This Date in Rock Music History: February 17

1955:  Little Richard sent his first audition tape to Specialty Records.

1958:  The Silhouettes stood tall at #1 for a third week on the R&B chart with "Get A Job".












1960:  Paul Anka released the single "Puppy Love".
1960:  Elvis Presley received Gold record for his debut album Elvis.
1960:  The Everly Brothers signed a new 10-year record-breaking contract with Warner Brothers Records for $1 million.
1962:  "Midnight In Moscow" by Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen was still #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
1962:  For the fifth week in a row, "Duke Of Earl" by Gene Chandler was #1 on the R&B chart.







1962:  A new group appeared on the chart with a sound that was unlike anything we'd heard.  They would go on to become one of The Top 20 Artists of the Rock Era*.  The Beach Boys debuted on the chart with their first single release--"Surfin'".
1962:  Gene Chandler took over at #1 with "Duke Of Earl".








1964:  Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass made their live debut in Los Angeles.

 
1964:  Chad & Jeremy were guests on the television program The Patty Duke Show.  (Note:  some websites claim the appearance occurred on February 14, 1965.  The correct date is February 17, 1965, according to the book 'Beatleness:  How the Beatles and Their Fans Remade the World' by Candy Leonard.) 











1965:  The Kinks released the single "Tired Of Waiting For You".  (Note:  some websites erroneously place the date of release as either March 13 or August 11.  These are both physically impossible.  The song debuted on the Singles chart on March 13.  It is not possible for a song to appear in print on the Singles chart if it was released that day or not released as a single at all.)

1966:  The Beach Boys began recording "Good Vibrations".  Six months, four studios, seventeen sessions, and an estimated $50,000-$70,000 later, the group finished with the most expensive single song in the history of the Rock Era.
1966:  Nancy Sinatra topped the U.K. singles chart with "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'".








1967:  The Beatles began recording  "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!" with seven takes at Abbey Road Studios in London.  John Lennon got the words from an antique poster of a circus performance that took place in February of 1843 in Rochdale, Lancashire.  John had purchased the poster in Sevenoaks on January 31 while the Beatles were filming the "Strawberry Fields Forever" promotional film.







1968:  Big Brother and the Holding Company signed a recording contract with the new CBS label Columbia Records.
1968:  Diana Ross & the Supremes' compilation Greatest Hits was #1 on the U.K. Album chart.
1968:  "Love Is Blue" from Paul Mauriat was the #1 Adult song for the fifth consecutive week.







            Boyce and Hart had a lot of requests for this one...

1968:  Paul Mauriat continued to have a firm hold on #1 with "Love Is Blue".  The Lemon Pipers were still at #2 with "Green Tambourine" while the Classics IV were right behind with "Spooky".  The Temptations placed fourth with "I Wish It Would Rain".  The rest of the Top 10:  Dionne Warwick jumped up 10 with "(Theme From) 'Valley Of The Dolls'", the late Otis Redding vaulted from 28 to 6 with "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", the Lettermen's medley of "Goin' Out Of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You", the Human Beinz remained in the #8 spot with "Nobody But Me", John Fred & His Playboy Band dropped with their former #1--"Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)" and Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart reached the Top 10 with "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight".
1970:  Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees opened in the stage musical Sing a Rude Song at the Greenwich Theatre in London.
1971:  James Taylor made his prime-time television debut on The Johnny Cash Show on ABC, performing "Fire And Rain" and "Carolina In My Mind".  Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young and Tony Joe White ("Polk Salad Annie") were the other guests.
1972:  Pink Floyd wrapped up a tour of the U.K. with the first of four shows at the Rainbow Theatre in London.

1973:  Anne Murray moved to #1 on the Adult chart with "Danny's Song".
1973:  War ruled the Album chart with The World is a Ghetto, knocking Carly Simon's No Secrets from the top.  The great Stevie Wonder album Talking Book was third.  
1973:  Gladys Knight & the Pips took over at #1 on the R&B chart with "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First to Say Goodbye)", toppling "Love Train" by the O'Jays.  Both songs are ranked in The Top 30 R&B Songs of the 1970's*.
1973:  The Stylistics' new song "Break Up To Make Up" was a hot song, moving from 88 to 53.      






