Saturday, June 2, 2018

This Date in Rock Music History: June 3

1953: Elvis Presley graduated from L.C. Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Wonder if they had the foresight to vote him "Most Likely to Succeed".  (Note:  several websites claim Elvis graduated on June 2, and one says the graduation was June 14.  According to the official Graceland website, numerous Elvis websites, as well as the books 'Elvis for Dummies' by Susan Doll and 'Why Elvis Left the Building:  Revealing Seven Lost Years' by Heart Lanier Shapr, Presley graduated on June 3, 1953.)
1964:  The Rolling Stones taped a performance for the television show Hollywood Palace.  (Note:  numerous websites incorrectly identify June 3 as the date of the show.  'Hollywood Palace' on ABC-TV on Saturday nights.  Saturday in 1964 fell on June 6, and the date of the show is confirmed by both the newspaper 'The Baltimore Sun' and the book 'Overweight Sensation:  The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman' by Mark Cohen.    What happened on June 3 was not the airing of the show but rather the taping of it.)
1964:  Just as the Beatles were preparing to tour Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, the Netherlands and Hong Kong, drummer Ringo Starr collapsed from exhaustion.  Jimmy Nicol temporarily replaced him as drummer for the Beatles for 13 days.
1967:  Jefferson Airplane appeared on American Bandstand on ABC-TV, performing the hits "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love".

Friday, June 1, 2018

This Date in Rock Music History: June 2

1957:  Johnnie Ray had the #1 song in the U.K. with "Yes Tonight Josephine".



Thursday, May 31, 2018

This Date in Rock Music History: June 1

1956:  Doris Day signed a five-year recording contract with Columbia Records in excess of $1 million, which at the time was the biggest deal in Columbia history.
1957:  Sam Cooke recorded "Summertime" at Radio Recorders in West Hollywood, California.
1957:  Nat King Cole, Andy Williams, Ricky Nelson and Patti Page starred in the television special Five Stars for Springtime on NBC.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

This Date in Rock Music History: May 31

 1956:  After seeing the movie The Searchers starring John Wayne, Buddy Holly was inspired to write "That'll Be The Day".
1961:  Chuck Berry opened Berry Park, an amusement park in Wentzville, Missouri.
1964:  The Dave Clark Five appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1965:  Johnny Rivers released the single "Seventh Son".
1966:  Filming began for the Monkees on their television series.

Trump So Easy To Figure Out

When someone is a pathological liar, it makes it easy for the rest of us.  We know that everything he says is a lie, so if Trump says it, we know the opposite to be true.

Easy smeazy.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

This Date in Rock Music History: May 30

1955:  Elvis Presley was at the Fair Park Auditorium for two shows in Abilene, Texas.


Monday, May 28, 2018

This Date in Rock Music History: May 29


1942:  Bing Crosby recorded "White Christmas".
1959:  There's nothing like a summer outdoor rock concert and on this date, one of the first outdoor rock concerts was at Herndon Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.  Ray Charles, B.B. King and Jimmy Reed performed in front of nine thousand people .
1961:  "Travelin' Man" became Ricky Nelson's only #1 besides "Poor Little Fool".  Shep & the Limelights had #2--"Daddy's Home".  Roy Orbison slid into third with "Running Scared".
1962:  "Moon River" by Henry Mancini won Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards.  Chubby Checker won a Grammy for Best Rock & Roll Recording for "Let's Twist Again".
1963:  Del Shannon's cover of "From Me To You" became the first Lennon & McCartney song to chart.
1965:  Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home was the #1 album in the U.K.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

This Date in Rock Music History: May 28

1955:  Elvis Presley performed for the Big "D" Jamboree at the Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas.  (Note:  some websites claim Presley performed in Fort Worth, Texas on this day.  According to the book 'Elvis Day By Day:  The Definitive Record of His Life and Music' by Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen, as well as the official website for guitarist Scotty Moore, Presley performed in Dallas, not in nearby Fort Worth.) 
1957:  On this date the organization that would oversee the recording industry, look out for their interests and eventually organize the Grammy Awards, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) was created.
1965:  Elvis Presley's movie Tickle Me opened.
1966:  The Rolling Stones reached the top of the U.K. chart with "Paint It Black".