Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "100 Years" by Five for Fighting

Songs that make you pause from our busy lives.  Songs that make us think, ponder.  Songs that give us determination, that make us strong.  Songs that make us humble.  Songs that start movements, that bring about social and political change.  Songs that help us to remember what is important.  These are The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*, and we're up to a song unique in that it has relevance to every person, not matter what age they are.  I chose this video for it is up to the high standards of the song and its lyrics.  Today, we salute "100 Years" by Five for Fighting.

"100 Years"

by Five for Fighting

Words and Music by John Ondrasik




I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are


I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars


15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live


I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind


I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life


15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live


Half time goes by
Suddenly you’re wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...


I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are


15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you’re on your way
Every day's a new day...


15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

This Date in Rock Music History: October 1

1955:  A new group with an awesome sound and great lead singer debuted on the chart.  On this date, we first heard from the Platters with their first single "Only You (And You Alone)".

1956:  After test audiences reacted unfavorably to Elvis Presley dying in the movie Love Me Tender, Elvis was called back to the set to reshoot the scene in which he lived.
1962:  A new talent on the scene, Barbra Streisand, signed a recording contract with Columbia Records.  Although it was for a modest sum, Streisand had creative control of her music.

1962:  A group of likable California boys released their debut album.  Surfin' Safari from the Beach Boys hit record stores.
1964:  A group so popular they could bridge political differences.  The Beatles' movie A Hard Day's Night opened in Prague, Czechoslovakia, thus becoming the first pop culture movie from the West to be seen behind the former Iron Curtain.
1965:  Bob Dylan performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and introduced his new touring band--guitarist Robbie Robertson, organist Garth Hudson, Rick Danko on bass, Richard Manual on piano and drummer Levon Helm.  The musicians would come to be known simply as The Band.




1965:  The Byrds released the single "Turn!  Turn!  Turn!".  Note:  some websites show different dates for the release.  John Einarson, in his book 'Mr. Tambourine Man:  The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark, states that the single was released on October 1.)
1966:  Denny Laine left the Moody Blues.  (Note:  some websites show him leaving later in the month, but Ray Thomas of the group told the trade magazine 'Record Mirror' (October 8, 1966 issue) "Denny left on Saturday (October 1) ."
1966:  Jimi Hendrix performed live for the first time in the U.K. when he jammed with Cream which was playing at London Polytechnic.
1966:  It was obvious by now that Johnny Rivers had a major hit with "Poor Side Of Town, which moved from 72 to 42 on this date.  




  
                  A great song here--"Black Is Black" by Los Bravos...

1966:  "Cherish" by the Association continued to be the #1 song.  The Supremes were at #2 with "You Can't Hurry Love".  The Temptations saw "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" reach #3, Los Bravos moved up with "Black Is Black" and the Hollies remained at #5 with "Bus Stop".  The rest of the Top 10:  "96 Tears" from ? & the Mysterians, the Four Tops had their great song "Reach Out I'll Be There" at #7, the Beatles with "Yellow Submarine", Donovan slipped to 9 with "Sunshine Superman" and Neil Diamond had his first Top 10 hit with "Cherry, Cherry".
1967:  Pink Floyd arrived in New York City to begin their first tour of the United States.




1967:  Traffic made their live debut at the Saville Theatre in London.
1969:  The Beatles released Abbey Road in the United States, five days later than its England release date.
1970:  Curtis Mayfield left the group the Impressions to pursue a solo career.








1970:  Jimi Hendrix was laid to rest at the Greenwood Cemetery in Seattle, Washington.  Eric Burdon, Johnny Winter, Miles Davis and members of Derek & the Dominoes were on hand.
1972:  The Eagles were in concert at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa for their first tour.
1973:  Pink Floyd began recording the album Wish You Were Here at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London.

1974:  Harry Chapin released one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*--"Cat's In The Cradle".
1975:  Al Jackson, drummer of Booker T. & the MG's, was shot and killed by an intruder in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 39.









1977:  Elton John became the first rock artist to be inducted to the Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame in New York City.  EJ holds the all-time record with 62 performances at the Garden.
1977:  Carly Simon held on to #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Nobody Does It Better".
1977:  "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees rose from 83 to 49.

