Happy New Year! This Date in Rock Music History: January 1

1955:  Elvis Presley performed at Eagles Hall in Houston, Texas.

1956:  "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & the Comets returned to #1 in the U.K.
1957:  Love the title--A new rock & roll show, Cool for Cats, premiered on BBC television in the U.K.
1959:  Elvis Presley wrecked his BMW while driving on the Autobahn in Germany.
1962:  The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records, playing 15 songs for the A&R man.  He declined to sign them, opting instead to sign the Tremeloes.  Bad career move for the A&R man.



1964:  The Beach Boys recorded "Fun Fun Fun" at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, California.
1964:  The first Top of the Pops show aired on BBC television in the U.K. from an old church hall in Manchester, England.  DJ Jimmy Saville introduced the show, featuring the Dave Clark Five ("Glad All Over") the Rolling Stones ("I Wanna' Be Your Man") and the Hollies ("Stay").  The first song played was "I Only Want To Be With You" by Dusty Springfield.  Other groups featured on film were the Beatles ("I Want To Hold Your Hand"), Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Gene Pitney and Freddie & the Dreamers.  
1965:  The Yardbirds, featuring a young guitarist named Eric Clapton, were in concert for two shows at the Odeon Cinema in Hammersmith, London.
1965:  James Brown logged a sixth week at #1 on the R&B chart with "I Got You (I Feel Good)".
1966:  Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass was #1 on the Album chart for a sixth week.  The album had already been on the chart for 34 weeks, quite a bit back then.  Again, you want to look at achievements within context and the fact that it dominated for that time is impressive.  In fact, the group was second only to the Beatles for album sales in the 1960's.

1966:  Simon & Garfunkel's breakthrough song "The Sound Of Silence" became their first #1.  Look out from behind, though, as the Beatles jumped from 11 to 2 in only their third week with "We Can Work It Out".
1966:  Ricky Nelson filmed the final episode of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet.







1967:  Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis & the Playboys and Jerry's son, was drafted into the United States Army.
1967:  The Grateful Dead and Big Brother & the Holding Company performed at the New Year's Wail/Whale in Panhandle Park in San Francisco, California.
1967:  The Doors made their television debut on KTLA-TV Channel 5 in Los Angeles, performing "Break On Through".

1967:  Sonny and Cher were barred from the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, because they supported the people who rioted on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.

1968:  For the first time in history, LP sales outpaced sales of singles with 192 million units sold.
1971:  To celebrate the Beatles' ten years in the music business, Radio Luxembourg played seven continuous hours of Beatles music.
1972:  Three Dog Night became the first rock band to be included in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

"Rock and Roll" from 'Led Zeppelin IV'...

1972:  Stanley, Idaho's Carole King made it two straight #1 albums in a row as she followed up the epic Tapestry with Music.  Led Zeppelin IV was second with Cat Stevens moving up to #3 with Teaser and the Firecat.  Chicago At Carnegie Hall edged up and Grand Funk Railroad reached #5 with E Pluribus Funk.  The rest of the Top 10:  The previous #1 There's a Riot Goin' On from Sly & the Family Stone, Don McLean at #7 with American Pie, Santana III was eighth, Tapestry from King was #9 after 39 weeks and All In the Family from the landmark television show of the same name was #10.
1972:  Three Dog Night started the New Year with the new Adult #1--"An Old Fashioned Love Song".
1972:  With one smash hit at the top, Three Dog Night continued the momentum, as "Never Been tT Spain" moved from #81 to #43 in its second week on the chart.




                                                 Jonathan Edwards with "Sunshine"...

1972:  Melanie continued to have the right formula with "Brand New Key" at #1.  Don McLean closed to #2 with "American Pie" while Sly & the Family Stone's former #1 "Family Affair" and "An Old Fashioned Love Song" by Three Dog Night trailed.  The rest of the Top 10:  Michael Jackson and "Got To Be There", the Chi-Lites remained in the #6 spot with "Have You Seen Her", Dennis Coffey & the Detroit Guitar Band reached #7 with "Scorpio", Jonathan Edwards moved to #8 with "Sunshine", David Cassidy's remake of "Cherish" was #9 and fellow teen idol Donny Osmond was at #10 with "Hey Girl/I Knew You When".  
1976:  Robert Plant, lead singer of Led Zeppelin, walked for the first time without assistance after his August, 1975 crash in Greece.






