Events in 1962
- The film Follow That Dream, starring Elvis Presley, was released as part of his film career. Elvis portrayed the lead role of Toby Kwimper, and the film was his first picture for the Mirisch Company.
- Aretha Franklin made her first appearance on the television program “American Bandstand” on August 2, 1962, performing “Don't Cry Baby” and “Try a Little Tenderness.”
- Lee Mavers, English singer and guitarist with The La's, was born on August 2, 1962.
- Paul Reynolds, lead guitarist with A Flock of Seagulls, was born in Liverpool, England.
- The Rolling Stones played the first of 22 consecutive weekly shows at the Ealing Jazz Club in London. During this period, they performed under the name The Rollin' Stones.
- Marilyn Monroe died in Brentwood, Los Angeles, at the age of 36 from a barbiturate overdose.
- Anita Wood announced that she had split from Elvis Presley, moved out of Graceland and returned to Jackson, Tennessee.
- American rapper Mohandas Dewese, known as Kool Moe Dee, was born in New York City.
- The film Follow That Dream, starring Elvis Presley, was released in New York. Elvis portrayed the lead role of Toby Kwimper, a member of a family that settles along the Florida coast.
- The Tijuana Brass released their first single, “The Lonely Bull”, on A&M Records, the label founded by their bandleader Herb Alpert and his partner Jerry Moss. The song reached No. 6 in the US and launched a run of 19 pop hits by Alpert.
- Robert Allen Zimmerman legally changed his name to Robert Dylan. The legal change took place at the St. Louis County Court in Hibbing, Minnesota, and he listed his father, Abraham Zimmerman, as a witness. The new name later became his well-known stage name, Bob Dylan.
- British singer and songwriter Julia Fordham was born on Hayling Island in England.
- Bragi Ólafsson, bassist for The Sugarcubes, was born in Reykjavík, Iceland.
- Mary Wells released “You Beat Me To The Punch.”
- After eight previous Billboard Top 40 songs, Neil Sedaka reached No. 1 on the US chart for the first time with “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” It spent two weeks at the top of Billboard and also two weeks at No. 1 on the Cashbox Best Sellers Chart. It reached No. 7 in the UK.
- Tony Bennett released the single “Once Upon A Time” with “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” on the B-side. When DJs began playing the B-side, “San Francisco” climbed to No. 19 on the chart and later earned Bennett Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance.
- The group and their manager Brian Epstein decided to fire drummer Pete Best. Best played his final concert the following night at The Cavern in Liverpool. Ringo Starr, who was nearing the end of a three-month engagement with Rory Storm & the Hurricanes at a Butlin’s holiday camp, received a phone call from John Lennon asking him to join. Ringo gave Rory Storm three days' notice and made his first appearance as a member of The Beatles on August 18.
- Lennon and McCartney traveled from Liverpool to Skegness to offer Ringo Starr a place in The Beatles. Starr accepted the offer and agreed to a salary of £25 per week.
- Canadian musician Astrid Young, Neil Young's half-sister, was born.
- After being informed of his dismissal, Brian Epstein asked Pete Best to perform with The Beatles that evening at the Riverpark Ballroom in Chester. Best did not appear, and Johnny Hutchinson of The Big Three temporarily replaced him.
- Pete Best was dismissed from The Beatles by manager Brian Epstein and replaced by Ringo Starr. Epstein gave him the news at his record shop.
- Warner Bros. released the single "If I Had a Hammer" by Peter, Paul and Mary. The song reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Grammy Awards for Best Folk Recording and Best Performance by a Vocal Group.
- Twelve-year-old Little Stevie Wonder released his first single, "I Call It Pretty Music (But The Old People Call It The Blues)", issued by Motown Records. Marvin Gaye played drums on the recording, which reached No. 101 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Gilbert “Gilby” Clarke was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He is best known for his three-year stint as rhythm guitarist with Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin from 1991 to 1993.
- Bobby Vinton began his fourth week at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart with “Roses Are Red (My Love).”
- Peter, Paul & Mary released the song “If I Had a Hammer.”
- Ringo Starr performed with The Beatles for the first time at a dance at the Horticultural Society in Hulme Hall in Port Sunlight, Birkenhead, England, following a two-hour rehearsal. It was the first performance by the Beatles lineup of John, Paul, George and Ringo, two days after their previous drummer Pete Best was dismissed.
- American DJ, remixer and music producer David Morales was born in New York. He is a Grammy Award winner.
- Elvis Presley and Gary Pepper were photographed on August 21, 1962, after a private movie evening shown by Paul Shafer at the Malco Theatre in Memphis.
- An early form of karaoke was demonstrated at the National Radio Show at London's Earl's Court. The new device allowed vocals to be combined with guitars, tapes, and even radio, making it possible to sing and play along with recordings. The Earl's Court Radio Show was a major annual event for showcasing the latest consumer electronics in Britain.
