This Date in Rock Music History: December 3

1938:  Alfred Lennon married Julie Stanley.  That partnership would soon produce a son, John, that would go on to change the world and alter popular music forever.

1956:  Guy Mitchell had the top song with "Singing The Blues".





1961:  The Beatles met with Brian Epstein at his NEMS record store in Liverpool.






 

1962:  The Harry Simeone Chorale released the single "The Little Drummer Boy".  The song was an immediate hit, and charted every Christmas for five consecutive years.









1962:  Bobby Vee released the single "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes".
1964:  The Rolling Stones went to #1 in the U.K. with "Little Red Rooster".
1965:  Keith Richards, guitarist of the Rolling Stones, was electrocuted and fell unconscious during a concert when his guitar touched his microphone during the song "The Last Time".
1965:  In a more successful tour, the Beatles embarked on their final British tour, playing at the Odeon Cinema in Glasgow, Scotland with the Moody Blues opening for them.
1965:  Ray Charles was convicted of possession of heroin and marijuana and given a five-year sentence and fined $10,000.
1966:  The Monkees made their live debut at the International Arena in Honolulu, Hawai'i.

Margery MacKay provides the amazing voice on "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", one of the reasons why 'The Sound of Music' was not only one of the top movies of all-time but also one of The Top Soundtracks of the Rock Era...

1966:  The self-titled Monkees was #1 for a fourth week on the Album chart with the Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago" second.  The Supremes A Go-Go came in third, followed by the self-titled The Mamas & the Papas and What Now My Love from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.  The rest of the Top 10:  Revolver from the Beatles, the Soundtrack to the incredible movie "The Sound of Music" was still #7 after 90 weeks of release, And Then...Along Comes the Association was #8, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 and Lou Rawls Soulin' by Lou Rawls entered the Top 10.





1966:  The Supremes logged a second week at #1 on the R&B chart with "You Keep Me Hangin' On".
1966:  "Winchester Cathedral" was the #1 Easy Listening song from the New Vaudeville Band.
1966:  The New Vaudeville Band had a surprise #1 overall--"Winchester Cathedral". 
1967:  The Supremes were guests on The Tennessee Ernie Ford television special.

1968:  The famous Elvis Presley comeback special Elvis aired on NBC-TV.
1969:  The Rolling Stones recorded "Brown Sugar" for the second of three nights at the famous Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama.
1969:  Al Green was in concert at the New Century Hall in Manchester, England.








1973:  Ringo Starr released the single "You're Sixteen".
















1977:  10 C.C. released the single "The Things We Do For Love".











1976:  You can count on one hand the number of artists of the Rock Era who were this much in demand.  The Royal Albert Hall received 3.5 million applications for a total of 11,212 tickets for upcoming ABBA shows in February.
1977:  Wings began a nine-week run at #1 in the U.K. with "Mull Of Kintyre", the first single to sell over two million copies in the U.K.
1977:  "Serpentine Fire" by Earth, Wind & Fire was the #1 song on the R&B chart for the third straight week.

"Portrait", another of what we call one of The Most Underrated Songs of the Rock Era* from the 'Point of Know Return' album...

1977:  Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt was the new #1 album, taking over from Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, which had spent 29 weeks at #1, a record to that time.  Amazingly, the Mac wasn't done yet!  Aja by Steely Dan came in third with the Commodores Live! fourth.  Rod Stewart moved from 31-5 with his new album Foot Loose & Fancy Free.  The rest of the Top 10:  Street Survivors from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Point of Know Return from Kansas was #7, Debby Boone entered the Top 10 with You Light Up My Life, Rose Royce II was ninth and comedian Steve Martin remained at #10 with Let's Get Small.

1977:  The Bee Gees remained at #1 on the Adult chart with "How Deep Is Your Love".

1977:  Newcomers Odyssey had the fastest-rising song--"Native New Yorker", one of The Most Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

1977:  Debby Boone was making history as "You Light Up My Life" tied "Hey Jude" by the Beatles, the "Theme From 'A Summer Place'" from Percy Faith and Rod Stewart's "Tonight's The Night" with eight weeks at #1, just one away from the Rock Era record at the time of nine weeks held by Bobby Darin's "Mack the Knife". 

1979:  One of the darkest days in the Rock Era--eleven fans of the Who were trampled to death at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio while trying to rush to unreserved seats at the concert.









1982:  Duran Duran released their first career single "Hungry Like The Wolf".  
1983:  Duran Duran achieved a #1 album in the U.K. with Seven and the Ragged Tiger.

1983:  Lionel Richie monopolized the chart as "All Night Long" was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for the fourth consecutive week.

              
Huey and the boys from 'Sports'...

1983:  "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie spent a fourth week at #1.  Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson were one step away with "Say Say Say".  Billy Joel held on to #3 with "Uptown Girl" for the fourth week while the former #1 "Islands In The Stream" by Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton was still #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Hall & Oates with "Say It Isn't So", Pat Benatar had #6--"Love Is A Battlefield", Quiet Riot were down with "Cum On Feel The Noize", Huey Lewis & the News and "Heart And Soul", the great song from John Cougar Mellencamp--"Crumblin' Down" at #9 and Culture Club had another Top 10 with "Church Of The Poison Mind".

          "Foolin'", one of the great tracks on 'Pyromania'...

