This Date in Rock Music History: August 28

1961:  Elvis Presley moved from 61 to 26 on this date with "Little Sister".
1962:  Elvis Presley reported for pre-production work on the movie It Happened at the World's Fair in Culver City, California to record songs for the soundtrack album.  Presley would then travel to Seattle, Washington, site of the World's Fair, to film the movie on location.  (Note:  some websites report Elvis began filming the movie on August  27 or 28.  According to the book 'The Elvis Movies' by James L. Neibaur, filming began August 27.  But according to the official website for Graceland, Presley began work on the movie August 28.  Filming of the movie in Seattle did not begin until September 5 )
1963:  Peter, Paul & Mary performed "Blowin' In The Wind" and "If I Had A Hammer" for Civil Rights marchers gathered at the Washington Mall in Washington, D.C. to hear the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. speak.  Bob Dylan and Joan Baez also performed.








1964:  The Beatles were on the cover of Life Magazine.
1965:  Bob Dylan played his electric material for an audience at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens, New York and was booed roundly.  Afterwards, we have Dylan to thank for introducing the Beatles, who met him backstage, to marijuana.
1965:  The Rolling Stones signed a five-year contract with Decca Records and also announced that Allen Klein, whom the group met four days previously at the London Hilton Hotel, would co-manage the group along with Andrew Long Oldham.











1965:  "Eve Of Destruction" from Barry McGuire moved from 58 to 27 on this date.
1966:  The Beatles performed before 45,000 fans in Dodger Stadium on their final tour of the United States.  Bobby Hebb, the Cyrkle and the Ronettes opened.  A plan to escape the cheering crowds backfired when a gate was locked.  The Fab Four had to spend two hours in the back of an armored truck before they could leave.









1967:  The Rascals released the single "How Can I Be Sure".

1967:  The Kinks and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown appeared at the Hastings Stadium Festival of Music in Hastings, England.
1968:  The Beatles began recording the track "Dear Prudence" at Trident Studios in London, one of three sessions devoted to the song.
1967:  The Jeff Beck Group headlined the list of performers on the final day of the Festival of the Flower Children at Woburn Abbey in England.  
1968:  The Beach Boys landed at #1 in the U.K. with "Do It Again".
1968:  Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel was the #1 album in the U.K.
1969:  Paul and Linda McCartney announced the birth of daughter Mary.


1970:  A new group was about to make some noise that would influence the Rock Era for decades.  On this date, the Jackson 5 released their first single "I'll Be There".
1970:  Derek and the Dominos began work on their only studio album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
1970:  It was the second day of the famous Isle of Wight Festival, and Chicago, Procol Harum, Lighthouse, Tony Joe White, and Taste featuring Rory Gallagher performed.  The Festival drew an estimated crowd of 600,000 to 700,000 over four days. 

1971:  Elvis Presley was honored as the sixth honoree of the Bing Crosby Award, joining its namesake, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Irving Berlin.  The recipient is determined by vote of the National Board of Trustees of NARAS, the record academy.  The organization is best known for its Grammy Awards which are given annually for performing and technical achievements in current recordings. The description on the award is that it is given to recording artists who "during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic or scientific significance to the field of phonograph records."  (Note:  most sources incorrectly say that Elvis received the award on September 8, but he received the award in his dressing room at the International Hotel in Las Vegas between shows, according to the book 'Elvis Presley:  A Life In Music' by Ernst Jorgensen.)

1971:  "Beginnings" by Chicago was the top Easy Listening song.
1971:  Aretha Franklin's "Spanish Harlem" was the #1 R&B song.










                                                                           One of the classics....from Five Man Electrical Band...


1971:  The Bee Gees owned the top song for a fourth week with "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart".  John Denver moved up with "Take Me Home, Country Roads" while Canada's Five Man Electrical Band had a solid winner with "Signs".










                                               Rod Stewart's first big solo album...


