This Day in Rock History: September 9

Cultural Milestones

• 1956: Elvis Presley made his first-ever appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The performance was watched by over 60 million people and was the first time that many Americans discovered rock and roll.
• 2003: Supergroup Velvet Revolver, consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, and former Wasted Youth member Dave Kushner, announced that they had signed an exclusive worldwide recording agreement with RCA Records. They would release their debut album, Contraband, the following year.
• 2004: Entrepreneur and musician Ernie Ball passed away. He's known for manufacturing and selling some of the most popular guitar-related gear on the market, most notably the Ernie Ball Slinky guitar string series.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1971: John Lennon released his second solo album, Imagine. It's arguably the peak of his solo career, generating hits such as "Jealous Guy" and "Oh My Love."
• 1975: Paul McCartney and his band Wings started the Wings Over the World tour, which would later lead to a triple live album called Wings Over America. These were McCartney's first U.S. shows since he last played there with The Beatles in 1966.
•  1981: The Secret Policeman's Other Ball, a charity event held in London's Drury Lane theatre, started. It featured many notable performances, but it's mostly remembered because it was the first time Sting and Phil Collins performed as solo acts, away from their bands, The Police and Genesis, respectively.