Saturday, August 23, 2014
Classic Summer Songs: "Be With You" from Enrique Iglesias
Just into the turning of the millennium, here is a #1 Summer Smash from the year 2000:
Youngest Artists to Hit #1
When Paul Anka hit #1 with "Diana" on September 9, 1957, it proved that artists could break through with a big hit as a teenager. In the years in which rock & roll was in its infancy, it became fairly common for young musicians to score hits; after all, it was a new form of music that they had created and called their own. By the late-60's, though, rock & roll had evolved, becoming more complex, with intricate harmonies, innovative chords and guitar riffs, and deep lyrics. Those are components of music that are tough for a teenager to master.
The following is our calculation of the youngest artists to hit #1. Inside The Rock Era is the first source to publish such a list. We have checked our data using the most common dates listed as birthdays for each of the artists below. If you notice someone that has been omitted from the list, please add your comment below this story so we can look into it and correct it if necessary.
Youngest Artists to Reach #1:
1. Stevie Wonder (13 years, 89 days when "Fingertips-Pt. 2" hit #1 on August 10, 1963)
2. Little Peggy March (15 years and 50 days when "I Will Follow Him" went to #1 on April 27, 1963)
3. Brenda Lee (15 years, 220 days when "I'm Sorry" went to #1 on July 18, 1960)
4. Tiffany (16 years, 36 days when "I Think We're Alone Now" took over at #1 on November 7, 1987)
5. Lorde (16 years, 339 days when "Royals" reached #1 on October 12, 2013)
6. Lesley Gore (17 years, 30 days when "It's My Party" rose to #1 on June 1, 1963)
7. Britney Spears (17 years, 59 days when "...Baby One More Time" topped the chart on January 30, 1999)
8. Debbie Gibson (17 years, 299 days when "Foolish Beat" topped the chart on June 25, 1988)
9. Monica (17 years, 344 days when "The First Night" went to #1 on October 3, 1998)
Youngest Male Artists to Reach #1:
1. Stevie Wonder (13 years, 89 days when "Fingertips-Pt. 2" hit #1 on August 10, 1963)
3. Michael Jackson (14 years, 46 days when "Ben" took over at #1 on October 14, 1972)
4. Paul Anka (16 years, 41 days) when "Diana" topped the chart on September 9, 1957)
5. Chris Brown (16 years, 205 days on the day that "Run It!" went to #1 on November 26, 2005)
6. Brian Hyland (16 years, 270 days when "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" was the #1 song on August 8, 1960)
7. Soulja Boy (17 years, 49 days when "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" topped the chart on September 15, 2007)
8. Sean Kingston (17 years, 189 days on the day that "Beautiful Girls" went to #1 on August 11, 2007)
9. Ricky Nelson (18 years, 88 days) when "Poor Little Fool" took over at #1 on August 4, 1958)
10. Bobby Vee (18 years, 141 days when "Take Good Care Of My Baby" took over at #1 on September 18, 1961)
11. Frankie Avalon (18 years, 172 days as "Venus" went to #1 on March 9, 1959)
12. Mario (18 years, 127 days on the day that "Let Me Love You" went to #1 on January 1, 2005)
13. Shaun Cassidy (18 years, 292 days when "Da Doo Ron Ron" was the top song on July 16, 1977)
Youngest Person to Reach #1:
1. Michael Jackson (11 years, 155 days when "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5 became the #1 song on January 31, 1970)
Taylor, Zac Hanson (middle), and Isaac Hanson
2. Zac Hanson (11 years, 214 days when "Mmmbop" by Hanson took over at #1 on May 24, 1997)
3. Marlon Jackson (12 years, 325 days when "I Want You Back" became the #1 song for the Jackson 5 on January 31, 1970
4. Donny Osmond (13 years, 66 days when "One Bad Apple" by the Osmonds reached #1 on February 13, 1971)
5. Stevie Wonder (13 years, 89 days when "Fingertips-Pt. 2" hit #1 on August 10, 1963)
Chris Kelly (left), Chris Smith, right
6. Chris Smith (13 years, 106 days when "Jump" reached #1 for Kris Kross on April 25, 1992)
7. Chris Kelly (13 years, 258 days on the day when "Jump" by Kriss Kross reached #1 on April 25, 1992)
8. Taylor Hanson (14 years, 71 days as "Mmmbop" by Hanson took over at #1 on May 24, 1997)
9. Little Peggy March (15 years and 50 days when "I Will Follow Him" went to #1 on April 27, 1963)
10. Jermaine Jackson (15 years, 51 days on the day that "I Want You Back" became the #1 song for the Jackson 5 on January 31, 1970
11. Brenda Lee (15 years, 220 days when "I'm Sorry" went to #1 on July 18, 1960)
Judy Craig, Patricia Bennett, Barbara Lee, Sylvia Peterson
12. Barbara Lee (15 years, 319 days when "He's So Fine" reached #1 for the Chiffons on March 30, 1963)
Marguerite Ganser, Mary Weiss and Mary Ganser
13. Mary Weiss (15 years, 337 days when "The Leader Of the Pack" became the #1 song for the Shangri-Las on November 28, 1964)
Jay Osmond (left)
14. Jay Osmond (15 years, 348 days when "One Bad Apple" by the Osmonds reached #1 on February 13, 1971)
15. Patricia Bennett (15 years, 357 days when "He's So Fine" reached #1 for the Chiffons on March 30, 1963)
16. Tiffany (16 years, 36 days when "I Think We're Alone Now" took over at #1 on November 7, 1987)
17. Paul Anka (16 years, 41 days) when "Diana" topped the chart on September 9, 1957)
18. Tito Jackson (16 years, 108 days when "I Want You Back" became the #1 song for the Jackson 5 on January 31, 1970
19. Sylvia Peterson (16 years, 181 days when "He's So Fine" reached #1 for the Chiffons on March 30, 1963)
20. Isaac Hanson (16 years, 188 days on the day that "Mmmbop" took over at #1 for Hanson on May 24, 1997)
Gladys Horton (top left), Katherine Anderson (top right)
21. Gladys Horton (16 years, 195 days when "Please Mr. Postman by the Marvelettes went to #1 on December 11, 1961)
22. Chris Brown (16 years, 205 days on the day that "Run It!" went to #1 on November 26, 2005)
23. Judy Craig (16 years, 236 days when "He's So Fine" reached #1 for the Chiffons on March 30, 1963)
Joey McIntyre (bottom right)
24. Joey McIntyre (16 years, 252 days when "Hangin' Tough" went to #1 on September 9, 1989 for New Kids on the Block)
25. Brian Hyland (16 years, 270 days when "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" was the #1 song on August 8, 1960)
26. Lorde (16 years, 339 days when "Royals" reached #1 on October 12, 2013)
27. Lesley Gore (17 years, 30 days when "It's My Party" rose to #1 on June 1, 1963)