1971:  Carole King from Stanley, Idaho made it 11 straight weeks at #1 withe the top album Tapestry.  Paul & Linda McCartney combined but couldn't topple her with Ram.  James Taylor's Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon remained at 3 while Rod Stewart was approaching that group with Every Picture Tells a Story.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Carpenters were at 5 with their self-titled album, Who's Next by the Who moved into the Top 10, Aqualung by Jethro Tull was #7, the Moody Blues rose from 30 to 8 in only their second week with Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, the Soundtrack to "Jesus Christ Superstar" was still at #9 after 41 weeks and B, S & T 4 from Blood, Sweat & Tears was the final entry.
1972:  Alice Cooper owned the #1 U.K. song with "School's Out".







 
1976:  "Shower The People" by James Taylor was the leading Easy Listening song.
1976:  K.C. and the Sunshine Band had the #1 R&B song with "(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty".










 
                          Seals & Crofts with their great summer song...


1976:  Elton John & Kiki Dee had the #1 song for a fourth week with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".  The Bee Gees were not giving up with "You Should Be Dancing".  Wings remained at 3 with "Let 'Em In", Lou Rawls had a solid #4 with "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" and England Dan & John Ford Coley's first hit--"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" was still at 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" from K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Wild Cherry with their only hit "Play That Funky Music", Walter Murphy's instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven" moved from 12-7, Seals & Crofts were still at #9 after 20 weeks of release with "Get Closer" and George Benson moved in with "This Masquerade". 







1976:  The album Frampton Comes Alive! was so good that it was now in its third run at #1 (five weeks total).  The self-titled Fleetwood Mac was moving back up after 57 weeks, Spitfire by Jefferson Starship was third while Neil Diamond held on to 4 with Beautiful Noise.  The rest of the Top 10:  George Benson's excellent Breezin' at #5, Wings at the Speed of Sound coming in at #6, Boz Scaggs and the smooth Silk Degrees entering the Top 10, 15 Big Ones from the Beach Boys, the Average White Band did some Soul Searching and Chicago X came in at #10.
1977:  The Doobie Brothers, Hawkwind and the Motors helped close out the three-day Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1978:  Devo released the album Are We Not Men? in the United States.









1978:  Donna Summer released her remake of "MacArthur Park".  (Note:  some websites naively say the song was released September 24.  "MacArthur Park" debuted on the 'Billboard' Singles chart on September 9, according to 'Billboard' magazine itself.  It is physically impossible for a song to be included on the Singles chart if it has not been released as a single.)

1978:  Gino Vannelli released the 45 "I Just Wanna' Stop".

1981:  Guy Stevens, who produced the Clash, Free and Mott the Hoople, died at the age of 38 in London from an overdose of prescription drugs.

1982:  Queen appeared at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.  Billy Squier opened for the group.

1982:  Iron Maiden, Blackfoot, and Gary Moore performed on the second day at the annual Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.

 

1982:  Chicago led the way on the AC chart with "Hard To Say I'm Sorry".

1984:  The Jacksons broke the existing record for concert ticket sales (1.1 million) in two months for their Victory Tour.  The tour would go on to gross $75 million with two million tickets sold.

1986:  Tina Turner earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1988:  The Kylie Minogue album Kylie became the top-selling ever in the U.K. by a female artist with sales of nearly two million.

1993:  Blur, Radiohead, and Siouxie and the Banshees performed on the second day of the Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.

1993:  Culture Beat had the top U.K. song with "Mr. Vain".

1993:  The new Billy Joel album River of Dreams debuted at #1.

1993:  SWV had a big R&B hit with the #1 "Right Here/"Human Nature".

1994:  The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Soundgarden helped close out the three-day Reading Festival in Reading, England.

1999:  Cheap Trick celebrated their 25th anniversary together with a concert at Davis Park in Rockford, Illinois.  Slash of Guns N' Roses joined them onstage.

2000: The Foo Fighters, Primal Scream, Oasis, Limp Bizkit, the Bluetones, and Muse performed on the final day of the Reading Festival in Reading, England.

2003:  Missy Elliott captured Video of the Year honors for "Work It" at the MTV Video Music Awards.  Justin Timberlake won Best Male Video for "Cry Me a River" while Coldplay won both Best Group Video and Breakthrough Video for "The Scientist".

