This Date in Rock Music History: January 26

1956:  Buddy Holly recorded at Decca Records for the first time, using the name Buddy and the Two Tones, laying down "Blue Days, Black Nights", "Don't Come Back Knockin'", "Love Me" and "Midnight Shift" at Owen Bradley's Barn Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

1957:  "Blue Monday" by Fats Domino was #1 on the R&B chart.
1960:  Frankie Avalon appeared on The Arthur Murray Party on NBC-TV as a dancer.

1961:  Elvis Presley had his sixth #1 song in the U.K. with "Are You Lonesome Tonight".

1963:  The hard-working Beatles performed two concerts, one at the El Rio Club and Dance Hall in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England with Wayne Fontana and the Jets opening.  The group then drove 20 miles to King's Hall, Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire for a night concert.
1963:  The Rooftop Singers moved to #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Walk Right In".

1963:  "Walk Right In" made the fifth-biggest leap to #1 (11-1) of the Rock Era.  "Hey Paula" by Paul & Paula also had a nice move (10-2) and those two outdistanced previous #1 "Go Away Little Girl" from Steve Lawrence.  "Tell Him" by the Exciters came in fourth and Bobby Vee ranked #5 with "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes".











1964:  Barbra Streisand released the single "People".
1966:  Eric Burdon sang lead vocals for Manfred Mann at a concert in London.











1969:  When creative genius appears, get out of the way.  On this day, while recording "Let It Be" and "The Long And WInding Road" for their album Let It Be at Apple Studios in London, the Beatles also recorded several covers, including "Shake Rattle And Roll", "Kansas City", "Miss Ann", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Tracks Of My Tears", "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy".  Drummer Ringo Starr wrote the song "Octopus's Garden" and the group came up with the idea of performing live on the roof of their headquarters.  Not bad for a day's work.
















1970:  Simon & Garfunkel released the single "Bridge Over Troubled Water".












1970:  Three Dog Night released the single "Celebrate".
1970:  Chicago released their second album, ironically called Chicago II.
1970:  Australia's first rock festival, the Ourimbah Rock Festival, drew a crowd of 11,000.
1970:  Elvis Presley played two shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.










1974:  Dolly Parton first appeared on the charts as her first single, "Jolene" debuted.
1974:  The Doobie Brothers opened their first tour of England at the Rainbow Theatre in London.










1974:  "Love's Theme", one of The Top 10 Instrumentals of the Rock Era* from Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra, was #1 on the Adult chart.
1974:  Ringo Starr officially achieved his first #1 solo song with "You're Sixteen", although many radio stations had "It Don't Come Easy" at #1 in 1971.  That sent previous #1 "Show And Tell" from Al Wilson down, while Barbra Streisand's hot song "The Way We Were" was up to #3. 

 

      
        One of Wings' finest albums yielded "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five"...

1974:  The late Jim Croce was 1-2 on the Album chart with You Don't Mess Around with Jim #1 for a third week and I Got A Name second.  The Singles 1969-1973 from the Carpenters was next, followed by Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and The Joker by Steve Miller Band.  The rest of the Top 10:  John Denver's Greatest Hits, Bette Midler at #7 with her self-titled release, Paul McCartney & Wings were up to #8 with Band on the Run, the Soundtrack to "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" from Neil Diamond and Charlie Rich had #10--Behind Closed Doors. 
1975:  BBC television aired the David Bowie documentary Cracked Actor.
















1976:  Maxine Nightingale released the single "Right Back Where We Started From".
1977:  Peter Green, the first lead guitarist of Fleetwood Mac, and founder of the group was committed to a mental hospital in England.  Green, who left the group in May, 1970, had threatened accountant Clifford Adams with an air rifle when Adams attempted to deliver a $51,000 royalty check to Green.
1980:  The Clash appeared at the Deeside Leisure Centre in Queensferry, Flintshire, Wales.  
1980:  Prince made his television debut on Dick Clark's American Bandstand on ABC.  






1980:  Teri Desario with K.C. (of the Sunshine Band) took the Barbara Mason song "Yes I'm Ready" to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1980:  Michael Jackson ruled on the R&B chart for a fourth week with "Rock With You".
1980:  The great album Phoenix by Dan Fogelberg entered the Top 10.







1980:  Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" couldn't be beaten for a second week as the Captain & Tennille stayed at  2 with "Do That To Me One More Time".  Kenny Rogers advanced with "Coward Of The County" while former #1 "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes was fourth and Smokey Robinson had a big solo hit with "Cruisin'".  The rest of the Top 10:  Stevie Wonder's "Send One Your Love", Cliff Richard and "We Don't Talk Anymore", Queen commanded an 18-8 move for "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", the Eagles advanced into the Top 10 with "The Long Run" and the great song "Sara" from Fleetwood Mac moved from 15-10. 
1985:  Foreigner had the #1 album in the U.K. with Agent Provocateur. 

Foreigner came up with such an incredible song that Madonna would have to step aside soon...