28. Soulja Boy (17 years, 49 days when "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" topped the chart on September 15, 2007)
29. Britney Spears (17 years, 59 days when "...Baby One More Time" topped the chart on January 30, 1999)
30. Lil' Fizz (17 years, 67 days when "Bump, Bump, Bump" by B2K went to #1 on February 1, 2003)
Dee Dee Kenniebrew (left), Barbara Alston (2nd from left)
31. Dee Dee Kenniebrew (17 years, 117 days when "He's A Rebel" rose to #1 for the Crystals on November 3, 1962)
32. Barbara Alston (17 years (BD?) when "He's A Rebel" by the Crystals rose to #1 on November 3, 1962)
33. J-Boog (17 years, 174 days when "Bump, Bump, Bump" by B2K went to #1 on February 1, 2003)
34. Peter Noone (17 years, 177 days on the day that "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" rose to #1 for Herman's Hermits on May 1, 1965)
35. Sean Kingston (17 years, 189 days on the day that "Beautiful Girls" went to #1 on August 11, 2007)
36. Monica (17 years, 225 days when her duet with Brandy--"The Boy Is Mine" topped the chart on June 6, 1998)
37. Raz-B (17 years, 233 days when "Bump, Bump, Bump" by B2K went to #1 on February 1, 2003)
38. Karl Green (17 years, 274 days when "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits rose to #1 on May 1, 1965)
Merrill Osmond (right)
39. Merrill Osmond (17 years, 289 days when the Osmonds reached #1 with "One Bad Apple" on February 13, 1971)
40. Marguerite Ganser (17 years, 294 days when "The Leader Of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las became the #1 song on November 28, 1964)
40. Mary Ann Ganser (17 years, 294 days when "The Leader Of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las went to #1 on November 28, 1964)
42. Debbie Gibson (17 years, 299 days when "Foolish Beat" topped the chart on June 25, 1988)
Beyoncé Knowles (top)
43. Beyoncé Knowles (17 years, 316 days when "Bills, Bills, Bills" reached #1 for Destiny's Child on July 17, 1999)
44. Katherine Anderson (17 years, 329 days when "Please Mr. Postman went to #1 for the Marvelettes on December 11, 1961)
45. Monica (17 years, 344 days when "The First Night" went to #1 on October 3, 1998)
The following is our calculation of the youngest artists to hit #1. Inside The Rock Era is the first source to publish such a list. We have checked our data using the most common dates listed as birthdays for each of the artists below. If you notice someone that has been omitted from the list, please add your comment below this story so we can look into it and correct it if necessary.
Youngest Artists to Reach #1:
Youngest Male Artists to Reach #1:
1. Stevie Wonder (13 years, 89 days when "Fingertips-Pt. 2" hit #1 on August 10, 1963)
2. Donny Osmond (13 years, 275 days on the day that "Go Away Little Girl" topped the chart on September 11, 1971)
Youngest Person to Reach #1:
Michael Jackson, bottom right
2. Zac Hanson (11 years, 214 days when "Mmmbop" by Hanson took over at #1 on May 24, 1997)
Marlon Jackson (bottom left)
3. Marlon Jackson (12 years, 325 days when "I Want You Back" became the #1 song for the Jackson 5 on January 31, 1970
4. Donny Osmond (13 years, 66 days when "One Bad Apple" by the Osmonds reached #1 on February 13, 1971)
5. Stevie Wonder (13 years, 89 days when "Fingertips-Pt. 2" hit #1 on August 10, 1963)
6. Chris Smith (13 years, 106 days when "Jump" reached #1 for Kris Kross on April 25, 1992)
7. Chris Kelly (13 years, 258 days on the day when "Jump" by Kriss Kross reached #1 on April 25, 1992)
8. Taylor Hanson (14 years, 71 days as "Mmmbop" by Hanson took over at #1 on May 24, 1997)
9. Little Peggy March (15 years and 50 days when "I Will Follow Him" went to #1 on April 27, 1963)
Jermaine Jackson (top right)
10. Jermaine Jackson (15 years, 51 days on the day that "I Want You Back" became the #1 song for the Jackson 5 on January 31, 1970
11. Brenda Lee (15 years, 220 days when "I'm Sorry" went to #1 on July 18, 1960)
12. Barbara Lee (15 years, 319 days when "He's So Fine" reached #1 for the Chiffons on March 30, 1963)
13. Mary Weiss (15 years, 337 days when "The Leader Of the Pack" became the #1 song for the Shangri-Las on November 28, 1964)
14. Jay Osmond (15 years, 348 days when "One Bad Apple" by the Osmonds reached #1 on February 13, 1971)
15. Patricia Bennett (15 years, 357 days when "He's So Fine" reached #1 for the Chiffons on March 30, 1963)
16. Tiffany (16 years, 36 days when "I Think We're Alone Now" took over at #1 on November 7, 1987)
17. Paul Anka (16 years, 41 days) when "Diana" topped the chart on September 9, 1957)
Tito Jackson (left)
19. Sylvia Peterson (16 years, 181 days when "He's So Fine" reached #1 for the Chiffons on March 30, 1963)
20. Isaac Hanson (16 years, 188 days on the day that "Mmmbop" took over at #1 for Hanson on May 24, 1997)
21. Gladys Horton (16 years, 195 days when "Please Mr. Postman by the Marvelettes went to #1 on December 11, 1961)
23. Judy Craig (16 years, 236 days when "He's So Fine" reached #1 for the Chiffons on March 30, 1963)
24. Joey McIntyre (16 years, 252 days when "Hangin' Tough" went to #1 on September 9, 1989 for New Kids on the Block)
25. Brian Hyland (16 years, 270 days when "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" was the #1 song on August 8, 1960)
26. Lorde (16 years, 339 days when "Royals" reached #1 on October 12, 2013)
27. Lesley Gore (17 years, 30 days when "It's My Party" rose to #1 on June 1, 1963)
28. Soulja Boy (17 years, 49 days when "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" topped the chart on September 15, 2007)
29. Britney Spears (17 years, 59 days when "...Baby One More Time" topped the chart on January 30, 1999)
30. Lil' Fizz (17 years, 67 days when "Bump, Bump, Bump" by B2K went to #1 on February 1, 2003)
31. Dee Dee Kenniebrew (17 years, 117 days when "He's A Rebel" rose to #1 for the Crystals on November 3, 1962)
32. Barbara Alston (17 years (BD?) when "He's A Rebel" by the Crystals rose to #1 on November 3, 1962)
33. J-Boog (17 years, 174 days when "Bump, Bump, Bump" by B2K went to #1 on February 1, 2003)
Karl Green (left), Peter Noone (middle)
34. Peter Noone (17 years, 177 days on the day that "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" rose to #1 for Herman's Hermits on May 1, 1965)
35. Sean Kingston (17 years, 189 days on the day that "Beautiful Girls" went to #1 on August 11, 2007)
