Phil Collins is one of the most successful artists ever to leave a group and become a solo performer. In fact, he eclipsed the success of his group Genesis.
1981: "In the Air Tonight" (#19) "I Missed Again" (#19) "If Leaving Me Is Easy" 1982: "Thru These Walls" "You Can't Hurry Love" (#10, #9 Adult Contemporary) 1983: "I Don't Care Anymore" (#39) "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" "Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning" "I Cannot Believe It's True" (#79)
1984: "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (#1, #2 for 6 weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart) 1985: "Easy Lover" (with Phillip Bailey)--#2, #15 AC "Sussudio" (#1, #30 AC) "One More Night" (#1, #1 AC) "Don't Lose My Number" (#4, #25 AC) "Take Me Home" (#7, #2 AC) "Separate Lives" (with Marilyn Martin)--#1, #1 AC 1988: "In the Air Tonight" (remix) "A Groovy Kind of Love" (#1, #1 AC) "Two Hearts" (#1, #1 AC) "We Said Hello Goodbye" (#34 AC) 1989: "Another Day in Paradise (#1, #1 AC) 1990: "I Wish It Would Rain Down" (#3, #3 AC) "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" (#4, #2 AC) "That's Just the Way It Is" "Hang in Long Enough" (#23, #38 AC) "Do You Remember?" (#4, #1 AC) 1991: "Who Said I Would" (#73) 1993: "Both Sides of the Story" (#25) "Hero" (with David Crosby)--#3 AC 1994: "Everyday" (#24, #2 AC) "We Wait and We Wonder" 1996: "Somewhere" (#7 AC) "Dance into the Light" (#45, #6) "It's in Your Eyes" (#77, #6) 1997: "No Matter Who" "Wear My Hat" "The Same Moon" 1998: "True Colors" (#2 AC)
1999: "You'll Be in My Heart" (#21, #1) 2000: "Strangers Like Me" (#10 AC) "Son of Man" "Two Worlds" 2002: "Can't Stop Loving You" (#76, #1 AC) 2003: "Come With Me" (#16 AC) "The Least You Can Do"/"Wake Up Call" "Look Through My Eyes" (#5 AC) "No Way Out" 2004: "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" (#5 AC) 2005: "You Touch My Heart" (#25 AC) 2007: "In the Air Tonight" (re-issue) "Against All Odds" (re-issue) 2009: "In the Air Tonight" (re-issue) 2010: "(Love is Like a) Heatwave" "Going Back" "In the Air Tonight" (re-issue
1955: Elvis Presley played three concerts at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, Louisiana. 1955: Leonard Chess signed Chuck Berry to a recording contract. 1957: The Kingston Trio formed in Palo Alto, California. 1957: Elvis Presley was on the cover of the first issue of 16 Magazine. 1961: Tony Orlando had his first hit with "Halfway To Paradise". 1961: "(Dance The) Mess Around" by Chubby Checker is on the list of biggest movers of all-time. The song never peaked great , but on this date it was one of the hottest songs around, moving from 79-28. 1961: Del Shannon continued to own the #1 song with "Runaway", one of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era*. 1962: The Beatles began a month-long gig at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany. 1965: One of rock's great instrumentals, "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" by Sounds Orchestral reached the summit on the Adult Contemporary chart.
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"... 1965: The Soundtrack to "Mary Poppins" continued to set the pace on the Album chart for the fourth straight week. Introducing Herman's Hermits was #2, the Soundtrack to "Goldfinger" came in third and the Beach Boys Today! was #4. The rest of the Top 10 Albums: The Rolling Stones, Now! was #5, the "Sound of Music" Soundtrack was #6, Ramblin Rose spent its 100th week on the chart for Nat "King" Cole at #7, The Return of Roger Miller fell to #8, the Soundtrack to "My Fair Lady" was #9 and Andy Williams had the #10 album with Dear Heart. 1965: The Beatles rose from 56 to 19 with "Ticket To Ride".