1977:  The Roxy reopened as a punk club in London with the Clash performing.
1977:  Genesis performed at the newly renovated Rainbow Theatre in London.
1977:  Wings flew over the U.K. chart with "Mull Of Kintyre", a song that would go on to be #1 for nine weeks.







1978:  The Little River Band released the single "Lady".
1979:  Bruce Springsteen's cheek was ripped open when some dunce in the crowd in Richfield, Ohio threw a lighted firecracker on stage.
1980:  Rush released their seventh studio album--Permanent Waves.








1980:  Cliff Richard became the third rock act (following the Beatles and Elton John) to receive an MBE from the Queen of England.








1982:  ABBA, who did a grand total of one tour in North America, performed for the final time in Stockholm, Sweden.









1984:  Alexis Korner, whose band Blues Incorporated was a linchpin in the British Rock Family Tree, as chronicled on Inside the Rock Era, died from lung cancer in London at the age of 55.  Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Jack Bruce and Manfred Mann are just a few of the musicians who played with Korner in Blues Incorporated.
1985:  Kylie Minogue appeared on television in the premiere of the Australian soap opera The Henderson Kids.  (Note:  some websites insist Minogue appeared on the show in 1989.  'The Henderson Kids' only ran two seasons, 1985 and 1986.)
1985:  Although they have since strayed far, far, far away, VH-1 premiered as an adult contemporary video channel.












1987:  The Cutting Crew released the single "(I Just) Died in Your Arms".
1988:  Prince played a charity concert after midnight in aid of the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless at his Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
1990:  In one of the shrewder moves of the Rock Era, Polygram purchased the rights to the ABBA catalog.









1991:  Buck Ram, songwriter ("Only You" for the Platters) and producer for both the Platters and Penguins, died at the age of 73 in Las Vegas, Nevada.







1994:  One of Mariah Carey's last great songs, "Hero", was #1 for a second week while former #1 "Again" by Janet Jackson was second.  Ace of Base remained third with "All That She Wants" while the new collaboration between Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams & Sting--"All For Love" moved to #4.  Meat Loaf was still at #5 with "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" and Toni Braxton climbed up to 6 with "Breathe Again".  Another good song in the Top 10 was Michael Bolton's "Said I Loved You...But I Lied".
2002:  After messing up "friend" George Harrison's marriage and then dumping Harrison's wife, Eric Clapton married 25-year-old Melia McEnery in a secret ceremony at the 15th Century St. Mary Magdalene Church in Ripley, Surrey, England.
2002:  Gavin Rossdale of Bush proposed to Gwen Stefani of No Doubt.  Apparently, no doubt that she would say "Yes".


2002:  Alicia Keys captured five Grammy Awards for her amazing album Songs in A Minor.
2002:  Dido's Life for Rent finished 2001 as the top-selling album in the U.K.
2011:  Chuck Berry collapsed on stage at Congress Theater in Chicago, Illinois.  He was helped off stage, only to return 15 minutes later.  Berry was then forced off almost immediately.  The 84 year-old then re-emerged to tell fans he wasn't able to continue.

2013:  Patti Page ("Tennessee Waltz") died in Encinitas, California at the age of 85.


Born This Day:

1942:  Country Joe McDonald was born in Washington, D.C.  (Note:  several websites, including some prominent music ones, incorrectly say that Country Joe was born in El Monte, California.  According to the official website for Joe, he was born in Washington, D.C., then moved with his family to El Monte.)
1942:  Billy Francis (William Francis Jr.), keyboardist with Dr. Hook, was born in Ocean Springs, Mississippi; died May 23, 2010 in Seymour, Missouri.
1946:  Boz Burrell of Bad Company was born in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, England; died September 21, 2006 of a heart attack at his home in Spain.  (Note:  'Allmusic.com' reports that Burrell was born August 1; that is in conflict with two respected newspapers--'The Los Angeles Times' and 'The Independent', which both say that Boz was born January 1.)
1950:  Morgan Fisher, keyboardist of Mott the Hoople and later a producer, was born in Mayfair, London.
1952:  Andy Johns, noted producer and engineer, who worked with the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, the Steve Miller Band, Jethro Tull, Free, Cinderella, Ten Years After, Humble Pie and Joe Satriani, was born in Leatherhead, Surrey, England; died April 7, 2013 at the age of 71 in Los Angeles from complications of a stomach ulcer.  (Note:  some websites claim Johns was born in Epsom, Surrey, England, but 'The New York Times" reported that he was born in Leatherhead.)
1958:  Michael Penn, singer/songwriter ("No Myth") and brother of Sean, was born in New York City.
1958:  Joseph Saddler (Grandmaster Flash) was born in Bridgetown, West Indies

This Date in Rock Music History: December 31

1955:  It's unusual for an artist's debut single to be a Christmas song, but on this date, a new group appeared on the chart for the first time with their version of "White Christmas", the first single for the Drifters.

1956:  Elvis Presley promoted Wink Martindale's upcoming charity concert on Wink's local television special in Memphis, Tennessee.
1961:  The Pendletons played under their their now more familiar name of the Beach Boys for the first time at a memorial concert for Ritchie Valens in Long Beach, California.

1961:  Janis Joplin performed for the first time at the Halfway House in Beaumont, Texas.
1962:  John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas married.
1966:  "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra was the new #1 song on the Easy Listening chart.
1966:  Petula Clark had one of the hottest songs out as "Color My World" jumped from 69 to 38.







1966:  The Monkees took the Neil Diamond song "I'm a Believer" to #1 in just their fourth week on the chart.  "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" moved from 7-2 in its third week.  That meant an end to the #1 reign of "Winchester Cathedral" by the New Vaudeville Band while Frank Sinatra placed "That's Life" one spot ahead of daughter Nancy's "Sugar Town".  The rest of the Top 10:  The #2 smash "Mellow Yellow" from Donovan, Aaron Neville jumped from 14 to 7 with "Tell It Like It Is", the Temptations were at #8 with "(I Know) I'm Losing You", Stevie Wonder and "A Place In The Sun" while Boise, Idaho's Paul Revere & the Raiders moved from 27 to 10 with "Good Thing".
1967:  Bert Berns, songwriter ("Twist And Shout" for the Beatles, "Hang On Sloopy" for the McCoys, "Piece Of My Heart" for Big Brother & the Holding Company), producer (Drifters ("Under The Boardwalk"), owner of Bang Records (which included Neil Diamond early in his career) and Shout Records, who helped convince Van Morrison to go solo, died of a heart attack in New York City at age 38.
1968:  Vanilla Fudge and the new group Led Zeppelin combined for a New Year's Eve show in Portland, Oregon.

1969:  The BBC in the U.K. named John Lennon the Man of the Decade.









1971:  David Clayton-Thomas, lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears, performed with the group for the last time until their brief reunion four years later.  (Note:  some websites claim that this concert was on December 27--according to the newspaper 'Independent Press-Telegram', the show was on New Year's Eve, December 31.)
1972:  The first Rockin' New Year's Eve was televised on ABC with Dick Clark.  The guests were Three Dog Night, Al Green and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
1973:  Having only recorded three songs for an album using only household objects, the creativity ended and Pink Floyd decided to record Wish You Were Here with traditional instruments.

1975:  Elvis Presley set a world record by earning $800,000 for his concert at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, that drew over 60,000 fans.
1976:  The Cars performed for the first time at Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
1977:  Earth, Wind & Fire controlled the R&B chart for a seventh week with "Serpentine Fire".
1977:  The Bee Gees held on to #1 on the Adult chart with "How Deep Is Your Love" for the sixth straight week.

1978:  In Europe, they hold on to tradition and preserve their heritage.  In the U.S., the tradition is gone forever.  On this date the famous Winterland Theater in San Francisco closed following a farewell show by the Grateful Dead and the Blues Brothers.
1979:  Jefferson Starship did a show at the X nightclub in San Francisco, California that was broadcast worldwide on radio.
1982:  Steve Van Zandt of the E Street Band married Maureen Santora in New York City.  Bruce Springsteen was the best man.  But wait, there's more...Little Richard, who presided over the ceremony, sang a duet with Percy Slege on "When A Man Loves a Woman" at the reception. 

