This Date in Rock Music History: August 16

1957:  Ricky Nelson recorded "Be-Bop Baby" at Master Recorders in Hollywood, California.
1957:  The Everly Brothers recorded "Wake Up Little Susie" in Nashville, Tennessee.
1957:  Buddy Holly & the Crickets played at none other than the Apollo Theater in the neighborhood of Harlem in Manhattan, New York for one week beginning on this date.  The tour was set up by Norman Petty, working with promoter Irving Feld.  (Note:  contrary to the movie 'The Buddy Holly Story' and numerous websites, which indicate that the Apollo didn't know the group was white, and did not discover this until they showed up, management at the Apollo did indeed know.  The Schiffman family, which owned the theatre, were aware that the Crickets were white.  Frank Schiffman's sons, Bobby and Jack, had seen the Crickets in Washington, D.C. during the first leg of the tour, according to the book 'Buddy Holly:  A Biography' by Ellis Amburn.  Unlike the other theatres which booked the Crickets only to be shocked that they were white, the Apollo booked them because black record-buyers were sending "That'll Be The Day" to the top of the R&B charts.)
1960:  Elvis Presley began filming of the movie Flaming Star.
1962:  Twelve-year-old Stevie Wonder released his first 45, "I Call It Pretty Music (But The Old People Call It The Blues)".  Marvin Gaye was the drummer.










1962:  Ringo Starr officially took over as the new drummer of the Beatles, replacing Pete Best, who was fired.  Although he had sat in for Best in the past in Liverpool, England and Hamburg, Germany, Starr made his first official appearance with the group August 18 in Port Sunlight, England.  (Note:  some websites say Best was fired August 14, but he was told of the decision on August 16, according to 'The Beatles Bible', 'Huffington Post' and the newspaper 'The Examiner'.)
1964:  The Beatles performed at the Opera House in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.  High Numbers opened for them.  You say "Who"?  You're right, High Numbers became the Who.  The Kinks were also on the bill.








 

1966:  The world was introduced to a new band as on this date, the Monkees released their first single "Last Train To Clarksville".
1966:  The Byrds played at the Fillmore in San Francisco, California.
1966:  During their last tour, the Beatles performed at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1968:  The Beatles made 14 takes in recording "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" for their upcoming White Album.  But guitarist George Harrison, the songwriter, wasn't happy with the result so the group would try again later.
1968:  The Jackson 5 made their live debut opening for the Supremes at the Forum in Los Angeles.
1969:  Joni Mitchell opened for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.  Crosby, Stills and Nash, which formed at a party at Joni's house the previous year, performed for the first time with Neil Young. 
1969:  Led Zeppelin and Joe Cocker were in concert at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

1969:  Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sly & the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat, John Sebastian, Mountain, Country Joe McDonald, the Incredible String Band, the Keef Hartley Band and Quill performed at Woodstock in Bethel, New York.
1969:  Three Dog Night's great song "Easy To Be Hard" rose from 77 to 40.









1969:  Zager & Evans made it six fantastic weeks at #1 with "In the Year 2525".  In nearly any other time in the Rock Era, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" wouldThave been #1 but not against this competition; Tommy James & the Shondells peaked at #2 and fell to 3 on this date.  The Rolling Stones were ready for a charge up to the top with "Honky Tonk Women", while Neil Diamond enjoyed one of his biggest hits--"Sweet Caroline" at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash, "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" by Jackie DeShannon, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition said "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", Steve Wonder was still at 8 with "My Cherie Amour", Jr. Walker & the All Stars fell with "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" and Andy Kim finished the list with "Baby, I Love You".
1969:  Zager & Evans even took over the Adult Contemporary chart with "In The Year 2525".
1969:  Blood, Sweat & Tears spent its seventh week at #1 on the Album chart.  
1970:  Yes, Mungo Jerry and Ginger Baker's Air Force performed at the final day of the Yorkshire Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival at Krumlin, Yorkshire, England.
1970:  Elvis Presley collected his 16th #1 in the U.K. with "The Wonder Of You"; the Kinks had the #2 song with "Lola".
1974:  The Ramones gave their first public performance at the CBGB in New York City.
1974:  Chicago starred in the ABC-TV special Meanwhile Back at the Ranch.  Anne Murray and Charlie Rich were guests.
1975:  Peter Gabriel announced that he was splitting from Genesis to start a solo career.
1975:  The Stylistics had the top U.K. song with "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)".




