This Date in Rock Music History: April 10

1956:  Nat "King" Cole was attacked on stage by five racial weirdos during a show at the Municipal Hall in Birmingham, Alabama.  Police arrested the sick people, hauled them to jail, and Cole returned later that night to thrill the crowd in a second show.

1957:  Ricky Nelson performed for the first time on the television show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, singing "I'm Walking".

1958:  Bobby Darin recorded "Splish Splash" at Atlantic Studios in New York City.  

1958:  Chuck Willis ("C.C. Rider"), who had suffered stomach ulcers for years, died during surgery for peritonitis in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 30.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly say Willis died in a car accident.  Other sites claim he died in Chicago, Illinois.  According to the books  'Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop' by Frank Hoffmann and 'The Last Sultan:  The Life and Times of Ahmet Ertegun' by Robert Greenfield, Willis died of periodontitis during surgery in Atlanta.  The book 'Hanging the Peachtree Bandit:  The True Tale of Atlanta's Infamous Frank DuPre' by Tom Hughes also confirms that Willis died in Atlanta.) 

1962:  Former Beatles' bass player Stuart Sutcliffe died in Hamburg, Germany at the age of 21 of a cerebral hemorrhage from a brain aneurysm.
1965:  Roger Miller spent a ninth week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "King Of The Road", which was written in Boise, Idaho.






                                             The unstoppable Supremes...

1964:  The brand new Top Five in the U.S. were "I'm Telling You Now" by Freddie & the Dreamers, the former #1 "Stop! In the Name of Love" by the Supremes at #2, "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" by Herman's Hermits coming in at #3, "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker & the All Stars at 4 and "The Birds And The Bees" by Jewel Akens at position #5.
1965:  We were first introduced to England's Tom Jones, who debuted on the chart with his first career single, "It's Not Unusual".

1965:  Dusty Springfield, the Zombies and Bobby Vee completed a U.K. package tour at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales.











1967:  The Young Rascals released the single "Groovin'".

1967:  Marvin Gaye finished recording his version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" after five sessions that began on February 3.

1967:  "Something Stupid" by Frank and Nancy Sinatra became the first father-daughter song to ever hit #1.

1968:  Cliff Richard had his ninth #1 in the U.K. with "Congratulations", the British entry in the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest.

1968:  Drummer Mickey Hart joined the Grateful Dead.
1970:  Emerson, Lake & Palmer formed.







                                    Some early EJ for you--"Take Me to the Pilot"...

1970:  Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin teamed up for the first time on the album Elton John, which was released on this date.










1970:  The Temptations spent a second week at #1 with their biggest hit "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me".  The rest of the Top Ten--"What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye, the quick-rising "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night, "She's A Lady" by Tom Jones at #4, "For All We Know" by the Carpenters, #6 was the former #1 "Me And Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin, the Partridge Family had #7 with "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted", Paul McCartney had #8 with "Another Day", Ike and Tina Turner hit #9 with their version of "Proud Mary" and Brewer & Shipley entered the Top Ten with "One Toke Over The Line".

1970:  Paul McCartney issued a press release announcing that the Beatles had broken up.  "I have no future plans to record or appear with the Beatles again," McCartney said.

1971:  He had written songs for other artists, most notably "Leaving On A Jet Plane" for Peter, Paul & Mary, but on this date, John Denver took the beginning steps toward becoming one of The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era*.  John made his debut on the charts with his first career single,  "Take Me Home, Country Roads".

1972:  Isaac Hayes took home the Oscar for the Best Original Song From a Motion picture with "Theme From 'Shaft'".








                                                                                    The Bellamy Brothers with their biggest hit...

1976:  The brand new Singles chart was out and Johnnie Taylor was on top with "Disco Lady".  Gary Wright was headed for #1 but for now he'd have to settle for #2 with "Dream Weaver".  He was followed by the #3 "Lonely Night (Angel Face)", Captain & Tennille's hit of the Neil Sedaka song, the Bellamy Brothers at #4 with "Let Your Love Flow", Maxine Nightingale's "Right Back Where We Started From", Aerosmith's first Top Ten song "Dream On" at #6, "Boogie Fever", the #7 song by the Sylvers, Dr. Hook's "Only Sixteen" at #8, "Sweet Love", the great song from the Commodores at #9 and David Bowie's "Golden Years" at 10.








Fans were quickly finding out about this great album...

1976:  Peter Frampton rose to #1 with the incredible Frampton Comes Alive, the biggest "live" album in rock history.










1978:  Gerry Rafferty released the single "Baker Street".

       
                           Huey Lewis & the News introduced themselves...

