This Date in Rock Music History: December 29

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

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

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



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



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













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










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







                Brownsville Station's big hit...

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



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




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

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

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

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

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Up Tomorrow in The Top Female Artists*...

A favorite performer in show biz, a versatile talent whose career now spans over 40 years.  Hear her tomorrow on Inside The Rock Era.

Featured Unknown/Underrated Song: Survivor's "I Can't Hold Back"

This group from Chicago enjoyed some big hits, but this song stalled at #13.

 

"I Can't Hold Back"

Survivor

 

 

Written by Jim Peterik & Frankie Sullivan

 

There's a story in my eyes
Turn the pages of desire
Now it's time to trade those dreams
For the rush of passion's fire

I can feel you tremble when we touch
And I feel the hand of fate
Reaching out to both of us

I've been holding back the night
I've been searching for a clue from you
I'm gonna try with all my might
To make this story line come true

Can you feel me tremble when we touch
Can you feel the hand of fate
Reaching out to both of us
This love affair can't wait

I can't hold back
I'm on the edge
I can't hold back
Your voice explodes
Inside my head

I can't hold back
I won't back down
Girl, it's too late
To turn back now

Another shooting star goes by
And in the night the silence
Speaks to you and I

And now the time has come at last
Don't let the moment run too fast

I can feel you tremble when we touch
And I feel the hand of fate
Reaching out to both of us

There's a story in my eyes
Turn the pages of desire
Now it's time to trade those dreams
For the rush of passion's fire

I can't hold back
I'm on the edge
I can't hold back
Your voice explodes
Inside my head

I can't hold back
I won't back down
Girl, it's too late
To turn back now

I can see you tremble when we touch
Ooh, and I feel the hand of fate
Reaching out to both of us
This love affair can't wait

I can't hold back
I can't hold back
I can't hold back 

Shakira, The #63 Female Artist of the Rock Era

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoli was born in Barranquilla, Columbia.  She began performing in school, and wrote her first poem at age four.  She asked for a typewriter and continued to write poems, which eventually turned into songs.  Shakira wrote her first song, "Tus Gafas Oscuras" (Your Dark Glasses) at the age of eight.

Shakira performed often around Barranquilla in her early childhood.  She met local theater producer Monica Ariza, who set up an audition for Shakira in Bogota.  Shakira performed three songs for executives of Sony Columbia Records, and signed a recording contract with Sony to record three albums.  

Shakira released the album Magia in 1991 when she was fourteen years old.  The songs received airplay on Colombian radio but just 1,200 copies of the album were sold.  Shakira was invited to perform at the Vina del Mar International Song Festival in 1993, and won the trophy for third place.  After recording the album Peligro, Shakira took time off to graduate from high school.  

She returned to the business to record the single "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?". The song did well, and it was included on the album Pies Descalzos, which was released in 1996.  Shakira was given freedom to produce her own music, and the album debuted at number one in eight countries.  She received considerable airplay on the Latin chart in the U.S., but airplay was limited to that genre.  Still, the album was certified Platinum by the end of the year and it went on to sell over five million copies.

Shakira's follow-up was Dónde Están los Ladrones?, which has now sold over seven million albums worldwide and 1.5 in the U.S.  She earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album and a World Music Award for World's Best-Selling Latin Female Artist.  But Shakira had yet to be successful in crossing over to mass-appeal music formats.  

In 1997, Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation, named after her first major album.  The Foundation raises money and builds special schools for poor children all around her native Colombia.

Shakira's live album MTV Unplugged in 1999 earned a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album and sold over five million copies worldwide.  She toured the United States and Latin American and won an MTV Video Music Award for People's Choice-Favorite International Artist for the song "Ojos Asi".  

Shakira began working on an English-language album, Laundry Service, which she released in 2001.  "Whenever, Wherever" was the first single, and it took off to #1 in Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, France and Belgium, became her first hit in the U.S. at #6, and was the best-selling single of 2002.