1975:  Make it two weeks for J-J-J "Jive Talkin'" by the Bee Gees.  The Eagles had a great song at #2 with "One Of These Nights", Olivia Newton-John remained at 3 with "Please Mr. Please" and Elton John moved up with "Someone Saved My Life Tonight".  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds moved from 15-5 with "Fallin' In Love" while "Rhinestone Cowboy" was up to 6 for Glen Campbell.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Why Can't We Be Friends" for War, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" by James Taylor, Melissa Manchester's "Midnight Blue" at 9 and Mike Post & "The Rockford Files" at 10.  







          
                                                                                       "After the Thrill is Gone"...

1975:  Amongst amazing competition, the Eagles spent their fifth straight week at #1 on the Album chart with One of These Nights.













1976:  Gordon Lightfoot released this song on this date--"The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald".
1976:  Cliff Richard began a tour of the Soviet Union in Leningrad.

1977:  Elvis Presley died of coronary arrhythmia at the age of 42 in Memphis, Tennessee.
1979:  The Who's movie Quadrophenia premiered at the Plaza Cinema in London.  (Note:  several websites report that the movie premiered on May 2 or November 2.  According to the official website of the Who, as well as  the book 'Roger Daltrey:  The Biography' by Stafford Hildred and Tim Ewbank, 'Quadrophenia' premiered on August 16.  It opened in theaters November 2.)
 







1980:  Olivia Newton-John's "Magic" remained at #1 for a fifth week on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1980:  Cozy Powell, drummer of Rainbow, announced he was leaving the group just after the group headlined the Monsters of Rock at Castle Donington, England.










1980:  Diana Ross conquered the AC chart again as "Upside Down" reached #1.
1983:  Paul Simon married Carrie Fisher in New York City.
1985:  Madonna marred Sean Penn in Malibu, California.










1986:  Rick Allen, drummer of Def Leppard, played his first concert with the group since losing his left arm in a traffic accident at the Monsters of Rock Festival at Castle Donington, England.










1986:  Sun Valley, Idaho's Peter Cetera stayed at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for the fifth week in a row with "Glory Of Love".
1986:  The fastest-rising song on this date, 22 years after its initial release--"Twist And Shout" by the Beatles

1987:  Thousands of people remembered Elvis Presley on the 10th anniversary of his death by going to his grave in Memphis, Tennessee.
1994:  Crosby, Stills and Nash released the album After the Storm.
1995:  Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys performed in concert for the first time with daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson of Wilson Phillips.
1997:  Over 30,000 fans came to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee to pay respects to Elvis Presley on the 20th anniversary of his passing.
1997:  Will Smith rose to #1 on the U.K. chart with "Men In Black".
2000:  Alan Caddy, lead guitarist and a founding member of the Tornadoes, and session musician with Dusty Springfield, the Spencer Davis Group, Kiki Dee and Pretty Things, died at the age of 60 in London.
2000:  INXS had to cancel their tour of New Zealand because of poor ticket sales.  It was the first venture for the band since the death of lead singer Michael Hutchence.
2000:  'N Sync were given the keys to the city of Orlando, Florida.






2003:  A car sponsored by 3 Doors Down made its debut at the Cabela 250 NASCAR Busch Series at Michigan International Speedway.  The car finished 11th.
2003:  Marc Anthony's wife, Dayanara Muniz, gave birth to son Ryan at North Shore University Hospital in Manhassat, New York.










2003:  A new postage stamp by the United States Postal Service was unveiled before a large crowd at the Mancini Musicale at UCLA in Los Angeles. 
2005:  Talk about an identity crisis.  Sean Combs, who changed his name to Sean "Puffy" Combs, then Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, announced he was changing his name to "Diddy".
2005:  Vassar Clements, a virtuoso fiddler who worked with the Byrds, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson and Emmylou Harris, died of lung cancer at the age of 77 at his home in Nashville, Tennessee.  (Note:  several websites claim Clements died in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, but according to the newspaper 'The Chicago Tribune' and the official website for Clements, he died in Nashville.)
2005:  Madonna suffered three cracked ribs and broke her collarbone and hand in a horse riding accident on her birthday outside her country home in London. 