36. Monica (17 years, 225 days when her duet with Brandy--"The Boy Is Mine" topped the chart on June 6, 1998)
37. Raz-B (17 years, 233 days when "Bump, Bump, Bump" by B2K went to #1 on February 1, 2003)
38. Karl Green (17 years, 274 days when "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits rose to #1 on May 1, 1965)
39. Merrill Osmond (17 years, 289 days when the Osmonds reached #1 with "One Bad Apple" on February 13, 1971)
40. Marguerite Ganser (17 years, 294 days when "The Leader Of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las became the #1 song on November 28, 1964)
40. Mary Ann Ganser (17 years, 294 days when "The Leader Of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las went to #1 on November 28, 1964)
42. Debbie Gibson (17 years, 299 days when "Foolish Beat" topped the chart on June 25, 1988)
43. Beyoncé Knowles (17 years, 316 days when "Bills, Bills, Bills" reached #1 for Destiny's Child on July 17, 1999)
44. Katherine Anderson (17 years, 329 days when "Please Mr. Postman went to #1 for the Marvelettes on December 11, 1961)
Classic Summer Songs: "China Grove" by the Doobie Brothers
Inside The Rock Era has presented the Classic Summer Songs* series all summer long. We are winding down, but we still have a few aces in the hand. We go to the Summer of 1973 for this Doobie Brothers smash:
Friday, August 22, 2014
This Date in Rock Music History: August 23
1962: John Lennon married Cynthia Powell at the Mount Pleasant Registry Office in Liverpool, England with fellow Beatles George Harrison and Paul McCartney present.
1962: Bobby "Boris" Pickett released the single "Monster Mash".
1963: The Rolling Stones appeared for the first time on the British television show Ready Steady Go!, along with the Hollies, Lulu, and the Yardbirds.
1966: Big Brother & the Holding Company signed with Mainstream Records in return for airfare back to San Francisco. Talk about a shoestring budget.
1966: The Beatles' double-sided hit "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" became the group's 11th #1 in the U.K.
1967: Joni Mitchell was in concert for the first time in the U.K., opening for the Piccadilly Line at the Marquee Club in London.
1968: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Big Brother & the Holding Company, the Chambers Brothers, and Soft Machine played before an overflow audience of 18,000 at the New York Rock Festival at the Singer Bowl at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens.
1969: The Temptations climbed from #84 to #48 with "I Can't Get Next To You".
1969: Johnny Cash At San Quentin was the new #1 album, replacing the great Blood, Sweat & Tears debut. The Soundtrack to "Hair" was third, followed by the Best of Cream. Blind Faith made an unbelievable jump from #111 to #5 with their debut. The rest of the Top 10: The Soft Parade by the Doors, the Soundtrack to "Romeo & Juliet" fell to #7, This Is Tom Jones took position #8, the self-titled Crosby, Stills & Nash was #9 and Iron Butterfly was still hanging around after 58 weeks with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.
1969: Aretha Franklin scored her seventh #1 song on the R&B chart with "Share Your Love With Me".
1969: Zager & Evans made it two weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "In The Year 2525".
Neil Diamond with an early career classic...
1969: The Rolling Stones registered their 24th career hit and fifth #1 with "Honky Tonk Women". Johnny Cash had everyone talking with "A Boy Named Sue" and Tommy James & the Shondells sang one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*--"Crystal Blue Persuasion". Neil Diamond was fourth with "Sweet Caroline" and Zager and Evans slipped after six weeks at #1 with "In The Year 2525". The rest of the Top 10: Jackie DeShannon with another of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*--"Put A Little Love In Your Heart", Creedence Clearwater Revival took "Green River" from 15 to 7, Tony Joe White entered the Top 10 with "Polk Salad Annie", the Youngbloods with the third member of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era* in the Top 10 on this date (imagine that, three being from 1969) with "Get Together" and the Guess Who landed at 10 with "Laughing".
1970: Emerson, Lake and Palmer performed for the first time at Plymouth Guildhall in Plymouth, England.
1970: Lou Reed left the Velvet Underground after a performance at Max's in Kansas City, Missouri.
1971: Diana Ross had the #1 U.K. song with "I'm Still Waiting".
1972: Jim Croce released the single "Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels".
1975: Paul Kassoff, former guitarist of Free, came back to life after his heart stopped beating for 35 minutes. Doctors removed a blood clot in his leg and he was released.
1975: Yes, Supertramp and Thin Lizzy were among the performers on the second day of a very successful Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1975: James Taylor moved to #1 on the Adult chart with "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)".
1975: K.C. and the Sunshine Band landed a #1 song on the R&B chart with "Get Down Tonight".
1975: Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds rose to the top with "Fallin' In Love", jumping over the Eagles' "One Of These Nights". K.C. and the Sunshine Band had a hot song with "Get Down Tonight", moving from 12 to 3. The former #1 "Jive Talkin'" was fourth by the Bee Gees. The rest of the Top 10: Glen Campbell and "Rhinestone Cowboy", War with "Why Can't We Be Friends?", James Taylor edged up with "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", Elton John's epic "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was on its way down, Janis Ian's song "At Seventeen" pierced through the radio and rose from 16 to 9 and Olivia Newton-John took the #10 spot with "Please Mr. Please".
1977: Monday fell on this date, and that of course meant the release date for new singles. Linda Ronstadt released her remake of the Roy Orbison song "Blue Bayou".1980: Iron Maiden, UFO, and the Pat Travers Band were among the performers on the second day of the annual Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1980: The Pretenders, B-52's, Talking Heads and Elvis Costello performed at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada for the Heatwave Festival.
1980: David Bowie had the #1 single in the U.K. with "Ashes To Ashes".