1965: Herman's Hermits had one of the fastest-rising songs to #1 in the Rock Era on this date. "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" debuted at #12 in its first week on April 16, rose to #2 the next week and on this date in 1965 was the new #1 song. Only 11 songs in history that did not debut at #1 got to #1 quicker. 1967: The F.B.I. arrested Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys for avoiding the draft. 1967: Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. 1969: Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash taped a special for television at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. 1969: The Who debut their rock opera Tommy for members of the media at Ronnie's Jazz Club in London. (Note: several websites claim the debut was May 2, but the correct date is May 1, according to the official website of the Who.) 1971: The Soundtrack to "Jesus Christ Superstar" overtook Pearl by the late Janis Joplin as the #1 album. Up to Date from the Partridge Family was third while Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young moved from #14 to #4 with their live album 4 Way Street. 1971: The Jackson 5 rose to #1 on the R&B chart with "Never Can Say Goodbye". 1971: "If" by Bread spent a second week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1971: "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night remained at #1 for a third week while "Put Your Hand In The Hand" by Ocean would peak at #2. The Jackson 5 slid up one with "Never Can Say Goodbye". The rest of the Top 10: "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye at #4, Neil Diamond's "I Am...I Said" was song #5, "If" from Bread moved up to 6, the Bells were at 7 with "Stay Awhile", Paul McCartney dropped to #8 with "Another Day", the Temptations came in next with their former #1 "Just My Imagination" and Daddy Dewdrop was a one-hit wonder with "Chick-A-Boom". 1972: Paul Simon released his self-titled first album as a solo performer. 1972: The O'Jay's were at #1 on the R&B chart with their great song "Livin' For the Weekend". 1973: Bachman-Turner Overdrive released their self-titled debut album.
1973: It was declared to be "Marvin Gaye Day" in Washington, D.C. 1973: The Carpenters performed at a White House dinner for West German Chancellor Willy Brandt.
1975: The Rolling Stones announced their North American tour by playing "Brown Sugar" on the back of a flatbed truck while driving down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
1976: The Captain & Tennille released their cover of the Miracles' hit "Shop Around". 1976: Barry Manilow had the #1 Adult Contemporary song with "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again".
1976: The Bellamy Brothers had their first and only #1 with "Let Your Love Flow". Maxine Nightingale had a solid #2 with "Right Back Where We Started From", the Sylvers were up to 3 with "Boogie Fever" and John Sebastian climbed up with "Welcome Back". The rest of the Top 10: The Commodores maintained at 5 with their great song "Sweet Love", Johnnie Taylor fell to #6 with "Disco Lady", Peter Frampton's first hit "Show Me The Way" was at #7, Elvin Bishop had #8 with "Fooled Around And Fell In Love", Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was #9 and Diana Ross soared from 29-10 with "Love Hangover".
"Say You Love Me", one of the top tracks from 'Fleetwood Mac'... 1976: Led Zeppelin moved to a familiar spot on the Album chart with Presence, displacing Wings at the Speed of Sound at #1. Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 was third while Queen's A Night at the Opera spent a second week at #4. The rest of the Top 10: Eargasm from Johnnie Taylor, Frampton Comes Alive! from Peter Frampton, Marvin Gaye moved into the Top 10 with I Want You, the self-titled Fleetwood Mac was still going strong after 40 weeks, the Captain & Tennille's follow-up album Song of Joy and Robin Trower Live! moved up to #10. 1980: Fleetwood Mac performed at the Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Washington. 1979: Elton John became the first rock musician to perform in Israel, beginning a tour there at the Philharmonic Hall in Jerusalem. 1982: The "Chariots of Fire" Sountrack was the #1 album for a third week. The Go-Go's climbed back up with Beauty and the Beat, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts were at 3 with I Love Rock-n-Roll, Rick Springfield remained in the #4 spot with Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet and the debut from Asia was #5. 1982: "Chariots Of Fire" by Vangelis was on top for a fifth week in a row on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1982: Asia vaulted from #55 to 20 with their debut single, "Heat Of The Moment".
1982: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts remained at #1 for a seventh week with one of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era*, "I Love Rock & Roll".