1977:  Meco flew up from #8 to #1 with "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band".  K.C. and the Sunshine Band were next with "Keep It Comin' Love", amazingly jumping over Fleetwood Mac and "Don't Stop".  The Emotions' former #1 "Best Of My Love" was fourth followed by "Strawberry Letter 23" from the Brothers Johnson.  The rest of the Top 10:  Carly Simon scored her fourth Top 10 song and 12th hit with "Nobody Does It Better", ELO was on hold with "Telephone Line", Shaun Cassidy had #8--"That's Rock 'N' Roll", Foreigner's second hit "Cold As Ice" was #9 and Andy Gibb's former #1 "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" closed out the list.
1977:  Barry White rose to #1 on the R&B chart with the great song "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me".
1977:  Rumours by Fleetwood Mac spent a 21st week at #1 on the Album chart.  Of course, they had set a Rock Era record when they got to 19.  

1979:  Donna Summer released the single "Dim All The Lights".

1979:  Styx released the single "Babe".  (Note:  some websites report the release as October 9--this is physically impossible as the song debuted on the chart on October 6.)
1980:  Paul Simon's semi-autobiographical movie One Trick Pony premiered in New York City.
1983:  Robert Plant concluded a solo tour at the PNE Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

1983:  ABBA was honored with a postage stamp released in their native Sweden.









                         Def Leppard with their first Top 10 album...


1983:  The Police topped the Album chart for the tenth week with Synchronicity.  Thriller by Michael Jackson had 20 weeks at #1 and needed 11 more to tie Fleetwood Mac's Rumours.  It would get them.  The Soundtrack to "Flashdance" was a distant third, followed by Pyromania from Def Leppard and An Innocent Man from Billy Joel.  The rest of the Top 10:  Asia had Alpha at #6, Metal Health by Quiet Riot was #7, Bonnie Tyler shot up from 17 to 8 with Faster Than the Speed of Night, the Fixx and Reach the Beach and Robert Plant's solo album The Principle of Moments was #10. 




 
1983:  Journey had one of the biggest movers of the week as "Send Her My Love" was up 20 to #67.

1983:  Bonnie Tyler reached #1 with the biggest hit of her career--"Total Eclipse Of The Heart".  Billy Joel relinquished the spot with "Tell Her About It".  Men Without Hats had one of the top #3 songs of the Rock Era--"The Safety Dance".  Air Supply's 10th career hit "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All" was #4 with the Stray Cats moving up with "(She's) Sexy + 17".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Police with "King Of Pain", Spandau Ballet moved from 13-7 with their only Top 10 song "True", Michael Sembello's former #1 "Maniac", Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton had a huge hit with "Islands In The Stream", which moved from 17 to 9 and Sylvester Stallone's brother Frank made the Top 10 with "Far From Over".
1985:  R.E.M. performed at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, Holland.
1987:  Def Leppard played at the Glens Falls Civic Center in Glens Falls, New York.
1988:  Bon Jovi led the way on the U.K. Album chart with New Jersey.
1988:  Rick Astley was on top of the Adult Contemporary chart with "It Would Take a Strong Strong Man".
1988:  Anita Baker moved from 85 to 61 with "Giving You The Best That I Got".




                      One of the Top 100 albums of the Rock Era*...

1988:  Guns N' Roses had been upstaged by Def Leppard's Hysteria, but for now it spent a third week at #1.  Tracy Chapman was third followed by the Soundtrack to "Cocktail".  The rest of the Top 10:  Roll With It from Steve Winwood, He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper from D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, George Michael's Faith was #7, Bobby McFerrin rode to #8 with Simple Pleasures, the great album Kick by INXS reached the Top 10 and Van Halen fell with OU812.





1990:  Stevie B. released the single "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)".  (Note:  some naive websites claim the single was released October 6.  "Because I Love You" debuted on the Singles chart on October 6.  It is physically impossible for a record company to mail singles to radio stations, be received by the radio stations, listened to and added to radio station playlists, reported to trade papers, and printed and published by the trade papers, all on the same day.)

1990:  Wilson Phillips were on a roll and on this date, they released the single "Impulsive".











1990:  Bette Midler released her single "From A Distance".
1993:  Wilson Pickett was sentenced to a year in jail after the car he was driving hit an 86 year-old man.  Pickett had been drinking.