1985:  Madonna had the #1 song for a fifth week with "Like A Virgin" but the fast-closing "I Want To Know What Love Is" from Foreigner was up to #2.  Chicago's "You're The Inspiration" trailed those two, with "Easy Lover" from Phil Collins & Phillip Bailey fourth and Wham! moved from 10-5 with "Careless Whisper".  The rest of the Top 10:  "All I Need" from Jack Wagner, Bryan Adams slipped with "Run To You", Don Henley with "The Boys Of Summer", Billy Ocean moved from 16 to 9 with "Loverboy" and Prince scored his ninth career hit and fourth consecutive Top 10 from Purple Rain--"I Would Die 4 (sic) U (sic)".





1986:  Allen Collins, guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, crashed his car in Jacksonville, Florida, paralyzing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend Debra Jean Watts.
1989:  Bon Jovi performed at Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas.









1989:  Donnie Elbert ("Where Did Our Love Go" from 1971) died of a stroke at age 52 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1989:  Rolf Harris ("Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport") was made a member of the Order of Australia.  The honor was stripped in 2014 when Harris was found guilty of having sex with underage girls.
1991:  Cher filmed a video for the troops of Desert Storm during the Gulf War, with assistance from Paul Simon, Janet Jackson, Van Halen and Bonnie Raitt.
1991:  Queen rose to #1 in the U.K. with "Innuendo".
1991:  Enigma had the top U.K. album with MCMXC.






1991:  Surface had themselves a #1 song with "The First Time". 
1991:  "Because I Love You" by Stevie B was #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for a second week.
1993:  Rage Against the Machine performed at the Underworld in Camden, London.







1995:  Joni Mitchell appeared at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum theater in Los Angeles.
1997:  James Brown, ZZ Top and the Blues Brothers performed during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
2003:  Billy Joel was admitted to a hospital after crashing his car into a tree in Sag Harbor, New York.
2005:  In today's edition of Inmates Run Rap Music, Irv Gotti, boss of The Inc. Record Company, surrendered to the FBI, which accused the label of funneling drug money and using their company as part of a criminal empire.




2010:  Lady Antebellum released the album Need You Now.











2011:  Gladys Horton of the Marvelettes died from complications of a stroke in Los Angeles at age 65.  (Note:  some websites claim Gladys died on January 27, but the correct date is January 26, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times', 'NPR', and 'Billboard'.  Further, some websites show she died in Sherman Oaks.  Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, not a city.  Neighborhoods are not nor never have been official "places of death".)
2014:  Daft Punk captured five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year (Random Access Memories) and Song of the Year ("Get Lucky") at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Born This Day:
1939:  Marshall Lieb of the Teddy Bears ("To Know Him Is To Love Him") was born in Los Angeles; died of a heart attack  March 15, 2002 in Northridge, California.

1943:  Jean Knight ("Mr. Big Stuff") was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1944:  Merrilee Rush ("Angel Of The Morning" from 1968) was born in Seattle, Washington.
1945:  Ashley Hutchings, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and bassist of Fairport Convention, and later a producer, was born in Southgate, Middlesex, England.  
1946:  Deon Jackson ("Love Makes the World Go Round" was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan; died April 18, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.
1948:  Corky Laing, drummer of Mountain ("Mississippi Queen"), was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
1949:  Derek Holt, bassist of Climax Blues Band ("Couldn't Get It Right") was born in Stafford, England.
1950:  Paul Pena, who wrote "Jet Airliner" for Steve Miller, was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts; died October 1, 2005 in San Francisco, California from complications of diabetes and pancreatitis.
1951:  David Briggs, guitarist of the Little River Band and later an engineer and producer, was born in Melbourne, Australia.

1957:  Eddie Van Halen, elite guitarist and songwriter of Van Halen, was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.  (Note:  some websites claim Van Halen was born in Nijmegan, the Netherlands.  According to the New Netherland Institute, the book 'Eddie Van Halen:  Know the Man, Play the Music' by Malcolm Dome and Rod Fogg, and 'Billboard', Eddie was born in Amsterdam; the family later moved to Nijmegan.)1958:  Norman Hassan, vocalist and conga player of UB40, was born in Birmingham, England.)






1958:  Anita Baker was born in Toledo, Ohio.









1963:  Andrew Ridgeley, singer-songwriter and guitarist of Wham!  was born in Windlesham, Surrey, England.
1963:  Jazzie B (real name Beresford Romeo) of Soul II Soul ("Back To Life") was born in Hornsey, London.  (Note:  'AllMusic.com' lists his birthplace as Finsbury Park, but it was in Hornsey, London, according to the newspaper 'The Telegraph'.)
1964:  Susannah Melvoin, vocalist with Prince, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and Mike Oldfield and songwriter for Madonna, Clapton and Prince, was born in Los Angeles.

Tomorrow on Inside The Rock Era

One of the red-hot singer-songwriters of the last four years (or any four-year period) is next in The Top 100 Female Artists*.  Or, you could just call her "Red".