Born This Day:

1915:  Al Hibbler, who had a hit with his version of "Unchained Melody" in 1955, was born in Tyro, Mississippi; died April 24, 2001 in Chicago, Illinois.  (Note:  the book 'Encyclopedia of Arkansas Music' by Ali Welky and Mike Keckhaver states that Hibbler always claimed Como as his birthplace.  We can find no other corroboration for this.  The newspaper 'The Arkansas Times', as well as the books 'Undaunted by Blindness' by Clifford E. Olstrom and 'Blues:  A Regional Experience' by Bob L. Eagle and Eric S. LeBlanc, all say Hibbler was born in Tyro.  Some websites also claim Hibbler was born in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Hibbler moved with his family to Little Rock at the age of 12, where he attended a school for the blind.)1922:  Ernie Freeman, who gave us the great instrumental "Raunchy", was born in Cleveland, Ohio; died of a heart attack May 15, 1981  in Hollywood, California.  (Note:  some websites report Freeman died on May 16, with some saying he died in Hawai'i, and others saying he died in Los Angeles.  Although Freeman lived in Hawai'i in the 70's, he died on May 16 at his home in Hollywood, California, according to the book 'Blues:  A Regional Experience' by Bob L. Eagle and Eric S. LeBlanc.)
1927:  Fess Parker ("The Ballad Of Davy Crockett"), who starred in the television series Daniel Boone, was born in Fort Worth, Texas; died of natural causes March 18, 2010 in Santa Ynez, California.

1928:  Eydie Gormé, who gave us "Blame It On The Bossa Nova", and was the wife of Steve Lawrence and cousin of Neil Sedaka, was born in the Bronx, New York; died August 10, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada following a brief undisclosed illness.  (Note:  Some websites report she was born in 1931, but according to CBS News and the newspapers 'USA Today', 'The Los Angeles Times' and "The Guardian', she was born in 1928.  Some websites say she was born in Manhattan, but she was born in the Bronx, according to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times' and 'Playbill'.)
1934:  Kathy Lester ("Love Letters" from 1962) was born in Hope, Arkansas.
1942:  Barbara George ("I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)") was born in New Orleans, Louisiana; died August 10, 2006 in Chauvin, Louisiana.  (Note:  one credible source states she was born in 1943, but we believe that to be a misprint, for every other reliable source reports she was born in 1942.  Some websites say Barbara was born in Smithridge, Louisiana.  'Billboard' reports that George was born August 16, 1942 in New Orleans.)
1944:  Russ Titelman, producer of James Taylor, Eric Clapton and Randy Newman, was born in Los Angeles.
1945:  Gary Loizzo, singer and guitarist of the American Breed, and later an engineer and producer, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1946:  Gordon "Snowy" Fleet, drummer of the Easybeats ("Friday On My Mind" from 1967), was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.  (Note:  the notorious 'Allmusic.com' claims Fleet was born in Bootle, Merseyside, England.  Given that when Fleet was born (1946), Bootle was not in Merseyside but in the county of Lancashire, one tends not to trust that source.  Although there are no credible sources for his birthplace, our best research indicates that he was born in Liverpool.)
1948:  Barry Hay, lead singer of Golden Earring, was born in Faizabad, India.  (Note:  some websites claim Hay was born in Faisabad, India.  There is no such city in India--the correct spelling is Faizabad.) 
1953:  James "J.T." Taylor, vocalist of Kool & the Gang, was born in Laurens, South Carolina.  (Note:  several websites report Taylor was born in Morristown, New Jersey.  Although there are no credible sources for either, our best research indicates he was born in Laurens.
1957:  Tim Farriss of INXS was born in Perth, Western Australia.
1958:  Madonna was born in Bay City, Michigan.  (Note:  some websites report that she was born in Rochester, Michigan.  She was raised in an area now known as Rochester Hills, but she was born in Bay City, according to the book 'Madonna:  An Intimate Biography' by J. Randy Taraborrelli.)1972:  Emily Erwin of the Dixie Chicks was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
1980:  Vanessa Carlton ("A Thousand Miles" from 2002) was born in Milford, Pennsylvania.
1980:  Bob Hardy, bassist with Franz Ferdinand, was born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England.  (Note:  some websites report Bob was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.  Our best information indicates that he was born in Dewsbury and later lived in Bradford.)

This Date in Rock Music History: August 15

1958:  Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago were married at Buddy's parents' home in Lubbock, Texas.















1960:  "It's Now Or Never" became Elvis Presley's 14th #1 song in just four years.