 
               Steely Dan--not bad for a first single, huh?

1973:  Elton John's first career #1 was a big one--"Crocodile Rock" remained there for a third week.  Carly Simon's former #1 "You're So Vain" proved durable with its fourth week at #2 since it left the top spot.  Hurricane Smith snuck in with "Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?", Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell jumped into the Top 10 with "Dueling Banjos" and Roberta Flack moved from 15 to 5 with "Killing Me Softly With His Song".  The rest of a solid Top 10:  Impressive Steely Dan with "Do It Again", the Spinners had song #7 with "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", Lobo edged up with "Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend", Timmy Thomas's #3 song "Why Can't We Live Together" was on its way down and John Denver had another Top 10 with "Rocky Mountain High"..
1975:  John Lennon released the album Rock n' Roll in the United States on Apple Records, his last LP before leaving the music business for five years.

1975:  AC/DC released their debut album, High Voltage.
1976:  The Eagles released their Greatest Hits album, that closed out the millennium as the best-selling album of all-time in the United States.  It was passed in 2009 by Michael Jackson's Thriller, but just barely--both albums have been certified by the RIAA has having sold over 29 million albums.
1976:  Bette Midler was named the "Woman of the Year" by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatrical Society.
1979:  The Clash began its first tour of the United States at the Palladium in New York City.1979:  Another exciting new wave group appeared on the scene as Blondie first hit the charts with their debut single--"Heart Of Glass".
1979:  The U.K. was ahead on this group as Blondie already was #1 on the Album chart with Parallel Lines.

1979:  The Bee Gees landed at #4 on the Album chart with Spirits Having Flown in its first week.  The first album from Dire Straits moved from 15-7, while Totally Hot by Olivia Newton-John moved from 12-8 and the self-titled debut from Toto entered the Top 10.
1980:  Kenny Rogers owned the #1 U.K. song--"Coward Of The County".
1989:  David Coverdale, formerly with Deep Purple and later with Whitesnake, married Tawny Kitaen.

1990:  Aerosmith appeared on Saturday Night Live on NBC-TV.
1990:  Quincy Jones, Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, Barry White and El DeBarge combined for the new #1 R&B song--"The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)".
1990:  Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville followed up their smash hit "Don't Know Much" with another #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart--"All My Life".






1990:  Few albums in the Rock Era were still at #1 at this point in their lifespan but on this date, Forever Your Girl was still #1 for Paula Abdul.















1992:  Mariah Carey released the great single "Make It Happen".  (Note some websites naively report that the single was released on April 4.  "Make It Happen" debuted on the Singles chart on February 22, 1992.  It is physically impossible for a song to debut on the Singles chart if it has not been released as a single yet.)
1996:  A Platinum American Express card that once belonged to Bruce Springsteen sold for $4,500 at a memorabilia sale in New York City.  Springsteen had given the expired card to a waiter by mistake and let him keep it.






     
                      LaBouche exploded for a huge hit...

1996:  Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men were in the stratosphere with a 13th week at #1 with "One Sweet Day".  That tied them with "End Of The Road" by Boyz II Men and just two songs--"I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men and "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston, with 14 weeks apiece, had ever spent more time at #1.  "Missing" by Everything But the Girl would likely have been a #1 song in nearly any other time period but had to settle for #2.  Whitney Houston was third with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", Mary J. Blige moved up to fourth with "Not Gon' Cry" and the Tony Rich Project placed "Nobody Knows" at #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Brandy's "Sittin' Up In My Room", LL Cool J fell with "Hey Lover", La Bouche had the dance floors cooking with "Be My Lover", Joan Osbourne was on her way down with "One Of Us" and the Goo Goo Dolls wrapped up the list with "Name".
1997:  Michael Nesmith, guitarist for the Monkees, directed the documentary television special Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees, in which all four members performed, which was broadcast by ABC-TV on this date.
1998:  Bob Merrill, who wrote "People" for Barbra Streisand,  "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania", "How Much is That Doggy In The Window?" and many hits, including co-writing 'Hello Dolly!", committed suicide in Culver City, California at age 76.  (Note:  many websites report his birth year as 1920, or that he died at age 74 (which would have made his birth year 1923), but Merrill's official website reports that he was born in 1921.)  