Sheryl Crow, The #35 Female Artist of the Rock Era

Sheryl Crow was born in Kennett, Missouri to a mother who was a piano teacher and a father who played trumpet.  At Kennett High School, Sheryl was a member of the National Honor Society, a majorette and an all-state track athlete.  Crow was a music teacher at Kellison elementary school in Fenton, Missouri prior to graduation from college.  While at Kellison, Sheryl sang in bands on the weekends, and met Jay Oliver, a local musician and record producer.  Oliver used Sheryl in advertising jingles, including those for McDonalds and Toyota.  Sheryl received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition, performance, and education from the University of Missouri.  

Crow toured as a backing vocalist for Michael Jackson from 1987-89 and often sang the duet with Jackson on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You".  Sheryl also began recording background vocals for several artists, including Stevie Wonder, Don Henley and Belinda Carlisle.

In 1990, Crow sang for the television drama Cop Rock, and her song "Heal Somebody" appeared in the movie Bright Angel.  The following year, Crow recorded "Hundreds Of Tears", which was included in the "Point Break" Soundtrack.  She was becoming greatly respected by her peers and gradually more known by music insiders and fans.  

In 1992, Crow signed a recording contract with A&M Records.  She recorded an album with producer Hugh Padgham, but the record label rejected it.  But Crow's songs were being recorded by artists such as Celine Dion and Tina Turner.  She began dating Kevin Gilbert and joined him in a group of musicians known as the Tuesday Music Club.  Prior to Sheryl joining them, the group was a casual songwriting collective, but it rapidly developed as a vehicle for Crow's debut album. 

In 1993, Crow released the album Tuesday Night Music Club.  The album was slow to develop, but eventually became one of The Top 100 Albums of the 90's*.  Her first single, received some airplay in the United States, the U.K. and Canada, but was very underrated--"Run, Baby, Run".

Crow's next single, "Leaving Las Vegas", gained considerable airplay on the Alternative Rock chart, and she began to get more airplay in the countries mentioned above.  Sheryl was nominated for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

As deep, complex and great as those first two singles are, the one that was her breakout hit was her third.  "All I Wanna' Do" shot up to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #2 overall in the U.S. (becoming one of the biggest hits of the year and one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*) and was also #1 in Australia and Canada, #4 in the U.K. and #5 in France and Japan.

Crow captured the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, while "All I Wanna' Do" won Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (it was also nominated for Song of the Year.)  Tuesday Night Music Club has now sold over seven million copies in the United States and 10 million worldwide.  With that big hit behind her, Crow released the single "Strong Enough".  It topped the chart in Canada, achieved a #3 ranking in Australia, and was #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #5 overall in the United States.

Crow performed in the 1994 Woodstock Festival.  She released yet another single from her debut, "Can't Cry Anymore", which was generally underrated throughout the world.  Canada "got it", where it peaked at #3.  It was a #10 Mainstream Rock hit in the U.S., but only #36 overall.

Another track from Crow's debut received recognition when "I'm Gonna' Be A Wheel Someday" was nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

A&M re-released "Run, Baby, Run", to a little more airplay than before, but still not as much as it deserved.  It did reach #24 in the U.K. the second time around.  In 1995, Crow recorded a song for the album A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, covering "D'yer Maker".

In 1996, Crow released her self-titled album, which she co-produced.  "If It Makes You Happy" reached #1 in Canada, #2 in Japan, #4 on the Mainstream chart and #10 overall in the U.S. and #9 in the U.K., won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and helped win Crow the Grammy for Best Rock Album.

Crow definitely has a Beatles influence, and her next single was titled something like the Beatles last song.  Canada was emerging as the country which most understood her great lyrics the most--"Everyday Is A Winding Road" became her fourth #1 song in Canada.  The single also hit #3 in Australia, #5 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #11 overall in the United States and #12 in the U.K..  The song was also nominated at the Grammys for Record of the Year.

The album Sheryl Crow has sold over five million copies worldwide.  The single "A Change Would Do You Good" also caught on, hitting #2 in Canada and #8 in the U.K.

Crow recorded "Tomorrow Never Dies" for the James Bond movie of the same name.  The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or TV and was nominated for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture at the Golden Globe Awards.  It peaked at #12 in both the U.K. and Switzerland.

In 1998, Sheryl released The Globe Sessions.  "My Favorite Mistake" was the lead single, reaching #1 in Japan, #6 in Canada, #5 on the Mainstream Rock chart and an underrated #20 overall in the U.S. and #9 in the U.K.  Crow won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, The Globe Sessions was also nominated for Album of the Year, and "My Favorite Mistake" was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

The Globe Sessions has gone over the two-million mark in sales in the U.S. and 3.5 million worldwide.  The track "There Goes The Neighborhood" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

  

In 1999, Crow recorded a cover of "Sweet Child O' Mine" for the "Big Daddy" Soundtrack, which won the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

Late in 1998, Crow performed for the live concert tribute to Burt Bacharach.  The following year, Sheryl made her acting debut in the movie The Minus Man, and released the live album Sheryl Crow and Friends:  Live From Central Park.  Several musicians appeared at the concert, including Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Sarah McLachlan and the Dixie Chicks.  Crow won another Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the live performance of "There Goes The Neighborhood".