1962:  Pete Best, drummer of the Beatles, played his last performance, the second of two shows with the group at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.  He was told by manager Brian Epstein that he was being dismissed from the group the following morning (August 16).  (Note:  Some websites don't have the timeline right regarding the firing of drummer Pete Best by the Beatles and the move to Ringo Starr, saying John Lennon invited Starr on August 15, 1962.  The phone call was made August 14, according to the book 'The Complete Beatles Chronicle:  The Definitive Day-By-Day Guide to the Beatles' Entire Career' by Mark Lewisohn.  Pete Best played his final two shows at the Cavern Club on August 15, and was told by Brian Epstein he was being fired the following day (August 16), according to the book 'The Beatles:  The Authorized Biography' by Hunter Davies.) 1964:  The news on this date wasn't that the Four Tops released their first single--they did that on July 10.  On this date, "Baby I Need Your Loving" debuted on the chart.
1964:  The Dave Clark Five signed a movie deal with MGM Studios.









1964:  Dean Martin took over at #1 with "Everybody Loves Somebody", moving the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" down to 3.  The Supremes had the song in the middle with "Where Did Our Love Go".  The 4 Seasons edged up with "Rag Doll" while the Drifters found themselves at #5 with "Under The Boardwalk".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Wishin' And Hopin'" by Dusty Springfield, "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" by Jan & Dean, Bobby Freeman entered the Top 10 with "C'mon And Swim", the Jelly Beans remained at 9 with "I Wanna' Love Him So Bad" and---listen to this move--#60 to #10 for "The House Of The Rising Sun" by the Animals.  You might say it was a hot song.








1964:  A Hard Day's Night by the Beatles continued to set the pace on the Album chart with Getz/Gilberto in second by Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto.  Louis Armstrong's Hello, Dolly! was #3 followed by Barbra Streisand and Funny Girl.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Original Cast with Hello, Dolly!, the Beatles jumped up from #125 to #6 with Something New, the Beach Boys hit the Top 10 with All Summer Long, The Pink Panther came in at #8 from Henry Mancini & His Orchestra, The Dave Clark Five Return!  was #9 while Cotton Candy by Al Hirt was #10.








1965:  The Beatles set an attendance record for the largest audience ever for a concert, as they played before 56,000 at Shea Stadium in New York City.  Mick Jagger and Keith Richard of the Rolling Stones were in the audience.  Brenda Holloway, the King Curtis Band, the Young Rascals and Sounds Incorporated opened for them.  The Beatles were paid $160,000 for the show.  They played the following, though from the moment they first hit the stage, you could not hear a note for the deafening noise:  ("Twist And Shout", "She's A Woman", "I Feel Fine", "Dizzy Miss Lizzie", "Ticket To Ride", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby", Can't Buy Me Love", "Baby's In Black", "Act Naturally", "I Wanna' Be Your Man", "A Hard Day's Night", "Help!", and "I'm Down").

1966:  Bobby Darin began recording "If I Were A Carpenter" at Gold Star Studio in Los Angeles.  He wrapped it up November 31.
1966:  The Beatles appeared before 32,000 at D.C. Stadium in Washington, D.C.
1969:  Led Zeppelin performed with backing acts Jethro Tull and Sweet Smoke at the Hemisfair Arena Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

1969:  One of the seminal events of the Rock Era occurred on this date.  The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, or informally Woodstock, began in Bethel, New York.  A crowd of over 500,000 people heard music from 32 acts over the weekend.  On this famous date in the Rock Era, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Melanie, Richie Havens, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Bert Sommer and Sweetwater performed.
1970:  The Kinks, Fairport Convention, Alexis Korner and Fotheringay were among the performers at the Yorkshire Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival in England.  Pink Floyd was scheduled but did not appear.

1970:  CCR's double-sided hit "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and "Long As I Can See the Light" moved from 56 to 23 on this date.








1970:  The Carpenters made it four weeks at #1 with "Close To You".  Bread's "Make It With You" was second followed by Stevie Wonder with "Signed, Sealed, Delivered ("I'm Yours)".  Eric Burdon & War maintained with "Spill The Wine" and Mungo Jerry moved from 12 to 5 with "In The Summertime".  The rest of the Top 10:  Edwin Starr and "War" at #6, Freda Payne's "Band Of Gold" at song #7, Three Dog Night was on their way down with "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)", Alive & Kicking was at 9 with "Tighter, Tighter" while the Temptations had song #10--"Ball Of Confusion".









1970:  The Carpenters made it six weeks in a row at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Close To You".  They were the talk of the summer.
1971:  Thomas Wayne ("Tragedy" in 1959) was killed in a car crash at the age of 31.

