Musician Birthdays: Nick Mason (drummer for Pink Floyd, born in 1945), Mike Patton (singer, multi-instrumentalist, most famous as frontman for Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, born in 1968)

– In 1956: Elvis Presley’s single, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ was released by RCA Records, who had just purchased Presley’s contract from Sun Records for $35,000. The song sold 300,000 copies in its first week and would eventually sell over a million, becoming Elvis’ first Gold record.

– In 1961: Frank Sinatra played a benefit show at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Martin Luther King.

– In 1962: The Beatles appeared at Aintree Institute in Aintree, Liverpool. The group had played here many times before but this was their last performance at the venue. Brian Epstein became infuriated when the promoter paid The Beatles’ fee (£15 pounds) with handfuls of loose change. Epstein took this as an insult to the group, and made sure that The Beatles never played for that promoter (Brian Kelly) again.

– In 1968: The Bee Gees made their live debut in the US when they played at the Anaheim Centre, California.

– In 1971: David Bowie arrived in the US for the first time; he couldn’t play live because of work permit restrictions, but attracted publicity when he wore a dress at a promotion event.

– In 1973: ‘Superstition’ gave Stevie Wonder had his second No.1 single in the US, 10 years after his first No.1.

– In 1977: The Clash signed to CBS Records in the UK for £100,000.

– In 1998: James Brown was charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful use of a firearm after police were called to his South Carolina home. Brown later clamed the drugs were used to help his ‘eyesight.’

– In 2004: R&B singer Faith Evans and her husband were charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana after being arrested in Atlanta, Georgia. Police pulled them over for a suspected licence plate offence.