Crow worked with the Dixie Chicks on a remake of "Strong Enough", which received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.  Sheryl also sang with Sarah McLachlan on "The Difficult Kind", nominated at the Grammys for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.  Crow received her 19th Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" and her 20th when she combined with Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris on "Flesh And Blood", which was nominated for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

Sheryl received an honorary degree during the commencement ceremony at Southeast Missouri State University.  Crow mysteriously chose to sing a duet with Kid Rock, "Picture".  It hit #2 in the U.K. and #2 on the Adult chart and #4 in the United States.

Crow released her fourth album, C'mon, C'mon, in 2002.  The single "Soak Up The Sun" was another Japanese #1, and hit #1 on the Adult chart and #5 Adult Contemporary in the U.S. and #7 in the Ukraine.  It was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards.

The album was nominated at the Grammys for Best Rock Album, and C'mon, C'mon is also nearing four million units sold worldwide.  Sheryl's work on the album earned an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.  "Steve McQueen" hit #1 in the Ukraine and was #13 on the Adult chart in the U.S., and won the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

Crow received her 25th career Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for her song with Don Henley--"It's So Easy".

In 2003, Crow released her greatest hits package, The Very Best of Sheryl Crow.  One of the new tracks on the album was her cover of the Rod Stewart hit "The First Cut Is The Deepest".  The single hit #1 on both the Adult Contemporary and the Adult charts and #14 on the Hot 100 chart in the United States, and reached #8 in Japan and #11 in the Ukraine.  

Sheryl won American Music Awards for Best Pop/Rock Artist and Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year and was nominated at the Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  She won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Remake for "The First Cut Is The Deepest" and was nominated for Favorite Female Musical Performer, and earned an ASCAP Pop Award for "The First Cut..." for Most Performed Song.

Wildflower in 2005 debuted at #2 and was Sheryl's sixth straight Platinum album.  Crow released "Good Is Good" as the first single, and it reached #5 on the Adult chart in the United States, #7 in Japan and #10 in Canada and the Ukraine.  She received a nomination at the Grammy Awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Sheryl was nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album.  She recorded "Building Bridges" with Kix Brooks, & Ronnie Dunn and Vince Gill, earning another nomination for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

  

Crow released another hit from Wildflower--"Always On Your Side", a duet with Sting.  It peaked at #2 in Canada, #12 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States and #13 in the Ukraine, and was nominated at the Grammys for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

In 2006, Crow was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, but her doctors stated that "prognosis for a full recovery is excellent".  The song "You Can Close Your Eyes" was nominated at the Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

  

Later in the year, Crow recorded "Try Not To Remember" for the movie Home of the Brave.  It earned a nomination from the Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture. 

Crow released the album Detours in 2008, nominated at the Grammys for Best Pop Vocal Album.  It debuted at #2 on the Album chart, and has sold over 700,000 copies, but did not include any Top 20 hits.  

Sheryl joined Loretta Lynn and Miranda Lambert on an update of Lynn's song "Coal Miner's Daughter", which they performed at the 2010 Country Music Awards.  Crow released the album 100 Miles from Memphis in 2010.   She also wrote the music and lyrics for Diner, a Broadway musical inspired by the 1982 movie.  

Journalist Katie Couric asked Crow to write the theme song for her talk show, Katie.  The song ("This Day") was nominated for Outstanding Original Song at the Daytime Emmy Awards.  She signed a recording contract with Warner Music Nashville Records and released the country-influenced album Feels Like Home last year.

In addition to her amazing solo work, Crow has performed with the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Luciano Pavarotti, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, B.B. King, Tony Bennett and Sting, among others.  

Crow has sold over 17 million albums in the United States and over 50 million worldwide. Every studio album she has released has gone Top 10 in the U.S. and, more often than not, in several other countries as well. She has won nine Grammy Awards out of a phenomenal 32 nominations. 

Sheryl has charted 20 career hits, with four Top 10 songs, and a host of highly underrated songs.  She has 12 hits on the Mainstream Rock chart, with six of those going Top 10.  Nine of her songs have scored on the Alternative chart, with four of those reaching the Top 10.  Crow has also posted nine Adult Contemporary hits, with three Top 10's, and has even charted on the Country chart.  Few artists in history have displayed that much versatility, nor had as much success with it as Ms. Crow.

This Date in Rock Music History: January 25

1958:  "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley became the first single to debut on the U.K. chart at #1.

1960:  Sam Cooke recorded "Chain Gang" at the RCA Recording Studios in New York City.

1960:  Bill Black's Combo made it three weeks at #1 on the R&B chart with the great instrumental "Smokie".
1960:  Bobby Darin had a fast-rising song as "Beyond The Sea" moved from 74 to 34.  
1960:  The great Soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" moved to #1 on the Album chart, the first of 16 weeks at the top.








1963:  Cilla Black made her live debut at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, where she started out as the hat check girl.
1963:  Janis Joplin performed in San Francisco, California at the North Beach coffeehouse.
1964:  Bobby Vinton was on top of the Easy Listening chart for a fourth week with "There!  I've Said It Again".
1964:  Dusty Springfield first appeared on the chart as her first single--"I Only Want to Be With You" debuted.