1972:  Elvis  Presley and wife Priscilla signed a Marital Termination Agreement.  (Note:  there are numerous false dates floating around on the Internet.  The only true ones are these:  The couple separated on February 23, 1972, as shown above, on  August 15, according to the book 'Understanding Elvis:  Southern Roots Vs. Star Image' by Susan Doll and auction documents shown above, the couple signed the Marital Termination Agreement, on August 18, Elvis formally filed for divorce, according to the books 'Elvis Presley, Reluctant Rebel:  His Life and Our Times' by Glen Jeansonne, David F. Luhrssen, and Dan Sokolovic, and the Susan Doll book quoted above, and the divorce was finalized in Los Angeles Superior Court in Santa Monica, California on October 9, 1973.)

 

1980:  The George Harrison book I Me Mine went on sale at bookstores.  The book is a collection of lyrics and also includes Harrison's religious views.

1981:  Stevie Wonder, Grover Washington, Jr. and Evelyn "Champagne" King performed at the Black Family Fair at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
1981:  Kenny Rogers placed "I Don't Need You" at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart--one of The Top Adult Contemporary Songs of the 80's*.









1981:  Precious Time landed at #1 on the Album chart for Pat Benatar.  4 by Foreigner moved to #2 followed by the previous #1 Long Distance Voyager by the Moody Blues.  Rick James fell with Street Songs and Journey entered the Top 10 at #5 with Escape.  The rest of the Top 10:  Share Your Love from Kenny Rogers, Mistaken Identity by Kim Carnes, REO Speedwagon remained at 8 after 36 weeks with Hi Infidelity, Don't Say No, the great album from Billy Squier, was at #9 and Air Supply held steady with The One That You Love.








1981:  Diana Ross & Lionel Richie moved to #1 with "Endless Love".  Joey Scarbury made it all the way to #2 with "Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not)" while Kenny Rogers inched up with "I Don't Need You".  Rick Springfield's former #1 "Jessie's Girl" was now at 4.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Elvira" from the Oak Ridge Boys, the Pointer Sisters held still with "Slow Hand", Manhattan Transfer had song #7--"Boy From New York City", Marty Balin's solo hit "Hearts" was at #8, Juice Newton had "Queen Of Hearts" at 9 and Ronnie Milsap cleared the Top 10 with "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me".
1983:  Johnny Ramone, guitarist for the Ramones, had brain surgery after being beaten up in a fight.  (Note:  numerous websites falsely report that Joey Ramone had brain surgery on this date.  The websites simply copied information from the book 'Rock's Movers and Shakers:  An A-Z of People Who Made Rock Happen' by Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton without checking facts.  It was Johnny who had the surgery, according to an interview with Joey Ramone on 'MTV'.)
1987:  Keith Richards began recording his first solo album Talk Is Cheap at Le Studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
1987:  Kenny G performed at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.
1987:  Madonna began a tour of the U.K. at Roundhay Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
1987:  Michael Jackson edged up to #1 in the U.K. with "I Just Can't Stop Loving You".
1987:  Steve Winwood was still at #1 for a third week on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Back In The High Life Again".




 

1987:  U2 continued to own the top song with "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".  Madonna moved to challenge with "Who's That Girl", George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" was third, followed by Suzanne Vega's "Luka" and "La Bamba" by Los Lobos.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Heart And Soul" from T'Pau, Richard Marx moved from 12-7 with "Don't Mean Nothing", the Jets were stationary at 8 with "Cross My Broken Heart", promising newcomer Debbie Gibson entered the Top 10 with "Only In My Dreams" and Gloria Estefan was at 10 with "Rhythm's Gonna' Get You".








1988:  Steve Winwood released the single "Don't You Know What The Night Can Do".  (Note:  some websites naively say the song was released August 20.  "Don't You Know What The Night Can Do" debuted on the Singles chart on August 20.  It is physically impossible for a song to be released by a record company, mailed to radio stations, listened to and added to radio station playlists, reported to trade papers, and printed and published by the trade papers, all in one day.)












1991:  Debbie Gibson sang "Lost In Your Eyes" for the International Special Olympics All-Star Gala on ABC-TV.
1991:  Paul Simon gave a free concert at New York City's Central Park.
1992:  INXS hit #1 in the U.K. with the album Welcome To Whoever You Are.







1992:  Boyz II Men reached #1 with one of the top songs not only since then but of the Rock Era--"End Of The Road".

1995:  The album Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 was recorded as the Dave Matthews Band performed at the popular concert spot in Morrison, Colorado.
1998:  Ian Gillan, lead singer of Deep Purple, hit a security guard with a microphone during a concert at Pine Knob near Pontiac, Michigan.  (Note:  many websites falsely report that Gillan was charged with assault and battery on this date.  The incident occurred August 15.  Gillan was formally charged with assault and battery on September 1, according to the newspaper 'The Sun Journal'.)
1998:  Boyzone reached #1 in the U.K. with "No Matter What".
1999:  Westlife had the #1 U.K. song with "If I Let You Go".
2004:  3 of a Kind owned the top U.K. song with "Baby Cakes".