2004:  Lou Rawls was given an honorary doctorate degree from Wilberforce University in Kettering, Ohio in recognition of his work on behalf of the United Negro College Fund.

2004:  The White Stripes, Franz Ferdinand, and Morrissey performed on the second day of the Carling Weekend  Reading Festival in Leeds and Reading, England.

 

2005:  Green Day had quite a comeback with "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" as it won seven awards, including Video of the Year, at the MTV Video Music Awards.  Kanye West won Best Male Video for "Jesus Walks" while Kelly Clarkson took home Best Female Video for "Since U (sic) Been Gone".  What was ironic was that the channel quit showing music videos back when the suits took over from the DJ's. 

2005:  Oasis had the top U.K. song with "The Importance Of Being Idle", the group's eighth #1 song in their native country.

2005:  James Blunt led the way on the U.K. Album chart with Back to Bedlam.

2005:  Hillary Duff had the top album in the United States with Most Wanted.

2005:  Green Day won seven MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".

2008:  Iron Maiden and Incubus headlined the final day of the Reading Festival in Reading and Leeds, England.

2008:  Gilbert Moorer, lead singer of the Esquires ("Get On Up" from 1967), died of throat cancer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the age of 67.

2009:  Noel Gallagher of Oasis quit the group, saying he could no longer work with brother Liam.

2009:  The Los Angeles coroner confirmed that Michael Jackson's death was a homicide, caused chiefly by the anesthetic Propofol.  The drug triggered a cardiac arrest to Jackson at his home in Los Angeles on June 25 at the age of 50.  Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, was charged with and convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.  (Note:  some websites claim the coroner made his announcement on August 29.  The stories made the newspapers the morning of August 29, which, as most informed people know, means that the news happened the day before, August 28.)

2010:  A memorial for Dan Fogelberg was unveiled in Riverfront Park in his hometown of Peoria, Illinois.

Born This Day:

1904:  Ernie Fields, who hit #4 in 1959 with his remake of "In The Mood", was born in Nacogdoches, Texas; died May 11, 1997 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Note:  the notorious 'Allmusic.com' and other websites claim Fields was born on August 26, 1905.  Far from it--according to the books 'Blues:  A Regional Experience' by Bob L. Eagle and Eric S. LeBlanc and 'Handbook of Texas Music' by Laurie E. Jasinski and the Texas State Historical Association, Ernie was born August 28, 1904.)

1925:  Billy Grammer ("Gotta' Travel On" from 1958) was born in Benton, Illinois; died of natural causes August 10, 2011 in Benton after suffering a heart attack that March.

1931:  John Perkins of the Crewcuts was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1937:  Clem Cattini, drummer of the Tornados ("Telstar"), and prolific session musician featured on a record 44 #1 songs in the U.K., was born in Stoke Newington, London. 

1941:  Joseph Shabalala, founder of the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, was born in Ladysmith, South Africa.

1942:  Sterling Morrison, guitarist of Velvet Underground, was born in East Meadow, New York; died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Poughkeepsie, New York August 30, 1995.  (Note:  some websites report Morrison was born in Long Island, New York.  Long Island is not a city, and you will never see it on an official birth certificate.)

1943:  David Soul, actor and singer ("Don't Give Up On Us" from 1977) was born in Chicago, Illinois.

1943:  Honey Lantree, drummer of the Honeycombs ("Have I The Right"), was born in Hayes, Middlesex, England.  (Note:  some websites mistakenly say Lantree was born in London.  In 1943, when Honey was born, Hayes was located in the county of Middlesex--it wasn't until 1965 when Hayes became part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.)

1948:  Daniel Seraphine, drummer of Chicago, was born in Chicago, Illinois.

1949:  Martin Lamble, drummer of Fairport Convention, was born in St. John's Wood, London, England; died May 12, 1969 from a car crash on the M1 motorway.

1951:  Wayne Osmond of the Osmonds was born in Ogden, Utah.

1951:  Dave Hlubek, lead guitarist and a founding member of Molly Hatchet, was born in Jacksonville, Florida.

