This Date in Rock Music History: January 14

1955:  Alan Freed's New York Rock & Roll Ball, featuring the Drifters, Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner and the Moonglows, kicked off at Saint Nicholas Arena in Harlem.

            Little Richard from the Alan Freed movie 'Don't Rock the Boat'...

1956:  Listeners became aware of a new talent who debuted on the chart on this date with his first single--"Tutti Frutti".  And Little Richard's career was born.
1960:  Elvis Presley was promoted to Sergeant in the United States Army.

1960:  G.I. Blues by Elvis Presley moved to #1 on the U.K. Album chart.
1962:  The movie Teenage Millionaire, featuring Jimmy Clanton, Jackie Wilson, Dion and Chubby Checker, debuted in theaters.













1963:  Skeeter Davis released her single "The End Of The World".

1963:  Charlie Watts made his live debut with the Rolling Stones at the Flamingo Jazz Club in Soho, London.
1965:  Bob Dylan recorded "Subterranean Homesick Blues" at the Columbia Recording Studios in New York City for his upcoming album Bringing It All Back Home.  (Note:  some websites report the date as being January 13.  According to the book 'Who Is That Man?  In Search of the Real Bob Dylan' by David Dalton, Dylan recorded acoustic tracks on January 13th, none of which made it to the album.  He began recording with an electric band on January 14, which is when he recorded "Subterranean Homesick Blues".)

1966:  David Jones changed his last name to Bowie so there wouldn't be confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees.

1967:  Cliff Richard announced that he was retiring from show business to teach religious education in the schools.

1967:  25,000 people attended the Human Be-In (A Gathering of the Tribes) at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.  The event, featuring Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Big Brother & the Holding Company and Quicksilver Messenger Service, was the forerunner of major outdoor rock concerts that were to follow.

1967:  The Monkees remained #1 on the Album chart with their self-titled debut.  S.R.O. from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass was second.
1967:  An amazing group was introduced on this date as the 5th Dimension charted with their first career single--"Go Where You Wanna' Go".

          Great lead singer Levi Stubbs helps the Tops score their third Top 10 hit...

1967:  The Monkees held on to #1 for a third week with "I'm A Believer".  "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" by the Royal Guardsmen would have to settle for #2.  Aaron Neville remained third with "Tell It Like It Is" while Boise, Idaho's Paul Revere & the Raiders moved from 7-4 with "Good Thing".  The rest of the Top 10:  Nancy Sinatra and "Sugar Town", the Mamas & Papas with "Words Of Love", the Four Tops were at 7 with "Standing In The Shadows Of Love", the New Vaudeville Band's former #1 "Winchester Cathedral", Frank Sinatra was down with "That's Life" and the Seekers exploded from 20-10 with "Georgy Girl".
1969:  The movie Monterey Pop, about the famous Monterey Pop Festival of 1967, opened in theaters.

1970:  Diana Ross performed for the final time with the Supremes at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1970:  Jean Terrell replaced Diana Ross in the Supremes after Ross began her solo career.










1971:  The Temptations released the single "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)".
1972:  Paul Simon released his second solo album, his self-titled release.

1972:  Yes played at the Rainbow Theatre in London.

1973:  Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead was arrested on drug charges.
1978:  New soul group Raydio first appeared on the chart on this date as their first release, "Jack And Jill" debuted.

1978:  After 16 weeks, Player reached #1 with "Baby Come Back".  That ended three weeks at #1 for "How Deep Is Your Love" from the Bee Gees.  Dolly Parton found herself at #3 with "Here You Come Again", just ahead of Rod Stewart's "You're In My Heart".  The rest of the Top 10:  L.T.D.'s hot R&B song "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again", Paul Simon was up to 6 with "Slip Slidin' Away", Shaun Cassidy with "Hey Deanie", former Fleetwood Mac member Bob Welch and "Sentimental Lady", Styx had their first Top 10 with "Come Sail Away" although they had many worthy songs previously, and Queen stopped at #10 with "We Are The Champions".




