This Date in Rock Music History: May 27

1957:  A group from Lubbock, Texas released their first single on Brunswick Records for consideration on this date, and the world was about to discover one of the greatest talents ever known.  It was called "That'll Be the Day" and history was about to be made by Buddy Holly & the Crickets.
1957:  "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley was the #1 R&B song for the fourth week in a row.






1963:  The Chiffons released the single "One Fine Day".
1965:  Sandie Shaw posted her second U.K. #1 song--"Long Live Love".







1967:  Three brothers from England by way of Australia debuted on the chart for the first time.  You can count on two hands the number of artists in the Rock Era who have been more successful.  Their first single, "New York Mining Disaster 1941", was released earlier in the week, and on this date, the Bee Gees had their first hit. 
1967:  Pink Floyd performed at the Civic Hall in Nantwich, England.

"White Rabbit", a surrealistic moment in the Rock Era, Jefferson Airplane's breakthrough...

1967:  More of the Monkees was the #1 album, followed by I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You from Aretha Franklin and Revenge by funnyman Bill Cosby.  The Mamas & The Papas Deliver slipped to #4 while the Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago" was in the fifth position.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" was still in the Top 10 after 115 weeks, The Monkees sat at #7, The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful came in eighth, My Cup Runneth Over from Ed Ames was #9 and the psychedelic Surrealistic Pillow from Jefferson Airplane moved from 16-10.
1967:  "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" by Spanky & Our Gang shot up from 98 to 49 on this date.
1967:  "Him or Me --What's It Gonna' Be?" by Paul Revere & the Raiders from Boise, Idaho was the fastest-rising song within the Top 10, moving from 14 to 7.



1968:  The 5th Dimension released the single "Stoned Soul Picnic".
1972:  "I'll Take You There", the great soul song from the Staple Singers, was #1 for the fourth week in a row on the R&B chart.








1972:  "Oh Girl" by the Chi-Lites moved into the #1 slot while the Staple Singers closed with "I'll Take You There".  Roberta Flack finally fell from the top after six great weeks at #1 with "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face".  Al Green slid up one with "Look What You Done For Me" and Sammy Davis, Jr. motored up from 13 to 5 with "The Candy Man".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Morning Has Broken" from Cat Stevens got a nice move (10-6), the Rolling Stones were at 7 with "Tumbling Dice", Joe Tex had song #8--"I Gotcha'", Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show as they called themselves then had their first release "Sylvia's Mother" moving from 14-9 and "Hot Rod Lincoln", the great song from Commander Cody & His Los Planet Airmen was at #10.
1972:  Thick As a Brick from Jethro Tull was the biggest mover within the Top 10 albums (13-2) and seemed destined for a turn at #1.

1974:  On this date, a new group from Sweden first appeared on the U.S. charts--they'd already become superstars all over the rest of the world.  They would go on to become one of the top acts of the Rock Era.  ABBA debuted with their first single, "Waterloo".
1978:  Bob Seger released the classic album Stranger in Town.
1978:  "Even Now" by Barry Manilow was the new #1 Adult Contemporary song.
1978:  "Use Ta Be My Girl" by the O'Jays took over as the #1 R&B song.
1978:  The Soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever" was the #1 album for the 19th week in a row.
1988:  Def Leppard promoted their blockbuster album Hysteria with a concert at the George M. Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska.
1989:  The Beach Boys and Chicago began a tour together at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, California.
1989:  "My First Love" by Atlantic Starr gained the #1 spot on the R&B chart.

1989:  "So Alive" by Love and Rockets was the biggest mover on this date 94-68.
1989:  "Forever Your Girl" by Paula Abdul was the #1 song for a second week.
1989:  Lech Walesa, leader of the labor movement in Poland, awarded a Badge of Solidarity to Stevie Wonder.
1994:  Another famous day in the Rock Era as the Eagles reunited for a concert in Burbank, California after 14 years apart.  If only other groups had the same level of maturity.







           
                                                                   Dionne Farris's big hit...

1995:  "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan remained at #1 for the seventh consecutive week while Bryan Adams awaited his turn with "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?".  Boyz II Men's "Water Runs Dry" moved to #3 while Method Man with Mary J. Blige sat still at #4 with "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Freak Like Me" from Adina Howard, Nicki French's version of the Bonnie Tyler classic "Total Eclipse of the Heart" was at #6, the great song "I Know" by Dionne Farris was on its way down, TLC's "Red Light Special" was song #8, "I Believe" from Blessid Union of Souls was #9 and Monica shocked everyone by moving from 22 to 10 with "Don't Take It Personal".
     
                                         "Hold My Hand" from Hootie & the Blowfish...