1961:  Kim Appleby of Mel and Tim ("Respectable" from 1987), was born in Stoke Newington, London.  (Note:  some websites claim Appleby was born in Stockton-On-Tees, Durham, England. London, and some say she was born in Stoke Newington, London,  England.  Although there are no credible sources for her birthplace, our best research indicates she was born in Stoke Newington.)

 

1965:  Shania Twain was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

1982:  LeAnn Rimes was born in Jackson, Mississippi.

The Top Managers of the Rock Era

Some managers of famous acts are almost as well known for their years of litigation, blunders and other disputes with their clients as they are for the positive things they did.  Those managers are not listed here.  We judged the managers of the Rock Era for not only their successes but their failures as well.  Hence, you don't see Colonel Tom Parker, Allen Klein, Andrew Loog Oldham and Murry Wilson listed.

This Date in Rock Music History: August 27

1962:  "He's A Rebel" was released on this date.  The song was credited to the Crystals, even though Phil Spector had the Blossoms record the song because the Crystals were on tour.
1964:  The Beatles performed before 14,000 fans at the Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1964:  The Honeycombs topped the U.K. chart with "Have I The Right".
1965:  The Beatles visited Elvis Presley at his home at 565 Perugia Way in Bel-Air, California. 
1966:  Petula Clark moved to #1 on the Easy Listening Chart with "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love".
1966:  Everyone was singing it, because its message was the message of a generation--Stevie Wonder's version of "Blowin' In The Wind" hit #1 on the R&B chart.

    

                                                An appropriate song as we get through the last of "the dog days of summer"...

1966:  The perfect way to close out a great summer in music--"Summer In The City" by Lovin' Spoonful at #1 for a third week.  Bobby Hebb had to settle for a #2 with "Sunny" while "See You In September" by the Happenings was #3.  Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs came in fourth with "Lil' Red Riding Hood" and Donovan moved from 10 to 5 with "Sunshine Superman".  The rest of the Top 10:  The Troggs with "Wild Thing" just ahead of two big movers--"You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes (up from 28 to 7) and the Beatles (climbing from 52 to 8) with "Yellow Submarine", Petula Clark remained at 9 with "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and Billy Stewart's "Summertime".
1967:  Eric Burdon (appearing with but advertised without the Animals) headlined the second day of the Festival of the Flower Children at Woburn Abbey in Woburn, England.

1967:  Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, was found dead at his home in London after he had combined alcohol with an overdose of Carbitral (a drug taken to assist sleep).
1969:  Led Zeppelin played at the Casino Ballroom on Hampton Beach in New Haven, Connecticut.  There were to be two shows, but the 10 p.m. event was canceled.
1970:  Supertramp, which had released their debut album a month previously, performed at the famous 1970 Isle of Wight Festival at East Afton Farm.
1970:  Jimi Hendrix recorded the song "Slow Blues" at his New York recording studio he had premiered the night before.  At one minute at 45 seconds, it was never finished.  It was the last song Hendrix recorded; he died 22 days later.
1971:  Pink Floyd finished work on the album Meddle.
1975:  The Eagles were flying high on the One of These Nights tour, performing at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1977:  Jackson Browne recorded "Stay" and "Running On Empty" live at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.
1977:  The Floaters were on top as their song "Float On" led the way in the U.K.
1977:  Jimmy Buffett married Jane Slagsvol, whom Jimmy had met in Key West in 1972.

1977:  Bank Holiday in the U.K., and concert goers flocked to the annual Reading Festival to see Aerosmith, Little River Band, Thin Lizzy, Graham Parker and the Rumour, John Miles and Ultravox.  (Note:  some websites incorrectly report the date as July 12.  The performance was August 27, as you can see from the above photo.)


















             
                                                                                    The Commodores with their first big hit...


1977:  Once again, the Emotions were leading the way with "Best Of My Love" but Andy Gibb's former #1 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" was still at #2.  Rita Coolidge remained in third with "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher And Higher", the Commodores' great song "Easy" was at #4 and James Taylor moved from 12 to 5 with his remake of "Handy Man".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Whatcha' Gonna' Do" by Pablo Cruise, Crosby, Stills & Nash with "Just A Song Before I Go", the Floaters and "Float On" at #8, Fleetwood Mac had another Top 10 from Rumours with "Don't Stop" and one of the great songs of the summer--"Strawberry Letter 23" by the Brothers Johnson jumped up from 23 to 10.










