July 18, 1953 — 18-year-old Elvis Presley stops into Memphis Recording Service (later renamed Sun Studios), and pays $3.98 to make a private recording of two songs: "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin."
                  1966 — Bobby Fuller (of the Bobby Fuller Four,  "I Fought The Law," 1966 ) is found dead, soaked in gasoline, in his automobile outside of his apartment in Hollywood, California. The details of the 23-year-old singer's death are murky. It is unclear whether it was a murder, suicide, or accident, but the official cause of death is reported as asphyxia due to inhalation of gasoline.

July 19, 1958 — The Drifters manager George Treadwell, who owns the group's name, fires them backstage at the Apollo theater in Harlem over a pay dispute, then walks to the dressing room of the group's opening act, the Five Crowns, and hires them as the new Drifters. The group's lead singer is Benjamin Nelson, who changes his name to  Ben E. King after the transition.

July 20, 1961 — The Beatles, known then as the Beat Brothers with drummer Pete Best (second from right), get notice in the British paper Mersey Beat, which announces their first record contract with German producer Bert Kaempfert for Polydor Records. They record two sides in Hamburg, "Cry For A Shadow" and "Ain't She Sweet" and are the backup band on six other sides by English rocker Tony Sheridan.
 July 21, 1961 — The Supremes release their second single, "Buttered Popcorn," produced and cowritten by Motown boss Berry Gordy. It sells poorly and is the last Supremes single with Florence Ballard on lead vocals. The group is still a year away from its first chart single, "Your Heart Belongs To Me."


July 22, 1957 — After six years and 18 R&B chart hits, B. B. King crosses over to the pop chart for the first time with "Be Careful With A Fool" on RPM Records in Los Angeles. He goes on to have 36 charted pop singles through 1989.



July 23, 1955 — Chess Records releases Chuck Berry's first single, "Maybellene." Originally named "Ida Mae," Berry adapts it from a traditional country tune called "Ida Red." He loses much of his songwriting royalties to New York City disc jockey Alan Freed, whom Chess bribes to aggressively promote the record, and another person to whom the record company owes money. Berry eventually sues and is awarded sole songwriting credit in 1986.