1984: Lionel Ritchie released the single "Stuck On You". 1986: Hugo Peretti, writer and producer of many great songs, died at age 69 in Englewood, New Jersey. Peretti is responsible for "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley, "Twistin' The Night Away" by Sam Cooke, "Shout" by the Isley Brothers, "The Hustle" by Van McCoy, "You Make Me Feel Brand New" by the Stylistics and dozens of other hits. 1993: Silk held on to #1 on the R&B chart for an eighth and final week with "Freak Me".
1993: "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston from the movie TheBodyguard was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. 1996: Ben Folds Five made their U.K. debut at the 100 Club in London. 1995: Metallica began recording the album Load. (Note: some websites claim the group began recording on February 15, but the correct date is May 1, according to the band's official website.) 1997: Rick Parfitt, guitarist with Status Quo, underwent a quadruple heart bypass operation.
1999: An exhibition of Paul McCartney's paintings opened in Siegen, Germany.
2003: The Dixie Chicks began their tour at the BI-Lo Center in Greenville, South Carolina with opening acts Joan Osbourne and Michelle Branch. 2003: Soul great Barry White suffered a stroke after being hospitalized for kidney failure. (Note: some websites mistakenly say White had the stroke on May 2. The news was reported May 2 in morning papers, but he suffered the stroke on May 1, as reported by 'Billboard' and other reputable sources.) 2004: Usher spent a fifth week at #1 (out of 9) with the album Confessions. 2005: Nine Inch Nails closed the show at the Coachella Festival at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Others who performed were New Order and Mos Def. 2005: Bruce Springsteen's album Devils and Dust debuted at #1 in the U.K. 2005: Tony Christie remained at #1 for the seventh week in a row in the U.K. with "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo."
2005: Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 debuted at #1 with his debut album Something To Be. It was the first time a solo performer from a rock group had ever debuted at #1 with his first album. 2006: Johnny Paris of Johnny & the Hurricanes ("Red River Rock") died of leukemia in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the age of 65.
Born This Day: 1928: Sonny James was born in Hackleburg, Alabama; died of natural causes February 22, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Note: some websites claim James was born in 1929. According to his official website and the newspaper 'The New York Times', he was born in 1928.)
1939: Judy Collins was born in Seattle, Washington. 1939: Willie Ackerman, drummer who played on "El Paso" by Marty Robbins and "Amos Moses" for Jerry Reed, and also worked with the Monkees, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Patsy Cline and Louis Armstrong among others, was born in Nashville, Tennessee; died in his sleep on December 13, 2012 in Nashville.
1945: Rita Coolidge was born in Lafayette, Tennessee. (Note: some websites claim Coolidge was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but according to the book 'Kristofferson: The Wild American' by Stephen Miller, Rita was born in Lafayette.)1946: Nick Fortuna, bassist of the Buckinghams, was born in Chicago, Illinois 1949: Jim Clench, bassist for April Wine and later in Bachman Turner Overdrive; died November 3, 2010 in Montreal.
1953: Glen Ballard, songwriter and lead singer of Argent, who wrote ("Man In The Mirror" for Michael Jackson, and "Ironic" and 'Hand In My Pocket" for Alanis Morissette, and "You're In Love" for Wilson Phillips, among others) and also was a producer (Jagged Little Pill for Morissette, and albums by Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Dave Matthews Band, Josh Groban, Wilson Phillips, and Curtis Stigers, among others), was born in Natchez, Mississippi. (Note: some websites list his birth as March 1, but according to Ballard's official website and other credible sources, he was born on May 1.)
1954: Ray Parker, Jr. of Raydio ("Jack And Jill" from 1978) and solo performer, was born in Detroit, Michigan. 1957: Steve Farris, guitarist of Mr. Mister, was born in Fremont, Nebraska. 1959: Phil Smith, saxophone player of Haircut One-Hundred ("Love Plus One" from 1982), was born in Redbridge, Essex, England. 1966: Johnny Colt, bass guitarist of the Black Crowes, was born in Cherry Point, North Carolina. 1968: D'Arcy Wretzky, original bass player of the Smashing Pumpkins, was born in South Haven, Michigan.
