Rock 'n' Roll History for
May 22


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1955 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Police in Bridgeport, Connecticut cancel a dance at the Ritz ballroom featuring Fats Domino. Authorities say the cancellation is because they discovered that "Rock and Roll dances might be featured", and justify their action by citing "a recent near riot at the New Haven Arena" where Rock 'n' Roll dances were held.

1958 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
After his plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Ireland because one the engines had caught fire, Jerry Lee Lewis finally arrives at London's Heathrow Airport to begin his first British tour, along with his new bride, 13 year old, third cousin, Myra. Although advised not to mention it, Lewis answers all questions about his private life, truthfully. The public's shock over Lewis' third marriage marks the start of a controversy which eventually ruins his Rock 'n' Roll career. The London Morning Star runs an editorial calling Lewis "an undesirable alien" and calls for his deportation, leading to his British tour being canceled after just three of the scheduled thirty-seven performances. Jerry Lee would later say, "When this so-called news broke, it was like I had committed an unforgivable sin. I did not."

1961 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Ernie K-Doe reached the top spot on the Billboard chart with "Mother-In-Law", a song that he took out of composer Allen Toussaint's discarded song pile. Ernie and his wife were having marital problems at the time, and Ernie wanted to express his frustration with his mother-in-law.


1965 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
The Beatles attained their eighth Billboard number one hit with "Ticket To Ride". The song was the first of four number one singles in a row on the American charts, and their seventh consecutive number one hit in the United Kingdom. Both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have given different meanings to the title, with McCartney saying it referred to "a British Railways ticket to the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight", and Lennon stating that it described cards indicating a clean bill of health carried by Hamburg prostitutes in the 1960s.

1967 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Colgems releases The Monkees' third album, "Headquarters". It was the first LP on which the group members were allowed to make substantial songwriting and instrumental contributions, rather than relying on studio musicians and professional songwriters. It would go on to became the group's third consecutive chart topping album on the Billboard 200 chart, and was certified Double Platinum in America for sales of more than two million copies.

1968 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Cream earns their first Gold record with their second album, "Disraeli Gears", which includes "Sunshine of Your Love" (US #5, UK #25), "Strange Brew" (UK #17) and "Tales of Brave Ulysses". The LP reached #4 on the Billboard 200 and #5 in the UK. In 1999, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.


1971 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
The Rolling Stones achieve the rare feat of having both the Number One LP ("Sticky Fingers") and Number One single ("Brown Sugar") in the US.

1972 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
The Guess Who record their "Live At The Paramount" album at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington. The LP would rise to #39 on the Billboard 200 and contains a version of their 1970 chart topping hit, "American Woman" that lasts for 16 minutes and 52 seconds.

1976 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Paul McCartney answered critics who said his music was "lightweight", by taking "Silly Love Songs" to the top of the US charts. The record would go on to be the biggest selling disc of the year. It reached #2 in the UK, and was listed at #31 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All Time in 2008.

1981 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Hall And Oates' "Kiss on My List" is awarded a Gold record. The song will make it to #1 in the US and become the first of three chart toppers the duo will amass in the next 12 months.

1989 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Independent record promoter Ralph Tashjian became the first person ever convicted under the 29-year-old US payola law. He pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to distributing cash and cocaine to a radio station in order to get airplay for records by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Laura Branigan.

1992 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Bette Midler is the only guest on Johnny Carson's final Tonight Show.

May 22
Ringo Starr released "Time Takes Time", his first studio album in nine years. To promote it, Starr toured with an all-star band that included his son Zak on drums, along with Burton Cummings, Dave Edmunds and Todd Rundgren.


1997 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
A reunited Fleetwood Mac performs the first of two MTV Unplugged specials which are taped to be aired later in the Summer.

2012 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
64-year-old Gregg Allman told TV host Piers Morgan of his plans to marry wife number seven, a 24-year-old British lass named Sharron. She would remain Allman's wife until his passing on May 27th, 2017.

2014 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Paul McCartney was hospitalized for a virus that caused him to cancel a string of dates in the Orient. He was treated in a Tokyo hospital and later made a complete recovery.

2017 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Stevie Wonder was presented with an honorary doctorate from Yale University.

2023 - ClassicBands.com

May 22
Chas Newby, who enjoyed a two-week stint as The Beatles' bassist in 1960, passed away at the age of 81. A then 19-year-old Newby joined the band in December, 1960 after they returned to Liverpool from Germany and needed a bassist, as Stuart Sutcliffe decided to remain in Hamburg to focus on his art career. After just four shows, Newby was invited to return to Germany with the group, but decided to focus on his academic career instead. He would go on to become a math teacher at Droitwich Spa High School in Worcestershire, England and always maintained that he was happy with the choice he made.



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