1982:  "I Love Rock 'N Roll" spent a fourth week at #1 for Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.  The Go Go's edged up to #2 with "We Got The Beat", with Vangelis hitting #3 with "Chariots Of Fire - Titles".  #4 was the J. Geils Band's second big hit "Freeze Frame", followed in the Top Ten by Olivia Newton-John at #5 with "Make A Move On Me", Rick Springfield's "Don't Talk To Strangers" at #6, one of the top songs to ever peak at #2--Journey's "Open Arms", falling to #7, "That Girl" by Stevie Wonder at #8, Bertie Higgins' "Key Largo" at #9 and the first hit from Huey Lewis & the News, "Do You Believe In Love" at #10.

1985:  Madonna began her North American Tour with the first of three shows at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington.  The Beach Boys were the opening act.

1991:  Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits was a guest star on Quantum Leap on ABC-TV.

1993:  Depeche Mode debuted on the Album chart with Songs of Faith and Devotion.
1993:  Canada's Snow spent a five straight week at #1 with "Informer".  

1994:  Over 5,000 fans attended a U.S. public memorial service for Kurt Cobain at Seattle Flag Pavilion.

1994:  Mariah Carey had the #1 U.K. album with Music Box.











1995:  Boyz II Men released the single "Water Runs Dry".










1995:  Monica released the single "Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem (sic) Days)".

1999:  Tom Petty was the guest performer on Saturday Night Live.

1999:  Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, George Michael, Elvis Costello and Sinead O'Connor performed at a charity tribute concert for the late Linda McCartney at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

1999:  TLC began a four-week stay at the top with "No Scrubs".
2002:  James Hodges, Governor of South Carolina, declared James Brown the "Godfather of Soul".











She gave us "The Loco-Motion" to remember her by...

2003:  Little Eva ("The Loco-Motion") died in Kinston, North Carolina at the age of 59 of cervical cancer.

2005:  Natalie Imbruglia had the #1 album in the U.K. with Counting Down the Days.

2006:  Coldplay singer Chris Martin and actress Gwyneth Paltrow announced they had named their second child Moses Martin (born April 8).
2011:  Hall & Oates received the TV Land Music Icon Award in New York City.

2012:  Bonnie Raitt released the album Slipstream.
2014:  Linda Ronstadt, Hall & Oates, KISS, and artists which frankly do not belong, were inducted into the "Rock And Roll Hall of Fame".

Born This Day:

                    Dr. Demento couldn't have been happier with the birth of Sheb Wooley...


1921:  Sheb Wooley ("The Purple People Eater") was born in Erick, Oklahoma; died of leukemia in Nashville, Tennessee on September 16, 2003.
1921:  Martin Denny ("Quiet Village" from 1959) was born in New York City; died in Honolulu, Hawai'i March 2, 2005.

1932:  Nate Nelson of the Flamingos ("I Only Have Eyes for You") and the Platters; died June 1,1984 of heart disease in Boston, Massachusetts.

1936:  Bobbie Smith, vocalist with the Spinners, was born in Abbeyville, Georgia; died March 16, 2013 in Detroit.  (Note:  some websites claim Smith was born in Detroit Michigan, but according to the newspaper 'The New York Times' and other credible sources, Smith was born in Abbeyville.)

1947:  Karl Russell of the Hues Corporation ("Rock The Boat") was born in Columbus, Ohio.

1947:  Neville O'Riley Livingston ("Bunning Livingston"), percussion and vocals for Bob Marley and the Wailers, was born in Kingston, Jamaica.

1948:  Fred Smith, bassist with Television, was born in New York City.

1950:  Ernest Stewart, keyboardist with KC and the Sunshine Band, died April 26, 1997 in Opa Locka, Florida of an apparent asthma attack.

 
1950:  Eddie Hazel, elite guitarist of Parliament and Funkadelic was born in Brooklyn, New York; died of internal bleeding and liver failure in Plainfield, New Jersey on December 23, 1992.

1953:  Terre Roche, songwriter who worked with Paul Simon (album There Goes Rhymin' Simon) and Loudon Wainwright, was born in New York City.

1957:  Steven Gustafson, bassist of 10,000 Maniacs, was born in Seville, Spain.








1959:  Brian Setzer, great guitar player, songwriter and vocalist with the Stray Cats, was born in Massapequa, New York.  (Note:  some websites claim Setzer was born in New York City.  According to both 'MTV' and 'Guitar World', Brian was born in Massapequa.)

1959:  Katrina Leskanich, lead singer and guitarist of Katrina and the Waves ("Walking On Sunshine"), was born in Topeka, Kansas.








 
1959:  Kenneth Edmonds (Babyface), singer-songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist and producer, was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.

1970:  Mike Mushok, lead guitarist with Staind, was born in Manhasset, New York.

1980:  Bryce Dane Soderberg, bassist and singer with Lifehouse, was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

1984:  Mandy Moore was born in Nashua, New Hampshire.