The video for "Whenever, Wherever" won the MTV Video Music Award for International Viewer's Choice.  The follow-up single, "Underneath Your Clothes" was #1 in Australia and Belgium and #9 in the United States.

Shakira was nominated for seven MTV Music Awards for "Whenever, Wherever", including Best Female Video, Best Pop Video, and Best Dance Video, and she won the award for International Viewer's Choice Awards Latin America (North).  Shakira also received two BMI Pop Awards for "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes".  She toured North America, South America, Europe and Asia on her first worldwide tour.  "Objection (Tango)" was a #2 hit in Australia and reached the Top 10 in several European countries.

Shakira once again won the World Music Award for World's Best-Selling Latin Female Artist, and she was nominated at the Billboard Music Awards for Top Pop Artist-Female and Top Billboard 200 Album Artist-Female.  She was also nominated for Favorite Latin Artist at the American Music Awards in 2001, a distinction she repeated in 2002 and 2003.

Laundry Service has now sold over 20 million worldwide copies and 3 million in the United States.  Shakira was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and she has spent a good deal of her time promoting girls' education and other causes since. 

Shakira released the album Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 in 2005, and it promptly debuted at #4.  The first single, "La Tortura" hit #1 in Spain and #2 in Switzerland, but only #23 in the United States.

Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 sold over two million copies in the U.S., and sold over one million copies in three days worldwide.  The album has now gone over the four-million mark in sales worldwide, and earned Shakira the Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album, an American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist and Billboard Music Awards for Latin Album of the Year, Latin Song of the Year ("La Tortura") and Latin Album Artist of the Year. 

"La Tortura" also picked up the BMI Award for Song of the Year, and it was nominated for Best Female Video, Viewer's Choice Award and Best Dance Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.  The remainder of the album received airplay and some Top 10 success in Europe, but chart success was limited.  

"Don't Bother" was the lead single from the album Oral Fixation, Volume 2, but it only peaked at #42.  Shakira released the album in 2005 and it promptly debuted at #5.  The album is nearing Double-Platinum status in the United States and has sold over eight million copies worldwide.

"Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean did much better, shooting to #1 in the United States and over 55 other countries.  The single has now gone over two million in sales in the U.S. and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.  It also captured an ASCAP Pop Music Award as one of the Most Performed Songs.

"Hips Don't Lie" won Shakira a Billboard Music Award for Top Pop 100 Airplay Track, and she was also nominated for Pop Single of the Year, Top Hot 100 Single and Top Billboard 200 Album Artist-Female.  Shakira won a third World Music Award for World's Best-Selling Latin Female Artist, and she was nominated for World's Best-Selling Pop Female Artist.  

"Illegal", featuring Carlos Santana, received some airplay in Europe.  Shakira gave 125 performances on all six continents to promote the album.  She once again captured the America Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist.

Shakira recorded several songs with other artists, including Beyonce ("Beautiful Liar").  That single jumped from 94-3 in 2007, setting a record for the largest jump in the history of the Billboard chart at the time.  "Beautiful Liar" reached #1 in  the U.K., Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain and peaked at #3 in the United States, and earned the pair a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

"Despedida", one of the songs from the Pies Descalzos album was included on the Soundtrack to "Love in the Time of Cholera".  "Despedida" was nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards.

In 2008, Forbes magazine named Shakira the fourth top-earning female artist in the current music industry.  She served as the Honorary Chairperson for "Action Week" 2008 in April, an event sponsored by the Global Campaign for Education to increase awareness about the Education for All Act.  In its December 2008/January 2009 issue, People En Español announced that Shakira was the "Humanitarian of the Year".  Shakira also ranked #48 on the list of Top 50 Most Charitable Celebrities by OK! magazine.

Shakira signed a 10-year contract with Live Nation, a touring group which also owns its own record label.  She also was set to record three more albums for Epic Records.  In January of 2009, Shakira performed at the Lincoln Memorial festivities for U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration.