1964:  Bobby Vinton will forever have the distinction of having the last #1 song before the Beatles changed music.  Vinton was on top with "There!  I've Said It Again".  No offense, Bobby, but most fans will be glad that the Beatles changed music from this style.  Now I grant you that there are some that don't like the Beatles and would rather have music like that of Bobby Vinton.  The Kingsmen were still at #2 with "Louie Louie" while the Beatles moved from 45 to 3 in their second week of release with "I Want To Hold Your Hand".  The Trashmen were at #4 with "Surfin' Bird" while the Murmaids fell with "Popsicles And Icicles".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Out Of Limits" from the Marketts, the Rip Chords and "Hey Little Cobra", Bobby Rydell dropped with "Forget Him", Major Lance had a song called "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" and Jan & Dean were at #10 with "Drag City".






1965:  "King Of the Road", which was written by Roger Miller at the Idanha Hotel in Boise, Idaho, was released as a single.
1967:  The Beatles did a last-minute remix of "Penny Lane" before pressing their double-sided single that also included "Strawberry Fields Forever".
1969:  Cilla Black married manager Bobby Willis.
1969:  The Best of the New Seekers was the #1 album in the U.K.





       
          Music that Matters...from the 'White Album'...

1969:  The Beatles ruled the Album chart for a fifth week with The White Album while TCB by Diana Ross & the Supremes with the Temptations was second.  Glen Campbell moved to 3 with Wichita Lineman, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 had Fool on the Hill and the Rolling Stones were stuck at 5 with Beggars Banquet.  The rest of the Top 10:  Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations, Iron Butterfly moved from 12-7 with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Big Brother & the Holding Company with Cheap Thrills, Judy Collins was at 9 with Wildflowers, in its 56th week of release and Steppenwolf's The Second was #10.
1969:  Marvin Gaye had the #1 song on the R&B chart for a seventh week--"I Heard It Through The Grapevine".





1969:  Marvin Gaye achieved a seventh week at #1 with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".  It was a great time in music as Tommy James & the Shondells rose to #2 with "Crimson And Clover", challenging Marvin.  Diana Ross & the Supremes combined with the Temptations for "I'm Gonna' Make You Love Me" while the great instrumental "Soulful Strut" from Young-Holt Unlimited was fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Sly & the Family Stone took a ride up from 15 to 5 with "Everyday People", B.J. Thomas with "Hooked On A Feeling" (the one that doesn't go "Ooga Chaka, Ooga Chaka"), the Doors were at 7 with "Touch Me", Brooklyn Bridge were at 8 with "Worst That Could Happen", the Bee Gees gained a solid seven with "I Started A Joke" and Dusty Springfield was steady with "Son-of-a Preacher Man".





1971:  The single "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin was released posthumously.  It would be the only big hit Joplin ever had.












1971:  Helen Reddy released her first career single "I Don't Know How to Love Him".
1974:  Want to know how big Led Zeppelin was in their heyday?  On this date, they appeared before 17,000 fans at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1975:  Donny & Marie Osmond reached #1 on the Adult chart with "Morning Side Of The Mountain".






1975:  The Carpenters achieved one of the rare feats of the Rock Era, turning the Marvelettes' #1 song "Please Mr. Postman" into a #1 song of their own.  Linda Ronstadt moved from 21-6 with "You're No Good" while the Average White Band from Scotland entered the Top 10 with "Pick Up The Pieces".
1975:  Elton John's Greatest Hits registered a ninth week at #1--one of the biggest albums of the 70's.
1984:  Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon, donated $375,000 to the Strawberry Fields retirement home in Liverpool.  Strawberry Fields used to be a children's home, and was the inspiration for the song "Strawberry Fields Forever".
1985:  Phil Collins released his third solo album--No Jacket Required.




1986:  A great new female group was introduced to us on this date.  They debuted on the chart with a song written for them by Prince--"Manic Monday".  The Bangles went on to become the top self-contained girl group of the Rock Era.
1986:  Albert Grossman, manager of Bob Dylan, died of a heart attack at the age of 59 while flying to London.







       As usual, words of great wisdom from Mellencamp...

1986:  The Broadway Album from Barbra Streisand was #1, the superstar's sixth #1 album.  The Soundtrack to "Miami Vice" fell to second with Heart's self-titled release #3.  The great Scarecrow from John Cougar Mellencamp was next followed by Sade's breakthrough album Promise.  The rest of the Top 10:  Dire Straits was at #6 after 34 weeks with Brothers In Arms, ZZ Top with Afterburner, Starship made a big comeback with Knee Deep in the Hoopla, Mr. Mister reached the Top 10 with Welcome to the Real World and Bruce Springsteen's album Born in the U.S.A. was still in the Top 10 after 84 weeks.
1986:  Dionne & Friends reached #1 on the R&B chart with "That's What Friends Are For".





                        Klymaxx with their slow jam...