1998:  Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album.

2000:  The Steinway piano that John Lennon used to write "Imagine" went on display at the Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool, England.

2001:  The Manic Street Preachers became the first Western band to play in Cuba as they were in concert at Karl Marx Stadium in Havana.

2002:  Westlife reached #1 in the U.K. with "World Of Our Own", their 10th #1 on that chart.

2002:  Ja Rule and Ashanti had the #1 song in the United States with "Always On Time".

2004:  Krist Novoselic, former bassist of Nirvana, dropped out of the race for lieutenant governor of Washington.

2004:  Don Henley said what we all feel in an editorial published in The Washington Post.  "When I started in the music business," Henley wrote, "music was important and vital to our culture.  Record labels signed cutting-edge artists and there was an incredible variety of music.  Music touched fans in a unique and personal way.  Our culture was enriched and the music business was healthy and strong.  That's all changed."  So true, Don.

2006:  The Rolling Stones were named the top money-makers for 2005, grossing $168 million in record and ticket sales.
2006:  Bill Cowsill of the Cowsills ("Hair" from 1969) died of emphysema in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the age of 58.  (Note:  some websites report that Bill died on February 18, but 'Rolling Stone' states that he died on February 17.)
2010:  Susan Jacks of the Poppy Family ("Where Evil Grows" from 1971) received a kidney transplant from her brother, Billy.
2014:  Bob Casale, guitarist, keyboardist, and singer with Devo, and later a sound engineer, died of heart failure in Los Angeles at the age of 61.

Born This Day:
1905:  Orville "Hoppy" Jones, bassist, cello player and singer with the Ink Spots, was born in Chicago, Illinois; died October 18, 1944 in New York City.  (Note:  several websites report that Jones was born in 1902, but according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he was born in 1905.)
1922:  Tommy Edwards, who had one of the great songs of the early Rock Era ("It's All In The Game" from 1958), was born in Richmond, Virginia; died October 22, 1969 after suffering a brain aneurysm in Henrico County, Virginia.

1940:  Gene Pitney, one of the great stars of the early Rock Era, who also wrote "Hello, Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson, "He's A Rebel" for the Crystals, and "Rubber Ball" for the Cyrkle, was born in Hartford, Connecticut; was found dead at age 65 in his bed in a hotel in Cardiff, Wales  April 5, 2006 while on a tour of the U.K.  (Note some sources claim Pitney was born in Rockville, Connecticut.  According to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times', he was born in Hartford and later lived in Rockville.)     
1946:  Dodie Stevens (real name Geraldine Ann Pasquale), who had the hit "Pink Shoe Laces" in 1959 when she was 13 years old, was born in Chicago, Illinois. 
1950:  Rickey Medlocke, singer and guitarist of Blackfoot ("Train, Train") and later a guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
1970: Tim Mahoney, lead guitarist of 311, was born in Omaha, Nebraska. 

1972:  Billie Joe Armstrong, songwriter,  lead guitarist and lead vocalist with Green Day, was born in Oakland, California.  (Note:  some websites claim Armstrong was born in Rodeo; he was born in Oakland and raised in Rodeo, according to the band's official website.)
1972:  Taylor Hawkins, drummer who worked with Alanis Morrisette and the Foo Fighters, was born in Fort Worth, Texas.

This Date in Rock Music History: February 16

1953:  "Venus" was the name of Frankie Avalon's newest, and it rose from #99 to #53 on this date.
 
1959:  The Fleetwoods released the single "Come Softly To Me".

1963:  Paul Anka married Anne DeZogheb in the chapel of Orly Airport in Paris, France.  (Internet websites report various names for Anka's wife, including Marie-Ann, Marie Ann, De Zogheb, de Zogheb, and DeZogheb.  The correct name, according to the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, 'People' magazine, and fashion magazines, is Anne de Zogheb.)
1963:  The Miracles climbed to #1 on the R&B chart with "You've Really Got A Hold On Me".







