made their stage debuts on this day.

1961: The Beach Boys (formerly The Pendletons) play their first gig under their new name at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert in Long Beach, CA. They are paid a whopping $300.

The very same night, a young Janis Joplin makes her first on-stage appearance at the Halfway House in Beaumont, TX.

Happy Birthday to a whole bunch of rock legends…

1928: Bo Diddley

1934: Del Shannon

1937: Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary)

1942: Michael Nesmith

1945: Davy Jones

1947: Jeff Lynne

1956: On this day and for the entire week, Elvis Presley singles hold 10 chart positions on Billboard's Hot 100. This record will stand for nearly 8 years until (we’re sure you guessed it) the Beatles land 14 singles on the same chart in 1964.

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.