On this day: January 4, 1954

On this day in 1954 a young truck driver working for Crown Electric Co. stopped by a little recording studio in Memphis Tennessee. He recorded two songs for a $4 fee and gave them to his mother. Why should we care about this? Because the man's name was Elvis Presley.

Within two years he would become the biggest rock and roll star the world had seen up to that point.

Sam Phillips, who had set up the small recording studio as a side project for Sun Records, was intrigued when he heard Presley's mix of hillbilly and blues in what would later become his iconic sound. Phillips knew he had something special right away, and immediately put Presley in Sun Records to start recording.

Other notable events for January 4:
-Billboard publishes the first ever record sales chart Jan. 4, 1936. Stop! Look! Listen! is the first number one single.
-Peter Green, founder of Fleetwood Mac marries Jane Samuel on Jan. 4, 1978.
-Also on Jan. 4, 1978 Ozzy Osborne rejoined Black Sabbath, replacing his own replacement.
-Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) born Jan. 4, 1960.
-Charles Mingus, jazz legend, dies Jan. 4, 1979.