1986:  Dionne Warwick & Friends held on to #1 with "That's What Friends Are For".  Lionel Richie's former #1 spent a second week at #2--"Say You, Say Me".  Survivor was hot with "Burning Heart" (8-3), Stevie Nicks reached #4 with one of her biggest solo hits ("Talk To Me") and Wham!  slammed into the Top 10 (12-5) with "I'm Your Man".  The rest of the Top 10:  Bruce Springsteen made Rock Era history with his seventh Top 10 song from the album Born in the U.S.A. with "My Hometown", Dire Straits were at #7 with "Walk Of Life", Klymaxx and "I Miss You", Eddie Murphy tumbled with "Party All The Time" and Paul McCartney had his 38th solo hit and 22nd Top 10 with "Spies Like Us".  Counting his work with the Beatles, McCartney now had 110 hits with 89 of those going Top 10.

1987:  Neil Diamond sang the national anthem of the United States at Super Bowl XXI at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.









1988:  Aerosmith released the single "Angel".
1989:  Bobby Brown was arrested for an overtly sexually suggestive performance after a show in Columbus, Georgia.  They should have just charged him with an overtly loser life and that would have covered it.  (Note:  some websites say the arrest occurred in Columbus, Ohio, when in fact it was in Columbus, Georgia, according to the newspaper 'The Los Angeles Times'.)
1989:  Madonna began divorce proceedings from Sean Penn and moved into a new house in Hollywood Hills, California.  (Note:  some websites claim the divorce was finalized on January 25, but according to 'The Los Angeles Times', the petition was filed on this date.)

1989:  Alvin Robinson, guitarist on several songs from Dr. John, died in New Orleans at age 51. 

1990:  Paul McCartney was profiled on the CBS-TV show 48 Hours.
1990:  Bill Medley appeared on the popular television show Cheers on NBC.


1992:  Amy Grant was up from 69 to 32 with another song from Hearts In Motion--"Good for Me".
1992:  Color Me Badd's "All 4 Love" broke a seven-week run at #1 for "Black Or White" by Michael Jackson.  Mariah Carey took advantage of the drop and moved to #2 with "Can't Let Go" with the live "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" from George Michael and Elton John third.  Jackson was fourth followed by Ce Ce Peniston with "Finally" and Prince with "Diamonds And Pearls".  The rest of the Top 10:  Shanice with "I Love Your Smile", Nirvana edged up with "Smells Like Teen Spirit", U2 moved from 15-9 with their great song "Mysterious Ways" and Right Said Fred had #10 with "I'm Too Sexy".   



      
  Mariah isn't shy about having her songs heard in public, unlike Garth...

1992:  Garth Brooks posted a 10th week at #1 for the landmark Ropin the Wind album.  The former #1 Dangerous by Michael Jackson was second with Hammer's Too Legit to Quit third.  Nirvana's former #1 Nevermind followed, with Michael Bolton close behind with Time, Love & Tenderness.  The rest of a solid Top 10:  U2 with Achtung Baby, Metallica and their debut, Boyz II Men with Cooleyhighharmony, Mariah Carey's Emotions at #9 and Garth was so hot that his previous album No Fences re-entered the Top 10 after 71 weeks.





1997:  Spice Fever was alive and well as on this date, the Spice Girls first debuted on the chart with their first single "Wannabe".
1997:  No Doubt made it six weeks at #1 on the Album chart with Tragic Kingdom.  Celine Dion was #3 with Falling Into You while Alanis Morissette was still in the Top 10 after 83 weeks with Jagged Little Pill.







            Sheryl Crow was a bright new force in music.

1997:  Toni Braxton had one of The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era* as "Un-Break My Heart" spent an eighth week at #1.  En Vogue gave chase with "Don't Let Go (Love)" while R. Kelly remained third with "I Believe I Can Fly".  Sheryl Crow had the only new Top 10--"If It Makes You Happy".
2000:  Third Eye Blind fired Kevin Cadogan shortly after the group's performance at the Sundance Film Festival.
2001:  In today's segment of Dangerous Inmates Run Rap Music, jury selection ended in the trial of Puff Daddy for weapons possession and bribery in Manhattan, New York.
2003:  Billy Joel totaled his Mercedes on a highway in Long Island, New York.
2003:  Clarence Carter and Eddie Floyd were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

2005:  Ray Peterson ("Tell Laura I Love Her") died of cancer at age 65.


 

2006:  Motley Crue received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2008:  Billy Joel donated $500,000 to "Homes for Our Troops", which aided disabled veterans.

2010:  The members of KISS rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

2010:  Rolf Harris ("Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport") received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Hope University in Liverpool, England.  The degree was later taken away when Harris was convicted of 12 charges of having sex with underage women.

2011:  Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy, a former Miss Canada finalist, became the first person in the world to graduate with a Masters degree in the Beatles.  The degree was launched at Liverpool Hope University in England in March of 2009.

Born This Day:
1915:  Ewan MacColl, who wrote "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" for Roberta Flack, was born in Salford, Lancashire, England; died October 22, 1989 in London.

1927:  Antonio Carlos Jobim, famous jazz composer who wrote "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Desfinado" for the landmark album Getz/Gilberto, was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; died December 8, 1994 in New York City from cardiac arrest while recovering from surgery to remove a tumor from his bladder. 