    
           "I Don't Want to Know", from 'Rumours'...

1978:  Rumors by Fleetwood Mac posted a 31st week at #1 on the Album chart out of 47 weeks of release.  That record would stand for six years until Michael Jackson's Thriller and is still easily #2 in the Rock Era for weeks at #1.

1984:  Paul McCartney had the top song in the U.K. with "Pipes Of Peace".

1984:  Kool & the Gang took over at #1 on the R&B chart with "Joanna".

      
        The Romantics with their biggest career hit...

1984:  Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson combined for "Say Say Say", #1 for a fifth week.  Yes was one step away with "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", Hall & Oates backed down with "Say It Isn't So" and Duran Duran slithered down with "Union Of The Snake".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Twist Of Fate" from Olivia Newton-John, the Romantics held steady with "Talking In Your Sleep", Matthew Wilder and "Break My Stride", Elton John was at #8 with "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues", Culture Club had another Top 10 --"Karma Chameleon" and Lionel Richie scored his seventh consecutive solo Top 10 with "Running With The Night".








            Ronstadt changed her image yet again...

1984:  Thriller by Michael Jackson continued at #1 on the Album chart for the 24th week.  Other than albums on their way down, however, the competition wasn't great.  Can't Slow Down from Lionel Richie was the closest, with What's New from Linda Ronstadt and Synchronicity by the Police trailing.  The rest of the Top 10:  Metal Health by Quiet Riot, 90125 by Yes, Culture Club was at 7 with Colour By Numbers, Billy Joel's An Innocent Man remained in the #8 spot, the "Yentl" Soundtrack and Hall & Oates with their compilation album Rock 'N Soul, Part 1.

1985:  REO Speedwagon released the single "Can't Fight This Feeling".
















1985:  Survivor released the single "High On You".

1989:  Paul McCartney released the album Back in the U.S.S.R. exclusively in Russia.
1989:  Karyn White wasn't "Superwoman", but her song was, and it was the new #1 on the R&B chart.
1989:  Phil Collins registered a fourth week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Two Hearts".






    With vocals from Roy Orbison, the Wilburys and "Not Alone Any More"...

1989:  Anita Baker earned a fourth week at #1 on the Album chart with Giving You the Best That I Got.  U2's "Rattle and Hum" Soundtrack was second, followed by the "Cocktail" Soundtrack and New Jersey from Bon Jovi.  The veteran Appetite for Destruction was #5 after 73 weeks for Guns N' Roses.  The rest of the Top 10:  Don't Be Cruel from Bobby Brown, Def Leppard's Hysteria, still #7 after 74 weeks, Volume One from the Traveling Wilburys, Poison remained at 9 with Open Up and Say...Ahh! and Kenny G had #10--Silhouette.





 

1991:  Gloria Estefan released her single "Coming Out Of The Dark".









1992:  Michael Jackson released the single "Remember The Time".
1995:  Neil Young and Pearl Jam performed for the Voters for a Change benefit in the first of two nights at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
1995:  Sollie McElroy, lead singer of the Flamingoes ("I Only Have Eyes For You") died in Chicago, Illinois at age 61.  (Note:  some websites incorrectly list his death as January 15, and many others misspell his name.  It is Sollie, and he died on January 14, according to the book 'The Birth of Rock & Roll:  Music in the 1950s Through the 1960s' by Brittanica Educational Publishing and 'Allmusic.com'.)







1995:  Rednex from Sweden led the way on the U.K. chart with "Cotton Eye Joe".
1995:  "Creep" by TLC remained at #1 on the R&B chart for the sixth week.









1995:  With their resurgence back to the top on December 31, Boyz II Men now enjoyed their fifth week at #1 with "On Bended Knee".  Including their smash "I'll Make Love to You", the group had now been #1 in 18 of the last 20 weeks, the hottest streak for any artist of the Rock Era.








1997:  The Spice Girls released their first single "Wannabe".
1997:  The Beach Boys were a guest on the television show Home Improvement.
2001:  Chaka Khan reunited with Rufus at the Barbados Paint It Jazz festival in Bridgetown.