1980: Olivia Newton-John remained #1 for the fourth week with "Magic" while Christopher Cross was poised to strike at #2 with the beautiful "Sailing". The S.O.S. Band somehow found their way at #3 with "Take Your Time (Do It Right)", the Rolling Stones were still at 4 with "Emotional Rescue" and Diana Ross maintained at 5 with "Upside Down". The rest of the Top 10: Billy Joel's former #1 "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me", Irene Cara blasted into the Top 10 with "Fame", Air Supply moved from 21 to 8 with their second single "All Out Of Love", Pete Townshend's solo hit "Let My Love Open the Door" was at 9 and Kim Carnes closed the list with "More Love".
1985: Aerosmith opened a tour at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconsin.
1986: The Miami Sound Machine were the vehicle for Gloria Estefan, and on this date, they rose to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Words Get In The Way".
1989: Ric Ocasek of the Cars married Paulina Porizkova.
1990: An anonymous buyer purchased the childhood home of Bob Dylan in Hibbing, Minnesota.
1990: David Rose, the composer who wrote one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era* ("The Stripper") and also wrote the themes to the popular television shows Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie, died of a heart attack in Burbank, California at the age of 80.
1991: The re-formed Dire Straits began a world tour at Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.
1991: Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Babes in Toyland and Iggy Pop were among the performers at the three-day Reading Festival in England.
1993: Duran Duran was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, next to John Lennon's on the corner of Vine and Yucca.
1994: The Eagles performed at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
1996: Rage Against the Machine, the Offspring, the Prodigy, and Ice T performed on the opening day of the Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1997: Texas had the top U.K. song with "White On Blonde".
1997: Usher debuted at #25 with "You Make Me Wanna'". (Note: some websites mistakenly say the song debuted at #4. According to the official "Billboard' website, it debuted at #25 on August 23, 1997.)
2000: Kenny Loggins was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.
2002: Guns N' Roses, the Offspring, Incubus, Slipknot, and Puddle of Mudd headlined the U.K. Carling Leeds-Reading Festival.
2003: Bobby Brown was arrested while eating dinner with former wife Whitney Houston at an Atlanta, Georgia restaurant. Brown had violated parole.
2003: Linkin Park, Stained, Blink-182 and Jay-Z headlined the second day at the U.K. Reading and Leeds Festival.
2003: Floetry won Best Single ("Say Yes"), Best Album (Floetic) and Best New Group at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.
2004: Queen became the first U.K. group to receive approval to play in Iran.
2008: Madonna began a world tour at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
2008: The Killers, the Raconteurs, and the Subways performed on the second day of the Carling Weekend Reading Festival in Reading and Leeds, England.
2009: Calvin Harris owned the top album in the U.K. with Ready for the Weekend.
Born This Day:
1936: Rudy Lewis of the Drifters was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died May 20, 1964 in his hotel in Manhattan, New York of a probable drug overdose.
1938: David (Roger Greenaway) of David & Jonathan, who, along with Roger Cook, wrote many songs for other artists, including "My Baby Loves Lovin'" for White Plains, "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" for the Hollies, and also a noted producer, was born in Fishponds, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England.
1942: Tony Micale, lead singer of the Reflections "(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet"), was born in the Bronx, New York.
1947: Keith Moon, drummer of the Who, was born in Wembley, Middlesex, England; died September 7, 1978 of an overdose of Heminevrin, a drug intended to curb alcohol abuse. (Note: some websites report that he was born in London, while others say Willesden or Harlesden. According to the official website for the Who, Moon was born in Wembley, Middlesex.)
1949: Rick Springfield was born in Sydney, Australia.
1951: Jim Jamison, lead singer of Survivor, was born in Durant, Mississippi; died August 31, 2014 of a hemorrhagic brain stroke in Memphis, Tennessee.
1951: Mark Hudson of the Hudson Brothers, backing vocalist for Alice Cooper, Jon Bon Jovi and Hanson, and a songwriter and producer who worked with Aerosmith, Cher, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson, was born in Portland, Oregon.
1953: Bobby G. (real name Robert Gubby), vocalist of Bucks Fizz, was born in Epsom, Surrey, England.
1954: Mark Avsec, songwriter and keyboardist for Wild Cherry and co-founder and lead guitarist of Donnie Iris & the Cruisers
1961: Dean DeLeo, guitarist of Stone Temple Pilots was born in Montclair, New Jersey. (Note: several websites report Dean was born in Newark, Jersey, while others say he was born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey; 'Allmusic.com' even throws in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He was born in Montclair, a suburb of Newark, and grew up in Point Pleasant.)
1974: Shifty Shellshock (real name Seth Brooks Binzer) of Crazy Town ("Butterfly" from 2001) was born in Los Angeles, California.
1978: Julian Casablancas, guitarist and lead singer of the Strokes, was born in New York City.
1979: Richard Neville, vocalist of Five, was born in Solihull, Birmingham, England.
1981: Natalie Horler, singer of the German dance group Cascada, was born in Bonn, Germany.
1962: Bobby "Boris" Pickett released the single "Monster Mash".
1963: The Rolling Stones appeared for the first time on the British television show Ready Steady Go!, along with the Hollies, Lulu, and the Yardbirds.
1966: Big Brother & the Holding Company signed with Mainstream Records in return for airfare back to San Francisco. Talk about a shoestring budget.
1966: The Beatles' double-sided hit "Yellow Submarine"/"Eleanor Rigby" became the group's 11th #1 in the U.K.
1967: Joni Mitchell was in concert for the first time in the U.K., opening for the Piccadilly Line at the Marquee Club in London.
1968: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Big Brother & the Holding Company, the Chambers Brothers, and Soft Machine played before an overflow audience of 18,000 at the New York Rock Festival at the Singer Bowl at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens.
1969: The Temptations climbed from #84 to #48 with "I Can't Get Next To You".
1969: Johnny Cash At San Quentin was the new #1 album, replacing the great Blood, Sweat & Tears debut. The Soundtrack to "Hair" was third, followed by the Best of Cream. Blind Faith made an unbelievable jump from #111 to #5 with their debut. The rest of the Top 10: The Soft Parade by the Doors, the Soundtrack to "Romeo & Juliet" fell to #7, This Is Tom Jones took position #8, the self-titled Crosby, Stills & Nash was #9 and Iron Butterfly was still hanging around after 58 weeks with In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.
1969: Aretha Franklin scored her seventh #1 song on the R&B chart with "Share Your Love With Me".
1969: Zager & Evans made it two weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "In The Year 2525".
Neil Diamond with an early career classic...