In 2009, Shakira released the single "She Wolf", which reached #1 in Latin America, #2 in Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain, #4 in the U.K. and #11 in the United States:

The album of the same name was released in October, and has sold 300,000 copies in the U.S. and two million worldwide, her least successful album.  "Did It Again", "Give It Up To Me" and "Gypsy" received moderate airplay in Europe and the U.S.

In December, Shakira was a guest at the University of Oxford to give a speech about her work with children and education.

In 2010, Shakira recorded "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" for the FIFA World Cup.  With over 500 million views, the music video for the song is the most-watched video on YouTube.  The single hit #1 in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France and Spain but only #38 in the United States.

In March of 2010, Shakira was awarded a medal by the United Nations International Labor Organization in recognition of Shakira being "a true ambassador for children and young people, for quality education and social justice."  In November, after performing at the MTV European Music Awards, Shakira was honored with the MTV Free Your Mind award for her "continuing dedication to improve access to education for all children around the world".

Shakira released the album Sale el Sol, which debuted at #7 in the United States.  The single "Loca" shot up to #1 in Switzerland, France, Spain and Belgium, but once again lagged behind in the U.S. (#32).

The title track and "Rabiosa" also did not generate worldwide success, although Shakira fans loyally bought the album to the tune of one million copies in six weeks, and four million since its release.  Shakira won the American Music Award  for Favorite Latin Artist for a third time and also won two Billboard Music Awards.  She earned trophies for Top Latin Artist and Top Latin Song ("Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)"), and was also nominated for Top Streaming Artist, Fan Favorite Award, Top Latin Album (Sale el Sol) and Top Streaming Song ("Waka Waka").  Shakira also won a World Music Award for World's Best-Selling Latin American Artist.

Shakira toured North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Africa.  She also began her own beauty line, "S by Shakira", with the release of two perfumes.  

In 2011, Shakira was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year (for her philanthropy and contributions to Latin music), and she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  In February, the FC Barcelona Foundation and Pies Descalzos reached agreement for children's education through sport.  In October, U.S. President Obama announced that Shakira was appointed as a member of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. 

The following year, she began working with numerous producers on a new album, expected out this year, and sang with Pitbull on his song "Get It Started".  Once again, Shakira received the American Music Award for Favorite Latin Performer, and she was nominated for two Billboard Music Awards (Top Latin Artist and Top Social Artist), winning in the former category. 

In 2012, Shakira received the honor of Chevalier De L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, in recognition of her contribution to the arts.  She was nominated for World Music Awards for World's Best-Selling Female Artist and World's Entertainer of the Year.  

Shakira is the highest-selling Colombian artist of all-time, with career worldwide sales pegged at over 70 million albums.  Shakira has won five MTV Video Music Awards, two Grammy Awards, and seven Billboard Music Awards.  She has sold nearly 10 million albums in the United States, and enjoyed 14 career hits, with three reaching the Top 10 and one #1 song. 

This Date in Rock Music History: December 28

1959:  "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning moved from #100 to #50.
1960:  The movie Where the Boys Are, starring Connie Francis, premiered in the Gateway Theatre in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  (Note:  some websites claim the premiere was on December 31, but according to the newspaper 'The Sun-Sentinel', the simultaneous premieres were on December 28.)

1963:  The Singing Nun wrapped up a four-week stay at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Dominique".
1963:  "Dominique" was #1 for a fourth week overall.  Bobby Vinton provided the closest competition with "There!  I've Said It Again".
1963:  The Soundtrack to "West Side Story" re-entered the Top 10 in its 114th week of release.