2001:  Jennifer Lopez owned the #1 song in the U.K. with "Love Don't Cost A Thing".
2005:  A statue honoring the late Johnny Ramone was unveiled by his widow Linda at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
2005:  Guitarist Adam Gaynor left the group Matchbox Twenty.  (Note:  several websites post the event as occurring on January 18, the day it appeared in several news reports.  However, the first such report was by 'Billboard 'magazine on its website on January 14.)
2006:  Leif Garrett ("I Was Made for Dancin'" from 1979) was arrested for possession of drugs.
2007:  Back to Black by Amy Winehouse led the way on the U.K. Album chart.


Born This Day--Birthdays of Rock Era Artists:





1936:  Clarence Carter ("Patches" from 1970) was born in Montgomery, Alabama.










1938:  Allen Toussaint, singer, songwriter and producer who worked with Paul Simon, Joe Cocker, the Band, the Neville Brothers and Lee Dorsey, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana; died November 10, 2015.  Toussaint wrote "Southern Nights" for Glen Campbell and "Working In The Coal Mine", among others, and produced "Lady Marmalade" for Labelle and "Right Place, Wrong Time" for Dr. John.  (Note:  some websites erroneously say Toussaint was born in Gert Town.  Gert Town is a neighborhood, not a city.  Birth certificates do not list the neighborhood in which you are born)
1938:  Jack Jones ("The Race Is On" from 1965) was born in Hollywood, California.
1948:  T-Bone Burnett (Joseph), guitarist with Bob Dylan's band and producer with Elton John, John Mellencamp, the Counting Crows, Tony Bennett and others, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. 
1948:  Tim Harris, drummer of the Foundations ("Build Me Up Buttercup"), was born in Raddington, England.
1959:  Chas Smith, horn player for Madness ("Our House"), was born in London.
1959:  Geoff Tate, singer-songwriter and keyboardist of Queensryche, was born in Stuttgart, West Germany.
1961:  Mike Tramp, vocalist and the only original member remaining of White Lion, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark.
1965:  Slick Rick was born in London.

1967:  Zakk Wylde, elite guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey.
1967:  Steve Bowman, founding member, songwriter and drummer with the Counting Crowes,
1968:  L.L. Cool J (real name James Smith) was born in Bay Shore, New York.

1969:  Dave Grohl, drummer and singer with Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, was born in Warren, Ohio.

This Date in Rock Music History: January 13

1962:  Bob Dylan performed at the San Remo Coffee House in Schenectady, New York.

1962:  Cliff Richard topped the U.K. Album chart with The Young Ones.
1962:  "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley moved to #1 on the Easy Listening chart.

1962:  "The Twist", which had reached #1 in 1960 for Chubby Checker, had found new popularity and on this date, became the only song in the history of the Rock Era to hit #1...twice.  Chubby toppled the classic "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens.
1963:  The Beatles recorded an appearance in Birmingham, England at the Alpha Television Studios, performing "Please Please Me" for Thank Your Lucky Stars to be broadcast on ABC (Associated British Corporation) January 19.
1963:  Bob Dylan performed in the BBC radio play The Madhouse of Castle Street.  (Note:  many websites, including 'Billboard', incorrectly list the date of the show as January 12.  The play was broadcast as part of BBC's "Sunday Night Play"--in 1963, Sunday fell on January 13, not January 12.)

1967:  Jimi Hendrix performed at the Bag O'Nails club in London.  Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr both went to see the show.

1968:  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles reached #1 on the R&B chart with "I Second That Emotion".








                 'Inside the Rock Era' shakes your memory with the Lemon Pipers...