1969: The Rolling Stones registered their 24th career hit and fifth #1 with "Honky Tonk Women". Johnny Cash had everyone talking with "A Boy Named Sue" and Tommy James & the Shondells sang one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*--"Crystal Blue Persuasion". Neil Diamond was fourth with "Sweet Caroline" and Zager and Evans slipped after six weeks at #1 with "In The Year 2525". The rest of the Top 10: Jackie DeShannon with another of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*--"Put A Little Love In Your Heart", Creedence Clearwater Revival took "Green River" from 15 to 7, Tony Joe White entered the Top 10 with "Polk Salad Annie", the Youngbloods with the third member of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era* in the Top 10 on this date (imagine that, three being from 1969) with "Get Together" and the Guess Who landed at 10 with "Laughing".
1970: Lou Reed left the Velvet Underground after a performance at Max's in Kansas City, Missouri.
1971: Diana Ross had the #1 U.K. song with "I'm Still Waiting".
1972: Jim Croce released the single "Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels".
1975: Yes, Supertramp and Thin Lizzy were among the performers on the second day of a very successful Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1975: James Taylor moved to #1 on the Adult chart with "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)".
1975: K.C. and the Sunshine Band landed a #1 song on the R&B chart with "Get Down Tonight".
1975: Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds rose to the top with "Fallin' In Love", jumping over the Eagles' "One Of These Nights". K.C. and the Sunshine Band had a hot song with "Get Down Tonight", moving from 12 to 3. The former #1 "Jive Talkin'" was fourth by the Bee Gees. The rest of the Top 10: Glen Campbell and "Rhinestone Cowboy", War with "Why Can't We Be Friends?", James Taylor edged up with "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", Elton John's epic "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was on its way down, Janis Ian's song "At Seventeen" pierced through the radio and rose from 16 to 9 and Olivia Newton-John took the #10 spot with "Please Mr. Please".
1977: Monday fell on this date, and that of course meant the release date for new singles. Linda Ronstadt released her remake of the Roy Orbison song "Blue Bayou".1980: Iron Maiden, UFO, and the Pat Travers Band were among the performers on the second day of the annual Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1980: The Pretenders, B-52's, Talking Heads and Elvis Costello performed at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada for the Heatwave Festival.
1980: David Bowie had the #1 single in the U.K. with "Ashes To Ashes".
1980: Olivia Newton-John remained #1 for the fourth week with "Magic" while Christopher Cross was poised to strike at #2 with the beautiful "Sailing". The S.O.S. Band somehow found their way at #3 with "Take Your Time (Do It Right)", the Rolling Stones were still at 4 with "Emotional Rescue" and Diana Ross maintained at 5 with "Upside Down". The rest of the Top 10: Billy Joel's former #1 "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me", Irene Cara blasted into the Top 10 with "Fame", Air Supply moved from 21 to 8 with their second single "All Out Of Love", Pete Townshend's solo hit "Let My Love Open the Door" was at 9 and Kim Carnes closed the list with "More Love".
1985: Aerosmith opened a tour at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconsin.
1986: The Miami Sound Machine were the vehicle for Gloria Estefan, and on this date, they rose to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Words Get In The Way".
1989: Ric Ocasek of the Cars married Paulina Porizkova.
1990: An anonymous buyer purchased the childhood home of Bob Dylan in Hibbing, Minnesota.
1990: David Rose, the composer who wrote one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era* ("The Stripper") and also wrote the themes to the popular television shows Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie, died of a heart attack in Burbank, California at the age of 80.
1991: The re-formed Dire Straits began a world tour at Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.
1991: Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Babes in Toyland and Iggy Pop were among the performers at the three-day Reading Festival in England.
1993: Duran Duran was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, next to John Lennon's on the corner of Vine and Yucca.
1994: The Eagles performed at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
1996: Rage Against the Machine, the Offspring, the Prodigy, and Ice T performed on the opening day of the Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1997: Texas had the top U.K. song with "White On Blonde".
1997: Usher debuted at #25 with "You Make Me Wanna'". (Note: some websites mistakenly say the song debuted at #4. According to the official "Billboard' website, it debuted at #25 on August 23, 1997.)
2002: Guns N' Roses, the Offspring, Incubus, Slipknot, and Puddle of Mudd headlined the U.K. Carling Leeds-Reading Festival.
2003: Bobby Brown was arrested while eating dinner with former wife Whitney Houston at an Atlanta, Georgia restaurant. Brown had violated parole.
2003: Linkin Park, Stained, Blink-182 and Jay-Z headlined the second day at the U.K. Reading and Leeds Festival.
2003: Floetry won Best Single ("Say Yes"), Best Album (Floetic) and Best New Group at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.
2004: Queen became the first U.K. group to receive approval to play in Iran.
2008: Madonna began a world tour at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
2008: The Killers, the Raconteurs, and the Subways performed on the second day of the Carling Weekend Reading Festival in Reading and Leeds, England.
2009: Calvin Harris owned the top album in the U.K. with Ready for the Weekend.
Born This Day:
1936: Rudy Lewis of the Drifters was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died May 20, 1964 in his hotel in Manhattan, New York of a probable drug overdose.
1938: David (Roger Greenaway) of David & Jonathan, who, along with Roger Cook, wrote many songs for other artists, including "My Baby Loves Lovin'" for White Plains, "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" for the Hollies, and also a noted producer, was born in Fishponds, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England.
1942: Tony Micale, lead singer of the Reflections "(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet"), was born in the Bronx, New York.
1949: Rick Springfield was born in Sydney, Australia.
1951: Jim Jamison, lead singer of Survivor, was born in Durant, Mississippi; died August 31, 2014 of a hemorrhagic brain stroke in Memphis, Tennessee.
1951: Mark Hudson of the Hudson Brothers, backing vocalist for Alice Cooper, Jon Bon Jovi and Hanson, and a songwriter and producer who worked with Aerosmith, Cher, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson, was born in Portland, Oregon.
1953: Bobby G. (real name Robert Gubby), vocalist of Bucks Fizz, was born in Epsom, Surrey, England.
1954: Mark Avsec, songwriter and keyboardist for Wild Cherry and co-founder and lead guitarist of Donnie Iris & the Cruisers
1961: Dean DeLeo, guitarist of Stone Temple Pilots was born in Montclair, New Jersey. (Note: several websites report Dean was born in Newark, Jersey, while others say he was born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey; 'Allmusic.com' even throws in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He was born in Montclair, a suburb of Newark, and grew up in Point Pleasant.)
1974: Shifty Shellshock (real name Seth Brooks Binzer) of Crazy Town ("Butterfly" from 2001) was born in Los Angeles, California.
1978: Julian Casablancas, guitarist and lead singer of the Strokes, was born in New York City.
1979: Richard Neville, vocalist of Five, was born in Solihull, Birmingham, England.