Linda Ronstadt was probably the first female solo performer to put together consistent, solid albums rather than collections of singles with filler music. Madonna took that to the next level. Several of her albums are among the best in rock.
1983: Madonna (#8) 1984: Like A Virgin (#1) 1986: True Blue (#1) 1987: "Who's That Girl" Soundtrack (#7) 1989: Like A Prayer (#1)--her best album, although any of her first four are solid. 1990: "I'm Breathless" Soundtrack (#2) 1992: Erotica (#2) 1994: Bedtime Stories (#3) 1996: "Evita" Soundtrack (#2) 1998: Ray of Light (#2)--very consistent album 2000: Music (#1)--another solid album 2003: American Life (#1) 2005: Confessions on a Dance Floor (#1) 2008: Hard Candy (#1)
Live Albums: 2006: I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (#33) 2007: The Confessions Tour (#15) 2010: Sticky & Sweet Tour (#10)
Compilations: 1987: You Can Dance (#14) 1990: The Immaculate Collection (#2) 1995: Something to Remember (#6) 2001: GHV2 (#7) 2003: Remixed and Revisited (#115) 2009: Celebration (#7)
1957: Elvis Presley recorded the classic "Jailhouse Rock". (Note: Some websites report that Presley recorded the song "Jailhouse Rock" on April 30 and May 3, and some say that he recorded it in three sessions--2 on April 30 and May 3 at Radio Recorders and 1 at MGM Studios in Hollywood, California. Presley did record songs for the movie 'Jailhouse Rock' on those other two days, but according to the book 'Elvis Presley: A Life In Music' by Ernst Jorgensen, Presley completed recording of the song "Jailhouse Rock" on April 30 at Radio Recorders.)
1960: Fats Domino recorded "Walking To New Orleans".
1960: The Everly Brothers began seven weeks at the top of the U.K. chart with "Cathy's Clown". It was the first release from new record company Warner Brothers.
1962: Ray Charles released the single "I Can't Stop Loving You". 1964: The Beatles did two shows at the Odeon Cinema in Glasgow, Scotland. 1965: Herman's Hermits and the Zombies began their first tour of the United States.
1965: Bob Dylan began a tour of the U.K. at Sheffield City Hall in Sheffield, England, a concert that was later featured in the movie Don't Look Back. 1965: The Yardbirds and Kinks performed two shows at the Adelphi Cinema in Slough, England.
1965: The Rolling Stones topped the U.K. Album chart with Aftermath. 1966: "Get Ready" by the Temptations topped the R&B chart. 1966: Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass remained at #1 on the Album chart for a third week with their new release Going Places. Whipped Cream & Other Delights from the group was heading back up after 51 weeks of release.
1966: The Young Rascals made the final leap to #1 with "Good Lovin'". "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" from the Righteous Brothers was #2, while the Mamas and the Papas climbed from 10-3 with "Monday, Monday". The Beach Boys reached #4 with "Sloop John B", ahead of "Secret Agent Man" from Johnny Rivers. The rest of the Top 10: Boise, Idaho's Paul Revere & the Raiders with "Kicks", the Outsiders had a great song with "Time Won't Let Me", Cher tumbled with "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", the Lovin' Spoonful turned and headed downward with "Daydream" and Herman's Hermits landed at #10 after just four weeks with "Leaning On The Lamp Post".
1968: Cliff Nobles & Company released the single "The Horse".
1968: Founder Al Kooper left the group Blood, Sweat & Tears.
1970: Twiggs Lyndon, the road manager of the Allman Brothers, was arrested after stabbing a club manager over an alleged breach of contract.
1973: Seals & Crofts released the single "Diamond Girl".
1977: Led Zeppelin played to 77,229 fans in the Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan. It would temporarily break the record for the biggest concert in history (Paul McCartney would later shatter the record.) 1977: Marvin Gaye moved to #1 on the R&B chart with "Got to Give It Up" (Pt. 1)".
1977: The highly-underrated "Hello Stranger" by Yvonne Elliman took over at #1 on the Adult chart.