- Granada TV filmed The Beatles' lunchtime performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, including the song “Some Other Guy”, which was the first time the group was filmed by television cameras. However, because of the grainy picture and poor sound quality, Granada did not broadcast the footage at the time and placed it in its archive. It was first broadcast on November 6, 1963, on the program “Scene at 6:30”. In the meantime, The Beatles' actual television debut took place live from a studio in Manchester on October 17, 1962, on the program “People and Places”.
- The Beatles officially performed with their new drummer Ringo Starr for the first time at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, just days after the dismissal of original drummer Pete Best.
- John Lennon married his pregnant girlfriend Cynthia Powell at the Mount Pleasant Registry Office in Liverpool. Brian Epstein was the main witness and organized the wedding, paid for the wedding lunch and provided the newlyweds with his own apartment. Paul McCartney and Cynthia's sister-in-law Marjorie Powell signed the marriage document as witnesses at the end of the ceremony. George Harrison was also present but did not sign the documents. Cynthia's stepbrother Tony Powell was also present. John's aunt Mimi boycotted the wedding because she disapproved of the marriage. The attempt to keep the marriage secret failed when the newlyweds were spotted leaving the registry office. That same evening, Lennon performed with The Beatles at the nearby Riverpark Ballroom.
- English musician and songwriter Shaun William George Ryder was born in Little Hulton, Lancashire. He became known as the singer of Happy Mondays and Black Grape. He compared his lyrics to comic-book stories in which different narratives are pieced together, as evident in songs such as “Kinky Afro” and “Loose Fit”.
- The Beatles played their first official concert with new drummer Ringo Starr at the Cavern Club in Liverpool after Pete Best was dismissed.
- Carole King's first single “It Might As Well Rain Until September” debuted on the chart.
- Producer Don Kirshner of Dimension Records gave singer Eva Boyd a chance and had her re-record Gerry Goffin and Carole King's “The Loco-Motion”. The recording reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Best Sellers and number two in the UK.
- Little Eva reached number one on the US singles chart with “The Loco-Motion”, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, after nine weeks on the chart. She had previously worked as a nanny for King and Goffin's daughter, and the song had originally been offered to Dee Dee Sharp, who turned it down. In 1974 the same song also reached number one in a version by Grand Funk Railroad.
- Peter, Paul & Mary moved from number 90 to number 59 with “If I Had A Hammer”.
- New Jersey doo-wop group The Duprees reached the Billboard Top 40 with “You Belong to Me” and later reached number seven. During the following year and a half they had three more chart hits.
- Northern Irish guitarist Vivian Campbell was born in Lisburn. He became known as a member of Dio and Whitesnake and joined Def Leppard in 1992 as a replacement for the late Steve Clark.
- Bobby Vinton reached No. 1 for the fourth week with “Roses Are Red (My Love)” on the Easy Listening chart.
- Ringo Starr performed with The Beatles for the first time as their new drummer at the Horticultural Society Dance in Birkenhead, England.
- “He's A Rebel” was released and credited to The Crystals, although Phil Spector had the song recorded by The Blossoms because The Crystals were on tour.
- Elvis Presley's tenth feature film, "Kid Galahad", premiered in US cinemas. Elvis played an amateur boxer in the film. Gig Young, Lola Albright, Joan Blackman, and Charles Bronson also appeared in the film.
- The Beatles performed at lunchtime at the Cavern Club in Liverpool and in the evening at the Riverpark Ballroom in Chester with Gerry & the Pacemakers.
- Elvis Presley's single “Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello” reached No. 55 in the United States.
- The film It Happened at the World's Fair starring Elvis Presley was released.
- The Beatles recorded their first proper recording session for EMI at Abbey Road Studios, where they recorded “Love Me Do” and “How Do You Do It”.
- Lester Noel, a member of Beats International, was born.
- After a lunchtime appearance at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, The Beatles played the first of three Monday evening concerts at Queen’s Hall in Widnes, Cheshire. The bill also included Billy Kramer and the Coasters, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and Sonny Kaye and the Reds; admission was 3 shillings and 6 pence.
- Production began in Seattle, Washington, on the film It Happened at the World's Fair. Elvis Presley arrived in Seattle for location filming and stayed in a suite on the 14th floor of the Doric New Washington Hotel.
- The Beach Boys released the album Surfin' Safari in the US around this time.
- The Beatles held their first formal joint recording session at EMI Studios at Abbey Road, following an earlier June 6 session with which George Martin was dissatisfied. They rehearsed and recorded a total of six songs, including “Love Me Do.” Sources differ on the other songs and details of the session, citing such tracks as “Please Please Me,” “P.S. I Love You” and a version of “How Do You Do It?” that remained unreleased until its appearance on Anthology 1 in 1995. It was also Ringo Starr's first recording session with the group.
- Elvis Presley took part in filming the movie "It Happened at the World's Fair" in Seattle. MGM closed part of the World's Fair grounds to the public for filming, and after word spread that Elvis would be there, hundreds of fans and curious onlookers gathered around the closed area.