1981: Natalie Horler, singer of the German dance group Cascada, was born in Bonn, Germany.
Classic Summer Song: "That's The Way Of The World" from Earth, Wind, & Fire
We are winding down the Summer (and the Winter in Australia) with some of the great Summer Songs of the Rock Era. This one comes from the Summer of 1975:
Thursday, August 21, 2014
This Date in Rock Music History: August 22
1956: Elvis Presley began filming his first movie Love Me Tender. It was originally going to be called The Reno Brothers.
1960: "The Chain Gang" was one of the fastest-moving songs (79 to 54) for Sam Cooke.
1960: "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis Presley was #1 for a second week.
1962: The Beatles filmed a lunchtime performance for Granada Television at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England for their first TV appearance. However, the film was judged too grainy to be shown, so Granada shelved it until the group became famous. It was shown for the first time on Granada's Scene At 6:30 on November 6, 1963.
1964: Liberty Records announced that the album The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles was selling 25,000 copies a day.
1964: The Beatles were in concert at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, playing to 20,261 fans. The Bill Black Combo, the Exciters, the Righteous Brothers, and Jackie DeShannon opened for the group. The show was broadcast locally by CKNW.
1964: The Four Tops moved from 90 to 54 with "Baby I Need Your Loving".
1964: The Supremes had the top R&B song with "Where Did Our Love Go".
Dusty with one of her biggest hits ...
1964: The Supremes slid into the #1 spot with "Where Did Our Love Go", taking over from Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody". The Beatles remained at #3 with "A Hard Day's Night" while the Drifters were up to 4 with "Under The Boardwalk" and the Animals were already up to #5 since the release of "The House Of The Rising Sun" three weeks previous. The rest of the Top 10: "C'mon And Swim" from Bobby Freeman, the Dave Clark Five moved from 14 to 7 with "Because", the Ventures" were at position number eight--"Walk-Don't Run '64", Dusty Springfield with "Wishin' And Hopin'" and Gerry & the Pacemakers scored a Top 10 hit with "How Do You Do It?".
1966: The Association released the single "Cherish".
1966: Jerry Lee Lewis signed a contract to play Iago in the London production of Catch My Soul, a rock version of Shakespeare's play Othello.
1968: Cynthia Powell Lennon countersued for divorce from John (John had sued for divorce previously).
1968: Ringo Starr temporarily quit the Beatles during sessions for The White Album but later returned.
1969: The Beatles gathered at John Lennon's home in Tittenhurst Park, England for their final photo session together, two days after their final recording session together.
1970: Elton John signed a recording contract with UNI, a division of MCA Records.
1970: Elvis Presley announced his first nationwide tour since 1958. Some of the dates were filmed for the documentary Elvis--That's The Way It Is.
1970: Derek and the Dominoes were in concert at the Van Dike Club in Plymouth, Devon, England.
1970: The Moody Blues captured the #1 spot on the Album chart in the U.K. with A Question of Balance.
Sugarloaf with one of the best keyboard solos by Jerry Corbetta...
1970: Sugarloaf had the fastest-rising song of the week with "Green-Eyed Lady", which moved from 92 to 65 on this date.
1970: B.J. Thomas was on top of the Easy Listening chart with "I Just Can't Help Believing".
Clarence Carter had a winner with "Patches" ...
1970: Bread reached #1 with their first hit--"Make It With You". That ended a five-week reign for the Carpenters' classic "(They Long To Be) Close To You". Eric Burdon & War were up to #3 with "Spill The Wine" while the song "War" was at #4 for Edwin Starr. The rest of the Top 10: Mungo Jerry with "In The Summertime", Stevie Wonder had #6--"Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)", Clarence Carter moved from 16 to 7 with "Patches", Freda Payne's "Band Of Gold", B.J. Thomas moved into the list with "I Just Can't Help Believing" and one of the great One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*, "Tighter, Tighter" by Alive & Kicking was still alive at #10.
1971: Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary and Joan Baez were at the Odeon Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland.
1974: Carole King released her single "Jazzman".
1974: The Eagles played the Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts.
1975: U.F.O. and Hawkwind helped kick off the three-day Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1977: Peter Frampton played the first of three sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden.
1979: Led Zeppelin released their final studio album In through the Out Door.
1980: Queen performed at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1981: The Carpenters collected their 15th #1 song on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Touch Me When We're Dancing".
Foreigner's "Woman in Black"...
1981: 4 moved up to #1 on the Album chart for Foreigner after just five weeks. That meant a short stay for Pat Benatar with Precious Time. Stevie Nicks was up big with Bella Donna (12-3), Journey were at #4 with Escape and the Moody Blues had #5--Long Distance Voyager. The rest of the Top 10: Kenny Rogers owned #6 with Share Your Love, Billy Squier slid up to #7 with Don't Say No, Rick James had the #8 album with Street Songs, Rick Springfield entered the Top 10 with Working Class Dog and Air Supply maintained at 10 with The One That You Love.
1981: "Endless Love", the duet by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie, was #1 on the R&B chart.
1983: Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton released the single "Islands In The Stream".
1987: Bon Jovi was the main attraction at the Monsters of Rock Festival at Donington Park in Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England.
The talented Debbie Gibson had a Top 10 smash...
1987: "Who's That Girl" by Madonna became her sixth number one and 13th consecutive Top 10 song. "La Bamba" by Los Lobos moved up to challenge, Suzanne Vega was at 3 with "Luka" and Richard Marx was up to #4 with "Don't Mean Nothing". The rest of the Top 10: "I Want Your Sex" by George Michael, U2 fell from #1 with "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", Debbie Gibson edged up with "Only In My Dreams", the Whispers found the Top 10 with "Rock Steady", T'Pau slipped with "Heart And Soul" and the first single from Bad by Michael Jackson (with Siedah Garrett on this one)--"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" moved from 16 to 10.
1988: PBS-TV broadcast the documentary Aretha Franklin - Queen of Soul.
1992: "End Of The Road" by Boyz II Men was the new #1 song on the R&B chart.
1997: U2 played the first of two sold-out concerts at Wembley Stadium in London. The superstars performed a medley of material and six full-length songs during their encore.
1999: Prince appeared with Sheryl Crow on the Lilith Fair Tour in Toronto to sing "Everyday Is A Winding Road".
1999: Geri Halliwell, formerly with the Spice Girls, topped the U.K. chart with "Mi Chico Latino".
1999: Travis owned the top U.K. album with The Man Who.
2001: The album Junichiro Koizumi Presents: My Favorite Elvis Songs was released exclusively in Japan. The album is a collection of Elvis Presley songs chosen by the prime minister.