1983:  Can't Slow Down, the great new Lionel Richie album, was #1 after just four weeks.  Metal Health from Quiet Riot was toppled after just one week.  Next, three great albums in a row--Synchronicity from the Police, Thriller by Michael Jackson in it's 50th week and An Innocent Man from Billy Joel.  The rest of the Top 10:  Eyes That See in the Dark from Kenny Rogers, What's New by Linda Ronstadt, Culture Club were up with Colour By Numbers, the self-titled Genesis album at #9 and by Def Leppard moved into the Top 10 with Pyromania after 44 weeks of release.

                            U2's live "Desire"...

1988:  Will to Power had a surprise #1--"Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley".  Chicago was striving for another #1 with "Look Away" while Breathe moved up to 3 with "How Can I Fall?" and Duran Duran had song #4--"I Don't Want Your Love".  The rest of the Top 10:  The live "Desire" from U2, Anita Baker's "Giving You the Best That I Got", the great new song from Boy Meets Girl--"Waiting For A Star To Fall", Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine", George Michael's great "Kissing A Fool" and Poison jumped into the Top 10 with "Every Rose Has It's Thorn".

     "Tweeter and the Monkey Man", one of the great tracks by the Traveling Wilburys...

1988:  Rattle and Hum by U2 spent a fourth straight week as the #1 album with Anita Baker giving chase with Giving You the Best That I Got.  Appetite for Destruction from Guns N' Roses was #3 after 67 weeks followed by the "Cocktail" Soundtrack and New Jersey by Bon Jovi.  The rest of the Top 10:  the incredible Hysteria album from Def Leppard, Bobby Brown's Don't Be Cruel, Silhouette by Kenny G, the super Traveling Wilburys album Volume One entered the Top 10 and Any Love from Luther Vandross was #10.

1988:  "Look Away" by Chicago was the new #1 on the AC chart.

1991:  Gilby Clarke was hired as rhythm guitarist of Guns 'N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin.

Eagles were back in a big way...

1994:  Hell Freezes Over prevailed for a second week as the Eagles had the #1 album.  Miracles - The Holiday Album from Kenny G moved from 18-6, Merry Christmas from Mariah Carey entered the Top 10 and "The Lion King" Soundtrack was #9.

1994:  Boyz II Men became just the third act in the Rock Era to replace themselves at #1 (the others being Elvis Presley and the Beatles).  "I'll Make Love To You", which set a record the week before with 14 weeks at #1 was toppled by the Boyz' "On Bended Knee" and fell to #4.  Ini Kamoze had #2--"Here Comes The Hotstepper" and Real McCoy had a smash with "Another Night".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Always" from Bon Jovi was their 17th hit and 10th Top 10, "Secret" from Madonna came in sixth, followed by Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna' Do", TLC entered the Top 10 with "Creep", Brandy was at #9 with "I Wanna' Be Down" and Janet Jackson had song #10--"You Want This/70's Love Groove".
2000:  Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and U2 formed a partnership, forming an offshore investment trust fund to buy commercial property.
2000:  S Club 7 went to #1 in the U.K. with "Never Had A Dream Come True".

2001:  Grady Martin, prolific and prized session guitarist, died of congestive heart failure in Lewisburg, Tennessee at the age of 72.  Martin played on "Oh Pretty Woman" for Roy Orbison and "El Paso" for Marty Robbins, as well as songs by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Joan Baez and many others.
2003:  No Doubt debuted at #2 on the Album chart with The Singles:  1992-2003.

2006:  Newly reformed Take That topped both the Single and Album chart in the U.K. with "Patience" and Beautiful World, respectively.
2007:  Diana Ross and the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson were honored for their contributions to United States culture in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.,  attended by President George W. Bush.
2008:  Derek Wadsworth, composer, keyboardist and arranger, died at his home in Aynho, Northamptonshire, England.  Wadsworth worked with Diana Ross, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Cat Stevens and many others.  (Note:  some websites report that he died in Oxfordshire, but according to the British newspapers 'The Independent" and 'The Telegraph', Wadsworth died in Aynho.) 
2011:  Chico Edwards of the Spinners passed away.
2011:  Ronald Moseley of Ruby & the Romantics died at the age of 72.




1989:  Stanley, Idaho's Carole King received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  (Note:  some websites claim the ceremony took place June 14, 1989.  It is a mystery where they got that information.  According to the official websites for both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and King, the ceremony took place December 3.)

2015:  Scott Weiland, songwriter and lead singer of the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, was found dead in Bloomington, Minnesota at the age of 48.

Born This Day:

1927:  Andy Williams was born in Wall Lake, Iowa; died of bladder cancer in Branson, Missouri on September 25, 2012.  (Note:  some websites report he died in Malibu, California, but according to 'ABC News', 'CBS News' and numerous reliable reports, Williams left the house he had rented in Malibu to be close to top-notch medical care and returned to Branson before he passed away.)

1940:  Jim Freeman of the Five Satins ("In The Still Of The Night")

1948:  Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath, was born in Aston, Birmingham, England.

1949:  Mickey Thomas, lead singer of Starship, was born in Cairo, Georgia.

1951:  Mike Stock, with the songwriting trio Stock, Aitken and Waterman, who is the most successful British songwriting team of the Rock Era and holds the record with 11 #1 songs written for different acts, was born in Margate, Kent, England.

1951:  Nicky Stevens of Brotherhood of Man ("United We Stand") was born in Carmarthen, Wales.

1952:  Duane Roland, guitarist of Molly Hatchet, was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

1968:  Montell Jordan ("This Is How We Do It") was born in Los Angeles, California.

1979:  Daniel Bedingfield was born in Auckland, New Zealand.