1982:  Max's Kansas City club in New York City, whose performers included Bruce Springsteen and Devo, shut its doors.

1984:  Rick Allen, drummer of Def Leppard, lost his left arm in a tragic car accident near Sheffield, England.  His seat belt became undone, and his arm was severed as he was sent through the sunroof.  Doctors were able to reattach the arm at first, but it had to be amputated.  Rick bravely soldiered on, and through a specially constructed drum set, was able to play drums within three months of the accident.  Allen continues as drummer of the group to this day. 

1985:  Rick Nelson and six others died in an airplane crash near DeKalb, Texas on their way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas.
1991:  Guns N' Roses performed at a New Year's Eve show at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida.
1993:  Barbra Streisand performed her first paid concert in 22 years at the MGM in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1994:  TLC owned the #1 R&B song for a fourth week with "Creep".






1994:  Boyz II Men returned to #1 for a third week with "On Bended Knee".  With their smash "I'll Make Love To You" earlier in the year, that gave the group 17 weeks at #1 for the year.

1996:  Paul McCartney was named on the New Year's Eve Honours List of Queen Elizabeth II to be knighted.   McCartney became Sir Paul on March 11 of 1997.  (Note:  many websites make the mistake of reporting that McCartney was knighted on this date--as mentioned above, it was announced on this date that McCartney would be knighted; the ceremony took place March 11.)

1997:  Floyd Cramer ("Last Date") died of lung cancer in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 64.

2002:  In today's episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, 50 Cent was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
2002:  Kevin MacMichael, guitarist with Cutting Crew "(I Just) Died In Your Arms"), died at age 51 of lung cancer in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
2003:  The Strokes and Kings of Leon played a New Year's Eve show at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2003:  Elton John, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Kiss performed on Dick Clark's 32nd annual New Year's Rockin' Eve.  Newlyweds Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey helped Clark count down to the New Year in New York City's Time Square.
2003:  Natalie Imbruglia ("Torn") married Daniel Johns of Silverchair at Thala Beach Lodge in Queensland, Australia.
2003:  Ray Davies of the Kinks and Eric Clapton were made Commanders of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II of England.
2003:  OutKast had the #1 album with Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

2007:  Roger Daltrey, lead singer of the Who, received the honor of Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music and charity work.
2009:  Famed composer Burt Bacharach underwent back surgery in Los Angeles.

Born This Day:
1920:  Rex Allen ("Don't Go Near The Indians" from 1962) was born in Wilcox, Arizona; died December 17, 1999 in Tucson, Arizona, when he suffered a massive coronary and collapsed in his driveway.  Allen sustained additional injuries when his caretaker accidentally ran over him.

1942:  Andy Summers, guitarist of the Police and solo artist, was born in Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire, England.

1943:  John Denver (real name Henry John Deutschendorf) was born in Roswell, New Mexico; died October 12, 1997 when his light plane he was flying crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Monterey, California.
1943:  Pete Quaife, founding member and bassist of the Kinks, was born in Tavistock, Devon, England; died June 10, 2010 from kidney failure in Copenhagen, Denmark.








1947:  Burton Cummings, lead singer, keyboardist and songwriter of the Guess Who and a solo artist ("Stand Tall" from 1976) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.








1948:  Donna Summer (real name LaDonna Adriene Gaines) was born in Boston, Massachusetts; died of lung cancer May 17, 2012 in Naples, Florida.
1951:  Tom Hamilton, bassist of Aerosmith, was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
1951:  Fermin Goytisolo, percussionist with K.C. and the Sunshine Band, was born in Havana, Cuba.
1959:  Paul Westerberg, songwriter, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Replacements, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
1963:  Scott Ian Rosenfeld, rhythm guitarist and the only remaining founding member of Anthrax, was born in Queens, New York.
1972:  Joe McIntyre of New Kids on the Block was born in Needham, Massachusetts.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 30

1957:  Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" finished the year as the #1 R&B song, where it had been for six weeks.  