1964:  The first show one week earlier was such a ratings blockbuster that the Beatles were invited back and performed for a second time on The Ed Sullivan Show.  The group performed "She Loves You", "This Boy", "All My Loving", "I Saw Her Standing There", "From Me To You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida.
1967:  The promotional film for the Beatles' smash two-sided single "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" was shown on Top of the Pops on BBC-TV.  (Note:  some websites show this date as February 9, but the correct date is February 16, according to 'TV.com'.)








1967:  The Four Tops released the single "Bernadette".
1967:  Petula Clark scored her second #1 on the U.K. chart with the song written by Charlie Chaplin, "This Is My Song".
1968:  The city of Detroit, Michigan declared it "Aretha Franklin Day".










1970:  Edison Lighthouse released the single "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)".  (Note:  some websites naively list February 21 as the release date.  The song debuted on the Singles chart on February 21.  It is physically impossible for a single to be released to radio stations, radio stations to add the song to their playlists, radio stations report the add to trade papers, and trade papers print and publish their new charts all on the same day.)
1971:  Aretha Franklin recorded "Spanish Harlem" at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, Florida.

1972:  Led Zeppelin made their Australian debut with the first of six concerts at the Subiaco Oval in Perth.  (Note:  numerous websites claim it was the Rolling Stones that made their Australian debut on this date in Perth.  Right site, wrong band.  The band that played the first of six Australian dates was called Led Zeppelin, according to the book 'Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music, 1968-80' by Keith Shadwick and the ticket stub shown above.  The Rolling Stones did not begin their 1972 tour until June 3 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, according to their official website)

1974:  Bob Dylan & the Band were serious about getting to the top of the Album chart, riding Planet Waves from 19 to 1.  John Denver's Greatest Hits was second again with Under the Influence Of... from Love Unlimited still climbing.  Jim Croce, who was yet another victim of a light plane just a few months before, had two albums in the Top 10:  the previous #1 You Don't Mess Around With Jim at #4 and the posthumous release I Got a Name at #6.  The rest of the Top 10:  Former #1 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John at #5, The Joker from the Steve Miller Band at the #7 spot, Band on the Run by Paul McCartney & Wings, Charlie Rich was down with Behind Closed Doors and Tales from Topographic Oceans entered the Top 10 for Yes.

1974:  Diana Ross rose to #1 on the Adult chart with "Last Time I Saw Him".




1974:  Barbra Streisand had her second #1 song as "The Way We Were" reached the top spot.  Previous #1 "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra was now second.  Ringo Starr's former #1 "You're Sixteen" remained third while the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, was back with "Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna' Do)".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Spiders & Snakes" from Jim Stafford, Byron MacGregor sang about "Americans", Olivia Newton-John's first big hit "Let Me Be There", Kool & the Gang" placed "Jungle Boogie" at #8, Eddie Kendricks moved from 14 to 9 with "Boogie Down" and David Essex wrapped up the Top 10 with "Rock On".
1975:  Cher, who had starred with former husband Sonny Bono on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, started her own weekly music and comedy show on CBS-TV.
1980:  Barry Manilow was on top of the Adult Contemporary chart with "When I Wanted You".  It was his 17th AC hit, and an incredible 16 of those had gone Top 10 with 10 #1's in just six years of his career.

 

             Queen with one of the biggest hits of their career...

1980:  Five years after their first single, "Love Will Keep Us Together" reached #1, the Captain & Tennille did it again with "Do That To Me One More Time".  Queen was up to #2 although many stations already had "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" #1.  Kenny Rogers was #1 on many others with "Coward Of The County".  Smokey Robinson's great song "Cruisin'" was fourth after 20 weeks while previous #1 "Rock With You" from Michael Jackson fell to fifth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Teri DeSario with K.C. and the remake of "Yes, I'm Ready", Fleetwood mac's "Sara" was #7, Donna Summer had her 10th Top 10 song in 16 releases and eighth in a row--"On The Radio" and Andy Gibb reached #10 with "Desire".  Gibb's song was his sixth consecutive Top 10 out of the gate to open his career.
1980:  Shalamar landed a #1 R&B song with "The Second Time Around".






  "King of Hollywood", one of the great tracks on 'The Long Run'...