1995:  Cracked Rear View reached #1 on the Album chart 45 weeks after its release on July 23, 1994, one of the longest times in the Rock Era that an album has taken to reach #1.
1997:  It used to be that rock artists had more confidence than to get in these kinds of situations.  Oasis singer Liam Gallagher suffered cuts and bruises after getting into a scuffle with a youth at the Tower Thistle Hotel in east London.
1999:  Rod Stewart won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ivor Novello Awards show.
2001:  Tool had the #1 album with Lateralus.
2003:  Metallica premiered the video from "St. Anger", which was filmed at San Quentin Prison, on MTV2.

2004:  Usher tied a Rock Era record by the Beatles and Bee Gees by placing all three songs in the Top 3 on this date--"Burn" at #1, "Yeah!" at #2 and "Confessions, Part II" at #3.
2005:  Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails was awarded $2.95 million in his fraud suit against his former manager.
2006:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers owned the top album with Stadium Arcadium.
2006:  Michael Jackson received the Legend Award at the MTV Japan's Video Music Awards at the Yoyogi National Athletic Stadium in Tokyo.

Born This Day:
1935:  Ramsey Lewis ("The In Crowd") was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1935:  Rudy Lewis of the Drifters was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died May 20, 1964 in Manhattan, New York.
1943:  Cilla Black, (Priscilla Marie Veronica White) who sang "You're My World", was born in Liverpool, England; died August 1, 2015 after a fall at her vacation home near Estepona, Spain caused a traumatic head injury.
1945:  Bruce Cockburn ("Wondering Where The Lions Are") was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  (Note:  The notorious 'AllMusic.com" claims Bruce was born in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada.  Bruce's official website states that he was born in Ottawa.)
1947:  Marty Kristian of the New Seekers ("I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing" from 1972) was born in Leipzig, Germany.
1948:  Pete Sears of Jefferson Starship was born in Bromley, Kent, England.
1957:  Eddie Harsch, keyboardist of the Black Crowes, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1958:  Siouxsie (Susan Janet Ballion) of Siouxsie and the Banshees was born in Southwark, Surrey, England.  (Note:  some websites say Susan was born in Bromley, Kent, England.  According to the book 'Entranced:  the Siouxsie and the Banshees Story' by Brian Johns, she was born in Southwark.)

. 1958:  Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House was born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand.
1966:  Sean Kinney of Alice in Chains was born in Renton, Washington.






1971:  Lisa Lopes (Left Eye) of TLC was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died in an automobile accident April 25, 2002 in LaCeiba, Honduras from severe neck injuries and head trauma which claimed her life.
1975:  Dre (Andre Benjamin) of Outkast was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Hits List: Dionne Warwick

This lady had a slew of hits in the 60's and 70's.  Then, an album produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees revitalized her career in 1979 and kept her as a recording star into the new millennium.  Here is the complete Hits List from Dionne Warwick:

1962:  "Don't Make Me Over" (#21, #5 R&B, #38 Canada)
1963:  "This Empty Place" (#84, #26 R&B)
           "Wishin' and Hopin'"
           "Make the Music Play" (#81)
           "Anyone Who Had a Heart" (#8, #6 R&B, #2 Easy Listening, #42 U.K., #11 Canada, #11 Australia)

1964:  "Walk On By" (#6, #1 R&B, #7 Easy Listening, #9 U.K., #14 Canada, #28 Australia)
           "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)" (#34, #10 R&B, #20 U.K., #15 Canada, #32 Australia
           "A House Is Not a Home" (371, #37 Canada)
           "Reach Out for Me" (#20, #1 R&B, #23 U.K., #12 Canada, #43 Australia)
1965:  "Who Can I Turn To" (#62, #36 R&B, #31 Canada)
           "You Can Have Him" (#75, #37 U.K., #81 Australia)
           "Here I Am" (#65, #11 Easy Listening, #19 Canada)
           "Looking with My Eyes" (#64, #38 R&B)
           "Are You There (With Another Girl)" (#39, #35 R&B, #13 Canada, #54 Australia)

1966:  "Message to Michael" (#8, #5 R&B, #12 Easy Listening, #6 Canada, #44 Australia)
           "Trains and Boats and Planes" (#22, #49 R&B, #37 Easy Listening, #18 Canada, #88 Australia)
           "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (#26, #20 R&B, #36 Canada, #90 Australia)
           "Another Night" (#49, #47 R&B, #30 Canada, #70 Australia)
1967:  "The Beginning of Loneliness" (#79, #44 Easy Listening)
           "Alfie" (#15, #5 R&B, #10 Canada)
           "The Windows of the World" (#32, #27 R&B, #32 Easy Listening, #20 Canada)
           "I Say a Little Prayer" (#4, #8 R&B, #4 Canada, #77 Australia)
           "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" (#2, #13 R&B, #2 Easy Listening, #28 U.K., #4 Canada, #59 Australia)