1994:  The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center was dedicated at California State University-Long Beach.
1994:  Eric Clapton became the latest artist to debut at #1 in the all-too-easy 1990's--From the Cradle was the #1 album followed by II by Boyz II Men, which had also debuted at #1.  Anita Baker debuted at #3 with Rhythm of Love.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Soundtrack to "The Lion King", Dookie from Green Day, the Soundtrack to "Forrest Gump", Smash by Offspring at #7, the great Sheryl Crow album Tuesday Night Music Club, Purple from Stone Temple Pilots at #9 and Candlebox at #10.



  
                 The immensely talented Sheryl Crow...

1994:  For the sixth week, Boyz II Men owned the #1 song with "I'll Make Love To You".  Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey's remake of "Endless Love" was second but Sheryl Crow moved from 7 to 3 with "All I Wanna' Do". 
1995:  John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, the Dave Matthews Band and Hootie and the Blowfish performed at the Farm Aid concert in Louisville, Kentucky, raising nearly $1 million for needy farmers in the United States.






1996:  Agnetha Faltskog of ABBA published her autobiography As I Am.  (Note:  several websites are confused as to the exact publication date.  Some say it was published September 23, while others say it was published October 16.  It was published in 1996 in Sweden, with the English translation published October 1, 1997 in the U.K. by Virgin Books, according to 'Amazon.com'.)





1998:  John Fogerty was awarded with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2000:  INXS, Men at Work and John Paul Young performed at the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
2000:  Madonna had the top album with Music.
2003:  The Offspring announced that Atom Willard would be their new drummer.  (Note:  several websites report the date of the announcement as October 2 or later, but according to the band's official website, the date of the announcement was October 1.  Willard announced he was leaving his previous group, Rocket from the Crypt, on October 4.)
2004:  The street "AC/DC Lane" was opened in Melbourne, Australia by the Lord Mayor.
2004:  John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. launched the Vote for Change tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Dave Matthews Band performed in State College, Pennsylvania and the Dixie Chicks appeared in Pittsburgh.

2004:  Bruce Palmer of Buffalo Springfield died of a heart attack in Belleville, Ontario, Canada at the age of 58.
2006:  George Michael was arrested for possession of drugs in London.
2007:  The reunion concert of the Spice Girls in London sold out in 38 seconds.
2008:  Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio ("Tom Dooley") died of acute respiratory disease in San Diego, California at the age of 75.
2011:  Burton Cummings, keyboardist and lead singer of the Guess Who, was inducted into the Canada Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.


Born This Day:
1913:  Charles Randolph Grean, performer ("Quentin's Theme"), member of several bands including the Glen Miller Band, and producer of many artists including Eddy Arnold, was born in New York City; died of natural causes on December 20, 2003.

1924:  Roger Williams (real name Louis Weertz), great songwriter and pianist ("Autumn Leaves" from 1955) was born in Omaha, Nebraska; died of cancer October 8, 2011.









1930:  Richard Harris ("MacArthur Park") was born in Limerick, Ireland; died of Hodgkin's Lymphoma on October 25, 2002.









1935:  Julie Andrews was born in Walton-on-Thames, England.
1942:  Herb Fame of Peaches & Herb ("Reunited" from 1979) was born in Washington, D.C.
1943:  Jerry Martini, saxophonist of Sly & the Family Stone, was born in Boulder, Colorado.
1944:  Barbara Parritt of the Toys ("A Lover's Concerto") was born in Wilmington, North Carolina.

1945:  Donny Hathaway, who teamed up with Roberta Flack for several duets including "The Closer I Get To You", was born in Chicago, Illinois; died January 13, 1979, an apparent suicide.
1947:  Martin Turner, bass guitarist for Wishbone Ash, was born in Torquay, England.
1947:  Mariska Veres, singer of the Shocking Blue ("Venus" from 1970) was born in The Hague, Netherlands; died of cancer December 2, 2006.
1948:  Cub Koda of Brownsville Station was born in Detroit, Michigan; died July 1, 2000 recovering from kidney disease.