1980:  The Wall by Pink Floyd stood tall at #1 on the Album chart for the fifth week and it wasn't close to done.  Some great albums in the Top 10--most fans would be happy owning them.  Damn the Torpedoes by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers was runner-up with Michael Jackson enjoying the best album of his career to date with Off the Wall.  The Eagles' great album The Long Run was on its way down while the new Dan Fogelberg album Phoenix was attracting plenty of attention.  The rest of the Top 10:  Kenny from Kenny Rogers, On the Radio-Greatest Hits-Volumes I & II by Donna Summer, Tusk from Fleetwood Mac was #8, Styx edged up with Cornerstone and Neil Diamond reached #10 with September Morn.
1982:  Simon & Garfunkel released the album recorded live for the Concert In Central Park in New York City, which attracted more than 700,000 fans.
1985:  Bruce Springsteen moved to #1 in the U.K. with the album Born in the U.S.A.







1985:  Wham! hit #1 with "Careless Whisper".  Foreigner dropped with "I Want To Know What Love Is" while Phillip Bailey and Phil Collins were at position #3 with "Easy Lover". Billy Ocean had song #4--"Loverboy" while Hall & Oates, one of The Top Duos of the Rock Era*, had their 14th and final Top 10 song--"Method Of Modern Love".  The rest of the Top 10  "Neutron Dance" from the Pointer Sisters, REO Speedwagon with "Can't Fight This Feeling", Glenn Frey had a solo Top 10 with "The Heat Is On", fellow Eagles mate Don Henley was on the way down with "The Boys Of Summer" and David Lee Roth checked in with his remake of the Beach Boys classic "California Girls".
1990:  Ike Turner was sentenced by a judge in Santa Monica, California to four years in state prison on 11 separate cocaine charges. 
1991:  Queen, which was always bigger in their native England, scored their seventh #1 album in the U.K. with Innuendo.
1991:  Keith Sweat had the new #1 song on the R&B chart with "I'll Give All My Love To You".





1991:  Whitney Houston had her 8th #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 13 releases with "All the Man That I Need".
1991:  Two of the top artists of the Rock Era both reached the Top 10 with their latest on this date.  Mariah Carey bounced from 13 to 5 with "Someday" while Celine Dion moved from 11 to 6 with "Where Does My Heart Beat Now".  It was Carey's third Top 10 song of her career and for Celine, her first Top 10.  Where has the time gone?
1993:  The group Faces reunited at the BRIT Awards.
1999:  In today's edition of Inmates Run Rap Music, the artist who names himself Ol' Dirty #(*#(*U(# was arrested in Los Angeles for wearing body armor, strictly prohibited in light of all his previous arrests.
2002:  Billy Ward of Billy Ward & the Dominoes ("Star Dust") died at age 80 from complications associated with Alzheimer's in Inglewood, California.

2004:  Doris Troy ("Just One Look" from 1963), who was a session singer with Dionne Warwick and sang on the album Dark Side of the Moon for Pink Floyd, died from emphysema in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 67.

2009:  Trent Reznor, lead singer and multi-instrumentalist of Nine Inch Nails, announced that the group's 2009  tour would be their last "for a while".

2011:  Rod Stewart and wife Penny celebrated the birth of son Aiden, Stewart's eighth child.
2013:  Tony Sheridan, singer and guitarist with the Beatles prior to 1964, who also worked with Gene Vincent and Conway Twitty, died in Hamburg, Germany at the age of 72 after heart surgery.

Born This Day:
1916:  Bill Doggett ("Honky Tonk" from 1956) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died of a heart attack November 13, 1996 in New York City.
1918:  Patty Andrews of the Andrews Sisters, who also worked with Bing Crosby and the Glenn Miller Orchestra, was born in Mound, Minnesota; died of natural causes in Northridge, California on January 30, 2013.  (Note:  some websites claim Patty was born in Los Angeles, others in Minneapolis.  Patty was born in Mound, according to the newspapers 'The Los Angeles Times' and 'The Washington Post'.  Some websites report that she died in Los Angeles.  She died at her home in Northridge, according to the newspaper 'The Contra Costa Times'.)