1931:  Stig Anderson, co-songwriter ("Waterloo", "Mamma Mia", "Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "S.O.S." and "Fernando"), manager and producer of ABBA, was born in Hova, Sweden; died of a heart attack in Stockholm, Sweden on September 12, 1997.

1938:  Etta James was born in Los Angeles, California; died January 12, 2012 of leukemia in Riverside, California.
1941:  Bobby Wood, keyboardist for Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson
1950:  Michael Cotten, synthesizer player of the Tubes ("She's A Beauty"), was born in Kansas City, Missouri.
1953:  Mal Green, drummer of Split Enz
1956:  Andy Cox, guitarist of the Fine Young Cannibals, was born in Birmingham, England.
1958:  Gary Tibbs, bassist for Roxy Music and Adam & the Ants, was born in Northwood, Middlesex, England.

1981:  Alicia Keys was born in New York City.

Top Track: Red Rider's "Lunatic Fringe"

The best song this group ever put out was "White Hot".  The second best is this one:

Carole King, The #36 Female Artist of the Rock Era

Carole Klein was born in Manhattan, New York, and grew up in Brooklyn.  She learned to play piano when she was four years old, and in 1950, she performed on The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour at the age of eight.  While at James Madison High School, she changed her name to Carole King, formed a band called the Co-Sines and made demo records.

King released the single "The Right Girl" in 1958 on ABC-Paramount Records.  King went to Queens College, where she met Gerry Goffin, who was to become her husband and famous songwriting partner.  The two left college and got daytime jobs, Goffin as an assistant chemist and King as a secretary.  At night, the two wrote songs together in an office belonging to Don Kirshner.   

At age 18, Carole wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" with Goffin, and the Shirelles recorded it.  When the song hit #1, King and Goffin gave up their jobs to focus full-time on songwriting.  The pair wrote such classics as "One Fine Day" for the Chiffons, "Up On The Roof" for the Drifters, "The Loco-Motion" for Little Eva, "Take Good Care Of My Baby" for Bobby Vee, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the Monkees", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" for Aretha Franklin, and "I'm Into Something Good", later recorded by Herman's Hermits.

In 1962, King released "It Might As Well Rain Until September", one of eight singles she released before most people had heard of her.  The song caught on in the U.K., where it peaked at #3.

By 1968, however, King and Goffin divorced and Carole moved to Laurel Canyon, where she formed a trio called the City.  The group released one album (Now That Everything's Been Said) but disbanded the following year.

King released her first solo album, Writer, in 1970 on Ode Records, with James Taylor playing acoustic guitar and singing background vocals.  

In 1971, she released a masterpiece for the ages, the album Tapestry, which featured recent songs she had written as well as reinterpretations of two Goffin-King songs.  Simultaneously, she wrote "You've Got A Friend" for Taylor, which became a #1 song and one of his biggest career hits.

Tapestry was an instant success, thanks to the classic "It's Too Late".  The song took off, landing at #1 for four weeks in the United States and also hitting #1 in Canada, and peaking at #5 in Australia, #6 in the U.K. and #8 in Ireland.  It was honored at the Grammy Awards as the Record of the Year and earned King another Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.

Tapestry went to #1 on the Album chart for 15 weeks and remained a best-seller for more than six years.  Tapestry held the record for most weeks at #1 on the Album chart by a female artist for more than 20 years, until Whitney Houston broke it with "The Bodyguard" Soundtrack.  King scored another smash when the flip side to "It's Too Late" also caught on.

  

King won two more Grammys--Album of the Year for Tapestry, and she became the first female in history to win the Song of the Year Award (given to songwriters) for "You've Got A Friend".  Carole had another double-sided hit next, with "So Far Away" went to #3 on the Easy Listening chart and a much underrated #14 overall in the United States and #17 in Canada.

The flip side was "Smackwater Jack".

King hit a musical home run, with every track playing through with no loss in quality, a rarity for an album.  This is "Beautiful".

While Taylor had the hit with her song "You've Got A Friend", King recorded a great version herself.

Carole included a reworked version of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" on Tapestry.

The classic album has now sold over 25 million copies worldwide.  The title track is an amazing piece of work, nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards, and one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

King released the album Music later in the year, and it went Gold within a few weeks.  It entered the Album chart at #8, becoming the first of several weeks that both Tapestry and Music simultaneously occupied the Top 10.  Carole released the single "Sweet Seasons", which reached #2 on the Easy Listening chart, #9 overall, and #12 in Canada.

Music remained on the Album chart for 44 weeks and sold over one million copies.  Carole continued her momentum with the album Rhymes and Reasons in 1972, which produced "Been To Canaan".   The single went to #1 on the Easy Listening chart, #24 overall, and #15 in Canada.

King released the album Fantasy the following year.  The album included two Top 10 Adult hits--"You Light Up My Life" reached #6.

King performed a free concert in New York City's Central Park in 1973, with 100,000 people attending.  "Corazon" was a Top 5 song on the Easy Listening chart for Carole.

In 1974, King released the album Wrap Around Joy, which sent Gold within a month and became another #1 album.  Carole toured to promote the album, and released "Jazzman" as the opening single.  It hit #2 in the United States and #5 in Canada, and was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards.