1968:  "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" (#10, #23 R&B, #4 Easy Listening, #8 U.K., #8 Canada, #15 Australia)
           "Let Me Be Lonely" (#71, #66 Canada)
           "Who Is Gonna' Love Me?" (#33, #43 R&B, #4 Easy Listening, #19 Canada)
           "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (#65)
           "Promises, Promises" (#19, #47 R&B, #7 Easy Listening, #8 Canada, #86 Australia)
1969:  "This Girl's in Love with You" (#7, #7 R&B, #2 Easy Listening, #7 Canada, #17 Australia)
           "The April Fools" (#37, #33 R&B, #8 Easy Listening, #32 Canada)
           "Odds and Ends" (#43, #7 Easy Listening, #40 Canada, #76 Australia)
           "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" (#16, #13 R&B, #10 Easy Listening, #12 Canada, #26 Australia)
           "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" (#6, #17 R&B, #1 Easy Listening, #3 Canada)
1970:  "Let Me Go to Him" (#32, #45 R&B, #5 Adult, #30 U.K., #47 Australia)
           "Paper Mache" (#43, #6 Adult, #34 Canada, #51 Australia)
           "Make It Easy on Yourself" (#37, #26 R&B, #2 Adult, #24 Canada)
           "The Green Grass Starts to Grow" (#43, #2 Adult, #35 Canada)
1971:  "Who Gets the Guy"  (#57, #42 R&B, #6 Adult)
           "Amanda" (#83, #15 Adult)
           "The Love of My Man"
           "I'm Your Puppet"
           If We Only Have Love" (#84, #37 Adult)
1973:  "The Good Life" (live)
           "I Think You Need Love"
           "(I'm) Just Being Myself" (#62 R&B)

1974:  "Then Came You" (with the Spinners) (#1, #2 R&B, #3 AC, #29 U.K., #7 Canada, #59 Australia)
           "Sure Thing" (#66 R&B)
1975:  "Take It from Me" (#30 R&B)
           "Once You Hit the Road" (#79, #5 R&B, #22 Adult)
1976:  "His House and Me" (#75 R&B)
           "I Didn't Mean to Love You" (#91 R&B)
1977:  "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"/"I Say a Little Prayer" (medley with Isaac Hayes--#65 R&B)
           "Only Love Can Break a Heart" (#46 Adult)
           "Do You Believe in Love at First Sight"
           "Keepin' My Head Above Water"
1978:  "Don't Ever Take Your Love Away"

1979:  "I'll Never Love This Way Again" (#5, #18 R&B, #5 Adult Contemporary, #62 U.K., #6 Canada, #35 Australia)
1980:  "Deja Vu" (#15, #25 R&B, #1 Adult Contemporary, #34 Canada, #69 Australia)
           "After You" (#65, #33 R&B, #10 ACT, #85 Canada)
           "No Night So Long" #23, #19 R&B, #1 AC)
           "Easy Love" (#62, #12 AC)
           "We Never Said Goodbye" (#41 R&B)
1981:  "Some Changes Are for Good" (#65, #43 R&B, #23 Adult)
           "There's a Long Road Ahead of Us"

1982:  "Friends in Love" (with Johnny Mathis) (#38, #22 R&B, #5 AC, #46 Australia)
           "For You" #14 Adult)
           "Heartbreaker" (#10, #14 R&B, #1 Adult, #2 U.K., #15 Canada, #2 Australia)
           "Take the Short Way Home" (#41, #43 R&B, #5 Adult)
           "All the Love in the World" (#16 AC, #10 U.K., #53 Australia)
           "Yours" (#66 U.K.)
           "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" (with Luther Vandross) (#27, #7 R&B, #4 Adult, #99 U.K.)
1984:  "Got a Date" (#45 R&B)
1985:  "Finder of Lost Jones" (with Glenn Jones) (#47 R&B, #12 AC
           "That's What Friends Are For" (with Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) (#1, #1 R&B, #1 Adult, #16 U.K., #1 Canada, #1 Australia)
1986:  "Whisper in the Dark" (#72, #49 R&B and #7 Adult)

1987:  "Love Power" (with Jeffrey Osborne) (#12, #5 R&B, #1 AC, and #63 U.K.)
           "Reservations for Two" (with Kashif) (#62, #20 R&B, #7 Adult)
1988:  "Another Chance to Love (with Howard Hewett) (#42 R&B, #24 Adult)
1989:  "Take Good Care of You and Me" (with Jeffrey Osborne) (#46 R&B, #25 Adult, #93 U.K.)
1990:  "I Don't Need Another Love (with the Spinners) #84 R&B)
1991:  "It's All Over (with Dieter Bohlen)
1993:  'Where's My Lips Have Been" (#95 R&B)

1998:  "What the World Needs Now Is Love" (with the HipHopNation Unlimited)
           "High Upon This Love (Love Theme from The Bold and the Beautiful).
2007:  "Family First" with Whitney Houston, Cissy Houston & Family)

That's 56 hits for Dionne, with 12 of those going Top 10 and 2 #1 songs.  On the R&B chart, Warwick has enjoyed 56 hits with 14 Top 10's and 2 #1's.  On the AC chart, Warwick was dominant in the 60's and early 70's with 14 Top 10's in a row.  Overall, Dionne had 45 Adult Contemporary hits with a sensational 30 Top 10's and 4 #1's.