1932:  Otis Blackwell, songwriter and producer who wrote "All Shook Up", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Return To Sender" for Elvis Presley, "Great Balls Of Fire" for Jerry Lee Lewis and "Fever" for Peggy Lee, was born in Brooklyn, New York; died of a heart attack in Nashville, Tennessee on May 6, 2002.
1934:  Harold and Herbie Kalin, who as the Kalin Twins were the first twins to have a #1 song in the Rock Era ("When" from 1958), were born in Port Jervis, New York.  Harold died August 24, 2005 as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident; Herbie died July 21, 2006 from a heart attack.  (Note:  numerous websites incorrectly place the birth year of the twins as 1939.  They were born in 1934, according to the newspapers 'The Daily Post', 'The Independent', and 'The Guardian'. and Harold's official death certificate.)








1935:  Sonny Bono (real name Salvatore Phillip Bono) of Sonny & Cher was born in Detroit, Michigan; died January 5, 1998 when he hit a tree while skiing on the Nevada side of Heavenly Ski Resort near South Lake Tahoe, California.
1949:  Lynn Paul, singer with the New Seekers ("I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" From 1971), was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England.

1956:  James Ingram was born in Akron, Ohio.

1958:  Ice-T (real name Tracy Marrow) was born in Newark, New Jersey.








1961:  Andy Taylor, songwriter, guitarist and singer of Duran Duran and the Power Station ("Some Like It Hot" from 1985) and also a producer, was born in Dolver-Hampton, England.  (Note:  some websites report that Taylor was born in  Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear, England.  According to 'Billboard', Andy was born in Dolver-Hampton.)
1962:  Tony Kylie, drummer of the Blow Monkeys ("Digging Your Scene")








1965:  Dave Lombardo, great drummer with Slayer, was born in Havana, Cuba.

Top Album Tracks: "In The Gallery" by Dire Straits

This is one of the prime cuts that made Dire Straits' debut album so special.  It jumped out of speakers with a unique sound and style that made listeners take notice.

This Date in Rock Music History: February 15

1958: The Dick Clark Show premiered on ABC-TV, with guests Pat Boone, Connie Francis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Ray.

1959:  Bobby Vee performed his first professional concert (as the "Winter Dance Party" was unpaid), traveling with the Shadows to earn $15 each.

1960:  "The Theme from 'A Summer Place'" by Percy Faith & His Orchestra, the #2 Instrumental of the Rock Era*, climbed into the Top 10 on the weekly singles chart.
1961: The Marcels recorded "Blue Moon" at RCA Studios in New York City.
1961: Jackie Wilson was wounded in the stomach after a female fan went to his apartment in Manhattan, New York demanding to see him. Her gun went off as he tried to take it away.

1962:  Ray Charles recorded "I Can't Stop Loving You" at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, California.
1964: Sam Cooke announced that he was cutting back on live shows to concentrate on writing songs and building up his record labels.
1964:  The Dave Clark Five first appeared on the radio and on the chart with their first hit song--"Glad All Over".









1964: Beatles fever had hit big-time. The group had just appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and their first album in the United States, Meet the Beatles, was now the #1 album after only three weeks. When one artist bursts onto the scene, there's always a downside and Beatles fever meant that The Singing Nun had to relinquish her spot at #1 after 10 weeks. Peter, Paul & Mary were one of the acts that dominated the charts prior to the Beatles--they had three albums in the Top 10: In the Wind at #3, their self-titled debut at #6 and (Moving) at #7. 






 



                           "Hey Little Cobra"....fun times!

1964:  "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles was the #1 song for a third week.  Lesley Gore peaked at #2 with "You Don't Own Me" while the new Beatles song "She Loves You" moved from 7 to 3.  "Hey Little Cobra" was #4 for the Rip Chords while Major Lance was stuck with "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um".  The rest of the Top 10:  "For You" from early Rock Era star Rick Nelson, the Marketts with "Out Of Limits", Dionne Warwick edged up with "Anyone Who Had A Heart", Al Hirt's great instrumental "Java" entered the Top 10 and the Tams had song #10--"What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)".





1965:  The Beatles released the single "Eight Days A Week".









 
1965: Nat "King" Cole died from complications of surgery for lung cancer at age 45 in Santa Monica, California.








1967: Chicago, one of the all-time best artists ever from the United States, became a group on this date.