1968:  The Beatles remained at the top spot with "Hello Goodbye", #1 for a third week.  In just four years, the group had spent 40 weeks at #1 with 15 #1 songs.  John Fred & His Playboy Band made their move with "Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)".  The Monkees' former #1 smash "Daydream Believer" was third, followed by Twin Falls, Idaho's Gary Puckett & the Union Gap with "Woman, Woman" and Gladys Knight & the Pips with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".  The rest of the Top 10:  Aretha Franklin's "Chain Of Fools", the American Breed moved to #7 with "Bend Me, Shape Me", Smokey Robinson & the Miracles slid to #8 with "I Second That Emotion", the Lemon Pipers had the #9 song with "Green Tambourine" and Joe Tex was at #10 "Skinny Legs And All".
1969:  Elvis Presley returned to the Memphis, Tennessee American Sound Studios and recorded "Suspicious Minds".
1973:  Eric Clapton performed at Rainbow Theatre in London in a show organized by friend Pete Townshend to help Clapton shake alcoholism and heroin.  The live album Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert was later released.
1973:  Carly Simon had the new #1 album with No Secrets as the long-running #1 Seventh Sojourn by the Moody Blues was now second.  Stanley, Idaho's Carole King dropped to 3 with Rhymes & Reasons while One Man Dog by James Taylor came in fourth.
1973:  Carole King rose to #1 on the Adult chart with "Been To Canaan".

1973:  Elton John had his fourth Top 10 song with "Crocodile Rock", which moved from 13-9.
1978:  The Police began recording their debut album Outlandos d'Amour at Surrey Sound Studios in London.
1979:  The Y.M.C.A. filed a lawsuit against the Village People for their song of the same name and the implications that men go to the recreational facilities so they can play with all the young men.
1979:  Donny Hathaway died at the age of 33 after falling 15 floors from his hotel room at the Essex in New York City.  His death was ruled a suicide.





1979:  Earth, Wind & Fire had the #1 R&B song--"September".  
1979:  Al Stewart wrapped up 10 weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Time Passages".








1979:  The Bee Gees ruled again with "Too Much Heaven", but former #1 "Le Freak" by Chic was making another bid for the top.  Billy Joel sat at #3 with "My Life" while Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond's former #1 "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" was fourth.  Toto's first hit "Hold The Line" moved nicely up to #5. 
1980:  The Beach Boys, Jefferson Starship and Grateful Dead played a benefit concert for the people of Kampuchea.

1986:  Janet Jackson released the single "What Have You Done For Me Lately".
1986:  Heart went from 1980-1985 without a Top 10 but they released the single "These Dreams" in the hopes of scoring their third straight in one of the great comebacks of the Rock Era.  (Note:  some websites erroneously report the date of release as January 18.  The song first charted on January 18.  It is physically impossible for a song to be released to radio stations, added to playlists, reported to the trade papers, and printed by the trade papers for publication all in the same day.)
1990:  "Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson moved into the #1 position on the R&B chart.







                Bolton's remake of Laura Branigan's hit...

1990:  Phil Collins remained #1 well into the New Year with a fourth week at the top for "Another Day In Paradise".  "Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson continued to be just off the pace while Technotronic's "Pump Up The Jam" was third.  Michael Bolton moved up with "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" and the former #1 "Don't Know Much" from Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville was fifth.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Everything" from Jody Watley, New Kids on the Block continued to be satisfied with #7 with "This One's For The Children", Cher held on to 8 with "Just Like Jesse James", Taylor Dayne fell to #9 with "Every Beat of My Heart" and Lou Gramm, lead singer of Foreigner, had a Top 10 solo hit with "Just Between You And Me".
1993:  The musical ABBA:  The True Story opened in Stockholm.
1996:  Daydream by Mariah Carey was the top album for a sixth week.



                 
                         Everything But the Girl..

1996:  Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men were a dominant #1 for a seventh week with "One Sweet Day".  Counting her solo #1 "Fantasy", Carey had been at #1 for 16 out of the last 17 weeks.  Everything But the Girl finally landed in the Top 10 after 23 weeks of release with "Missing".
2000:  In today's episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, Puff Daddy was arrested and charged with weapon possession after he ran away from a nightclub shooting in December.







2000:  Christina Aguilera had the #1 song--"What A Girl Wants".
2003:  Pete Townshend, guitarist of the Who, was arrested on child porn offenses.