This Date in Rock Music History: May 26

1953:  Man, egg on the faces of the judges who ranked Elvis Presley second in the talent competition at the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Show in Meridian, Mississippi.  Whoever finished first came nowhere near having 18 #1 songs.
1958:  Jerry Lee Lewis played what would be his final concert of a planned 27-date tour of the U.K., booed off stage by angry British.  People found out that he had been married to his 13 year-old cousin and it was "Bye, Bye Jerry!" after four shows.  When Lewis returned to the United States, he was blacklisted from radio stations, his record company mocked him, and he went from making $10,000 per performance to finding gigs for $250.

                                     Ray Charles was headed for the top...   


1962:  "Stranger On The Shore" from Mr. Acker Bilk landed at #1, displacing "Soldier Boy" by the Shirelles after three weeks.  Dee Dee Sharp held steady at #3 while Ray Charles loomed next after a 21-4 move for "I Can't Stop Loving You".
1963:  Elvis Presley recorded "(You're The) Devil In Disguise" at the RCA Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.  (Note:  some websites report that Presley recorded the song over two days.  While he had recording sessions on both May 26 and 27, he finished "Devil In Disguise" on May 26, according  to the book 'Elvis Presley: A Life In Music' by Ernst Jorgensen.)
1965:  The Rolling Stones, Sonny and Cher, Jackie DeShannon and Jimmie Rodgers appeared on the television show Shindig!
1966:  The Rolling Stones reached #1 in the U.K. with "Paint It Black".
1968:  Little Willie John ("Fever") died at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington at age 30.




1969:  After their seven day bed-in for peace at the Amsterdam Hilton in March of 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began their second famous "bed-in" for peace at Le Reine Élizabeth Hotel (Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in English) in Montreal, Quebec.  (Note:  several websites claim the bed-in began May 21 and that it lasted ten days.  The bed-in began May 26 and lasted through June 2, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Company, the book 'The Suite Life:  The Magic and Mystery of Hotel Living' by Christopher Heard, and 'The Beatles Bible'.)
1971:  The song may have been about "The day the music died", but that song was born this day as Don McLean went into the recording studio to record the all-time classic "American Pie" at the Record Plant in New York City.
1972:  Elton John released the album Honky Chateau in the United States (he had released the LP on May 19 in the U.K.)
1973:  George Harrison had the Biggest Mover on the chart with "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)", which climbed from 59 to 34.




1973:  The #3 Instrumental of All-Time* reached #1 on this date--"Frankenstein" from Edgar Winter Group.  It remains the only hard rock instrumental ever to reach the top.  Interestingly enough, another hard rock instrumental, "Hocus Pocus" by Focus, also entered the Top 10 on this date in 1973 at #10 as well.  Paul McCartney & Wings had their first big hit "My Love" which was #2 on this date.  Elton John's "Daniel" reached #3 while the former #1 "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Dawn was at 4.  The rest of the Top 10:  The former #1 "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", Sylvia's "Pillow Talk" moved up to #6, Sweet fell to 7 after peaking at #3 with "Little Willy", Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" was #8 and Skylark edged up to #9 with "Wildflower".

 

'The Blue Album' had the perfect mix of hits and album tracks, such as "Across the Universe"...

1973:  The great double greatest hits album The Beatles/1967-1970 was #1 this week and the Beatles' double album The Beatles/1962-1966 was at #3 with Houses of the Holy from Led Zeppelin sandwiched in between.

1977:  The Broadway tribute Beatlemania previewed at the Winter Garden Theatre in Manhattan with opening day set for May 31.

1977:  Billy Powell of the O'Jays died of cancer at age 35.

1978:  Donna Summer co-hosted The Midnight Special.

1979: Bette Midler appeared on Saturday Night Live on NBC-TV.

1979: "Sunday Girl" became the second U.K. #1 for Blondie.