A little A.R.S.... 1977: Glen Campbell scored his second career #1 with "Southern Nights", somehow holding off "Hotel California" by the Eagles. Previous chart-topper "Don't Leave Me This Way" from Thelma Houston was third, but Leo Sayer was making his move (9-4) with "When I Need You". The rest of the Top 10: One of Natalie Cole's biggest hits, "I've Got Love On My Mind", David Soul with "Don't Give Up On Us", the Atlanta Rhythm Section jammed with "So In To You", Jennifer Warnes moved up to #8 with "Right Time Of The Night", Stevie Wonder climbed from 19 to 9 with "Sir Duke" and William Bell made the mistake of "Tryin' To Love Two". 1977: The Eagles had overtaken Fleetwood Mac's Rumours for the #1 album, something very few albums in the Rock Era could have pulled off, and now Hotel California achieved its third week at #1.
1978: The Clash played in a Rock Against Racism rally at Victoria's Club in London.
1980: Roger Daltrey's movie McVicar premiered. 1983: Toto took a turn at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "I Won't Hold You Back".
After the Fire had a bonafide smash... 1983: Michael Jackson, with help from the great guitarist Eddie Van Halen, had the new #1--"Beat It". Dexys Midnight Runners fell after one week at the top with "Come On Eileen". The Greg Kihn Band scored their biggest career hit with "Jeopardy", Styx bowed out with "Mr. Roboto" and After the Fire moved "Der Kommissar" to #5. The rest of the Top 10: David Bowie with "Let's Dance", Michael Jackson's former #1 "Billie Jean", Thomas Dolby had "She Blinded Me With Science", Men At Work were back with "Overkill" and Prince reached the Top 10 with "Little Red Corvette". 1983: Thriller by Michael Jackson reached 10 weeks at #1 on the Album chart. Jackson would go on to post 37 weeks at the top, a Rock Era record. 1988: Erasure had the number one album in the U.K. with The Innocents.
1988: Al B. Sure! had the new #1 on the R&B chart with "Nite and Day".
1988: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd dropped out of the album chart after a record 725 weeks. It reappeared several times since 1988, and holds the Rock Era record now with 861 weeks.
1999: Darrell Sweet, drummer of Nazareth, died at the age of 51 after suffering a heart attack. (Note: numerous websites claim Sweet was 52 when he died. He was 51, having been born May 16, 1947, according to 'Billboard' magazine.)
2002: Vanessa Carlton released her debut album Be Not Nobody.
2003: Madonna was #1 on the Album chart with American Life.
2004: Ray Charles made his last public appearance when his recording studio was given landmark status by the city of Los Angeles.
2005: Coldplay, Weezer, the Chemical Brothers and Snow Patrol starred on the first day of the Coachella Festival in California.
2005: Cher played the final night of her three-year long Farewell tour at the Hollywood Bowl.
2006: Gnarls Barkley paced both the Singles and Album charts in the U.K. with the song "Crazy" and the CD St. Elsewhere.
2007: Zola Taylor of the Platters died at age 69 as a result of pneumonia in Riverside, California. 2008: Mariah Carey tried again to see if she could keep a man (she couldn't). Carey married actor Nick Cannon in the Bahamas. 2008: Gail Renard, the person given the lyrics to "Give Peace A Chance" by John Lennon, sold the copy at a Christie's auction. The lyrics brought in $790,000, though we know they are priceless. 2010: Buffy Sainte-Marie received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Canada.
2014: Larry Ramos, singer and guitarist of the Association, died of metastatic melanoma in Clarkston, Washington at the age of 72. (Note: some websites say Ramos died in his hometown (he was born in Waimea, Hawai'i), while others say he died in Clarkston, Idaho. There is no such town in Idaho; Ramos died in Clarkston, Washington according to the newspaper 'The Star Advertiser'.)
2015: Ben E. King (Benjamin Earl Nelson), a member of the Drifters in the late '50s who scored big solo hits with "Stand By Me" and Spanish Harlem", died of natural causes in Hackensack, New Jersey at age 76.