2004:  Daniel Bedingfield ("If You're Not The One") was released from the hospital in New Zealand where he was recovering from a neck injury suffered in a New Year's Eve car accident.

2004:  The National Football League denied a request from Bono's U2 to perform "An American Prayer" with Jennifer Lopez during the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.  Bono had hoped to raise awareness of AIDS in Africa with the performance.  The NFL's answer:  "We don't believe it's appropriate to focus on a single issue."






2005:  Ricky Martin toured the island of Phuket off of Thailand that had been struck by a tsunami.  Martin was there to draw attention to child slave gangs preying on children left orphaned by the disaster.  Losers.
2005:  A report showed that more songs had been written about Elvis Presley (220), including Paul Simon's "Graceland" and "Calling Elvis" by Dire Straits, than about any other artist.
2006:  In today's version of Inmates Run Rap Music, Juvenile was the arrestee in Ocala, Florida for failing to pay child support.  Loser.
2009:  "Little" Jimmy Dickens ("May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" from 1965) had brain surgery to repair a subdural hematoma.

              Rest in Peace, Teddy.  You're 100 times the artist that any rapper is.

2010:  Teddy Pendergrass died in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania after a difficult recovery from colon cancer surgery at age 59.  Teddy had been a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down, since a car accident in Philadelphia in 1982. 

Born This Day:
1930:  Bobby Lester, lead singer of the Moonglows, was born in Louisville, Kentucky; died of lung cancer October 15, 1980 in his hometown.
1932:  Carl Dobkins, Jr. ("My Heart Is An Open Book" from 1959) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1942:  Jinx Dawson, lead singer of Coven, who recorded a version of "One Tin Soldier", was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.

1947:  Chris Thomas, producer of such great albums as Kick for INXS and the Pretenders' debut album, was born in Brentford, Middlesex, England.
1954:  Trevor Rabin of Yes was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
1955:  Fred White, drummer of Earth, Wind & Fire, was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1957:  Don Snow, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist of Squeeze ("Tempted") was born in Nairobi, Kenya.
1961:  Suggs (real name Graham MacPherson), lead singer of Madness ("Our House"), was born in Hastings, England.
1970:  Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine was born in Long Beach, California.

This Date in Rock Music History: January 12

1957:  Elvis Presley recorded "All Shook Up" at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California.

1959:  Here's inspiration for you aspiring business owners.  On this date, Berry Gordy borrowed $800 to begin his own record label, Tamla Records, the beginning of the empire that has become known as Motown Records.
1959:  Jackie Wilson continued to reign over the R&B chart for a fifth week with "Lonely Teardrops".
1959:  "The Chipmunk Song" from the Chipmunks was #1 for a fourth straight week.  The Platters, amazingly enough, remained at #2 for the fourth week and were still in position to make a move to the top with "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".  "My Happiness" from Connie Francis was third, followed by "Gotta' Travel On" from Billy Grammer and the Teddy Bears' big hit "To Know Him Is To Love Him".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Whole Lotta' Loving" from Fats Domino, Clyde McPhatter with "A Lover's Question", Elvis Presley and "One Night", the Everly Brothers dropped to #9 with "Problems" and Ricky Nelson had song #10 with "Lonesome Town".
1963:  Ray Charles logged a third week at #1 on the R&B chart with "You Are My Sunshine".

                 Bobby Vee was watching over the charts...

1963:  Steve Lawrence, who already had a #1 adult hit with "Go Away Little Girl", made it official as the song took over at #1 on the popular chart.  Bobby Vee had a hot new song moving up (14-7) with "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes".
1964:  The Beatles performed "I Wanna' Hold Your Hand", "This Boy", "All My Loving", "Money" and "Twist And Shout" on the ATV show Sunday Night at the London Palladium.








1965:  Hullabaloo, a new television dance show hosted by Jack Jones on Tuesday nights, premiered on NBC.  The New Christy Minstrels and comedian Woody Allen were guests, while Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, introduced the Zombies and Gerry & the Pacemakers from London in a taped segment.   (Note:  some websites claim the show premiered on January 8, but the correct date is January 12, according to 'TV Guide' and other reputable sources.)