1979:  Kenny Rogers' great song "She Believes In Me" took over at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

1979:  "Reunited" ruled supreme for the fourth week in a row for Peaches & Herb.  Donna Summer was a solid #2 with "Hot Stuff".  There were three new Top 10 songs--"We Are Family" from Sister Sledge, which elevated from 13 to 6, Randy Vanwarmer's "Just When I Needed You Most", up from 15 to 8, and "Love Is The Answer", England Dan & John Ford Coley's latest, at #10.

1982:  Bobby Darin was given a star posthumously on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1984:  Bruce Springsteen had the highest debut of the week with "Dancing In The Dark", which had been released earlier in the month.

1984:  The Cars had the Biggest Mover with their great song "Magic" climbing from 59 to 39.

1984:  Deniece Williams reached the pinnacle as the former backup singer for Stevie Wonder hit #1 with "Let's Hear It For the Boy".  Lionel Richie's "Hello" slipped to #2 with Cyndi Lauper moving up behind him with "Time After Time".  Phil Collins remained strong after 14 weeks with his former #1--"Against All Odds" while Steve Perry's first solo hit "Oh Sherrie" was up to #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" by Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson, Duran Duran moved from 12-6 with "The Reflex", Night Ranger had a big hit with "Sister Christian, up from 16 to 8, Irene Cara was back with "Breakdance" and the Thompson Twins' former #3 smash "Hold Me Now".

1990:  David Bowie was sued by his ex-wife Angie for $56 million.

1990:  "Hold On" by En Vogue was the #1 R&B song.

1990:  Wilson Phillips topped the Adult Contemporary chart with "Hold On".  Note:  This song is completely different than "Hold On" by En Vogue mentioned above.

                                         Heart closed in on the top spot...

1990:  Not only did women dominate the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts, but for the first time in music history, they had every one of the top five Popular songs.  Madonna had the #1 song with "Vogue", Heart's "All I Wanna' Do Is Make Love to You", Sinead O'Connor's former #1 "Nothing Compares 2 (sic) U (sic)" was at #3, "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips was next and Janet Jackson's "Alright" came in at #5.

1993:  Singapore removed its ban on music by the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chicago and Bob Dylan.

1996:  George Michael had the #1 album in the U.K. with Older.

1996:  A fire at Eric Clapton's home in London caused over a million-and-ahalf dollars of damage.  When firemen got to the scene, Eric was rushing to save his guitar collection.

2000:  Richard Carpenter was given an honorary doctorate degree from California State University-Long Beach.

2004:  Celine Dion returned to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas after a neck injury forced her to postpone performances for two weeks.

2005:  Mariah Carey registered her 16th #1 song, "We Belong Together", leaving her two shy of Elvis Presley for #2 all-time to the Rock Era record holder, the Beatles.

2006:  Gwen Stefani and husband Gavin Rossdale were the proud parents of son Kingston Rossdale in Los Angeles.

2008:  Paul McCartney was given an honorary doctorate of music from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Born This Day:

1920:  Peggy Lee (real name Norma Dolores Egstrom) was born in Jamestown, North Dakota; died January 21, 2002 of a heart attack and complications from diabetes in Los Angeles.

1941:  Art Sharp of the Nashville Teens was born in Woking, Surrey, England.

1943:  Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist of the Band, was born in Elaine, Arkansas.  (Note:  some websites claim Helm was born in Marvelle, Arkansas.  According to Helm's official website, he was born in Elaine.)

1944:  Verden Allen of Mott the Hoople was born in Crynant, Neath, Wales.

1946:  Mick Ronson, elite guitarist who worked with David Bowie and Bob Dylan, among others, was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England; died of liver cancer April 29, 1993 in London. (Note:  Some websites report Ronson was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and some say he was born in Hull, Humberside, England.  'Billboard' just threw up their hands and said he was born in the county of Yorkshire, England without specifying the name of the city.  The official name of the town is Kingston-Upon-Hull, which is often shortened to Hull.  Prior to 1974, Hull was a county borough independent of county authority.  In 1974, Hull was included in the newly created county of Humberside.  In 1996, the county of Humberside was abolished, and Hull was named a unitary authority area with East Riding of Yorkshire a "ceremonial county".  Thus, at the time of Ronson's birth, Hull was not part of any county, and his correct place of birth was Kingston-Upon-Hull, England, or Hull, England.) 

1948:  Stevie Nicks, lead singer of Fleetwood Mac and a solo star, was born in Phoenix, Arizona.

1964:  Lenny Kravitz was born in Brooklyn, New York. (Note:  some websites report Kravitz was born in New York City, while others say Brooklyn, and still others say Manhattan, New York.  Unfortunately, there are no credible sources for any place of birth so at this point, but our best information is that Lenny was born in Brooklyn and lived in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.)

1972:  Alan White, drummer for Oasis, was born in Lewisham, London.  (Note:  some websites list his birthplace as simply London, which can be very confusing since London is both a city and a county.  Others show his birth as Eltham, London.  Unfortunately, no credible sources exist, but our best information is that he was born in Lewisham, a city in the country of Greater London.)

