Events in 1955
- An American drummer, producer, and member of the band Garbage was born in Viroqua, Wisconsin. He produced, among others, Nirvana's album „Nevermind“, as well as recordings by The Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth.
- Elvis Presley performed at Robinson Auditorium in Little Rock, Arkansas, as part of the All-Star Jamboree tour.
- Bill Haley filed a lawsuit against Dave Miller, founder of Essex Records, over unpaid royalties from earlier recordings.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Municipal Hall Auditorium in Camden, Arkansas, at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. as part of the All-Star Jamboree. Other performers included Webb Pierce, Red Sovine, Bud Deckelman, Charlie Feathers, and Wanda Jackson.
- Elvis Presley performed at the eighth annual Country Music Jamboree at Overton Park Shell in Memphis. Others appearing included Webb Pierce, Sonny James, Johnny Cash and Wanda Jackson. The concert drew more than 4,000 people.
- Elvis Presley performed at River Stadium in Batesville, Arkansas, as part of the 12th annual White River Carnival. He performed songs including “That's All Right,” “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “Good Rocking Tonight” and “Baby Let's Play House.”
- “A Fool for You” by Ray Charles and his group reached No. 1 on the R&B chart.
- Elvis Presley performed at Magnolia Gardens in Houston and later at Cook's Hoedown in Houston.
- Drummer D.J. Fontana, who occasionally performed with Elvis Presley, became a regular member of his backing band.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Mayfair Building in Tyler, Texas. This marked the beginning of a week-long tour with Jim Ed and Maxine Brown.
- English drummer and percussionist Charlie Morgan was born in London. He worked with Tom Robinson Band, Kate Bush, Elton John, Orleans, Paul McCartney and Tina Turner, among others.
- Chuck Berry's “Maybellene” entered the Billboard Top 100 at No. 13, two weeks after reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard R&B chart, and later climbed to No. 5. The song is now regarded as one of the pioneering rock 'n' roll singles.
- Elvis Presley performed at Baseball Park in Gladewater, Texas, during a tour with The Browns. Approximately 20 people attended the concert.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana. His set included “That's All Right”, “Baby Let's Play House” and Chuck Berry's “Maybellene”.
- Savoy Records announced that artists wishing to record cover versions of songs had to obtain permission from the US Copyright Office. The company also revised its royalty system, with royalties now to be calculated according to the number of records manufactured rather than simply those sold.
- At a meeting in Memphis with manager Bob Neal, Colonel Tom Parker and his father Vernon Presley, he signed a new contract that appointed Parker as a “special adviser” with control over virtually every aspect of Elvis's career. On the same day, Mitch Miller of RCA Victor rejected a proposal to offer $20,000 to acquire Elvis, saying that no singer was worth that amount.
- English multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Colin Moulding was born in Swindon. He became known as a member of XTC.
- Elvis Presley released the single “I Forgot to Remember to Forget / Mystery Train”, which later became his first No. 1 hit. It remained at the top of the country chart for five weeks.
- Pete Seeger testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he was asked whether he had performed for communists. Seeger stated that he had sung for Americans of all political beliefs and that he was proud never to have refused to sing to any audience regardless of its religion, skin color or circumstances in life.
- Elvis Presley returned to the Louisiana Hayride at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The surviving recording documents performances of “Baby Let's Play House”, “Maybellene” and “That's All Right”.
- Sun Records released the song “I Forgot to Remember to Forget”. Billboard published a review of it and predicted that it would receive considerable attention. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard National Country Music Chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Most Played By Jockeys chart in February 1956, bringing Elvis his first nationwide publicity and success.
- “Maybellene” by Chuck Berry debuted on the charts.
- Saxophonist and composer Alan Wilkinson was born in Ilford, England.
- Elvis Presley performed at Spudder Park in Wichita Falls, Texas, beginning a week-long tour with several performers from Louisiana Hayride: Bill Mack & Band, Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, David Houston, Sonny Crammer, Ray Gallman, Tillman Franks, and Willie Birdbrain. The performance began at 8:15 p.m.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Bryan Saddle Club rodeo (Brazos County Rodeo Arena) in Bryan, Texas. A flatbed truck served as the stage.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Davy Crockett High School football stadium in Conroe, Texas, before approximately 700 people. Also on the bill were Mary McCoy, Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, David Houston, Sonny Crammer, Ray Gallman, Tillman Franks, Willie Birdbrain and George Jones.