1968:  Manfred Mann released the single "The Mighty Quinn".

1968:  Pink Floyd made their debut as a five-piece band at the University of Aston in Birmingham, England.

1968:  The Supremes appeared on an episode of Tarzan on NBC-TV, with the girls playing a trio of nuns.
1969:  Led Zeppelin released their debut album in the U.S.  The U.K. release date was March 28.  (Note:  you will see different release dates all over the Internet--the correct dates are shown above, per the official Led Zeppelin website.)
1969:  The psychedelic movie Wonderwall, featuring the Soundtrack by George Harrison, opened in theaters.







1970:  Badfinger released the single "Come And Get It".

1974:  You Don't Mess Around with Jim, the album by the late Jim Croce, reached #1 47 weeks after its release.  The Singles 1969-1973 by the Carpenters was second followed by former #1 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road from Elton John.
1974:  Aretha Franklin scored a week at #1 on the R&B chart with "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna' Do)", taking over from Stevie Wonder's "Living For The City".
1974:  Barbra Streisand led the way on the Adult chart with "The Way We Were".

Brownsville Station was checking to make sure the coast was clear. Nope, free road to cancer...

1974:  Newcomers the Steve Miller Band reached #1 with "The Joker".  Jim Croce slipped to #2 with his classic "Time In A Bottle" while Al Wilson showed strength among the heavyweights with "Show And Tell".  Brownsville Station surprisingly was at #4 with "Smokin' In The Boy's Room" and Gladys Knight & the Pips moved from 10-5 with "I've Got To Use My Imagination".  The rest of the Top 10:  Ringo Starr with "You're Sixteen", Barry White and "Never, Never Gonna' Give Ya Up", Stevie Wonder had #8--"Living For The City", Olivia Newton-John had another Top 10 hit with "Let Me Be There" and Paul McCartney & Wings were at #10 with "Helen Wheels".
1977:  The Police rehearsed for the first time, with Sting and Henri Padovani on guitar, at drummer Stewart Copeland's flat in London.

1980:  Stevie Wonder made it four straight weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with his new love song--"Send One Your Love".











1980:  "An American Dream" by the Dirt Band and Linda Ronstadt was racing up the chart, up from 59-33.

1980:  Rupert Holmes went back for another pina colada, posting his third week at #1 with "Escape".  Michael Jackson moved one step closer with "Rock With You" while the Captain & Tennille were up to 3 with "Do That To Me One More Time" and Stevie Wonder held on to #4 with "Send One Your Love".  The rest of the Top 10:  Previous #1 "Please Don't Go" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band, the Commodores' big hit "Still" was up to 6, Kenny Rogers was on a roll and "Coward Of The County" moved to #7, Kool & the Gang and "Ladies Night", Cliff Richard reached #9 with "We Don't Talk Anymore" and Styx's former #1 "Babe".





                        "Brown Eyes" from 'Tusk'...

1980:  Bee Gees Greatest, which indeed includes the cream of the crop from the group on a double-album set, was the #1 album, holding off another double release--On the Radio-Greatest Hits-Volumes I & II from Donna Summer.  Pink Floyd had their best album since Dark Side of the Moon, as The Wall moved from 7-3.  The Eagles continued to be strong in The Long Run and Stevie Wonder had #5 with Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants.  The rest of the Top 10:  Damn the Torpedoes from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Cornerstone by Styx, Kenny from Kenny Rogers moved 15-8, Off the Wall from Michael Jackson was picking up steam after 20 weeks of release and the great album Tusk was still in the Top 10 for Fleetwood Mac.





1981:  Hall & Oates released the single "Kiss On My List".













1981:  The Police released the single "Don't Stand So Close To Me".

1983:  Reebop Kwaku Baah, percussionist with Traffic, who also worked with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood and Ginger Baker's Air Force, died at the age of 38 from a brain hemorrhage in Stockholm, Sweden.

