1954 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Marty Robbins becomes the first major artist to cover an Elvis Presley tune when he records the Arthur Crudup composition "That's All Right" for Columbia Records. Robbins' effort will pay off in a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Country chart.
1963 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
"Dominique" by The Singing Nun was the number one record in North America, edging out The Kingsmen's "Louie, Louie".
The song would eventually sell over 1.5 million copies and win a Grammy Award for the year's best Gospel song. Her given name was Jeanine Deckers and she would leave the convent in 1967 before taking her final vows, partly to pursue a recording career, but never repeated her earlier success. In 1985, the center for autistic children in Belgium that she helped to found had closed due to lack of funds. In despair over this failure, the 51 year old Deckers and her friend Annie Pescher committed suicide.
December 7
The Beatles appear on a UK show called Juke Box Jury, where host David Jacobs presided over a panel of four celebrities who rendered their judgments on the latest Pop record releases. John, Paul, Ringo and George turned thumbs down onBobby Vinton's "There, I've Said It Again", which was currently number one in the US. They predicted that Elvis Presley's "Kiss Me Quick" would be a hit, but it stalled at #34 in America the following summer.
December 7
The Murmaids, an Los Angeles teenage trio consisting of sisters Carol and Terry Fischer along with Sally Gordon, enter the Billboard Top 40 with "Popsicles and Icicles", which will rise to #3. In the UK "Popsicles and Icicles" did not chart, possibly due to the Brits' unfamiliarity with the term Popsicles, which in Britain are called "ice lollies".
December 7
"Midnight Mary" by Joey Powers enters the Billboard Hot 100. The song, written by Ben Raleigh and Artie Wayne about a secret relationship that Wayne had with a young Iranian girl, had been turned down by every major label in New York City until AMY Records owner Larry Uttal took a chance on it. The single would rise to #10 and Powers, Raleigh and Wayne were later presented with a Gold record.
1964 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Beach Boys' leader Brian Wilson suffers a panic attack on a flight from L.A. to Houston, which leads him to stop touring with the group.
1967 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
The Beatles' Apple boutique opened in London. It closed seven months later and all the goods were given away free to passers by.
1968 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Although its real name is "The Beatles", the LP that fans call "The White Album" tops the UK chart. The effort marks the first time that John, Paul, Ringo and George worked separately on different tracks.
December 7
Eric Burdon announces that The Animals would split up after a December 22nd concert at Newcastle City Hall. He moved to California to embark on a largely unsuccessful acting career, while bass guitarist Chas Chandler would go on to manage Jimi Hendrix.
1971 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Paul McCartney's new band, Wings, release their first album, "Wild Life", in the UK. The LP would not be issued in the US until 1980.
1973 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Trouble starts for Fleetwood Mac when their former manager, Clifford Davis, claims ownership of the band's name and assembles a bogus group, which he puts out on tour.
1974 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Kingston, Jamaica native Carl Douglas led the Billboard Hot 100 with "Kung Fu Fighting". The single sold 11 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. Oddly enough, the song was recorded in just 10 minutes and started out as a B-side. After his follow-up, "Dance The Kung Fu" stalled at #48, Douglas released "Shanghai" and "Run Back" which failed to chart in America but were modest hits in the UK. After leaving the music business, he started a publishing company that co-ordinates films, documentaries and advertisements.
December 7
Barry Manilow's first hit, "Mandy", enters the US charts on its way to number one. The song was originally written by Scott English and Richard Kerr as "Brandy", but was changed by Manilow when a group called Looking Glass had a hit with that title six months before. The original version by Scott English had charted at #12 in the UK and #91 on the Hot 100.
1976 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Bob Seger's fortunes are about to change when he releases the LP "Night Moves". The record would turn out to be his breakthrough album and took him from being a local Detroit favorite to an internationally known Rock star. "Night Moves" reached #8 on the US album chart and sold over 5 million copies.
1984 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Michael Jackson testifies in a Chicago courtroom that he, not an Illinois man, wrote "The Girl Is Mine". The jury rules in favor of Jackson.
1985 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
NBC's Saturday Night Live features a Phoenix, Arizona band called Mr. Mister performing their recent Billboard number one hit "Broken Wings" and the newly released "Kyrie", which will also top the chart.
1987 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
The US Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a Kentucky schoolteacher who had been fired for showing the film Pink Floyd - The Wall to a group of grade 9 to 11 students on the final day of school.
December 7
Richard Taylor of the R&B vocal group, The Manhattans, died at the age of 47.
1990 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
52 year old Dee Clark, most often remembered for his 1961 million-seller, "Raindrops", passed away following a heart attack. The singer, born Delectus Clark, could never match the success of "Raindrops" and as The British Invasion arrived, his career took a downward spiral. By the 1980s he was performing on the oldies circuit and spent some time living in a welfare hotel in Toccoa, Georgia. Although he had suffered a stroke in 1987 that left him partially paralyzed and with a mild speech impediment, he continued to perform until his death.
1991 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
"Black or White" becomes Michael Jackson's 12th US number one hit, tying him with The Supremes for the third most, behind The Beatles (20) and Elvis Presley (17).
1999 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
The Recording Industry Association of America launches a lawsuit against the on-line, file sharing company Napster, seeking $100,000 in damages for each song copied.
2003 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
James Brown was honored by the Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, along with Carol Burnett, Mike Nichols, Loretta Lynn and Itzhak Perlman. The Honorees were recognized for lifetime contribution to American culture in the fields of dance, music, theatre, opera, motion pictures or television.
2007 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
52 year old Rosanne Cash, the daughter of the late country-music legend Johnny Cash, returned home after undergoing brain surgery late last month.
2008 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Dennis Yost, lead singer of the 1960s Soft Rock group, The Classics IV, died of respiratory failure at the age of 65. He had been in a nursing home since suffering a brain injury in a 2005 fall. The Classics IV's hits included "Spooky" (#3), "Stormy" (#5), "Traces" (#2) and "Everyday With You Girl" (#19).
2012 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Although it has remained a light-hearted, yuletide staple annually, Dr. Elmo's, "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" topped a Billboard chart for the first time in 27 years when it climbed to the top of the Comedy Digital Tracks list.
2014 - ClassicBands.com
December 7
Pink Floyd's iconic album, "Dark Side Of The Moon" made a surprise return to the Billboard 200 chart when it landed at #13 thanks to ultra-cheap pricing in the Google Play store where the classic set was discounted to 99-cents.
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