2008:  Producer Jerry Wexler died at his home in Sarasota, Florida at the age of 91 from congestive heart failure.  Wexler coined the term 'rhythm and blues' while writing for Billboard in the late 1940's, and produced Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett and Bob Dylan, among others.
2012:  Bob Birch, singer who also played bass, bassoon and saxophone and worked with Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Barry Manilow, Lionel Richie, Cher, George Michael, Sheryl Crow, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Don Henley, the Spice Girls, Sting, Phil Collins, the Backstreet Boys, Bruce Hornsby, B.B. King, Steve Porcaro, John Mayer, Keith Emerson, Ronnie Montrose, Jose Feliciano and LeAnn Rimes, just to name a few, commited suicide in Detroit, Michigan at the age of 56.  
2012:  Bill Tillman, singer, saxophonist and flutist with Blood, Sweat & Tears who also worked with Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison and the Coasters, died after a fall in Houston, Texas at the age of 65.

Born This Day:

1933: Bobby Helms ("My Special Angel" and of course "Jingle Bell Rock") was born in Bloomington, Indiana; died June 19, 1997 of emphysema in Martinsville, Indiana.
1933: Bill Pinkney of the Drifters was born in Dalzell, South Carolina; was the last surviving original member of the group when he died of a heart attack July 4, 2007 Daytona Beach, Florida.  (Note:  some websites claim Pinkney was born in Sumpter, South Carolina, but according to the official website for the South Carolina Statehouse, he was born in Dalzell.)
1942: Peter York, drummer of the Spencer Davis Group, was born in Redcar, North Riding of Yorkshire, England.  (Note:  some websites report York was born in MIddlesbrough, and some say he was born in Nottingham, but according to  the newspaper 'The Nottingham Post', he was born in Redcar and went to high school in Nottingham.  Redcar is about 12 kilometers north of Middlesbrough)
1944: Frederick Knight ("I've Been Lonely For So Long" from 1972) was born in Bessemer, Alabama.  (Note:  some websites claim he was born in Birmingham, Alabama.  According to the official website for Stax Records, as well as the book 'Soul of the Man:  Bobby "Blue" Bland' by Charles Farley, Knight was born in Bessemer.)










1946: Jimmy Webb, great songwriter of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", and many others, was born in Elk City, Oklahoma.
1950: Tom Aldrich, drummer of Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osbourne and Whitesnake, was born in Jackson, Mississippi.
1972: Michael Graham of Boyzone was born in Raheny, County Dublin, Ireland.
1973:  Stuart Richardson, bass guitarist with Lostprophets, was born in Tonypandy, Wales.  (Note:  Some websites claim Richardson was born on February 15, others in 1974, and some websites state that Richardson was born in Ferndale, Wales, but the 'BBC' reports that he was born on August 15, 1973 in Tonypandy.)
1984:  David Welsh, guitarist for the Fray, was born in Tucson, Arizona.
1989: Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers was born in Casa Grande, Arizona.

This Date in Rock Music History: August 14

1957:  Nat King Cole canceled his television show on NBC after a year-long search for a sponsor was fruitless.






  
1962:  John Lennon phoned Ringo Starr asking him to become the drummer of the group.  Starr made his debut with the Beatles three days later.  (Note:  some websites don't have the timeline right, saying Lennon invited Starr on August 15.  The phone call was made August 14, according to the book 'The Complete Beatles Chronicle:  The Definitive Day-By-Day Guide to the Beatles' Entire Career' by Mark Lewisohn.  Pete Best played his final two shows at the Cavern Club on August 15, and was told by Brian Epstein he was being fired the following day (August 16), according to the book 'The Beatles:  The Authorized Biography' by Hunter Davies.)

1964:  Johnny Burnette, who had the original hit with "You're Sixteen", drowned at the age of 30 in a boating mishap at Clear Lake in California.  (Note:  some websites incorrectly report his death as being either August 1 or August 17.  Here's the truth, according to the local newspaper 'The Lake County Record-Bee':  Burnette's body was found on August 16 by a Lake County Sheriff, but the coroner determined that he drowned on August 14.) 
1965:  The Beatles recorded an appearance for telecast on The Ed Sullivan Show at Studio 50 on CBS-TV in New York City.  The group performed "I Feel Fine", "I'm Down", Act Naturally", "Ticket to Ride", "Yesterday" and "Help!".
1965:  Help! was the #1 album in the U.K.





