This Week In Rock History

THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY

1957—Presales alone for Elvis Presley’s Christmas album number over 500,000, more than two-and-a-half times the number originally slated to be pressed.

1961—Bob Dylan makes his concert hall debut at New York's Carnegie Hall, earning $20 for the night. Of the 53 people that attended, most were friends. Tickets for the event sold for 75-cents

1962—Five years after quitting rock-&-roll to attend evangelical bible school with the aim of becoming a minister, Little Richard returns to a life of music.

1965—Johnny Cash was arrested crossing the Mexican border into El Paso, Texas after customs officials found hundreds of pills in his guitar case.

1966—During a Cream concert at Sussux University, drummer Ginger Baker launches into a 20-minute drum solo before collapsing from exhaustion. He is rushed to a local hospital where he recovers.

1967—Folksinger Woodie Guthrie passes away from Huntington's chorea.

1970—Just days after recording what would be her biggest hit (a cover version of Kris Kristopherson's country song Me & Bobby McGee), singer Janis Joplin dies of a heroin overdose. Joplin had been clean for months preceeding the recording session, but had gone back to using heroin in an attempt to reduce her intake of Southern Comfort, as she felt heavy drinking was negatively effecting her voice.

1978—Tammy Wynette, the popular Country music singer who cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 with Stand By Your Man, was abducted, beaten and held in her car for two hours by a kidnapper wearing a ski mask. He held a gun on her and forced her to drive 90 miles from Nashville, Tennessee. She was later released and the kidnapper escaped.

1995—Van Halen announces that former Extreme lead singer Gary Cherone was chosen as the new and, according to Eddie Van Halen, last lead singer of the group, replacing Sammy Hagar. Cherone's tenure with the band would last for one album.