Born This Day: 1925: Johnny Horton was born in Los Angeles, California; died November 5, 1960 when his car was struck by a drunk driver near Milano, Texas on the way from a concert in Austin, Texas to Shreveport, Louisiana. 1933: Willie Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas. (Note: some websites mistakenly say Willie was born April 29. According to 'Country Music Television', the book 'Handbook of Texas Music' by Laurie E. Jasinski, and numerous other credible sources, Nelson was born on April 30.) 1936: Robert Bateman, songwriter of the #1 smash "Please Mr. Postman", a hit for the Marvelettes and the Carpenters, was born in Chicago, Illinois; died January 5, 2016 of a heart attack in Los Angeles. 1941: Johnny Farina of Santo & Johnny, who put together one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*--"Sleepwalk", was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1943: Bobby Vee was born in Fargo, North Dakota; died October 24, 2016 from complications of Alzheimer's disease in Rogers, Minnesota. 1944: Richard Shoff of the Sandpipers ("Come Saturday Morning") was born in Seattle, Washington. 1948: Wayne Kramer, singer,songwriter, guitarist and producer of MC5, was born in Detroit, Michigan. 1953: Merrill Osmond of the Osmond Family was born in Ogden, Utah. 1967: Turbo B. (real name Durron Maurice Butler) of Snap! ("The Power" from 1990) was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 1971: Chris Henderson, guitarist of 3 Doors Down, was born in Edmonds, Washington. 1971: Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple of Soul for Real ("Candy Rain" from 1995) 1972: J.R. Richards, lead singer of Dishwalla ("Counting Blue Cars"), was born in Santa Barbara, California. 1973: Jeff Timmons, founding member, singer and producer of 98 Degrees, was born in Canton, Ohio.
John Denver was one of the most beloved performers out there. He had tons of good hits; I've tried to indicated some of his best albums below...
with the Mitchell Trio: 1965: That's the Way It's Gonna' Be Violets of Dawn 1967: Alive 1974: Beginnings: John Denver with the Mitchell Trio
Solo: 1966: John Denver Sings 1969: Rhymes and Reasons (#148) 1970: Take Me to Tomorrow (#197) Whose Garden Was This? 1971: Poems, Prayers and Promises (#15) 1972: Aerie (#75) Rocky Mountain High (#4) 1973: Farewell Andromeda (#16)
1974: Back Home Again (#1)--some filler, but overall a good album 1975: Windsong (#1)--a little better than previous album, good but not great Rocky Mountain Christmas (#14)--outstanding Christmas album 1976: Spirit (#7)--Denver's best album overall 1977: I Want To Live (#45)--another pretty good album at a time when his songs became more meaningful 1979: John Denver (#25) A Christmas Together (#26) 1980: Autograph (#39) 1981: Some Days Are Diamonds (#32--Denver's lyrics continued to get better Perhaps Love (with Placido Domingo) 1982: Seasons of the Heart (#39) Rocky Mountain Holiday 1983: It's About Time (#61) 1985: Dreamland Express (#90) 1986: One World 1989: Higher Ground 1990: Earth Songs The Flower That Shattered the Stone (#185) Christmas, Like a Lullabye 1991: Different Directions 1997: All Aboard! (#165) 1998: Forever, John 1999: Christmas
Live Albums: 1975: An Evening With John Denver (#2) 1976: Live in London 1995: The Wildlife Concert (#104) 1997: The Best of John Denver Live (#52) 1999: Live at the Sydney Opera House 2001: Christmas in Concert (recorded in 1996) 2002: The Harbor Lights Concert (recorded in 1995) 2007: Live in the U.S.S.R. (recorded in 1985) 2010: Live at Cedar Rapids (recorded in 1987)
Compilations: 1973: John Denver's Greatest Hits (#1) 1977: John Denver's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (#6) 1984: John Denver's Greatest Hits, Volume 3 1991: Take Me Home, Country Roads and Other Hits 1994: The Very Best of John Denver 1996: The Rocky Mountain Collection Reflections: Songs of Love and Life 1997: Celebration of Life (#130) Country Roads Collection 1998: The Best of John Denver Greatest Country Hits 2002: Songs for America 2004: The Essential John Denver Definitive All-Time Greatest Hits (#52) A Song's Best Friend 2006: 16 Biggest Hits 2007: The Essential John Denver 2008: Playlist: The Very Best of John Denver
In the late 60's, when CCR, the Doors and the Rolling Stones were in their prime, no one (not even the Beatles) sold more singles than Tommy James and the Shondells.
