1955
Carl Perkins and his band record his composition, Blue Suede Shoes, which was written at the suggestion of Johnny Cash. The song was based on an actual incident spotted in a concert audience. Sam Phillips, owner of Sun records, recognized the great commercial potential, rushed the release on Sun and heavily promoted the song. The song peaked at #2 being kept from the top spot by Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, Elvis’ first charted song. Elvis would release his version of Blue Suede Shoes as his second release and it peaked at #20 while competing with Carl Perkins version.
Alan Freed’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Holiday Jubilee opened at the Academy of Music on East 14th Street in New York. The 12 days of shows featured the Bonnie Sisters, Count Basie, LaVern Baker, the Wrens, the Valentines, the Chuckies, Gloria Mann and the Cadillacs.
1956
Alan Freed’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas Show began an eight-day stay at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn. The show grossed $180,000 and featured Shirley & Lee, the Moonglows, George Hamilton IV, Jesse Belvin, the G Clefs, the Heartbeats and the Three Friends. Seeing the G Clefs caught my attention because their 1961 hit, I Understand (Just How You Feel), is one of my favorites. In the summer of 1956 their first release was Ka-Ding Dong, which peaked at #24.
1957
Amid widespread teenage protest, Milton Bowers, chairman of the Memphis Draft Board No. 86, served Elvis Presley’s draft notice for the US Army. The draft notice was taken to Graceland, where Elvis was spending Christmas with his parents.
Two days later Frank Freeman, Paramount Studios’ production chief, petitioned the army for a 60-day deferment for Elvis. The deferment is requested so the movie King Creole can be completed. Freeman was told Elvis would have to ask for the deferment personally. The draft board eventually agreed to a two-month delay, which incurred a barrage of comments from the public about “special treatment.”
Jingle Bell Rock, recorded by 22-year-old country singer Bobby Helms, entered the charts and would peak at #6. It went on to become a yuletide standard. Helms had recently crossed over from country to pop with My Special Angel, which peaked at #7 and was on the charts at the same time as Jingle Bell Rock. Jingle Bell Rock would chart during Christmas in 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1997. The 1997 charting is because it was used in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Jingle All The Way.
1958
George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon performed as the Quarry Men at the wedding reception of Harrison’s brother Harry.
1959
Chuck Berry was arrested and charged with a violation of the Mann Act, having taken Janice Norine Escalanti to work as a hat-check girl in his nightclub in St. Louis. In the opinion of the police, he had committed the offense of transporting a minor across a State Line for immoral purposes. Berry allegedly fired the girl after he suspected her of working as a prostitute. She subsequently reported him to police. Berry was initially convicted and sentenced to the maximum penalty of five years in jail and a fine of $2,000. However, after racist comments by the Judge were made public, Berry was freed, prior to a retrial.
Dig it.