 
1968: John and Cynthia Lennon, George and Patti Harrison flew to India to study meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr soon joining them. A good deal of The White Album was written during this time.













1969:  Blood, Sweat & Tears released the single "(You've) Made Me So Very Happy".
1969:  Sammy Davis, Jr. held on to #1 on the Adult chart for a fourth week with "I've Gotta' Be Me".
1969: Diana Ross and the Supremes Join the Temptations was the #1 album in the U.K.







1969:  Sly & the Family Stone hit #1 for the first time with "Everyday People", knocking off the great song "Crimson And Clover" from Tommy James & the Shondells.  "Touch Me" by the Doors was third, just ahead of "Build Me Up Buttercup" from the Foundations and "Worst That Could Happen" by Brooklyn Bridge.  The rest of the Top 10:  Tyrone Davis and "Can I Change My Mind", the Turtles jumped from 14 to 7 with 'You Showed Me", Marvin Gaye's former #1 "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Hang 'Em High" from the movie of the same name by Booker T. & the MG's and Diana Ross & the Supremes & the Temptations had #10--"I'm Gonna' Make You Love Me".
1969:  For the third week, Tyrone Davis had the #1 R&B song--"Can I Change My Mind".






              The amazing "Blues - Part II" from B, S & T...

1969:  On the five-year anniversary of their first album reaching #1, the Beatles hit #1 with their latest, The White Album.  Wichita Lineman from Glen Campbell moved to #2 with TCB from Diana Ross & the Supremes with the Temptations third.  Greatest Hits by the Association captured position #4 while Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations was #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Beatles were full speed ahead, moving from #86 to #6 in their second week of release with the "Yellow Submarine" Soundtrack, Iron Butterfly slipped with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Elvis by Elvis Presley was #8, Young-Holt Unlimited remained at #9 with Soulful Strut and the great Blood, Sweat & Tears album was #10.








1971:  Marvin Gaye released the seminal single "What's Going On".











1971:  Ocean released the single "Put Your Hand In The Hand".
1974:  Deep Purple released the album they recorded in Montreux, Switzerland--Burn.
1975: Gino Vannelli performed on Soul Train.









1975:  America found that many people liked "Lonely People"--it was the new #1 Adult song.
1975:  Linda Ronstadt's Heart Like a Wheel took over at #1 on the Album chart.  AWB by Average White Band was second, bumping Joni Mitchell's live album Miles of Aisles.  Bob Dylan moved from 15-4 with one of the best albums of his career, Blood on the Tracks.  The rest of the Top 10:  Dark Horse from George Harrison, Jethro Tull's War Child edged up to #6, Fire from the Ohio Players fizzled out to #7, B.T. Express and Do It ('Til You're Satisfied), Rufusized by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan moved from 14 to 9 and Barry Manilow II.






1975:  Linda Ronstadt had her first and only #1 song of her career--"You're No Good".  "Pick Up The Pieces" from AWB was runner-up with the Eagles picking up another big hit at #3--"Best Of My Love".  Grand Funk enjoyed one of their biggest with "Some Kind Of Wonderful" and the Doobie Brothers headed up with "Black Water".  America landed at #7 with "Lonely People", Stevie Wonder placed at #8 with "Boogie On Reggae Woman", Frankie Valli had a big solo hit with "My Eyes Adored You", and John Lennon entered the list with the great song "#9 Dream".
1979:  The Bee Gees won Grammys for Best Group and Best Arrangement for Voices on "Stayin' Alive".



1979:  Billy Joel won Record and Song of the Year at the Grammys for "Just The Way You Are".
1981: Mike Bloomfield, elite guitarist of the Paul Butterfield Band who also played on the album Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan, died of drugs at age 37 in San Francisco, California.










1982:  The J. Geils Band released the single "Freeze-Frame".
1986:  Sade scored a #1 album with Promise.  Whitney Houston's self-titled debut was moving back up after 48 weeks of release.
1986:  Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know" reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.








1986:  Falco had one of the fastest-rising songs on the chart--"Rock Me Amadeus" moved from 79 to 56.
1986:  "How Will I Know" pulled off the daily double, hitting #1 mainstream for Whitney Houston.  