1968:  Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Jeff Beck and the Pretty Things appeared at the Flight to Lowlands Paradise II festival at the Margriethal-Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
1968:  In essentially what was a precursor to Woodstock, Three Dog Night, Joni Mitchell, the Turtles, Fleetwood Mac, Marvin Gaye, the Grass Roots, Chuck Berry, Steppenwolf, the Box Tops, Canned Heat, Jr. Walker and the Allstars, Procol Harum, Iron Butterfly, the McCoys, the Grateful Dead, Blues Image, Procol Harum, Jose Feliciano, Richie Havens, Country Joe and the Fish, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and others performed at the Miami Pop Festival at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida.
1968:  The Rolling Stones debuted at #3 in the U.K. with their album Beggar's Banquet.

1968:  Marvin Gaye ruled the R&B chart for a third week with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".
1968:  Glen Campbell scored a third week at #1 on the Adult chart with "Wichita Lineman".
1968:  The Beatles reached #1 with The White Album after just three weeks.  Wichita Lineman from Glen Campbell was second with Cheap Thrills from Big Brother & the Holding Company in third.







1968:  Marvin Gaye had the biggest hit of his career with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", #1 for a third week.  The Temptations climbed into the Top 10 with "Cloud Nine".
1969:  Detroit, Michigan declared it "Temptations Day".
1974:  Stevie Wonder registered his 11th #1 song on the R&B chart, and fifth out of his last seven releases, with "Boogie On Reggae Woman".
1974:  Barry Manilow rose to #1 on the Adult chart with his first single, "Mandy".






1974:  Helen Reddy owned the new #1 with "Angie Baby".  Elton John moved to challenge with his remake of the Beatles' song "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds".  Barry White was up to 3 with "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", Carl Douglas surrendered to #4 with "Kung Fu Fighting" and the previous #1 "Cat's In The Cradle" from Harry Chapin was fifth.  The rest of an excellent Top 10:  Paul McCartney & Wings with their double-sided "Junior's Farm"/"Sally G", the Three Degrees with "When Will I See You Again", Neil Sedaka was back with his first Top 10 in 12 years--"Laughter In The Rain", Ringo Starr bounced up from 14 with "Only You" and Stevie Wonder collected his 36th hit and his sixth Top 10 in his last seven releases with "Boogie On Reggae Woman".

The group Jethro Tull was up to #2...

1974:  Elton John's Greatest Hits was the #1 album for the fifth week with War Child from Jethro Tull #2 and Neil Diamond's Serenade #3.  Harry Chapin moved to #4 with Verities & Balderdash while John Denver edged up with Back Home Again.  The rest of the Top 10:  Fire from the Ohio Players, the Rolling Stones fell hard with It's Only Rock 'N Roll, Loggins & Messina were at #8 with Mother Lode, Helen Reddy's Free and Easy stopped off at #9 and Ringo Starr entered the Top 10 with Goodnight Vienna.
1979:  At the third of Paul McCartney's concerts in London to benefit the country of Kampuchea, the Who and the Pretenders joined him.

1983:  Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys drowned while diving near his boat in the harbor of Marina del Ray, California.









"Minutes to Memories", one of the best songs you've never heard (unless you've been a regular visitor on this blog!

1985:  The "Miami Vice" Soundtrack moved back up to #1 on the Album chart, taking over from the self-titled Heart.  John Cougar Mellencamp remained in the #3 spot with his great album Scarecrow while Barbra Streisand was up to #4 with The Broadway Album.  Knee Deep in the Hoopla from Starship and Songs from the Big Chair by newcomers Tears for Fears each entered the Top 10.






1985:  Lionel Richie remained at the top of the Adult Contemporary chart for a fourth week with "Say You, Say Me".  Incredibly, Richie had hit #1 with four straight songs and nine out of 10 since he left the Commodores.  More impressively, Lionel had accumulated 20 weeks at #1 on the Adult chart in his last four releases and 41 weeks in a five-year period.
1988:  Nirvana performed at the Hollywood Underground in Seattle, Washington.
1991:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and Nirvana combined for a show at Pat O'Brien Pavilion in Del Mar, California.
1992:  Paul Simon and Edie Brickell celebrated the birth of Adrian Edward Simon.
1993:  Shania Twain married her producer, Robert "Mutt" Lange.
1993:  The Spice Girls achieved their third #1 song in the U.K. with "2 Become 1".
   
