1972: It began as a rebel alternative to the traditional and hopelessly square celebration with Guy Lombardo. The very first “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” makes its debut on ABC. Musical guests on that first show included Three Dog Night and Al Green.

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

1963: At ten minutes before 1 pm on a Sunday afternoon, WMCA in New York becomes the first American radio station to play a new release from an up and coming British band. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles is heard in the States for the first time.

Full-scale Beatlemania will erupt in just a few short days all across the country.

1983: The teenage heartthrob of the Beach Boys, Dennis Wilson, passed away this day in California. He drowned while diving off the pier at Marina Del Ray while trying to retrieve mementos he had tossed overboard from his yacht three years earlier. He was 39.

1971: Completing a comeback that began with dates singing at supper clubs in small towns, Sonny & Cher debut their variety show on CBS-TV.

1966: While waiting to go on stage for a show at London’s Uppercut Club, Jimi Hendrix gets a sudden idea for a song. Grabbing a scrap of paper, he hastily scribbles out the lyrics to a tune he calls “Purple Haze.”

Merry Christmas!

1959: On Christmas morning, apprentice electrician, 18-year old Richard Starkey of Liverpool gets his first set of drums for Christmas. Richard will soon be performing in Liverpool’s burgeoning music scene under the stage name Ringo Starr.

1974: To celebrate Christmas Eve, singers James Taylor, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell go caroling door-to-door in suburban Los Angeles. No word if anyone offered them cocoa and cookies for their efforts.

1959: Chuck Berry is arrested in his hometown of St. Louis. It turns out he drove a young girl from Mexico to his hometown. He claims he was hiring the girl to be a hatcheck girl at the night club he owns. Two problems: The girl is only 14 years old. She also has a record as a prostitute.

Berry is sentenced to five years in prison for a violation of the Mann Act, prohibiting the transportation of a minor across state lines “for immoral purposes.”

Berry ends up serving less than four years.

1978: Kenney Jones joins the Who, replacing the group’s original drummer, the late Keith Moon.