"Nightingale" was the follow-up, and it topped the Easy Listening chart and peaked at #9 overall.

King recorded the album Really Rosie, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Album for Children.

In 1976, King released her final album on Ode--Thoroughbred.  Former husband Goffin teamed up with her to write four songs on the album, and friends James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Waddy Wachtel helped out as well.  King toured again, and she landed another #1 on the Adult chart with the single "Only Love Is Real", her ninth consecutive AC Top 10 song.

Carole released the album Simple Things in 1977, her last Gold album.  It included the single "Hard Rock Cafe", which peaked at #8 on the Adult chart and #12 in Switzerland.

In 1980, King released the album Pearls:  Songs of Goffin and King, which included Carole's updated version of the Top 5 Chiffons smash "One Fine Day" that she had written nearly two decades earlier.  It just missed the Top 10 at #11.

King moved to Atlantic Records and released One to One, then returned for three more studio albums on Capitol, including her last one, Colour of Your Dreams, in 1992.  In 1985, she scored and performed the soundtrack to the movie Murphy's Romance.

In 1987, Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  The pair received the National Academy of Songwriters Lifetime Achievement Award the following year. 

In 1988, King starred in the off-Broadway production A Minor Incident.  In 1990, King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting achievements.  In 1991, Carole co-wrote "If It's Over" with Mariah Carey for Carey's second album Emotions.  In 1992, Carole also recorded "Now and Forever", which is featured in the opening credits of the movie A League of Their Own.  The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture. 

In 1994, King starred in the Broadway play Blood Brothers.  King co-wrote "The Reason" for Celine Dion in 1997, which went to #1 and sold over one million copies in France, and peaked at #11 in the U.K.  Carole and Celine performed a duet on the first VH1 Divas Live benefit concert.  She also performed her "You've Got A Friend" with Dion, Gloria Estefan and Shania Twain and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" with Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, and others.  

In 1995, an all-star roster of artists paid tribute to King on the album Tapestry Revisited:  A Tribute to Carole King.  Celine Dion's cover of "A Natural Woman" and Rod Stewart's version of "So Far Away" were both Adult Contemporary hits.  Other artists who recorded songs were the Bee Gees ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow"), Aretha Franklin ("You've Got a Friend"), Faith Hill ("Where You Lead"), Amy Grant ("It's Too Late"), Richard Marx (Beautiful")

In 1998, King recorded "Anyone At All" for the box office smash You've Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.  In 2002, King was honored with three inductions into the Grammy Hall of Fame (for the entire Tapestry album and the songs "It's Too Late" and "You've Got A Friend"), and she received the Johnny Mercer Award (given to artists who have established a history of outstanding creative works) from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.  In 2004, King was presented with the prestigious Grammy Trustees Award.

In 2007, King toured Japan with Mary J. Blige and Fergie.  In 2010, longtime friends King and James Taylor embarked on their Troubadour Reunion Tour, remembering the first time they played the famous Los Angeles club in 1970.  The tour grossed over $59 million, one of the most successful tours of the year. 

The show at the Troubadour was recorded and released as the album Live at the Troubadour.  The album was certified Gold and remained on the Album chart for 34 weeks. 

In 2012, King published her autobiography "A Natural Woman:  A Memoir".  It entered the New York Times bestseller list at #6.  In December, King received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  

King was awarded the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by The U.S. Library of Congress.  King was the first and is still the only female recipient of the prestigious distinction given to songwriters.  

"Carole King has been one of the most influential songwriters of our time," Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said in a statement accompanying the announcement.  "For more than five decades, she has written for and been recorded by many different types of artists for a wide range of audiences, communicating with beauty and dignity the universal human emotions of love, joy, pain and loss.  Her body of work reflects the spirit of the Gershwin Prize with its originality, longevity and diversity of appeal."  President and Mrs. Barack Obama hosted the Gershwin Award concert at the White House May 22, 2013, when the President presented the Gershwin Award to Carole King. 

In 2013, she did a tour of Australia and, after the Boston Marathon bombings in April, she performed in Boston with James Taylor in a benefit concert for victims.  King received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammy Awards, and she was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for A Holiday Carole.

Last year, producer Paul Blake announced that Beautiful:  The Carole King Musical starring Tony-nominated actress Jessie Mueller would appear on Broadway.  The play was scheduled for a pre-Broadway run at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco with Broadway shows premiering in November at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City.

We will someday do The Top 100 Women in Rock*, which will take into account not only solo recordings but work in duos and groups, songwriting, musical skill, expertise on musical instruments, and influence in their lifetime and beyond.  When we do, Carole King will rank far, far higher than the #38 Ranking she attains for her recording career.

From 1955-1999, King wrote or co-wrote 118 hits; she is the most successful female songwriter of the Rock Era.  She has won six Grammy Awards out of 13 career nominations.  Carole has had 12 hits with four going Top 10 and one #1 song.  But on the top format, Adult Contemporary, King has excelled, with 16 AC hits, 10 Top 10 songs and four #1's.