1955:  Howard Hewett of Shalamar was born in Akron, Ohio.
1958:  Martin Cooper of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, ("If You Leave") was born in Liverpool, England.
1959:  Youssou N'dour, singer and percussionist who worked with Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Peter Gabriel and Wyclef Jean, was born in Dakar, Senegal.
1968:  Kevin Griffin, founding member, singer/songwriter, guitarist and producer of Better Than Ezra, was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
1974:  Keith Duffy, singer and drummer of Boyzone, was born in Dublin, Ireland.

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "Mother's Pride" by George Michael

One of the best songs you may not be aware of is this one from George Michael's masterpiece Listen Without Prejudice.  The song did extremely well where played and was played often during the Gulf War.  Absolutely brilliant lyrics on "Mother's Pride".

"Mother's Pride"

by George Michael

Words and Music by George Michael




Oh she knows
She takes his hand
And prays the child will understand
At the door they watch the men go by
In the clothes that daddy wore
Mothers pride
Baby boy
His father's eyes
He's a soldier waiting for war
Time will come
He'll hold a gun
His father's son

And as he grows
He hears the band
Takes the step from boy to man
And at the shore she waves her son goodbye
Like the man she did before

Mothers pride
Just a boy
His country's eyes
He's a soldier waving at the shore
And in her heart the time has come
To lose a son

And all the husbands, all the sons, all the lovers gone
They make no difference
No difference in the end
Still hear the woman say your daddy died a hero
In the name of god and man

Mothers pride
Crazy boy
His lifeless eyes
He's a soldier now forevermore
He'll hold a gun till kingdom come

New Featured Unknown/Underrated Song--"Cruisin'" by Michael Nesmith

Michael Nesmith was the only member of the Monkees to achieve success after the group split.  This is taken from the 1979 album Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma.  It didn't even chart, but it made the Top 10 for those stations that did play it, proving it to be one of The Most Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

Lucy and Ramona cruisin' thru the jungles of L.A.

Hopin' to promote a dream somewhere along the way.

(They're) Rollin' thru the streets looking for a disco,

Passin' up the treats from a kid named Cisco

Trying to make connections

With their blemish-free complexions.

And just as fate would have it,

They ended up with Sunset Sam.

Sam was sellin' watches from a suitcase on a TV tray,

And Lucy and Ramona were tryin' to figure out if he was gay.

The three of them were standing staring at each other,

When the light behind their eyes blew each other's cover.

The ancient code was branded.

And each of them was handed

A ticket to their kingdom

'Cause they saw their brother Sunset Sam.

Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam

People on the streets tryin' to find a plan

People on the streets lookin' for the land

Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam

Lucy was from Compton and she met Ramona at a zoo.

Ramona was from Brooklyn, but she left when she was twenty-two.

Sam was a native of the Arizona desert

But he split when he was slated for some governmental make-work.

Their differences subsided when the common bond was sighted:

They were all from the same place

That made the famous Sunset Sam.

Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam

People on the streets tryin' to find a plan

People on the streets lookin' for the land

Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam

(Yes it is) Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam

People on the streets tryin' to find a plan

People on the streets just lookin' for the land

Lucy and Ramona and their brother Sunset Sam

This Date in Rock Music History: September 30

1961:  After hearing 20-year-old Bob Dylan play harmonica in the studio for Carolyn Hester, producer John Hammond signed Dylan to a recording contract with Columbia Records and scheduled a recording session in October.

1963:  Sid Bernstein contacted Beatles manager Brian Epstein to inquire about arranging a U.S. tour for the group, which eventually led to Bernstein promoting the famous Beatles concert at Shea Stadium in New York City.
1964:  The Who were in concert at the Town Hall in Greenwich, Southeast London.
1965:  Donovan made his U.S. television debut on the television show Shindig!, joined by the Hollies, the Turtles and Lesley Gore.  Some sources also claim that the Dave Clark Five was on the show, but this is disputed.
1967:  Paul McCartney and John Lennon appeared on The David Frost Show.
1967:  "Funky Broadway" by Wilson Pickett set the pace on the R&B chart.

1967:  Frank Sinatra remained at #1 on the Easy Listening chart for the fifth week with "The World We Knew (Over And Over)".
1968:  Hunter Davies published The Beatles, the only authorized biography of the group.








 
1968:  The Supremes released the single "Love Child".