1957:  The top album was Elvis' Christmas Album, which many radio stations banned from airplay because they didn't think a rock and roll artist should play Christmas music.

1961:  The Marvelettes registered a seventh week at #1 on the R&B chart with "Please Mr. Postman".
1961:  "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean continued to dominate the Easy Listening chart for a 10th consecutive week.











1962:  The Chiffons released the single "He's So Fine".  (Note:  some websites report the date of release as February 18, 1963.  According to the book 'The Beatles Encyclopedia:  Everything Fab Four' by Kenneth Womack, the song was released in December, 1962.
1962:  Bob Dylan filmed "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Ballad Of The Gilding Swan" for the BBC television play Madhouse on Castle Street.
1962:  Brenda Lee's home in Brentwood, Tennessee was completely destroyed by fire.
1965:  The Who, the Hollies, the Kinks, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Manfred Mann, and Georgie Fame performed on the popular television show Shindig!

                "A Day in the Life" from 'Sgt. Pepper's'...

1967:  The Monkees album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. had been #1 but it was the Beatles' new album Magical Mystery Tour that was making all the noise, rising from #157 to #4 (no typo).  In between, Diana Ross and the Supremes Greatest Hits was still #2 while Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles remained third.  The Rolling Stones bounced from 29 to 5 in their second week with Their Satanic Majesties Request.  The rest of the Top 10:  Two more soundtracks, "Doctor Zhivago" at #6 and "The Sound of Music" at #7 after 146 weeks, Farewell to the First Golden Era by the Mamas & Papas, the Doors slipped to #9 with Strange Days and Dionne Warwick's Golden Hits, Part One was in the #10 position.




1967:  Eric Burdon & the Animals had one of the hottest songs as "Monterey" moved from 64 to 32.














1967:  The #1 Instrumental of the Rock Era*--"Love Is Blue" was released as a single by Paul Mauriat.











1967:  The Beatles had their 51st hit, 25th Top 10 song in four years and 15th #1 with "Hello Goodbye".  Gladys Knight & the Pips couldn't advance with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" while the Monkees were finally topped with "Daydream Believer".  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles remained fourth with "I Second That Emotion" and Gary Puckett from Twin Falls, Idaho & The Union Gap were at #5 with "Woman, Woman".  The rest of the Top 10:  John Fred & His Playboy Band moved from 11-6 with "Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)", Aretha Franklin raced up to #7 with "Chain Of Fools", newcomers the American Breed entered the Top 10 with "Bend Me, Shape Me", the Fantastic Johnny dropped with "Boogaloo Down Broadway" and Joe Tex moved from 15 to 10 with "Skinny Legs And All".
1968:  Led Zeppelin performed at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, opening for Vanilla Fudge.

1968:  The Turtles released the single "You Showed Me".
1968:  During the filming of the Monkees television special 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, Peter Tork made it clear that he was leaving the group.  Tork officially left the group after the project was complete, buying out his contract which left him broke.  (Note:  some websites say this date was "early 1969" or even December 30, 1969.  According to the newspapers 'The Tucson Citizen' and 'The Mirror", Tork left in December, 1968.  The Monkees performed as a trio on tour throughout 1969.)






1969:  Santana released the single "Evil Ways".
1970:  A very sad day in the Rock Era.  The members of this group began as great friends and fun-loving people, but on this day, Paul McCartney sued the other three Beatles to dissolve the partnership and gain control of his interest in the group.
1972:  Bruce Springsteen opened for Sha Na Na and Brownsville Station at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.

1972:  Bread moved to #1 on the Adult chart with "Sweet Surrender".
1972:  Seventh Sojourn by the Moody Blues was #1 on the Album chart for a fourth week.









1972:  Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina cracked the Top 10 with "Your Mama Don't Dance".
1978:  Al Stewart continued to top the Adult chart for the eighth week with "Time Passages".
1978:  The #1 R&B song had been there five weeks--Chic and "Le Freak".
1979:  Emerson, Lake & Palmer broke up.
1989:  Krist Novoselic of Nirvana married Shelli Dilley.