1978:  Jaheim Hoagland (aka Jaheim) was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

1981:  Isaac Slade, pianist, songwriter, co-founder and lead singer for the Fray, was born in Denver, Colorado.  (Note:  some websites show his birthplace as Boulder, Colorado.  Although no credible sources exist for either city, our best research indicates he was born in Denver and lived in Boulder.)

This Date in Rock Music History: May 25

1959:  "Bongo Rock", the great instrumental from Preston Epps, was the biggest mover of the week, rising from 80 all the way to 48.











1960:  Fifteen-year-old Brenda Lee released the single "I'm Sorry".
1963:  We were introduced to a new talent as radio stations first began playing the debut single from Otis Redding, "These Arms Of Mine".  He would go on to have 30 hits in his career before dying in a plane crash on December 10, 1967.
1963:  Jimmy Soul spent a second week at #1 with "If You Wanna' Be Happy" but the former #1 "I Will Follow Him" from Little Peggy March hung in at #2.  The Beach Boys had #3 "Surfin' U.S.A." while the Shirelles edged up to #4 with "Foolish Little Girl".
1965:  Dave Davies of the Kinks was knocked unconscious after running into drummer Mick Avory's cymbal while performing one of his antics during a London concert.  The remaining dates of the tour had to be canceled.
1968:  The Monterey Pop Festival was canceled.
1968:  Hugo Montenegro's great instrumental "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" from the movie of the same name, was the #1 song for another week on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1968:  "Think" by Aretha Franklin was one of the biggest movers of all-time on this date, rising from 67 to 16.

1968:  The great album Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel deservedly reached #1 on the Album chart.















1970:  Free released the single "All Right Now".
1969:  Led Zeppelin and the Who were in concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
1973:  Carole King performed before 100,000 fans at a free concert in Central Park in New York City.
1974:  KISS had their first hit when "Kissin' Time" debuted on this date.  It would reach #83.










1974:  Joni Mitchell ruled the Adult Contemporary chart with "Help Me".
1978:  Keith Moon performed with the Who for the last time before his death before invited guests at Shepperton Studios in London.
1981:  The Pointer Sisters released the single "Slow Hand".
1985:  Whitney Houston had the #1 R&B song with "You Give Good Love".
1985:  Billy Ocean moved into the #1 slot on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Suddenly", the title song from his album.
1985:  Phil Collins was on top of the Album chart with No Jacket Required.  Prince & the Revolution had #2--Around the World in a Day while the Soundtrack to "Beverly Hills Cop" was #3.  Bruce Springsteen's classic album Born in the U.S.A. was still at #4 after 49 weeks.  The rest of the Top 10:  We Are the World from USA For Africa, Sade's album Diamond Life was at #6, Madonna held #7 Like a Virgin, Wham! moved to #8 with Make It Big, Tears For Fears had #9 with Songs From the Big Chair and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were at 10 with Southern Accents.


                                                 Howard Jones was feeling upbeat...

1985:  Wham! had their third #1 song--"Everything She Wants".  Simple Minds was relegated to #2 with "Don't You (Forget About Me)" while Tears For Fears was making a move with "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" with a jump from 9-3.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Axel F" was #4 for Harold Faltermeyer, Sade had "Smooth Operator", Madonna fell to #6 with "Crazy For You", Murray Head had song #7--"One Night In Bangkok", Billy Ocean entered the Top 10 with "Suddenly", the Power Station had "Some Like It Hot" and Howard Jones moved up to #10 with "Things Can Only Get Better".









1987:  U2 released the single "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".









1991:  Michael Bolton regained the #1 spot on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Love Is A Wonderful Thing".
1991:  Bolton was proving the strength of the AC format with the new #1 album Time, Love & Tenderness.  Three tremendous albums were still in the Top 10--Mariah Carey at #3 after 48 weeks, No Fences from Garth Brooks at #4 after 36 weeks and Wilson Phillips was at #9 after 59 weeks on the Album chart.










                                          Queensryche with their best-known song...

1991:  Mariah Carey rose from #8 to #1 with "I Don't Wanna' Cry", her fourth consecutive #1 song to begin her career.  Carey became just the second newcomer to achieve four straight #1's with their first four releases (The Jackson 5 were the other.)  Cathy Dennis peaked at #2 with "Touch Me (All Night Long)" while Extreme would be a factor after bouncing from 9 to 3 with "More Than Words".  Hi-Five slipped from the top with "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)" and Rod Stewart had his 42nd hit but only his 12th Top 10 with "Rhythm Of My Heart".  The rest of the Top 10:  "I Touch Myself" from the Divinyls, C+C Music Factory with "Here We Go", Color Me Badd was back with "I Wanna' Sex You Up", Michael Bolton moved into the Top 10 with "Love Is A Wonderful Thing" and Queensryche edged up with "Silent Lucidity".
1992:  Khalil Rountree, the manager for Boyz II Men while they were on tour, was shot and killed at a hotel in Chicago.  The group was on tour with M.C. Hammer at the time.
1996:  Bradley Nowell of Sublime died of a drug overdose at the age of 26 in San Francisco, California.