1988: Brenda Russell released the single "Piano In The Dark".
1992:  Krinjabo, a village on the Ivory Coast, named Michael Jackson the "King of the Sanwis".










1992:  Michael Jackson had his 33rd hit, and on this day it also became his 23rd solo Top 10--"Remember The Time".












1992:  Garth Brooks had the rest of the competition lassoed as Ropin' the Wind remained at #1 on the Album chart for the 12th week.  Nirvana fell far short with Nevermind while another Brooks release, No Fences, was third after 74 weeks of release.  Michael Jackson had #4--Dangerous, while Boyz II Men rose to the #5 spot with Cooleyhighharmony.  The rest of the Top 10:  C.M.B. from Color Me Badd, Hammer dropped with Too Legit to Quit, Michael Bolton's excellent Time, Love & Tenderness album was #8, U2 slipped with Achtung Baby and the self-titled Metallica was now #10.
1993:  Duran Duran performed "Ordinary World" on The Tonight Show on NBC-TV.
1996: Take That were the top sellers in the U.K. in 1995, with singles sales over 3.9 million.
1997:  U2 topped the U.K. chart with "Discotheque".




                                          "I'm Sensitive"

1997:  Jewel's Pieces of You, one of The Top 100 Albums of the Rock Era*, moved back into the Top 10 on the weekly Album chart after 51 weeks of release.
1998:  The Rolling Stones completed a tour at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1999: The state of Minnesota declared it "Rolling Stones Day", a proclamation issued by Governor Jesse Ventura, once a bodyguard of the Stones.  (Note:  several websites mistakenly list the date as February 16, the date of the newspaper stories.  As most people know, newspapers are printed the day following the news.  The Associated Press, as well as the Minnesota newspaper 'The Star Tribune" both report that "Rolling Stones Day" was Monday, February 15.)
2000:  Sting canceled a concert in Vienna, Austria to protest the inclusion of Jorg Haider's far right freedom party in the new government. Other artists did the same thing.
2002: The movie Cross Roads, starring Britney Spears, opened in theaters.

 

 

 

                                                                        "Sunrise"...

2004:  Norah Jones had the #1 album in the U.K.--Feels Like Home.
2004:  Kenny Chesney owned the top album in the U.S. with When the Sun Comes Down.
2009: Lily Allen led the way on the U.K. Album chart with It's Not Me It's You.





Born This Day:
1939:  Alvin Cash ("Twine Time") was born in St. Louis Missouri; died November 21, 1999 from stomach ulcer complications.
 
1941:  Brian Holland, producer and songwriter with the famous team Holland/Dozier/Holland, who wrote the great hits of the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, Martha & the Vandellas, Freda Payne and Chairmen of the Board, was born in Detroit, Michigan.









 
1942:  Glyn Johns, producer who worked with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, the Who, Eric Clapton and others, was born in Epsom, England.












 
1944:  Mick Avory, drummer of the Kinks, was born in  East Molesey, Surrey, England.  (Note:  some websites claim he was born in London, others in Hampton Court, England.  According to the official website for the Kinks, Mick was born in East Molesey.)
1945:  John Helliwell, saxophonist of Supertramp, was born in Todmorden, Yorkshire, England.
1947:  David Brown, original bassist of Santana, was born in New York City; died September 4, 2000 of liver and kidney failure.  (Note:  some websites list his birth year as 1950--according to 'Allmusic.com', he was born in 1947.)







   
1951:  Melissa Manchester was born in the Bronx, New York. (Note:  some websites claim Melissa was born in Brooklyn, but she was born in the Bronx, according to the newspaper 'The New York Daily News'.)
1959:  Ali Campbell, founding member and lead singer of UB40, was born in Birmingham, England.
1960:  Mikey Craig, bassist of Culture Club, was born in Hammersmith, London.
1974: Tomi Petteri Putaansuu, lead singer of Lordi, winner of the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, was born in Rovaniemi, Finland.





 
1976:  Brandon Boyd, lead singer of Incubus, was born in Van Nuys, California.
1982:  Olivia Theresa Longott of G-Unit ("Candy Shop" with 50 Cent from 2005) was born in Brooklyn, New York.