On July 29, 1967, The Doors’ song “Light My Fire,” from their
debut album, earned the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100,
becoming their first bona fide smash hit and propelling The
Doors from cult favorites of the rock cognoscenti into
international pop stars and avatars of the ’60s counterculture.

James Douglas Morrison
(December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971)

   
On July 9, 1955 "Rock Around the Clock" became the first rock
and roll recording to hit the top of Billboard‘s Pop charts.

The song is ranked No. 159 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s
list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The Pythian condominium building,
formerly the Pythian Temple where
the recording session for “Rock
Around the Clock” took place.  

The song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” topped the Billboard pop
chart on December 18, 1961, was an instant classic that went
on to become one of the most successful pop songs of all time,
yet its true originator saw only a tiny fraction of the song’s
enormous profits.

    
    
    
    
    
A follow-up release from their debut album, The Doors became
groups first bona fide smash. “Light My Fire,” which earned the
top spot in the Billboard Hot 100 on July 29, 1967, transformed
The Doors from cult favorites of the rock cognoscenti into
international pop stars and avatars of the ’60s counterculture.

Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935 – October 28, 2022)

Jerry Lee Lewis, the flamboyant rock ‘n’ roll founding father,
swaggering country shouter and 2005 Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award honoree, died Friday.

Lewis died of natural causes at his home in DeSoto County,
Mississippi, south of Memphis.

On October 26, 2022, news outlets falsely reported that Lewis
died.