2001: Stevie Nicks postponed two concerts for treatment of severe bronchitis.
2002: Caroline Corr, drummer of the Corrs, married Frank Woods in a candelit church on the Spanish island of Mallorca.
2003: Pink sent an open letter to Prince William of England requesting that he stop hunting.
2003: Metallica, System of a Down, Sum 41, Primal Scream, Good Charlotte, and the Lostprophets were among those who performed on the opening day of the U.K. Carling Reading Festival.
2004: Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words" was the #1 song in the U.K.
2004: Maroon 5 had the #1 album in the U.K. with Songs About Jane.
2006: Tom Chaplin of Keane announced that he was undergoing treatment for drinking and drug problems. "The time has come to get the professional help I need to sort myself out," he said.
2006: The City of Augusta, Georgia named its Civic Center after native son James Brown.
2008: Rage Against the Machine and Queens of the Stone Age headlined the opening day of the Carling Weekend Reading Festival in Leeds and Reading, England.
2009: Johnny Horton and guitarist James Burton were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
2011: Jerry Leiber, who along with Mike Stoller, wrote many of Elvis Presley's big early hits, including "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock", as well as "Kansas City" for Wilbert Harrison, "Stand By Me" for Ben E. King and "On Broadway" for the Drifters, died in Los Angeles of cardiopulmonary failure at the age of 78.
2011: Nickolas Ashford of the duo Ashford & Simpson, who wrote songs such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "You're All I Need To Get By", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", and "I'm Every Woman" with wife Valerie Simpson, and who also was a stellar producer, died at the age of 70 from throat cancer (Note: Rolling Stone incorrectly reports that he was 69, and some websites incorrectly say he was 71. According to reputable sources such as the newspapers 'The New York Times' and 'The Washington Post', Ashford was 70.)
Born This Day:
1936: Dale Hawkins, who had the original hit of "Susie-Q", was born on a plantation in Goldmine, Louisiana; died February 13, 2010 from colon cancer in Little Rock, Arkansas.
1941 Howard Grimes, who was a session drummer for Al Green, Rufus Thomas and Otis Clay, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
1942: Joseph Chambers of the Chambers Brothers ("The Time Has Come Today') was born in Forest, Mississippi.
1944: Gary Withem of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap was born in San Diego, California. (Note: several websites report he was born in 1946. According to the book 'Echoes of the Sixties' by Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March, Gary was born in 1944.)1945: Ron Dante, singer and songwriter for the Archies and Cufflinks ("Tracy" from 1969), was born in Staten Island, New York.
1947: David Leon "Billy" Knight, brother of Gladys Knight, who played percussion on many songs such as "Midnight Train To Georgia" and "The Way We Were", was born in Atlanta, Georgia; died December 4, 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1947: Donna Godchaux, who sang backing vocals on "Suspicious Minds" for Elvis Presley, "When A Man Loves A Woman" for Percy Sledge, and on Boz Scaggs's first solo album at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, and later helped Grateful Dead on vocals, was born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
1948: David Marks, an early member of the Beach Boys, was born in Newcastle, Pennsylvania.
1958: Ian Mitchell, guitarist of the Bay City Rollers, was born in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland.
1958: Vernon Reid of Living Colour was born in London.
1961: Debbie Peterson, vocalist and drummer of the Bangles, was born in Los Angeles, California. (Note: some websites naively say she was born in Northridge, Los Angeles, California. Northridge is a neighborhood, not a city, and you will never see it on Debbie's official birth certificate.)
1961: Roland Orzabal, singer-songwriter and co-founder of Tears for Fears, and later a producer, was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
1963: Tori Amos was born in Newton, North Carolina.
1963: James DeBarge of DeBarge was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1967: Layne Staley, co-founder, co-songwriter and lead singer of Alice in Chains, was born in Kirkland, Washington; died April 5, 2002 of a mix of heroin and cocaine--his drug addiction left him at 86 pounds when his body was discovered on April 19.
1972: Paul Doucette, rhythm guitarist and drummer of Matchbox 20, was born in North Huntington, Pennsylvania. (Note: some websites report Paul was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was born in North Huntington, a suburb about 15 miles from Pittsburgh.)
1973: Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys was born in Orlando, Florida.
1978: Jeff Stinco, lead guitarist of Simple Plan, was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
1960: "The Chain Gang" was one of the fastest-moving songs (79 to 54) for Sam Cooke.
1960: "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis Presley was #1 for a second week.
1962: The Beatles filmed a lunchtime performance for Granada Television at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England for their first TV appearance. However, the film was judged too grainy to be shown, so Granada shelved it until the group became famous. It was shown for the first time on Granada's Scene At 6:30 on November 6, 1963.
1964: Liberty Records announced that the album The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles was selling 25,000 copies a day.
1964: The Beatles were in concert at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, playing to 20,261 fans. The Bill Black Combo, the Exciters, the Righteous Brothers, and Jackie DeShannon opened for the group. The show was broadcast locally by CKNW.
1964: The Supremes had the top R&B song with "Where Did Our Love Go".
Dusty with one of her biggest hits ...
1964: The Supremes slid into the #1 spot with "Where Did Our Love Go", taking over from Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody". The Beatles remained at #3 with "A Hard Day's Night" while the Drifters were up to 4 with "Under The Boardwalk" and the Animals were already up to #5 since the release of "The House Of The Rising Sun" three weeks previous. The rest of the Top 10: "C'mon And Swim" from Bobby Freeman, the Dave Clark Five moved from 14 to 7 with "Because", the Ventures" were at position number eight--"Walk-Don't Run '64", Dusty Springfield with "Wishin' And Hopin'" and Gerry & the Pacemakers scored a Top 10 hit with "How Do You Do It?".
1965: The Beatles performed two shows at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. Mike Love and Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys stopped by between shows to meet the group.
1966: The Association released the single "Cherish".
1966: Jerry Lee Lewis signed a contract to play Iago in the London production of Catch My Soul, a rock version of Shakespeare's play Othello.
1968: Cynthia Powell Lennon countersued for divorce from John (John had sued for divorce previously).
1968: Ringo Starr temporarily quit the Beatles during sessions for The White Album but later returned.
1969: The Beatles gathered at John Lennon's home in Tittenhurst Park, England for their final photo session together, two days after their final recording session together.
1970: Elton John signed a recording contract with UNI, a division of MCA Records.
1970: Elvis Presley announced his first nationwide tour since 1958. Some of the dates were filmed for the documentary Elvis--That's The Way It Is.
1970: Derek and the Dominoes were in concert at the Van Dike Club in Plymouth, Devon, England.