   In most other times, R. Kelly would have a #1 song...

1996:  Toni Braxton dominated the competition with a fourth week at #1 with "Un-Break My Heart".  R. Kelly was second with "I Believe I Can Fly" while En Vogue closed to #3 with "Don't Let Go (Love)".
2004:  Bono of U2 was the guest editor on BBC Radio 4's news program Today.








2005:  Mary J. Blige debuted at #1 on the Album chart with The Breakthrough.


Born This Day--Birthdays of Rock Era Personalities:
1914:  Roebuck "Pops" Staples, songwriter, guitarist and singer with the Staples Singers ("Respect Yourself"), was born in Winona, Mississippi; died December 19, 2000 after suffering a concussion from a fall in his home in Chicago, Illinois.
1921:  Johnny Otis ("Willie And The Hand Jive" from 1958), composer, arranger, singer, drummer and percussionist, talent scout and producer, was born in Vallejo, California; died of natural causes at the age of 90 in Los Angeles.
1932:  Dorsey Burnette, brother of Johnny and father of Billy Burnette, and who wrote songs for Jerry Lee Lewis, Rick Nelson and others, was born in Memphis, Tennessee; died August 19, 1979 of a massive coronary in Canoga Park, California.
1938:  Charles Neville of Joey Dee & the Starlighters and the Neville Brothers, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1938:  Gene Thomas (real name Gene Thomasson) of Gene & Debbe ("Playboy") was born in Palestine, Texas; died August 26, 2012 of lung cancer in Fredericksburg, Texas.

1946:  Edgar Winter, famous multi-instrumentalist and leader of the Edgar Winter Group, and young brother of Johnny, was born in Beaumont, Texas.
1947:  Dick Diamonde (real name Dingeman Ariaan Henry van der Sluijs), bass guitarist of the Easybeats ("Friday On My Mind") was born in Hilversum, the Netherlands.

1950:  Alex Chilton, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of the Box Tops and later a producer, was born in Memphis, Tennessee; died of a heart attack March 17, 2010.
1954:  David Jaymes, bassist of Modern Romance, was born in Woodford, Essex, England.  (Note:  some websites say that the Modern Romance musician was David Jaynes--that is false.  David Jaynes was a quarterback in football; David Jaymes was the bassist in Modern Romance.  Some websites show his birthday as November 28--reputable sites report that his date of birth was December 28, and in the book 'The Great Indie Discovery' by Martin Charles Strong, Strong confirms that James was born on December 28.)

1978:  John Legend (real name John Stephens), solo artist and session vocalist and musician, was born in Springfield Ohio.

Up Next in The Top Female Artists*...

A true international star.  She will be featured in tomorrow's segment of The Top 100 Female Artists of the Rock Era*.

It was possible for an artist to have three big hits to land in the initial few spaces of the special.  Now, one would have to score five major hits to reach this ranking, along with millions of albums sold.  Soon, the great female artists of all-time will entertain you with over an hour of amazing music, to the point of generating over two hours of great songs for those ranked in The Top 25*.

Dusty Springfield, The #64 Female Artist of the Rock Era*

Dusty Springfield (real name Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien) was born in London and she learned to sing at home.  She attended St. Anne's Convent School in Northfields, an all-girl school.  Dusty recorded her first song at age twelve, performing the Irving Berlin song "When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam".  In 1958, she joined the Lana Sisters and two years later formed a pop-folk act, the Springfields, with brother Tom. 

Springfield's solo career began in 1964 with "I Only Want to Be With You", which gave her a #12 hit in the United States and a #4 smash in the U.K.

Dusty was back later in the year with one of her biggest career hits, the Burt Bacharach-penned "Wishin' And Hopin'", which peaked at #6.