 

1965:  Beatles VI may have been the #1 album and Herman's Hermits On Tour #2, but the Rolling Stones turned heads as Out of Our Heads moved from 93 to 3 on this date.
1965:  There was a brand new #1 R&B song and it was "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" from James Brown.
1965:  The song "Help!" moved from #41 to 14.









1965:  "I Got You Babe" moved into the #1 slot for Sonny & Cher.  "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones was still at 2 while Gary Lewis & the Playboys crept up to #3 with "Save Your Heart For Me".  Herman's Hermits were down after just one week at #1 with "I'm Henry VIII, I Am".  The rest of the Top 10:  "What's New Pussycat?" by Tom Jones, the Righteous Brothers jumped from 15 to 6 with "Unchained Melody", the Four Tops entered the Top 10 with "It's The Same Old Song", "Don't Just Stand There" from Patty Duke was song #8, the Beach Boys catapulted from #28 to #9 with "California Girls" and Billy Joe Royal was in the #10 position with "Down In The Boondocks".  
1966:  Little Anthony & the Imperials, the Shadows and the Castiles (featuring vocalist Bruce Springsteen) were at the Surf 'n See Club in Seabright, New Jersey.












1967:  The Association released the classic single "Never My Love".
1968:  "Fire" by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown became the top song in the U.K.
1970:  Stephen Stills was arrested on cocaine possession charges at a motel in La Jolla, California.
1970:  Elton John and Manfred Mann were among the acts at the opening day of  the Yorkshire Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival in Krumlin, Yorkshire, England.
1970:  Status Quo were in concert at the Magic Circus in Barnstaple, Devon, England.








 
                                                                         "The Story in Your Eyes"...

1971:  The Moody Blues reached #1 on the Album chart with Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.

1971:  "Mercy Mercy Me" was deservedly the #1 R&B song by Marvin Gaye.
1971:  "If Not for You" took Olivia Newton-John to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

1971:  The Bee Gees posted their first #1 song with "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart".  "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight proved to be formidable while John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" at #3 got the ball rolling for his great career.  Tommy James edged up with "Draggin' The Line" and James Taylor's former #1 "You've Got A Friend" was at 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Raiders from Boise, Idaho were at #6 with "Indian Reservation", Chicago's double-sided hit "Beginnings"/"Colour My World" was at #7, Tom Clay moved up to 8 with "What The World Needs Now is Love/Abraham, Martin And John", Marvin Gaye was at 9 with "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology") and the Five Man Electrical Band form Canada moved up big with "Signs".







1971:  Stanley, Idaho's Carole King spent a ninth consecutive week at #1 with Tapestry.

1976:  "Getaway" was the new #1 R&B song for Earth, Wind & Fire.

                                                             The Beach Boys had their biggest hit in years...

1976:  It was a great summer for music as Elton John & Kiki Dee had arguably the top song of the summer--"Don't Go Breaking My Heart".  The Bee Gees had another smash with "You Should Be Dancing" and Wings flew up to 3 with "Let 'Em In".  Lou Rawls moved from 9 to 4 with "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", jumping over "Rock And Roll Music" from the Beach Boys.  Gary Wright was still in the Top 10 with "Love Is Alive" after 18 weeks from his great album The Dream Weaver.  The rest of the Top 10:  England Dan & John Ford Coley were gaining notoriety with "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", which moved from 19-7, K.C. and the Sunshine Band climbed from 26 to 8 with "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", Manhattans were at 9 with "Kiss And Say Goodbye" and Vicki Sue Robinson reached the Top 10 with "Turn the Beat Around".








1976:  Peter Frampton returned to #1 for the third time on the Album chart with Frampton Comes Alive!, moving George Benson's great album Breezin' to #2.  Spitfire from Jefferson Starship was third followed by Beautiful Noise by Neil Diamond and the self-titled Fleetwood Mac, in its 55th week on the chart.









1981:  They may look like death warmed over but on this date, the Rolling Stones released the single "Start Me Up".













1982:  Jennifer Holliday's stirring "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" logged a fourth week atop the R&B chart.
1982:  "Eye Of The Tiger" spent its fourth week at #1 for Survivor, holding off John Cougar's "Hurts So Good" again.  The Steve Miller Band had a solid #3 hit with "Abracadabra" while Fleetwood Mac had their 14th hit with "Hold Me".  The rest of the Top 10:  Chicago was still at 5 with "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", Air Supply reached #6 with "Even The Nights Are Better", REO Speedwagon had song #7--"Keep The Fire Burnin'", Toto's Grammy Award winning "Rosanna" was at 8, the Go-Go's had a Top 10 hit with "Vacation" and Crosby, Stills & Nash and their first big hit in five years with "Wasted On The Way".