1989:  "Another Day In Paradise" by Phil Collins was the #1 Adult Contemporary song for a fifth week.
1991:  Bruce Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa celebrated the birth of daughter Jessica Rae.
1995:  Clarence Satchell of the Ohio Players ("Love Rollercoaster" from 1975) died after suffering a brain aneurysm at age 55.

1995:  "Waiting To Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" by Whitney Houston blew past the competition for a fifth straight week at #1 on the R&B chart.


 

 
            "Forever" from Carey's album 'Daydream'...

1995:  Daydream moved into the #1 spot on the Album chart for Mariah Carey, bumping Anthology 1 by the Beatles.  Mannheim Steamroller was in the spirit of the season with Christmas in the Aire while the Soundtrack to "Waiting to Exhale" was fourth and Garth Brooks slipped with Fresh Horses.  The rest of the Top 10:  Cracked Rear View moved back up after 75 weeks for Hootie & the Blowfish, Alanis Morissette was at #7 with Jagged Little Pill, Alan Jackson stayed at 8 with The Greatest Hits Collection, the Smashing Pumpkins remained at #9 with Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and TLC was still at #10 after 57 weeks with CrazySexyCool.






1998:  Johnny Moore, tenor with the Drifters, died of respiratory failure in Los Angeles at the age of 64.
1999:  George Harrison and his wife were attacked in their home during a robbery.  Although Harrison was stabbed four times in the chest, he and his wife were able to subdue the assailant until the police arrived.









2001:  Nickelback reached #1 with "How You Remind Me".
2003:  In today's episode of Inmates Run Rap Music, police in Georgia served a warrant for the arrest of Juvenile, who reneged on child support payments for his six-month-old daughter.  What a loser.







Born This Day:

1928:  Bo Diddley (real name Elias Bates McDaniel), R&B vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, was born in McComb, Mississippi; died June 2, 2008 of heart failure in Archer, Florida.









1931:  Skeeter Davis ("The End Of The World") was born in Dry Ridge, Kentucky; died of breast cancer on September 19, 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee.
1934:  Del Shannon (real name Charles Westover) was born in Coopersville, Michigan; shot himself while taking the anti-depression drug Prozac in Santa Clarita, California on February 8, 1990.  (Note:  several websites claim Shannon was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but according to the prominent newspapers 'The New York Times' and 'The Chicago Tribune', as well as the Rock Hall of Fame, Shannon was born in Coopersville.)








1937  Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary and also a solo artist ("The Wedding Song"), was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
1937:  John Hartford, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter ("Gentle On My Mind" for Glen Campbell), was born in New York City; died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma after struggling with the disease for years on June 4, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee. 
1939:  Kim Weston, singer who teamed with Marvin Gaye for songs like "It Takes Two", was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1939:  Felix Pappalardi, songwriter, vocalist and bassist of Mountain, and a producer for Cream, was born in The Bronx, New York; was shot and killed by his wife (who was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide) on  April 17, 1983.
1940:  Kenny Pentifallo, drummer of Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes

1942:  Michael Nesmith, guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist with the Monkees and also a songwriter and producer, was born in Houston, Texas.  His 1977 video show Popclips was purchased by Warner Brothers and developed into what we used to know as MTV.
1942:  Robert Quine, elite guitarist for Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull and Tom Waits among others, was born in Akron, Ohio; died when he committed suicide in New York City on May 31, 2004.

1945:  Davy Jones, lead singer of the Monkees, was born in Openshaw, Manchester, England.









1946:  Patti Smith ("Because The Night" from 1978) was born in Chicago, Illinois.

1947:  Jeff Lynne, lead singer, guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer of the Move, Electric Light Orchestra and later the Traveling Wilburys, was born in Shard End, Birmingham, England.
1951:  Chris Jasper, keyboardist with the Isley Brothers, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.







1959:  Tracey Ullman, comedian and singer ("They Don't Know" from 1984), was born in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now in Berkshire), England.
1978:  Tyrese was born in Los Angeles.