- Jeffrey Daniel, R&B singer of Shalamar, was born in Los Angeles, California. The group became known for songs including „The Second Time Around“ and „A Night to Remember“ and helped introduce body-popping to the U.K.
- Elvis performed “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” at the Sportcenter in Austin, Texas. The concert began at 8:00 p.m. and was part of the Louisiana Hayride Tour. Other performers included Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, David Houston, Dalton & Lulu Jo, Sonny Crammer, Ray Gallman, Tillman Franks and Willie Birdbrain.
- Elvis Presley performed at Baseball Park in Gonzales, Texas. He was joined by Johnny Horton, Betty Amos, David Houston, Sonny Crammer, Ray Gallman, Tillman Franks and Willie Birdbrain.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, continuing his regular Saturday appearances on the influential country music radio show.
- The song “Ain't That A Shame” reached No. 10 on the US pop chart and became the first R&B song to reach the Top 10. Three weeks later, Pat Boone's cover version reached No. 1.
- Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was murdered in Money, Mississippi, by two white men because he spoke to a white woman. His story later inspired Bob Dylan’s song “The Death Of Emmett Till” and Emmylou Harris’s “My Name Is Emmett Till”.
- Chuck Berry reached No. 5 on the U.S. pop chart with "Maybellene", while the song spent eleven weeks at No. 1 on the rhythm and blues chart.
- A London judge fined Sidney Turner three pounds and ten shillings for "creating an awful noise" after he threatened his neighbors that he would "drive them mad". From 2:00 to 4:30 p.m., he played Bill Haley and His Comets' "Shake Rattle & Roll" as loudly as possible.
- Alan Freed's first annual rock 'n' roll party began at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York. The lineup included Chuck Berry, Tony Bennett, The Nutmegs, The Rhythmettes, The Cardinals and The Four Voices.
- Bassist and singer Bruce Foxton of The Jam was born in Woking, England.
- Elvis Presley performed at Pontchartrain Beach amusement park in New Orleans alongside other performers, including Mrs. Jimmy Rogers, Jim Reeves, Al Terry, Jack Cardwell, Jimmy Swan, Ernie Chaffin, Ann Raye, Ray Parker and Hillbilly Evans. Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys performed in New Orleans.
- A rock 'n' roll enthusiast was fined $9.80 at a London court after playing Bill Haley's “Shake Rattle and Roll” at full volume all day and neighbors complained.
- Elvis Presley performed at the Arkansas Municipal Auditorium in Texarkana, Arkansas, as part of The Big D Jamboree. The concert was scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m., but Elvis arrived late because of a traffic accident. While overtaking a truck, Scotty Moore drove the Cadillac Fleetwood into an oncoming vehicle. The repair cost $1,000, and local high school student Carl Nelson entertained the audience until Elvis arrived.
- Bill Haley filed a lawsuit against Dave Miller of Essex Records, seeking to block the release of recordings he had made during his contract with Essex. The lawsuit described the recordings as inferior to his newer recordings at the time.
- Bill Haley & His Comets turned down a $2,000 offer for a fifteen-concert tour of Australia because of concerns about flying.
- Billboard reported that independent record companies continued their unprecedented growth, earning approximately $20 million combined in the previous year and beginning to challenge the dominance of the major corporations known as the “Big Seven”.
- Elvis Presley performed three shows in Dallas at two venues: first two performances as part of the Big “D” Jamboree at the Sportatorium, followed later that night by a performance at the Round Up Club.
- Chuck Berry spent his third week at No. 1 on the R&B chart with “Maybellene”.
- Mitch Miller reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 with “The Yellow Rose of Texas”. The song originated in 1853; Miller was also an influential A&R executive and producer who openly opposed rock ’n’ roll.
- 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.
- 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".