1988:  Elite guitarist Roy Buchanan died at the age of 48 after hanging himself in a Fairfax, Virginia jail.

1989:  New Jersey by Bon Jovi became the first United States album to be released in the Soviet Union.








1992:  Tony Williams of the Platters died from diabetes and emphysema at age 64 in Daly City, California.

1993:  Freddie Mercury had a solo #1 in the U.K. with "Living On My Own".
1993:  "Dreamlover" by Mariah Carey moved from 40 to 13.










1993:  Soul Asylum reached the Top 10 with "Runaway Train".











1995:  The song "Dreaming of You" by Selena was released posthumously.

1995:  The Grateful Dead canceled their fall tour after leader Jerry Garcia's death.

1999:  Leif Garrett pleaded guilty to drug possession charges to get into a rehab program.

1999:  The Backstreet Boys sold 765,000 tickets for their upcoming North American tour in one day.

1999:  Ronan Keating owned the top U.K. song with "When You Say Nothing At All".

2000:  A Rage Against the Machine concert at the Staples Center turned to general rage and Los Angeles police had to fire pepper spray and rubber bullets to clear the crowd.

2001:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers canceled an appearance at the Heat Wave Festival in Israel after it was recommended that U.S. citizens not travel to that country.








2001:  Michelle Branch released the album The Spirit Room.

 2002:  A very touching tribute to John Lennon was unveiled in the tiny Scottish village of Durness.  Lennon spent his holidays there from age seven to 15, which formed the inspiration for the song "In My Life".  The lyrics to the song are inscribed on three stones.

2004:  A warrant was issued for the arrest of Bobby Brown in George after he did not complete any of the conditions of his probation from a prior drunk driving conviction.

2004:  Charlie Watts, drummer for the Rolling Stones, delivered the sad news that he was being treated for throat cancer.

2004:  Rick James was cremated following a funeral in Buffalo, New York.

2005:  Edith Wong, promoter of the Police, the Go-Gos, the Knack and the Motels at her Madame Wong's clubs in Los Angeles, died at the age of 88.
2005:  Faith Hill scored her third straight #1 album with Fireflies.
2006:  Rapper Lil Wayne was arrested on drug charges in Atlanta, Georgia.
2008:  Jackson Browne sued Republican presidential contender John McCain for using Browne's song "Running On Empty" in a political advertisement without permission.
2008:  Lita Roza (enjoyed a U.K. hit with Patti Page's song "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?" from 1953) died in Liverpool, Merseyside, England.
2009:  An arrest warrant was issued in Massachusetts for Bobby Brown after he did not appear at a court hearing for child maintenance payments.  Brown had fallen $45,000 behind in payments for two teenage children he had with former girlfriend Kim Ward.

2009:  U2 broke an attendance record at Wembley Stadium as 88,000 came to see the supergroup.  Rod Stewart held the previous venue record for a 1995 concert in which he drew 83,000.
2015:  Bob Johnston, who produced the albums Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme and Sounds of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde for Bob Dylan and On Folsom Prison for Johnny Cash, died Friday in Nashville, Tennessee.  Johnston also produced for Aretha Franklin, the Byrds, Patti Page, and Leonard Cohen, among others.





 

Born This Day:

1940:  Dash Crofts of Seals & Crofts was born in Cisco, Texas.

1941:  David Crosby was born in Los Angeles.

1946:  Larry Graham, bassist of Sly & the Family Stone and Graham Central Station, was born in Beaumont, Texas.












1953:  James Horner, who wrote music for over 100 movies, including Beautiful Mind , Avatar, Field of Dreams, The Lady In Red, Patriot Games, Star Trek II:  The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III:  The Search for Spock, and Aliens just to name a few, was born; died June 22, 2014 in Los Padres National Forest in California when the plane he was piloting crashed.  Horner won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, shared with lyricist Will Jennings, for "My Heart Will Go On", and another Oscar for Original Dramatic Score.
1956:  Sharon Bryant of Atlantic Starr was born in Westchester County, New York.
1966:  Tanya Donelly, singer and guitarist of Throwing Muses, was born in Newport, Rhode Island.
1970:  Kevin Cadogan, guitarist and songwriter for Third Eye Blind, was born in Oakland, California.