1968:  Cream released the single "White Room".  (Note:  one naive website reports that "White Room" entered the 'Billboard Hot 100' on September 29.  According to 'Billboard, 'White Room" debuted on October 5.)

1969:  The album Crosby, Stills & Nash went Gold.
1969:  David Crosby's girlfriend Christine Gail Hinton was killed in a head-on automobile accident north of San Francisco, California.








1972:  The album Chicago V had been out nine weeks with six of those at #1.  Never a Dull Moment by Rod Stewart was second followed by Big Bambu from Cheech & Chong.  Leon Russell's Carney and Moods by Neil Diamond remained at 4 and 5, respectively.  The rest of the Top 10:  Trilogy from Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Three Dog Night was next with Seven Separate Fools, Elton John edged up to 8 with Honky Chateau, Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles!  Live!  was #9 and Gilbert O'Sullivan-Himself took #10.
1972:  Mac Davis spent a third week at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Baby, Don't Get Hooked On Me".





        
                                      Ode to New York City from 1972...

1972:  There was no doubt that Cashman & West had a hot song, moving from 90 to 63 with "American City Suite".









       
                       The Main Ingredient had a smash hit...

1972:  "Baby, Don't Get Hooked On Me" by Mac Davis continued as the #1 song with Three Dog Night's "Black & White" and Chicago's "Saturday In The Park" behind.  The O'Jays were persistent with "Back Stabbers" while Michael Jackson hit #5 with "Ben".  The Main Ingredient's great song "Everybody Plays The Fool" was #6.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Raspberries moved to 7 with "Go All The Way", Bill Withers climbed into the list with "Use Me", Elvis Presley achieved his 38th and final Top 10 with "Burning Love" and Hot Butter were up to 10 with "Popcorn".
1977:  Foghat played a charity concert to raise money for the New York City Public Library to buy a collection of rare blues records.
1977:  Mary Ford, who had a string of hits with husband Les Paul, including "Hummingbird" in 1955, died of cancer after being in a diabetic coma for 54 days at the age of 53 in Arcadia, California.
1978:  Sonny Bono appeared on the popular ABC-TV series The Love Boat.
1978:  Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta had the #1 song in the U.K. with "Summer Nights".
1978:  Funkadelic moved into the #1 slot on the R&B chart with "One Nation Under A Groove".
1978:  Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down The Line" returned to #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
1978:  Foreigner moved from 67 to 38 with "Double Vision".

1978:  The classic "Kiss You All Over" by Exile moved to #1, tapping "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey on the shoulder to move.  Olivia Newton-John remained in the third position with "Hopelessly Devoted To You" and it had been six weeks since the Commodores were at #1 with "Three Times A Lady" but they were still at #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Summer Nights" by Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta, Boston's "Don't Look Back", Nick Gilder edged up with "Hot Child In The City", the Little River Band was up to 8 with "Reminiscing", John Paul Young reached the Top 10 with "Love Is In The Air" and Andy Gibb closed out the list with "An Everlasting Love".  

1987:  Roy Orbison filmed his upcoming cable television special A Black & White Night with Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello and Tom Waits at Coconut Grove in Los Angeles.

1988:  John Lennon received a star posthumously on the Hollywood Walk of Fame near 1750 Vine Street with hundreds of fans lining the streets, hanging from office windows and singing "Give Peace A Chance".
1989:  The Rolling Stones filmed the video for "Rock And A Hard Place" at Foxboro-Sullivan Stadium just outside of Boston, Massachusetts.

1989:  Neil Young amazed a national television audience with his performance of "Rockin' In The Free World" on Saturday Night Live.  The song was later selected as one of the best musical performances of all-time on Saturday Night Live on the show's 25th anniversary in 1999. 
1989:  Tina Turner was on top of the U.K. Album chart with Foreign Affair.
1989:  Cher topped the Adult Contemporary chart with "If I Could Turn Back Time".
1993:  Kate Pierson of the B-52's was arrested for her part in a sit-in at the offices of Vogue magazine in New York City.  Pierson was protesting the use of fur in ads and clothing.
1993:  David Crosby and George Harrison were on the season premiere of The Simpsons.
1994:  Michael Stipe from R.E.M. inked a movie deal with New Line Cinema.
1995:  "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey was the new #1 R&B song.
1995:  Cracked Rear View by Hootie & the Blowfish returned to #1 on the Album chart for the fifth time (and eighth week total), believed to be the only time in the Rock Era that this feat has occurred.