Another song featured on her debut album was a big hit in the U.K. (#3) but did not chart in North America--"I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself".

In 1966, Springfield peaked at #4 in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K. with this smash.

By this time, Dusty was the top-selling female singer in the world and she was voted by music fans as the Best International Vocalist in a Melody Maker poll.  In 1967, Dusty recorded a Bacharach-Hal David song that would be featured in the James Bond spoof, Casino Royale.  Highly underrated, it peaked at #22 but garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture.

In 1969, Dusty recorded the album Dusty in Memphis, that would later be awarded a spot in the Grammy Hall of Fame.  She landed another Top 10 song with "Son-Of-A Preacher Man", which earned Dusty a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Springfield recorded this song for the original The Thomas Crown Affair starring Steve McQueen.  Another highly underrated song that only reached #31.

In the mid-70's, Dusty liked to sing backup vocals for other artists, and she used the name Gladys Thong to sing for Elton John ("The Bitch Is Back"), Anne Murray and Kiki Dee.  Dusty would go 20 years without a Top 10 song before teaming with the Pet Shop Boys to record "What Have I Done to Deserve This?".  The single reached #2 in 1988.

Springfield charted 19 career hits with 4 Top 10's although as mentioned above, she had several others that should have attained Top 10 status if national charts had a proper methodology.  If we're right, millions of people will now buy her music and in the next version of The Top 100 Female Artists*, she'll be much higher.  She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.

This Date in Rock Music History: December 27

1960:  The Miracles made their television debut singing "Shop Around" on American Bandstand.  (Note:  numerous websites report that the group made their debut on the popular show on February 27, 1960, but this is inaccurate.  "Shop Around" was not released nationally until October 15, making the February 27 date impossible.  Jack Ryan, in his book 'Recollections, the Detroit Year:  The Motown Sound by the People who Made It', The Official R&B Music Hall of Fame, and 'TV.com' all confirm that the correct date is December 27, and that not only did the Miracles make their debut on the show, but they were the first Motown act to appear on 'American Bandstand'.)
1960:  The Beatles played to a welcome home crowd at the Litherland Town Hall in Liverpool after performing as the resident band in Hamburg, Germany.  Bassist Stuart Sutcliffe stayed in Germany for the winter.  It was after this performance, when they were cheered loudly for the first time, that the Beatles realized that they were good.

1963:  The Animals debuted on the radio on the BBC show Saturday Club.  This would soon lead to a record contract with Columbia.

1963:  The London Times named John Lennon and Paul McCartney "The Outstanding Composers of 1963", saying they are "the greatest composers since Beethoven".  This was uncanny observation and foresight by the newspaper, considering the two were just starting out.
1964:  The Who performed at the Ealing Club in London.
1964:  The Supremes made their first of 16 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.  (Note:  some websites state that the group made 20 appearances.  The group did 16 shows; the other 4 were reruns, according to the official website for 'The Ed Sullivan Show'.)
1967:  Bob Dylan released the album John Wesley Harding.
1967:  The Doors performed on The Jonathon Winters Show on CBS television.

Led Zeppelin put out a great album and people were taking notice...

1969:  Led Zeppelin II was the new #1 album, displacing Abbey Road by the Beatles after eight weeks.  Let It Bleed from the Rolling Stones was third with Tom Jones Live in Las Vegas in pursuit.  The rest of the Top 10:  WIlly and the Poorboys from CCR moved from 11-5, Was Captured Live at the Forum from Three Dog Night at #6, Green River by CCR at #7, the self-titled debut from Blood, Sweat & Tears, the debut by Crosby, Stills & Nash and Puzzle People by the Temptations slipped to #10.
1969:  Diana Ross & the Supremes continued to hold on to #1 on the R&B chart for a third week with "Someday We'll Be Together". 
1969:  B.J. Thomas logged a third week at #1 on the Adult chart with "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head".