1998:  It was "Ramsey Lewis Week" in Chicago.
2003:  Elton John, Taylor Dayne and Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys performed at the benefit concert Life Ball in Vienna, Austria for AIDS charities.
2004:  Phish announced they were splitting up at the end of the summer.
2005:  System of a Down had the #1 album with Mesmerize.
2006:  Desmond Dekker ("Israelites") died of a heart attack at the age of 64 in Thornton Heath, Surrey, England.
2010:  The Michigan state legislature passed a resolution honoring Tommy James for "his contributions in the music and recording world".




Born This Day:


1921:  Hal David, songwriting partner of Burt Bacharach, was born in Manhattan, New York; died of a stroke September 1, 2012  in Los Angeles.  (Note:  some websites claim David was born in Brooklyn, while others say he was born in New York City.  The authority on all things New York, the newspaper 'The New York Times', reports that David was born in Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn with his family when he was one year old.  This is confirmed by Bill DeMain in his book 'In Their Own Words:  Songwriters Talk about the Creative Process'.) 1927:  Norman Petty, Buddy Holly's producer, was born in Clovis, New Mexico; died of leukemia August 15, 1984 in Lubbock, Texas.
1936:  Donnie Elbert ("Where Did Our Love Go?" from 1972) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana; died January 26, 1989 after suffering a massive stroke in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1936:  Tom T. Hall ("I Love") was born in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
1947:  Mitch Margo of the Tokens was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1948:  Klaus Meine, lead singer of the Scorpions, was born in Hannover, Germany
1950:  Jean Millington of Fanny ("Butter Boy") was born in Manila, the Philippines.
1950:  Robert Steinhardt, violinist and co-lead singer of Kansas
1955:  John Grimaldi, guitarist of Argent, was born in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England; died of multiple sclerosis November 15, 1983.
1958:  Paul Weller of the Style Council ("My Ever Changing Moods") was born in Sheerwater, Surrey, England.  Woking, Surrey. (Note:  some websites report he was born in Woking, England, or Woking, Surrey, England.  According to 'Songwriter' magazine, Paul was born in Sheerwater, a small suburb of Woking.)
1969:  Glen Drover, guitarist of Megadeth, was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.  (Note:  some websites report Glen was born in Missisauga, Ontario, Canada.  There is no such city in Canada--the correct spelling of his birthplace is Mississauga.) 

1975:  Lauryn Hill of the Fugees and a solo artist, was born in East Orange, New Jersey.  (Note:  several websites claim Hill was born in South Orange, New Jersey.  She was born in East Orange, then raised in South Orange, according to 'MTV'.)
1980:  Joe King, singer, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the Fray, was born in Rochester, New York.  (Note:  some websites report King was born in Denver, Colorado.  Although there are no credible sources for either city as Joe's place of birth, our best research indicates he was born in Rochester.)

Elton John Hospitalized in Los Angeles

After becoming ill last weekend while performing his "Million Dollar Piano" show in Las Vegas, Elton John checked into a hospital in Los Angeles yesterday. Doctors diagnosed the 65-year-old superstar with a serious respiratory infection.

Physicians at the hospital recommended that Elton not perform any concerts for approximately seven days and thus his shows Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at Caesar's Palace have been canceled.

"It feels strange not to be able to perform these 'Million Dollar Piano' concerts at The Colosseum," John said in the statement. "I love performing this show and I will be thrilled when we return to The Colosseum in October to complete the eleven concerts soon to be scheduled. All I can say to the fans is sorry I can't be with you."

Best of luck for a speedy recovery, Elton. We hope to see you back performing soon.

This Date in Rock Music History: May 24

1968:  The Rolling Stones released the single "Jumpin' Jack Flash".
1969:  The Guess Who appeared on American Bandstand.









1969:  "Get Back" gave the Beatles their 17th #1 song, leaving them just one shy of Elvis Presley's record, despite Elvis being an artist for 14 years and the Beatles just 6 at that time.  They would get that #1 and more the next year.  "Aquarius" slipped only to #2 after six weeks in the #1 spot.  Mercy was in with the giants at #3 with "Love (Can Make You Happy)" while "Hair" from the Cowsills fell off.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Oh Happy Day" moved nicely (12-5) for the Edwin Hawkins Singers, the Isley Brothers with "It's Your Thing", Donovan with "Atlantis", Simon & Garfunkel were down with "The Boxer", Ray Stevens placed "Gitarzan" at #9 and the Guess Who remained at #10 with "These Eyes".
1970:  Peter Green announced that he was leaving Fleetwood Mac.
1974:  Olivia Newton-John and Boz Scaggs appeared on The Midnight Special.





