Music History

Rob Hirst, drummer of Midnight Oil, was born.

English guitarist, singer and co-founder of the punk rock band Sex Pistols Steve Jones was born in Hammersmith, London.

Canadian vocal group The Four Lads made their Billboard Top 100 debut with “Moments to Remember”. The song became their biggest hit, reaching No. 2 during a 25-week chart run and launching a series of twelve Top 40 hits.

Elvis Presley performed at the St. Francis County Fair and Livestock Show Jamboree at Smith Stadium in Forrest City, Arkansas. He was the headline act on a five-day tour that also featured Johnny Cash, Bud Deckelman, Floyd Cramer and Eddie Bond.

Elvis Presley gave his mother Gladys a pink Cadillac Fleetwood, which he had originally bought in July 1955 in blue with a black roof and had repainted in a shade known as “Elvis Rose.” Gladys did not have a driver's license, so Elvis drove her in the car.

Elvis Presley and his band traveled from Memphis to Bono, Arkansas, where they performed in a high school gymnasium. Johnny Cash, Bud Dickerman, Eddie Bond, Floyd Cramer and Jimmy Day also performed. The crowd was so large that the floor collapsed during the concert, fortunately without injuries. Elvis also showed off his new 1954 Cadillac Eldorado.

Elvis Presley performed at the National Guard Armory in Sikeston, Missouri; the concert began at 8:00 p.m. and was part of a five-day tour.

Elvis Presley performed as part of the Louisiana Hayride at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport.

American singer and songwriter Howard Hewett was born in Akron, Ohio. He became famous as the lead singer of Shalamar.

The Platters’ debut single, “Only You (And You Alone)”, was performed publicly for the first time.

“I Forgot to Remember to Forget” reached No. 2 on the Memphis chart. After RCA Victor acquired the recording, it became Elvis's first significant national release and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country and Western chart in February 1956, where it remained for a total of 39 weeks. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart and brought him his first significant national publicity.

Philip Oakey, singer and songwriter of The Human League, was born in Oadby, Leicestershire, England. The band, formed in Sheffield in 1977, achieved major commercial success with the 1981 album Dare and the hit “Don't You Want Me,” which reached No. 1 in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Elvis performed at G. Rollie White Coliseum in College Station, Texas. It was the beginning of a four-day tour with other performers from Louisiana Hayride: Jimmy & Johnny, Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, David Houston, Willy Birdbrain and Daldon & Lulu. The concert began at 7:30 p.m.

The Mickey Mouse Club premiered on ABC on October 3, featuring its twelve-year-old star Annette Funicello prominently.

Elvis performed at the Boys Club Gymnasium in Paris, Texas, as part of the Louisiana Hayride Jamboree. Also appearing were Jimmy & Johnny, Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, Willie Birdbrain, Daldon & Lulu, and Sonny Trammel; the show was sponsored by the Optimist Club. The show began at 8:00 p.m.

Elvis Presley performed twice in Texas on October 6, 1955: in the afternoon at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos with Jimmy & Johnny, Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, Willie Birdbrain, Daldon & Lulu, Sonny Trammell and Ray Gomer, and in the evening at the Skyline Club in Austin as part of the Louisiana Hayride Jamboree.

Houston police arrested Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, and several others backstage at Music Hall and fined them for alleged gambling. Some believed the real reason for the raid was opposition to the newly integrated audience. The artists nevertheless managed to return and perform a second set.

Elvis Presley and Tillman Franks traveled by bus to Houston to visit Bob Wills at Cook’s Hoedown Club; according to Franks, neither Elvis nor Wills was particularly impressed with the other.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma was born.

Elvis Presley performed as part of Louisiana Hayride at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Texas. The performance was also broadcast on radio.

Chuck Berry remained at No. 1 on the R&B chart with “Maybellene,” which had already spent ten weeks at the top.

The Four Aces reached No. 1 on the Cashbox Best Sellers chart with “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing,” the first American recording to reach No. 1 that had been specifically written for a film. The song reached No. 2 in the UK and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1956.

Elvis Presley began a weeklong tour with Johnny Cash, Wanda Jackson and Porter Wagoner at Cherry Springs Dance Hall in Cherryspring, Texas, performing at 8:00 PM.

The J.P. Seeburg Corporation introduced its new Dual Music System jukebox, the first equipped to hold one hundred singles and two-song-per-side Extended Play discs.

Elvis Presley performed at Memorial Hall in Brownwood, Texas. The other performers were Jimmy Newman, Johnny Cash, Floyd Cramer, Jimmy Day, Wanda Jackson, Porter Wagoner and Bobby Lord. The event was sponsored by the Brownwood Volunteer Fire Department.

Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins began an 11-day concert tour of the southern United States with a performance at Fair Park Auditorium in Abilene, Texas. Elvis performed at 7:00 p.m. and returned to the stage at 9:15 p.m. Other performers included Jimmy Newman, Floyd Cramer, Jimmy Day, Wanda Jackson, Porter Wagoner and Bobby Lord. The concert brought together several artists recording for Sun Records during the formative years of rockabilly.

Elvis Presley performs at the High School Auditorium in Midland, Texas. Other performers include Jimmy Newman, Johnny Cash, Floyd Cramer, Jimmy Day, Wanda Jackson, Porter Wagoner, and Bobby Lord.

Chrysler introduces record players for its 1956 model-year cars. The device, mounted beneath the dashboard, plays seven-inch records at 16⅔ rpm. The system lets drivers listen to vinyl records in their cars; production ends in 1961.

Singer-songwriter Jane Siberry is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is known for songs including “Mimi on the Beach,” “I Muse Aloud,” “One More Colour,” and “Calling All Angels.”

Elvis Presley performed at the Municipal Auditorium in Amarillo, Texas, as part of a concert bill featuring Jimmy Newman, Johnny Cash, Floyd Cramer, Jimmy Day, Wanda Jackson, Porter Wagoner, and Bobby Lord. Contemporary advertising described him as the "King of Western Bop" and a "cool cat".