This Date in Rock Music History: August 13

1959:  Bobby Darin signed a $1 million contract with Paramount Pictures.
1964:  The Supremes recorded "Baby Love".
1964:  Manfred Mann topped the U.K. charts with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy".
1965:  The Beatles released the album Help! in the United States.




A great San Francisco group made their live debut on this date, while one of the best bands ever from Canada called it quits.  All that and more on This Date in Rock Music History...







 
1965:  Jefferson Airplane made their stage debut at the opening of the Matrix Club in San Francisco, California.
1965:  The Beatles arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York City for a tour of North America.
1966:  Revolver was the #1 album in the U.K.
1966:  "Yesterday"...and Today from the Beatles spent a third week as the #1 album.  Aftermath by the Rolling Stones moved to challenge while What Now My Love from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass was #3.  Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra remained at 4 with the Soundtrack to "Doctor Zhivago" #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  Somewhere My Love from Ray Coniff & the Singers, Going Places, spending week #45 among the top album sellers for Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass was #8, The Soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" was next with If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears from the Mamas & Papas completing the list.







1966:  Definition of a "hot" song--"Sunshine Superman" from Donovan moved from #61 to #20.
1966:  "Summer In The City" by Lovin' Spoonful took over at #1.  Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs remained at #2 with "Lil' Red Riding Hood" and the novelty smash "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" by Napoleon XIV moved to #3.  The Troggs' former #1 "Wild Thing" was #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Crispian St. Petters and "The Pied Piper", the Mamas & Papas with "I Saw Her Again" at #6, Bobby Hebb climbed up to #7 with "Sunny", "Mother's Little Helper" from the Rolling Stones was song #8, Ray Coniff & the Singers moved to #9 with "Somewhere, My Love" and Tommy Roe was at 10 with "Sweet Pea".
1967:  It was a great show to wrap up the three-day National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor, England.  Cream made its first major appearance, and another highlight was the first concert ever by Fleetwood Mac.  Other artists performing on the closing night were Donovan, Pentangle, Jeff Beck, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Chicken Shack (with Christine McVie), Denny Laine, and Blossom Toes.







1971:  King Curtis, the great saxophone player who shared the stage with Buddy Holly and others, was stabbed to death outside his home in Manhattan, New York.
1971:  John Lennon flew from Heathrow Airport in London to New York City with the Beatles.  He never went back to his native England.
1972:  John Lennon, Stevie Wonder and Sha Na Na played a benefit concert to assist the mentally ill.
1972:  Ten Years After and Status Quo highlighted performances on the final night of the National Jazz, Blues, Folk and Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1975:  Bruce Springsteen played the first of five concerts at the Bottom Line Club in New York City.

1976:  The Clash performed in an exclusive concert in London.
1977:  Bachman-Turner Overdrive, one of the top Canadian acts of the Rock Era, announced that they were breaking up.
1977:  The Floaters landed at #1 on the R&B chart with "Float On".
1977:  George Benson moved from 89 to 54 with "The Greatest Love Of All".
1977:  Barbra Streisand still had the #1 AC hit for a third week--"My Heart Belongs To Me".













1977:  Andy Gibb's first hit "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" spent a third straight week at #1, holding off Peter Frampton's "I'm In You", which would have to settle for three weeks at #2.  The Emotions were right there with "Best Of My Love" and Rita Coolidge's remake of the Jackie Wilson song "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher" moved to #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Peter McCann remained at 5 with "Do You Wanna' Make Love", Barbra Streisand fell from 4 with "My Heart Belongs To Me", the Commodores edged up with "Easy", Pablo Cruise were at #8 with "Whatcha' Gonna' Do?", Alice Cooper was in the #9 position with "You And Me" and the Bay City Rollers reached the Top 10 with "You Made Me Believe In Magic".
1983:  K.C. and the Sunshine Band led the way in the U.K. with "Give It Up".
1983:  Donna Summer earned a third week at #1 on the R&B chart with "She Works Hard For The Money".








1983:  The Police were at #1 for the sixth week with one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*--"Every Breath You Take".  The Eurythmics could not budge with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)", Donna Summer was still at 3 with "She Works Hard For The Money" and another song from the movie Flashdance--"Maniac" was up to #4 for Michael Sembello.  The rest of the Top 10:  Duran Duran with "Is There Something I Should Know", Stevie Nicks and her smash solo hit "Stand Back", Irene Cara still in the Top 20 after 20 weeks with "Flashdance...What A Feeling", Men at Work jumped into the Top 10 with "It's a Mistake", Sergio Mendes had #9--"Never Gonna' Let You Go" and the Human League were at 10 with "(Keep Feeling) Fascination".













 
1985:  Whitney Houston released her single "Saving All My Love For You".

1985:  Sting went out on his first solo tour, kicking off his North American schedule with a show at the San Diego State University Amphitheater in San Diego, California.  (Note:  some websites say the show was September 13, and many say he began his tour on this date.  While it was Sting's first solo show in North America, he had done several shows in Paris, France and Tokyo in the months preceding the concert in San Diego.  And it was on August 13, as you can see from the ticket stub pictured above.)
1988:  To promote their legendary album Hysteria, Def Leppard played the first of two shows at the gorgeous Red Rocks Amphitheater.

1988:  Hysteria had been out exactly a full year but it was just getting started.  The classic album from Def Leppard returned to #1 for a second time, holding off Steve Winwood's Roll With It while the previous #1--Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses tumbled.  The debut from Tracy Chapman remained at 4 with the "Dirty Dancing" Soundtrack #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  OU812 from Van Halen, Faith by George Michael, He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper from D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince #8, Open Up and Say...Ahh! by Poison and Let It Loose moved into the Top 10 after 61 weeks for Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine.







1990:  George Michael released the single "Praying For Time" from his great album Listen Without Prejudice.1990:  Curtis Mayfield was paralyzed after a rack fell on him prior to a concert in Brooklyn, New York.












1991:  Mariah Carey released the single "Emotions", the title track from her new album.
1992:  Neil Diamond played the first of six sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
1994:  Woodstock '94 was held in Saugerties, New York.  Aerosmith, Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nine Inch Nails performed. 
















1994:  Janet Jackson had the #1 R&B song for a 10th week with "Any Time, Any Place".
1996:  Alex Van Halen, drummer of Van Halen, filed for divorce from wife Kelly.
1999:  The KISS movie Detroit Rock City opened in theaters.
1999:  Mick Jagger's marriage to Jerry Hall was declared null and void.
2000:  Former Spice Girl Melanie C reached #1 in the U.K. with "I Turn To You".
2001:  Garth Hudson, keyboardist with the Band, filed for bankruptcy  (Note:  Other sources incorrectly report the date as September 12, but the first account of the bankruptcy appeared in Billboard magazine August 13.)
2004:  Guitarist Wes Borland went back to Limp Bizkit.
2004:  Bjork performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
2014:  Guitarist Chris Walla, a member of Death Cab for Cutie for 17 years, left the group.



Born This Day:
1940:  John Stokes of the Bachelors ("Diane" from 1964) was born in Dublin, Ireland
1949:  Cliff Fish, bassist of Paper Lace ("The Night Chicago Died" from 1974), was born in Ripley, Derbeyshire.

1951:  Dan Fogelberg was born in Peoria, Illinois; died December 16, 2007 of prostate cancer in Deer Isle, Main.
1959:  Danny Bonaduce of the Partridge Family was born in Broomall, Pennsylvania.
1984:  Diamond Blue Smith, singer with Pretty Ricky, was born in Miami, Florida.