1975:  "99 Miles From L.A." by Albert Hammond held down the #1 position on the Adult Contemporary chart.















1975:  "Shining Star" was the first and only #1 for Earth, Wind & Fire.  New entries in the Top 10 were "Bad Time" by Grand Funk and "Old Days" from Chicago.
1979:  The members of Genesis met their fans while manning ticket booths to their benefit show at the Roxy in Los Angeles.












1980:  Bette Midler remained at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for the third week with "The Rose".















1980:  The Spinners made one of the biggest moves of the decade with "Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time", which shot up from 67-29 on this date.











                                         L.A.'s Ambrosia with their biggest career hit...

1980:  Blondie held on to #1 for a sixth week with the smash "Call Me".  Lipps, Inc. made their move with "Funkytown", amazingly jumping over "Lost In Love" from Air Supply.  Kenny Rogers & Kim Carnes were responsible for song #4--"Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer".  The rest of the Top 10: Dr. Hook's "Sexy Eyes", Ambrosia had a great hit with "Biggest Part Of Me", the Brothers Johnson were back after an extended absence with "Stomp!", Linda Ronstadt enjoyed her eighth Top 10 and 26th hit with "Hurt So Bad", Christopher Cross slipped backwards with "Ride Like The Wind" and Gary Numan had his one and only--"Cars".





1982:  Steve Miller released the single that would be a big comeback hit for him--"Abracadabra".  (Note:  some websites naively say that the single was released May 29.  "Abracadabra" debuted on the Singles chart on May 29.  It is physically impossible for a song to be released by a record company, mailed to radio stations, listened to and added to playlists by the radio station, reported to the trade papers, and the trade papers printed and published, all in one day.)
1982:  An 11-minute film by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr was screened at the famous Cannes Film Festival in France.
1986:  Garth Books married Sandy Mahl.
1986:  Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork reunited as the Monkees without drummer Michael Nesmith.  The three Monkees kicked off their tour at the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha Lake, New York.

 

"Why Can't This Be Love" helped give Van Halen one of the biggest albums of their career...

1986:  Whitney Houston continued to top the Album chart in its 61st week on the chart.  5150 from Van Halen was #2 with Bob Seger's solid album Like a Rock moving up to #3.  The rest of the Top 10:  Prince had #4 with Parade, the Soundtrack to "Pretty in Pink" was #5, Journey's Raised On Radio was #6, Control from Janet Jackson was #7, the Rolling Stones dropped to #8 with Dirty Work, the Pet Shop Boys had a Top 10 album with Please and Robert Palmer was at #10 with Riptide.
1986:  "Greatest Love Of All" from Whitney Houston was #1 for the fifth straight week.






1991:  Gene Clark of the Byrds died of a heart attack in Sherman Oaks, California at the age of 46.
1986:  Whitney Houston spent a fifth week atop the Adult Contemporary chart with "Greatest Love Of All".
1997:  Spice by the Spice Girls was the new #1 album.
1997:  The new single from that album Spice became one of the highest debuting songs of the rock era.  "Say You'll Be There" from the Girls entered the chart at #5.









1998:  Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell proclaimed it "Van Halen Day" in the city.
2000:  Puff Daddy finally settled the last lawsuit that had been filed as a result of the 1991 stampede at a New York charity event in which Daddy, Diddy, P. Diddy or whatever played at.
2003:  Justin Timberlake sold 130,000 tickets to his U.K. tour in two-and-a-half hours.
2003:  More importantly, Sir Paul McCartney had tea with Russian premier Vladimir Putin by day and then played before 20,000 at Moscow's Red Square that night.
2010:  Aretha Franklin was awarded an honorary degree from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.


Born This Day:
1940:  Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong ("Earache My Eye") was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

1941:  Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota.

1944:  Patti LaBelle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1946:  Steve Upton, drummer of Wishbone Ash, was born in Wrexham, Wales.
1947:  Albert Bouchard, singer-songwriter, drummer and founding member of Blue Oyster Cult, was born in Watertown, New York.
1956:  Larry Blackmon, lead singer of Cameo ("Word Up"), was born in New York City.
1967:  Heavy D was born in Mandeville, Jamaica; died of a blood clot in his lung November 8, 2011 in Los Angeles.
1969:  Rich Robinson, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of the Black Crowes, was born in Atlanta, Georgia.