Five Best: Allman Brothers Band

Has there ever been more great guitar players in one group?  Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Derek Trucks...they all were a part of this great Southern rock & roll band.  They played music from the soul.  Here are the Five Best from the Allman Brothers Band (with a few extra thrown in!): 

 

1.  Ramblin' Man

 

 

2.  Ain't Wastin' Time No More 





3.  Soulshine

 

4.  Midnight Rider

 

5.  Whipping Post

 

6.  Statesboro Blues



7.  Jessica
 

8.  Melissa
 

9.  In Memory of Elizabeth Reed

Featured Unknown/Underrated Song: "L.A. Woman" by the Doors

Never released as a single, here's the title track from the Doors' 1971 album L.A. Woman.

L.A. Woman

by the Doors

Words and Music by Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and John Densmore

Well, I took little downer 'bout an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their Hollywood bungalows

Are you a lucky little lady in the City of Light
Or just another lost angel...City of Night
City of Night, City of Night, City of Night, woo, c'mon

L.A. Woman, L.A. Woman
L.A. Woman Sunday afternoon
L.A. Woman Sunday afternoon
L.A. Woman Sunday afternoon
Drive through your suburbs
Into your blues, into your blues, yeah
Into your blue-blue Blues
Into your blues, oh, yeah

I see your hair is burnin'
Hills are filled with fire
If they say I never loved you
You know they are a liar
Drivin' down your freeways
Midnight alleys roam
Cops in cars, the topless bars
Never saw a woman...
So alone, so alone
So alone, so alone

Motel Money Murder Madness
Let's change the mood from glad to sadness

Mr. Mojo Risin', Mr. Mojo Risin'
Mr. Mojo Risin', Mr. Mojo Risin'
Got to keep on risin'
Mr. Mojo Risin', Mr. Mojo Risin'
Mojo Risin', gotta Mojo Risin'
Mr. Mojo Risin', gotta keep on risin'
Risin', risin'
Gone risin', risin'
I'm gone risin', risin'
I gotta risin', risin'
Well, risin', risin'
I gotta, wooo, yeah, risin'
Woah, oh yeah

Well, I took a little downer 'bout an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their Hollywood bungalows

Are you a lucky little lady in the City of Light
Or just another lost angel...City of Night
City of Night, City of Night, City of Night, whoa, c'mon

L.A. Woman, L.A. Woman
L.A. Woman, your my woman
Little L.A. Woman, Little L.A. Woman
L.A. L.A. Woman Woman
L.A. Woman c'mon

This Date in Rock Music History: December 29

1955:  Barbra Streisand recorded her first song, at the age of 13.

1956:  Buddy Holly and four others chased and detained a shoplifter from a store in Lubbock, Texas.
1956:  Fats Domino sat atop the R&B chart  for the 11th week with "Blueberry Hill".  

1957:  Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme married in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1958:  "Lonely Teardrops" by Jackie Wilson was the #1 R&B song.
1958:  The new single "The Little Drummer Boy" by the Harry Simeone Chorale moved from #88 to #29.
1962:  Bob Dylan played at the Troubadour folk club in London.
1962:  Steve Lawrence remained at #1 for a third week on the Easy Listening chart with "Go Away Little Girl".  



1962:  "Telstar" by the Tornadoes was the #1 song, outdistancing Chubby Checker's "Limbo Rock" and "Bobby's Girl" by Marcie Blane.  "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence was fourth with former #1 "Big Girls Don't Cry" by the Four Seasons behind.  The rest of the Top 10:  Elvis Presley dropped with "Return To Sender", Ray Charles moved up to #7 with "You Are My Sunshine",Brook Benton and "Hotel Happiness", "Little Esther" Phillips remained the same with "Release Me", Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans were thrilled as "Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah" jumped from 16-9 and Brook Benton was at #10 with "Hotel Happiness".
1963:  The Weavers performed for the final time at Orchestra Hall in Chicago.
1966:  The Beatles began recording "Penny Lane".
1967:  Dave Mason quit the group Traffic and began a solo career.



1969:  Sly & the Family Stone released the single "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).













1970:  Norman Greenbaum released the single "Spirit In The Sky".
1971:  America released their self-titled debut album.