1964: "Hanky Panky" 1965: "Hanky Panky" 1966: "Hanky Panky" (#1) "Say I Am (What I Am)"--#21 "It's Only Love" (#31) 1967: "I Think We're Alone Now" (#4) "Mirage" (#10) "I Like the Way" (#25) "Gettin' Together" (#18) "Out of the Blue" (#43)
1968: "Mony Mony" (#3) "Somebody Cares" (#53) "Do Something To Me" (#38) "Crimson and Clover" (#1) 1969: "Sweet Cherry Wine" (#7) "Crystal Blue Persuasion" (#2) "Ball of Fire" (#19) "She" (#23) 1970: "Gotta' Get Back To You" (#45) "Come Back To Me" (#47)
1963: Lesley Gore released the single "It's My Party".
1963: The Surfaris released the single "Wipe Out". 1967: Jimi Hendrix, Cat Stevens, Engelbert Humperdinck and the Walker Brothers played two concerts at Bournemouth Winter Gardens in England. 1967: Aretha Franklin remained atop the R&B chart for a sixth week with "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)". 1967: "Groovin'" by the Young Rascals was the hottest new song, as it soared from 79 to 49.
1968: The musical Hair opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre. 1969: Ringo Starr added the lead vocal to "Octopus's Garden" for the upcoming Beatles' album Abbey Road, although Ringo would later re-record the vocals. 1971: Bill Graham announced he was closing both Fillmores in San Francisco and New York. 1972: Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" remained at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for the fifth week in a row.
1972: Flack set a record when her album First Take reached #1 on the Album chart in its 118th week on the chart, the longest any album had ever taken to reach #1. The album first charted in 1970, fell off the chart on June 13 of 1970 and then re-entered on March 18, 1972 after 91 weeks. The album then climbed to #1 on this date back in 1972. 1972: Roberta Flack had the #1 song for a third week with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". 1973: The Bay City Rollers were at the Odeon Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. 1973: John Denver began his weekly John Denver Show on BBC TV in the U.K. 1977: The Grateful Dead played the first of five concerts at the Palladium in New York City. 1978: Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams' duet "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" was #1 on the R&B chart for a third week.
1978: The Bee Gees had one of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era*, as "Night Fever" held on to #1 for a seventh consecutive week. Yvonne Elliman remained second with "If I Can't Have You" while Barry Manilow remained in the #3 position with "Can't Smile Without You". Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway were next with "The Closer I Get To You". The rest of the Top 10: Wings and "With A Little Luck", Eric Clapton tumbled with "Lay Down Sally", Kansas was at 7 with "Dust In The Wind", Raydio's first hit "Jack And Jill", Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta teamed for a Top 10 smash with "You're The One That I Want" and Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams bounced from 20 to 10 with "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late". 1988: After stealing George Harrison's wife (Patti Boyd) from him, Eric Clapton announced that he and Patti were divorcing. The choice was Patti's, of course.
1989: The hottest new song was a comeback hit for Donna Summer, and really her last big hit--"This Time I Know It's For Real", which moved from #88 to #57.
Southern Rockers .38 Special... 1989: Madonna had the #1 song with "Like A Prayer", while Bon Jovi made its move with "I'll Be There For You". Tone Loc was singing about a "Funky Cold Medina" and the Fine Young Cannibals were at #4 with "She Drives Me Crazy". The rest of the Top 10: Deon Estus (with George Michael) and "Heaven Help Me", Roxette's "The Look", .38 Special moved to #7 with "Second Chance", Jody Watler moved up to #8 with "Real Love", Cher & Sun Valley, Idaho's Peter Cetera jumped from 15-9 with "After All" and Paula Abdul scored another Top 10 with "Forever Your Girl". 1990: Floyd Butler of the Friends of Distinction died of a heart attack in Los Angeles at the age of 49.