          CCR dominated the airwaves in the late 60's.

1969:  Diana Ross & the Supremes climbed to #1 with "Someday We'll Be Together", the group's final #1 song.  Peter, Paul & Mary dropped down with "Leaving On A Jet Plane", B.J. Thomas was up to 3 with "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head", CCR's double-sided smash "Down On The Corner"/"Fortunate Son" was fourth and Steam's former #1 "(Na Na Hey Hey) Kiss Him Goodbye" dropped to #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Holly Holy" from Neil Diamond, the Beatles with "Come Together"/"Something", the Jackson 5 moved from 17-8 with "I Want You Back", skipping over Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta' Love", which did manage to get to #9, and R.B. Greaves was at #10 with "Take A Letter Maria".
1970:  The play Hello Dolly! closed after 2,844 performances on Broadway in New York City.
1971:  The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour began as a regular series on CBS-TV.  Up until this time, it had been a summer replacement show.
1975:  Queen rose to #1 on the Album chart with A Night at the Opera.



    
                 America was golden in the 70's...

1975:  Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits was #1 on the Album chart for the third week.  Gratitude from Earth, Wind & Fire was second with History/America's Greatest Hits remaining at #3.
1975:  "Love Rollercoaster" by the Ohio Players was the #1 R&B song.







1975:  The Staple Singers climbed the final rung of the ladder to #1 with "Let's Do It Again".  The Bay City Rollers weren't going away with "Saturday Night" while "That's the Way (I Like It)" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band dropped to make room.  The Ohio Players had by far their biggest hit with "Love Rollercoaster".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Theme From 'Mahogany' (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" from Diana Ross, Barry Manilow's "I Write the Songs" was up to 6, C.W. McCall drove up from 14 with "Convoy", Sweet was in the #8 position with "Fox On The Run", Silver Convention and "Fly, Robin, Fly" and the O'Jays scored a Top 10 with "I Love Music".














1977:  Rose Royce released their new single "I Wanna' Get Next To You".
1978:  Bob Luman ("Let's Think About Living" from 1960) died from pneumonia in Nashville, Tennessee at age 41.
1979:  Paul McCartney, the Clash and Ian Dury played in the second of four concerts organized by McCartney to benefit Kampuchea.








             Before he left us, he gave us this great song...

1980:  Double Fantasy by John Lennon moved from 11 to 1 on the Album chart with Guilty by Barbra Streisand second.  Stevie Wonder remained at #3 with Hotter Than July and AC/DC stayed fourth with Back In Black.  Pat Benatar remained at #5 with Crimes of Passion and the Eagles Live was sixth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits, Zenyatta Mondatta from the Police at #8, "The Jazz Singer" Soundtrack by Neil Diamond at #9 at Steely Dan found the Top 10 with Gaucho.
1980:  Leo Sayer moved to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "More Than I Can Say". 



1980:  One of the fastest-rising songs was "Same Old Lang Syne", Dan Fogelberg's great release that rose from 59 to 37.
1980:  Just 19 days after his death, John Lennon's song "(Just Like) Starting Over" went to #1. 
1983:  Walter Scott, lead singer of Bob Kuban & the In-Men ("The Cheater" from 1966) was seen alive for the last time.  His body was found floating face down in a cistern on April 10, 1987, the victim of a murder.

1985:  Metallica finished work on the album Master of Puppets.

1985:  Simon Le Bon, lead singer of Duran Duran, married Yasmin Parvanah in Oxford, England.

                 Do you know what a Wang Chung is?

1986:  The Bangles held off all challengers to score a second week at #1 with "Walk Like An Egyptian", one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.  Wang Chung moved up with "Everybody Have Fun Tonight", while Double Duran was third with "Notorious".  Newcomer Gregory Abbott wanted to "Shake You Down", while Bruce Hornsby & the Range's "The Way It Is", was fifth.  The rest of the Top 10:  "C'est La Vie" from Robbie Nevil, Janet Jackson exploded into the Top 10 with "Control", Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's remake of "War" was #8, Ben E. King remained at #9 and the Pretenders moved to 10 with "Don't Get Me Wrong".