1997:  Bob Dylan released the album Time Out of Mind on Columbia Records.
1997:  The Rolling Stones released the album Bridges To Babylon in the United States.
1998:  Jonny Lang, Slash of Guns N' Roses, Joey Ramone and Rick Nielson of Cheap Trick auditioned to be lead guitarist for the band in The Drew Carey Show.









2003:  Sting released the album Sacred Love.  (Note:  some websites report the album was released on September 29.  According to 'Billboard' magazine, the album was released September 30.)
2003:  Elton John auctioned off items from his London home (including an oil painting and a 19th-century portrait of Lieutenant George Dyer) at Sotheby's in London, with proceeds to benefit an AIDS charity.  
2003:  In today's Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music feature, rapper C-Murder was found guilty of second degree murder after a nightclub shooting of sixteen-year-old Steve Thomas and was sentenced to life behind bars.  Next.
2004:  Ciara had the #1 song with "Goodies".
2006:  Isaac Hanson of the group Hanson married Nicole Dufresne in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
2007:  The Foo Fighters owned the top album in the U.K.--Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.
2009:  Wanda Jackson ("In The Middle Of A Heartache" from 1961) was honored with a street ("Wanda Jackson Way") dedicated to her by the City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

2011:  Marv Tarplin, guitarist and songwriter of the Miracles, having won the BMI Songwriter's Award and the ASCAP Award of Merit for writing many of the group's biggest hits, died at age 70 in Las Vegas, Nevada.





Born This Day:
1933:  Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney, member of the Sweet Inspirations, the Drinkard Singers (with niece Dionne Warwick), and a backup singer with Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan, was born in Newark, New Jersey.

1935:  Johnny Mathis was born in Gilmer, Texas.











1940:  Dewey Martin, drummer with Buffalo Springfield, was born in Chesterville, Ontario, Canada; found dead at his home in Van Nuys, California, believed to have passed away of natural causes on January 31, 2009. 








1942:  Frankie Lymon was born in Manhattan, New York; died February 27, 1968 from heroin.  (Note:  some websites state Lymon was born in Harlem, New York.  Harlem is a neighborhood within the borough of Manhattan, not its own city, and you will never see Harlem listed as the City of Birth on Lymon's official birth certificate.  Some sources say Lymon died in Washington Heights, New York.  Again, Washington Heights is not a city but a neighborhood, and will never be listed as the City of Death on an official birth certificate.)








1942:  Gus Dudgeon, sound engineer with Bruce Channel, the Zombies ("She's Not There") and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and who was Elton John's main producer from 1969-1976 who also produced many other artists including the Beach Boys and Chris Rea, was born in Woking, Surrey, England; died July 21, 2002 in a car accident in Berkshire, England that also claimed the life of his wife.

1943:  Marilyn McCoo of the 5th Dimension and later part of a duo with her husband Billy Davis, Jr., was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
1946:  Sylvia Peterson of the Chiffons was born in the Bronx, New York.
1946:  Moses Dillard, session guitarist for Al Green and James & Bobby Purify among others, was born in Greenville, South Carolina.
1947:  Marc Bolan, outrageous lead singer of T. Rex, was born in Hackney, Middlesex, England; died September 16, 1977 in a car accident in London.
1952:  John Lombardo, founding member and chief songwriter of 10,000 Maniacs, was born in Jamestown, New York.
1954:  Patrice Rushen ("Forget Me Nots") was born in Los Angeles, California.

1959:  Basia ("Time And Tide") was born in Jaworzno, Poland.
1964:  Elite guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish was born in Fort Worth, Texas.
1984:  Keisha Buchanan of the Sugababes was born in Kingsbury, London, England.
1964:  Robby Takac, founding member and bassist of the Goo Goo Dolls, was born in Buffalo, New York.
1985:  T-Pain (Faheem Majm) was born in Tallahassee, Florida.  (Note:  some websites claim he was born June 30, but according to 'Spin" magazine, he was born September 30.)