1973:  Stevie Wonder rose to #1 on the R&B chart with his classic "Living For The City".
1973:  Jim Croce took over at #1 on the Adult chart with "Time In A Bottle".
1973:  Ringo Starr shot up from 50 to 27 with "You're Sixteen".







                Brownsville Station's big hit...

1973:  The recently departed Jim Croce reached #1 with "Time In A Bottle".  Charlie Rich dropped from the top with "The Most Beautiful Girl" while Helen Reddy had another big hit with "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)" and the Steve Miller Band was at 4 with "The Joker".  The rest of the Top 10:  Elton John and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" after peaking at #2 for three weeks, Todd Rundgren with "Hello It's Me", the Carpenters were still at 7 after 13 weeks with their smash "Top Of The World", Al Wilson's great new song "Show and Tell", Brownsville Station moved up with "Smokin' In The Boy's Room" and Barry White held on to the #10 spot with "Never, Never Gonna' Give Ya Up".



1973:  Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was on top for a third straight week on the Album chart.  
1975:  Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Starship divorced.
1980:  Tim Hardin, folksinger and songwriter, died at age 39 in Los Angeles from drugs.
1980:  Irving Spice, who played violin for the Monkees and Grover Washington, Jr., died in New York City.




1990:  Elton John led the way on the Adult Contemporary chart for a third week with "You Gotta' Love Someone".
1994:  Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes pleaded guilty to arson charges for setting fire to and destroying boyfriend Andre Rison's $1 million Atlanta mansion.
2000:  A federal appeals court ruled that Nicholas Kussbaum, bassist for Steppenwolf, could continue to bill himself as a former member of the group.  John Kay, lead singer of the group, tried to enforce a 1980 contract in which Kussbaum agreed not to emphasize his ties with the group.
2004:  The biographical movie about Bobby Darin, Beyond the Sea, opened in theaters.
2011:  Robert Lee Dickey, "Bobby" of the duo James & Bobby Purify, died at the age of 72 in Tallahassee, Florida.

Born This Day:
1941:  Ray Thomas, singer, composer and flautist of the Moody Blues, was born in Stourport-on-Severn, England.
1942:  Rick Danko, co-lead singer and bass guitarist of the group which called itself the Band, was born in Greens Corner, Ontario, Canada; died of a heart attack in Marbletown, New York on December 10, 1999.  (Note:  There is much confusion about Rick's birthday.  The book 'All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music' by Vladimir Bogdanov, ‎Chris Woodstra, and ‎Stephen Thomas Erlewine, as well as 'Billboard' magazine, and the newspapers 'The Independent' and 'The Guardian" all say Rick was born on December 9, 1943, and the Rock Hall of Fame says he was born on December 29, 1943.   The book 'Sounds of Rebellion:  Music in the 1960s' by Brittanica Educational Publishing and the 'BBC' all show Danko's birthday as December 29, 1942, which matches his tombstone.  Ordinarily, the tombstone would be proof, but it is not correct in this instance.  Rick's brothers, as well as Rick himself when he was alive, all said that Rick was born in 1942.  According to the Dankos, Rick was born at home on December 29, 1943.  His birth was not reported right away, and when his birth certificate was printed, it contained the wrong year.  Rick never had it changed, because it meant he "got to do everything a year earlier."  'Allmusic', 'Billboard', the 'BBC', 'Brittanica Educational Publishing' and the two newspapers are wrong, and in this case, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is correct.  Some sites report his birthplace as Simcoe, Ontario, Canada--Rick was born in Greens Corner, which is near the town of Simcoe.)
1942:  Jerry Summers (real name Jerry Gross) of the Dovells ("You Can't Sit Down")
1946:  Marianne Faithfull was born in Hampstead, London.

1947:  Cozy Powell, drummer of Rainbow, Whitesnake and Black Sabbath, was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England; died April 5, 1998 following a car accident near Bristol, England.
1948:  Charlie Spinosa, trumpeter of John Fred & His Playboy Band ("Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)" from 1968)

1951:  Yvonne Elliman, a member for four years of the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar and later a solo star, was born in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
1970:  Glen Phillips, singer/songwriter and guitarist of Toad the Wet Sprocket ("All I Want") was born in Santa Barbara, California.