1965: Disgusted with the more pop/less blues direction the Yardbirds decide to take, guitarist Eric Clapton quits the band.

Wonder whatever became of him?

1969: Paul McCartney marries his girlfriend, Linda Eastman, twice. They get hitched first at the register office in Marylebone, London and again shortly thereafter at the Anglican Church in St. John’s Wood. No other members of the Beatles are in attendance.

George Harrison, at least, had a valid reason. That same day, he and his wife, Pattie Boyd Harrison, are busted for marijuana at their home in Surrey.

1969: A family vocal group from Gary, Indiana signs with Motown Records on this day. The Jackson 5 will soon leave a large mark on pop music history.

BTW the group was brought to the attention of Motown head honcho, Barry Gordy, by Gladys Knight. Somehow, by the time the group’s debut album hit the record bins, Diana Ross was listed on the cover as their “Presenter.”

1979: This is definitely one for the record books.

The Godfather of Soul, James Brown makes a guest appearance at the shrine of country music, The Grand Ol’ Opry. Invited there by his personal friend, Porter Wagoner, Brown does perform “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” but also surprises the crowd with straightforward country renditions of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “The Tennessee Waltz.”

An auspicious day to be in the recording studio. Here are what some artists were creating in the studio on this day:

1966: The Beach Boys - "God Only Knows"
1966: Bob Dylan - "Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)," "Temporary Like Achilles"
1967: The Beatles - "Getting Better"
1978: The Eagles - "I Can't Tell You Why"

1968: Legendary rock promoter, Bill Graham opens an East Coast version of his San Francisco concert venue, the Fillmore Ballroom. Appropriately dubbed Fillmore East and located in New York City’s East Village, the hall’s first show is headlined by Big Brother & the Holding Company, Albert King and Tim Buckley.

By the way, the photo of Bill on opening night was snapped by aspiring rock photographer Linda Eastman (soon to become Linda McCartney).

1966: Brian Wilson releases his first ever solo recording, the single “Caroline No.” When the Pet Sounds album is released two months later, the recording appears on the album, but now is credited to Brian’s band, The Beach Boys.

1957: It’s the Canadian Invasion! No, seriously. It was on this day that a rock band from Canada became the first from the Great White North to score a #1 hit on the U.S. charts. The group was the Diamonds and their hit was “Little Darlin’.”

1951: Ever think that Ike Turner just may have invented rock & roll? It was on this day that Ike and his band, recording under the name Jackie Brenston and His Kings of Rhythm, recorded “Rocket 88” for Sam Phillips at his Memphis Recording Service (the same place Sam would name Sun Studios a few years later).

That record is now considered by many scholars to be the first rock & roll record.

1966: A London newspaper The Evening Standard publishes an interview with John Lennon in which he infamously says about the Beatles: “We're more popular than Jesus.”

The remark goes unnoticed until it is reprinted in the American teen magazine Datebook four months later. Massive anti-Beatle protests would break out, mainly across the Bible Belt, including bonfires of Beatles records.

Lennon later apologizes and the Beatles survive the controversy.