1993:  Ace of Base released "The Sign".
1997:  Mark Morrison was arrested outside the Pink Coconut night club in Derby, England for threatening a police officer.
1997:  The Spice Girls ruled the U.K. chart with "Too Much".
1997:  For the third straight week, Garth Brooks held down #1 on the Album chart with Sevens.

1997:  Elton John registered his 12th week at #1 with his tribute to the late Princess Diana of England ("Candle In The Wind 1997").  There were just five songs in the Rock Era that had more--"One Sweet Day" from Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (16 weeks), "Macarena" by Los Del Rio, "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men and "I Will Always Love You" from Whitney Houston (14 each) and "End Of The Road" by Boyz II Men (13 weeks).  Elton wasn't done just yet.  LeAnn Rimes was still at #2 with "How Do I Live", Usher was backed up at 3 with "You Make Me Wanna'..." and Janet (Jackson) moved from 9 to 4 with "Together Again".  Savage Garden had the only new Top 10 with "Truly Madly Deeply".
1998:  It's been a few days since we ran an episode of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music but now that Christmas is over, their exploits of course continued.  Busta Rhymes (real name is Trevor Smith) was arrested for criminal possession of a loaded, unregistered pistol in his car.
2003:  Dick St. John of Dick & Dee Dee ("Thou Shalt Not Steal") died in Pacific Palisades, California at age 60 from injuries resulting from a fall off a ladder.

2004:  Hank Garland, guitarist who played for Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison among others, died from a staph infection in Orange Park, Florida at the age of 74.

2008:  Delaney Bramlett, a member of Delaney & Bonnie who worked with George Harrison, John Lennon, the Everly Brothers, Eric Clapton and Janis Joplin, died at age 69 in Los Angeles after gall bladder surgery.
2008:  Taylor Swift led the way on the Album chart with Fearless.
Born This Day:

1931:  Scotty Moore, elite guitarist who helped Elvis Presley define rock & roll in its early years, was born in Gadsden, Tennessee.
1941:  Mike Pinder, founding member and keyboardist of the Moody Blues, was born in Erdington, Birmingham, England.
1941:  Leslie Maguire of Gerry & the Pacmakers was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, England.
1943:  Peter Sinfield, lyricist and co-founder of King Crimson and an accomplished songwriter for other artists:  Celine Dion, Cher, Cliff Richard and others, was born in Fulham, London.

1944:  Mick Jones, great guitarist and songwriter with Spooky Tooth, co-founder of Foreigner and a producer, was born in Somerton, Somerset, England.  (Note:  websites claim all kinds of birthplaces for Jones, and some get him confused with the Mick Jones of Clash.  'Allmusic.com' claims he was born in Brixton, London.  Other cities listed are Portsmouth and Horsell.  In an interview with the newspaper 'The Portsmouth News', Jones stated he was born in Somerset but since he had family in Portsmouth, spent a good deal of time there.  Foreigner formed in Brixton, but Jones was not born there.  The newspaper 'The Daily Mail' confirms that Jones was born in Somerton)
1948:  Larry Byrom, songwriter and guitarist of Stepenwolf and later for Kenny Rogers, was born in Huntsville, Alabama.
1950:  Terry Bozzio of Captain Beefheart and Missing Persons was born in San Francisco, California.
1951:  Karla Bonoff, backup vocalist for Linda Ronstadt, solo artist ("Personally" from 1981) and songwriter, was born in Santa Monica, California.

1952:  David Knopfler, singer, songwriter, rhythm guitarist, pianist and co-founder of Dire Straits with his brother Mark, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
1972:  Matt Slocum, lead guitarist, songwriter, pianist and cellist of Sixpence None the Richer ("Kiss Me")