1984:  Crue performed at the Civic Center in Glen Falls, New York.  (Note:  several websites incorrectly show Motley Crue opening a U.S. tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City on this date.  Far from the truth...first off, the Crue opened their first U.S. tour on November 11, 1983 at the Orange Pavilion in San Bernadino, California.  The show in Glen Falls on this date was the second concert backing Ozzy Osbourne, and the Madison Square Garden date referred to did not take place until January 30, according to the official Motley Crue website.)
1985:  Midnight Star's "Operator" ruled the R&B chart for the fourth week.
1985:  Actor Jack Wagner moved to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "All I Need".



                Springsteen's tell-it-like-it-is release reached the Top 10...

1985:  Madonna's first career #1 "Like A Virgin" remained there for a fourth week with "All I Need" from Jack Wagner closing.  "The Wild Boys" from Duran Duran and "Sea of Love" by the Honeydrippers both fell while Pat Benatar was able to remain fifth with "We Belong".  The rest of the Top 10:  Chicago and "You're The Inspiration", Bryan Adams at #7 with "Run To You", New Edition said to "Cool It Now", Julian Lennon had song #9--"Valotte" and Bruce Springsteen registered his fourth career Top 10 and third from Born in the U.S.A. with the title cut.







1985:  The Soundtrack to "Purple Rain" by Prince & the Revolution was #1 on the Album chart for the 24th week, tying the Soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever" for #3 all-time.  Only Michael Jackson's Thriller and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac remained #1 longer than those two.

1989:  The new Swedish duo Roxette released their first career single "The Look".
1993:  Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Doors, Sly & the Family Stone, Cream, Frankie Lymon, Dinah Washington and Etta James were all honored as new members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the induction ceremony in Los Angeles.  Van Morrison did not show up for his own induction, becoming the first and only living person not to do so.
1995:  In today's episode of Inmates Run Rap Music, Snoop Doggy Dogg was arrested in Los Angeles for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

1995:  AC/DC embarked on an 11-month tour, kicking it off at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
1995:  A solid class was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame:  Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Martha & the Vandellas, Janis Joplin, Al Green, the Allman Brothers Band and Frank Zappa were accepted into the ever-expanding club.
1997:  Paula Abdul made her acting debut on the NBC movie In the Shadow of Evil.

1998:  A new class was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, some extremely deserving, others not so much.  The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, the Mamas & Papas, Santana, Lloyd Price, Gene Vincent, Allen Toussaint and Jelly Roll Morton were all accepted as new members.  There's still a few that may have recorded or written a song at some point in life that still haven't been inducted, but their time is coming soon.
 1999:  Britney Spears released the album ...Baby One More Time.  
2000:  In a second episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, the rapper who calls himself Ol' Dirty *@#*%& (which should tell you a lot right there...) was arrested after he failed to appear in Brooklyn, New York to answer crack cocaine charges.
2000:  Charlotte Church fired manager Jonathan Shalit.

2000:  Gary Barlow, singer of Take That, married Dawn Andrews on the Caribbean island of Nevia.

2000:  Sarah McLachlan was declared an Officer of the Order of Canada.

2001:  More news from troublemaker Liam Gallagher of Oasis.  On a flight from London to Rio De Janeiro, Gallagher refused to stop smoking and threw objects around the cabin.

2002:  Aaliyah, who had been killed in an August, 2001 plane crash in the Bahamas, rose to #1 in the U.K. with "More Than A Woman".

2003:  Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees died at age 53 of an intestinal blockage in Miami Beach, Florida.  

2004:  Randy Vanwarmer ("Just When I Needed You Most" from 1978) died from leukemia at age 48.

2005:  The Strawberry Field children's home in Liverpool, made famous by the Beatles' song "Strawberry Fields Forever", announced that it was closing.

2005:  American Idiot by Green Day returned to #1 on the Album chart.
2006: A bonus episode of Inmates Run Rap Music, we find another one in their home away from home.  Mystikal (real name Michael Tyler) was sentenced to a year in prison for tax evasion.  Yeah, buy his CD's, then work like crazy so your can make up for him not paying taxes. 