- During the filming of It Happened at the World’s Fair, Elvis Presley met 18-year-old Sue Wouters, whom he later invited to his hotel suite.
- Elvis Presley filmed It Happened at the World’s Fair in Seattle; production ran from September 4 to 13.
- Barbra Streisand signed a recording contract with Columbia Records. Although financially modest, the contract gave her creative control over her music.
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson premiered on NBC. Its famous instrumental opening theme, “Johnny's Theme”, was written by Paul Anka. According to the source variants, Johnny Carson contributed either an unused section of lyrics or the opening drum part, and an agreement gave him half of the royalties. According to one source variant, the theme earned each of them approximately $200,000 a year over the years. The program subsequently became one of the most important television formats of its era.
- The Beach Boys released their debut album, “Surfin’ Safari”, on Capitol Records. The album also included their first single, “Surfin’”, and reached No. 32 on the US chart.
- Brian Epstein signed The Beatles’ first formal management contract with the group. John Lennon and Ringo Starr signed it themselves, while the parents of the underage George Harrison and Paul McCartney signed on their behalf. The contract entitled Epstein to 25% of the group’s income above a specified earnings threshold.
- Elvis Presley released the single “Return to Sender,” backed by the song “Where Do You Come From.”
- Sigtryggur Baldursson, drummer of the Icelandic alternative rock band The Sugarcubes, was born in Norway to Icelandic parents. The band's 1988 debut album Life's Too Good achieved unexpected international success and included their signature song “Birthday.”
- The Cookies released the song “Chains.”
- Tommy Lee, born Thomas Lee Bass, was born on October 3, 1962, in Athens, Greece. He became famous as a founding member and drummer of Mötley Crüe, which had the UK single "You're All I Need" at No. 23 in 1988, while the album Dr. Feelgood reached No. 1 in the USA and No. 4 in the UK in 1989. Lee also founded the rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, pursued solo music projects, and attracted considerable media attention through his marriages to Elaine Starchuk, Heather Locklear, and Pamela Anderson, as well as conflicts with singer Vince Neil.
- The instrumental song Telstar by The Tornados, named after the communications satellite, reached number one on the UK singles chart and began a five-week run at the top. The song was written and produced by Joe Meek and became the first major hit by a British group to also reach number one in the US. It sold at least five million copies worldwide.
- The Beatles' first single, “Love Me Do” backed with “P.S. I Love You,” was released in the UK. That same evening it was played on Radio Luxembourg, marking the Beatles' first radio broadcast. In December it reached No. 17 on the UK chart, spent 26 weeks on the chart and later appeared on the debut album Please Please Me. In the US, the single was released in April 1964 and reached No. 1.
- The day after the release of their first single “Love Me Do,” The Beatles signed records at Dawson's Music Shop on Church Street in Widnes, Cheshire. It was one of only three official autograph sessions by the group during their career.
- Little Richard officially ended his five-year break from secular music by beginning his first British tour at the Gaumont Theatre in Doncaster. Sam Cooke and Gene Vincent also appeared on the tour. He had originally planned a gospel-only program, but after the enthusiastic audience response to Cooke's performance, he returned to his rock 'n' roll roots and performed “Long Tall Sally.”
- South African musician Solomon Linda, writer and original performer of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” died at the age of 53.
- The Beatles recorded a session at EMI House on Manchester Square in London, which was scheduled to be broadcast on Radio Luxembourg's Friday Spectacular program on October 12.
- The BBC banned Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" because it was considered too morbid and tasteless. The ban lasted for more than a decade; after restrictions were relaxed, the single was reissued in the UK in 1973 and reached No. 3.
- While filming It Happened at the World's Fair at MGM Studios in Culver City, California, Elvis Presley received a Norwegian silver record for the single “Good Luck Charm.”
- Scott Johnson, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American alternative rock group Gin Blossoms, was born. In 1994, the band had a UK hit with "Hey Jealousy," which reached the Top 30. The song appeared on their 1992 album New Miserable Experience, which also included "As Long as It Matters," a track nominated for a Grammy Award.
- The Beatles' single "Love Me Do" entered the UK singles chart for the first time and reached No. 17. When it was reissued and promoted for its 20th anniversary in 1982, it climbed to No. 4 in the UK. It was released in the United States in April 1964 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 30 that year.
- The Beatles perform as the opening act for their musical idol Little Richard at the Tower Ballroom in Wallasey. Period photographs show the Beatles with Little Richard and his young touring keyboardist Billy Preston.
- Don Everly collapsed during a rehearsal at London's Prince of Wales Theatre on the eve of The Everly Brothers' UK tour, which was scheduled to include 22 concerts. He returned urgently to the United States for treatment, and his brother Phil Everly subsequently performed the scheduled concerts alone.
- Nat King Cole's song "Ramblin' Rose" remained at number one on the Easy Listening chart for a fifth week.
- Rob Marche, guitarist for the British new wave band JoBoxers, was born. The band scored a UK hit in 1983 with “Boxer Beat,” which reached number three.