1970: The Moody Blues captured the #1 spot on the Album chart in the U.K. with A Question of Balance.
Sugarloaf with one of the best keyboard solos by Jerry Corbetta...
1970: Sugarloaf had the fastest-rising song of the week with "Green-Eyed Lady", which moved from 92 to 65 on this date.
1970: B.J. Thomas was on top of the Easy Listening chart with "I Just Can't Help Believing".
Clarence Carter had a winner with "Patches" ...
1970: Bread reached #1 with their first hit--"Make It With You". That ended a five-week reign for the Carpenters' classic "(They Long To Be) Close To You". Eric Burdon & War were up to #3 with "Spill The Wine" while the song "War" was at #4 for Edwin Starr. The rest of the Top 10: Mungo Jerry with "In The Summertime", Stevie Wonder had #6--"Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)", Clarence Carter moved from 16 to 7 with "Patches", Freda Payne's "Band Of Gold", B.J. Thomas moved into the list with "I Just Can't Help Believing" and one of the great One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*, "Tighter, Tighter" by Alive & Kicking was still alive at #10.
1971: Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary and Joan Baez were at the Odeon Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland.
1974: Carole King released her single "Jazzman".
1974: The Eagles played the Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts.
1977: Peter Frampton played the first of three sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden.
1979: Led Zeppelin released their final studio album In through the Out Door.
1980: Queen performed at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1981: The Carpenters collected their 15th #1 song on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Touch Me When We're Dancing".
Foreigner's "Woman in Black"...
1981: 4 moved up to #1 on the Album chart for Foreigner after just five weeks. That meant a short stay for Pat Benatar with Precious Time. Stevie Nicks was up big with Bella Donna (12-3), Journey were at #4 with Escape and the Moody Blues had #5--Long Distance Voyager. The rest of the Top 10: Kenny Rogers owned #6 with Share Your Love, Billy Squier slid up to #7 with Don't Say No, Rick James had the #8 album with Street Songs, Rick Springfield entered the Top 10 with Working Class Dog and Air Supply maintained at 10 with The One That You Love.
1981: "Endless Love", the duet by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie, was #1 on the R&B chart.
1983: Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton released the single "Islands In The Stream".
The talented Debbie Gibson had a Top 10 smash...
1987: "Who's That Girl" by Madonna became her sixth number one and 13th consecutive Top 10 song. "La Bamba" by Los Lobos moved up to challenge, Suzanne Vega was at 3 with "Luka" and Richard Marx was up to #4 with "Don't Mean Nothing". The rest of the Top 10: "I Want Your Sex" by George Michael, U2 fell from #1 with "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", Debbie Gibson edged up with "Only In My Dreams", the Whispers found the Top 10 with "Rock Steady", T'Pau slipped with "Heart And Soul" and the first single from Bad by Michael Jackson (with Siedah Garrett on this one)--"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" moved from 16 to 10.
1988: PBS-TV broadcast the documentary Aretha Franklin - Queen of Soul.
1992: "End Of The Road" by Boyz II Men was the new #1 song on the R&B chart.
1997: U2 played the first of two sold-out concerts at Wembley Stadium in London. The superstars performed a medley of material and six full-length songs during their encore.
1999: Prince appeared with Sheryl Crow on the Lilith Fair Tour in Toronto to sing "Everyday Is A Winding Road".
1999: Geri Halliwell, formerly with the Spice Girls, topped the U.K. chart with "Mi Chico Latino".
1999: Travis owned the top U.K. album with The Man Who.
2001: The album Junichiro Koizumi Presents: My Favorite Elvis Songs was released exclusively in Japan. The album is a collection of Elvis Presley songs chosen by the prime minister.
2001: Stevie Nicks postponed two concerts for treatment of severe bronchitis.
2002: Caroline Corr, drummer of the Corrs, married Frank Woods in a candelit church on the Spanish island of Mallorca.
2003: Pink sent an open letter to Prince William of England requesting that he stop hunting.
2004: Natasha Bedingfield's "These Words" was the #1 song in the U.K.
2004: Maroon 5 had the #1 album in the U.K. with Songs About Jane.
2006: Tom Chaplin of Keane announced that he was undergoing treatment for drinking and drug problems. "The time has come to get the professional help I need to sort myself out," he said.
2006: The City of Augusta, Georgia named its Civic Center after native son James Brown.
2008: Rage Against the Machine and Queens of the Stone Age headlined the opening day of the Carling Weekend Reading Festival in Leeds and Reading, England.
2009: Johnny Horton and guitarist James Burton were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Born This Day:
1941 Howard Grimes, who was a session drummer for Al Green, Rufus Thomas and Otis Clay, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
1942: Joseph Chambers of the Chambers Brothers ("The Time Has Come Today') was born in Forest, Mississippi.
1944: Gary Withem of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap was born in San Diego, California. (Note: several websites report he was born in 1946. According to the book 'Echoes of the Sixties' by Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March, Gary was born in 1944.)1945: Ron Dante, singer and songwriter for the Archies and Cufflinks ("Tracy" from 1969), was born in Staten Island, New York.
1947: David Leon "Billy" Knight, brother of Gladys Knight, who played percussion on many songs such as "Midnight Train To Georgia" and "The Way We Were", was born in Atlanta, Georgia; died December 4, 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1947: Donna Godchaux, who sang backing vocals on "Suspicious Minds" for Elvis Presley, "When A Man Loves A Woman" for Percy Sledge, and on Boz Scaggs's first solo album at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, and later helped Grateful Dead on vocals, was born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
1948: David Marks, an early member of the Beach Boys, was born in Newcastle, Pennsylvania.
1958: Ian Mitchell, guitarist of the Bay City Rollers, was born in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland.
1958: Vernon Reid of Living Colour was born in London.
1961: Roland Orzabal, singer-songwriter and co-founder of Tears for Fears, and later a producer, was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
1963: Tori Amos was born in Newton, North Carolina.
1963: James DeBarge of DeBarge was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1967: Layne Staley, co-founder, co-songwriter and lead singer of Alice in Chains, was born in Kirkland, Washington; died April 5, 2002 of a mix of heroin and cocaine--his drug addiction left him at 86 pounds when his body was discovered on April 19.
1972: Paul Doucette, rhythm guitarist and drummer of Matchbox 20, was born in North Huntington, Pennsylvania. (Note: some websites report Paul was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was born in North Huntington, a suburb about 15 miles from Pittsburgh.)
1973: Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys was born in Orlando, Florida.
1978: Jeff Stinco, lead guitarist of Simple Plan, was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.