2008:  Mary J. Blige had the #1 album with Growing Pains.
2010:  Shakin' Stevens was found guilty of hitting a photographer with a microphone stand during a concert.

Born This Day:
1926:  Ray Price ("For the Good Times") was born in Perryville, Texas; died December 16, 2013 of pancreatic cancer in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

1928:  Ruth Brown, famed R&B singer of the 1950's, was born in Portsmouth, Virginia; died November 17, 2006 in a Las Vegas, Nevada hospital from complications following a heart attack and stroke suffered after surgery in October, 2006.  (Note:  some websites claim Ruth was born on January 30, but the correct date is January 12, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times' and the book 'Uncloudy Days:  The Gospel Music Encyclopedia' by Bill Carpenter.) 
1930:  Glenn Yarborough, singer with the Limeliters, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1939:  William Lee Gordon of the Oak Ridge Boys





1941:  Long John Baldry, instrumental in Great Britain in the early years of the Rock Era in signing several key people to be in his band Bluesology, including Elton John and Rod Stewart, was born in East Haddon,Derbyshire, England; died July 21, 2005 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada of a severe chest infection.  (Note:  many websites, including 'Allmusic.com', incorrectly show his birthplace as London.  According to 'The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography' by Lawrence Goldman, at the time of Baldry's birth, his parents lived in London, but he was born in East Haddon.)
1944:   Cynthia Robinson, singer and trumpeter with Sly and the Family Stone, who also worked with Graham Central Station, was born in Sacramento, California; died of cancer November 23, 2014 in Carmichael, California.  (Note:  some websites claim Robinson was 69 when she died.  She was 71, according to 'CBS, 'CNN' and the newspaper 'The New York Times'.)
1945:  Abe Tilmon, a founding member of the Detroit Emeralds ("Feel The Need In Me" from 1973); died July 6, 1982 of a heart attack in Southfield, Michigan.
1946:  George Duke, the visionary Grammy-Award winning artist who blended rock with jazz, R&B and funk, was born in San Rafael, California; died  of  complications from heart disease and chronic lymphocytic leukemia on August 5, 2013 in Santa Monica, California at the age of 67.  Duke teamed with Stanley Clarke for the song "Sweet Baby" and also played keyboardist and trombone for artists such as Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Regina Belle and Sheila E.  (Note:  some websites incorrectly say Duke died in Los Angeles; he died in Santa Monica, according to both 'CNN' and 'The New York Times'.) 

1946:  Cynthia Robinson, trumpet player with Sly & the Family Stone, was born in Sacramento, California.

1951:  Larry Hoppen, guitarist with Orleans, was born in Long Island, New York; died July 24, 2012 in Bayshore, New York.  (Note:  some websites list his birthplace as Greenpoint, New York, but according to the official Orleans website as well as Larry's family, Hoppen was born in Long Island.)
1954:  Felipe Rose, a founding member of the Village People, was born in New York City.

1959:  Per Gessle, songwriter and guitarist for Roxette, was born in Halmstad, Sweden.  (Note:  several websites show his birth as February 12, but 'Billboard' and other credible sources show his birth as January 12.)
1963:  Guy Chambers, singer, songwriter and producer ("Angels" and "Millennium" with Robbie Williams), was born in Liverpool.  (Note:  some websites report Chambers was born in London, but British newspapers 'The Telegraph' and 'The Mirror' state he was born in Liverpool.)
1965:  Greg Kriesel, bassist of the Offspring ("Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)"), was born in Glendale, California.  (Note:  some websites report his birth as January 20, but according to Offspring fan sites, he was born January 12.)
1966:  Rob Zombie of White Zombie as born in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
1968:  Raekwon (real name Corey Woods) of Wu-Tang Clan was born in Brooklyn, New York.  (Note:  some websites report his birthplace as New York City; others as Staten Island.  He was born in Brooklyn, then moved to Staten Island at an early age.)





1974:  Melanie Chisholm of the Spice Girls was born in Whiston, Lancashire, England.