1992: TLC released the single "Baby-Baby-Baby". 1992: Sheena Easton collapsed on stage during a performance of Man of La Mancha on Broadway. The illness was later determined to be an intestinal ailment.
1992: Paula Abdul married actor Emilio Estevez. 1993: Guitarist Gilby Clarke of Guns N' Roses broke his hand in a motorcycle accident, causing the group to cancel several concerts.
1993: Elite guitarist Mick Ronson, who played for David Bowie, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and Morrissey, died of liver cancer at age 45 in London. 1995: Rapper Tupac Shakur married Keisha Morris inside the Clinton Correctional Facility where he was serving a four-year sentence for sex abuse. Sounds like a match in heaven--a jailbird and a woman who was looking for the worst man she could find. 1996: Phil Spector canceled a recording session with Celine Dion due to lack of a recording contract. 1998: Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler broke his knee while in concert in Anchorage, Alaska, delaying the group's tour. 2003: The movie Only the Strong Survive, starring Jerry Butler and many other R&B singers, opened in New York.
The respectable Pearl Jam...
2003: Pearl Jam purchased a 1,400 square-mile area of rainforest in Madagascar to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions they estimated would be released because of their North American tour. You wish everyone would act that responsibly. 2004: Christina Aguilera canceled her spring tour due to vocal strain. 2005: Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary had a bone marrow transplant in her battle with leukemia; she died four years later.
Born This Day: 1928: Carl Gardner, founder of the Coasters, was born in Tyler, Texas; died of congestive heart failure and vascular dementia in Port St. Lucie, Florida on June 12, 2011. 1929: Ray Barretto, who played percussion for the Bee Gees and Rolling Stones, was born in Brooklyn, New York; died February 17, 2006 of heart failure and complications from multiple health issues in Hackensack, New JErsey. 1931: Lonnie Donegan, who wrote the Dr. Demento staple "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor On The Bedpost Overnight", was born in Glasgow, Scotland; died November 3, 2002 in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, England after suffering another in a series of heart attacks in his last years. 1933: Rod McKuen, poet and songwriter (over 1,500 songs), was born in Oakland, California; his songs include the Academy Award-nominated "Jean" and the #1 "Seasons In The Sun" for Terry Jacks in 1974; died January 29 of respiratory arrest after suffering from pneumonia in Beverly Hills, California. McKuen wrote songs for Barbra Streisand, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Perry Como, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis and Percy Faith, among others. 1936: April Stevens (real name Carol LoTempio), who recorded "Deep Purple" with brother Nino Temple, was born in Niagara Falls, New York. 1942: Klaus Voormann, bassist for Manfred Mann and John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band; designer of the album cover for the Beatles' Revolver and many others and also a producer, was born in Berlin, Germany. 1945: Tammi Terrell, solo singer with Motown Records and successful singing partner of Marvin Gaye, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; collapsed October 14, 1969 into the arms of Gaye on stage and was diagnosed with a brain tumor, died on March 16, 1970 in Philadelphia.
1947: Tommy James (real name Thomas Jackson) of Tommy James & the Shondells and a solo artist ("Three Times In Love") was born in Dayton, Ohio. 1947: Joel Larson, drummer and percussionist of the Grass Roots, was born in San Francisco, California. 1953: Bill Drummond, musician, songwriter, producer; who joined Big In Japan and formed KLF ("3 AM Eternal"), was born in Butterworth, South Africa.
1968: Carnie Wilson, daughter of Beach Boy Brian Wilson and member of Wilson Phillips, was born in Los Angeles, California. 1971: Tamara Johnson-George of SWV was born in Brooklyn, New York. 1973: Mike Hogan, bass guitarist for the Cranberries, was born in Limerick, Ireland. 1979: Jo O'Meara of S Club was born in Romford, London, England. (Note: some websites mistakenly say O'Meara was born in Romford, Essex, England. Romford was once part of the county of Essex, but the Local Government Act of 1974 moved Romford into the Greater London area. Since O'Meara was born five years later, she was born in Romford, London.) 1980: Kian Egan of Westlife was born in Sligo, Ireland.