                                                            Steve Miller's album was against tough competition...


1977:  Fleetwood Mac's Rumours was making its third run as the #1 album, now in its 16th week at that position.  CSN by Crosby, Stills & Nash was #2 followed by Streisand Superman by Barbra Streisand and the Soundtrack to "Star Wars".  JT by James Taylor was fifth.  The rest of the Top 10:  I'm in You by Peter Frampton, Book of Dreams from the Steve Miller Band, the Emotions with Rejoice at 8, the Commodores with their self-titled release and Love Gun from Kiss.

1978:  Foreigner, Patti Smith, Squeeze, and After the Fire performed on the final day of the annual Reading Festival in Reading, England.

1979:  Pat Benatar released her debut album, In the Heat of the Night, on Chrysalis Records.
1983:  Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Black Sabbath, Suzi Quatro and Marillon performed on the second day of the Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.










1983:  Rita Coolidge held on to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for the fourth week with "All Time High".
1982:  Queen played at the Myriad Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
1983:  Barry Manilow was in concert at Blenheim Palace in Oxford, England.





































                           Loverboy had another Top 10 album...


1983:  The Police album Synchronicity had been out nine weeks with six of those at #1.  For now, it held off Michael Jackson's Thriller, which would eventually return to #1.  The Soundtrack to "Flashdance" came in third and Def Leppard completed a pretty powerful top four with Pyromania.  The rest of the Top 10:  The Wild Heart from Ms. Stevie Nicks, the "Staying Alive" Soundtrack by the Bee Gees, David Bowie's Let's Dance dropped to 7, Loverboy had another hit album with Keep It Up, Donna Summer entered the Top 10 with She Works Hard for the Money and the Fixx completed the list with Reach the Beach.










































1988:  Will never forget when this song was played at Baltimore's Camden Yards as Cal Ripken took a victory lap around the stadium after officially breaking baseball's all-time record for consecutive games played.  On this date, Whitney Houston released the single "One Moment In Time".
1988:  Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine reached the top of the Adult Contemporary chart with "1-2-3".



























                                                              Tracy Chapman from her stunning debut album...

1988:  George Michael set an all-time record with his fourth consecutive #1 song from the same album--Faith.  "Monkey" was the one that did it on this date and that gave him eight #1 songs in the decade, beaten only by Michael Jackson.  Elton John's "I Don't Wanna' Go On With You Like That" moved up to challenge while Chicago was up to #3 with "I Don't Wanna' Live Without Your Love".  Guns N' Roses had an all-out smash with "Sweet Child O' Mine" which was up to #4 and Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible" moved from 12 to 5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Fast Car" from Tracy Chapman, Steve Winwood tumbled from #1 with "Roll With It", Huey Lewis & the News hit the Top 10 with "Perfect World", Whitney Houston" moved to 9 with "Love Will Save the Day" and Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine had #10--"1-2-3".






1988:  Tracy Chapman pulled off the rare feat of getting a #1 album with her debut.  After 54 weeks since its release, Hysteria by Def Leppard was still hanging in there at #2.  Steve Winwood dropped with his album Roll With It and Guns N' Roses fell with Appetite for Destruction.  The rest of the Top 10:  He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper from D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, George Michael's Faith was #6, OU812 by Van Halen came in seventh, the great "Dirty Dancing" Soundtrack was #8, and the self-titled Richard Marx came in at #9, passing Poison's Open Up and Say...Ahh!
1989:  Izzy Stradlin of Guns 'N Roses was arrested at the airport in Phoenix, Arizona after creating a disturbance on an airline flight.  (Note:  several websites, including those for some newspapers, incorrectly say this occurred on August 30.  The correct date is August 27, according to the Associated Press and the book 'Watch You Bleed:  The Saga of Guns N' Roses' by Stephen Davis.)
1990:  Garth Brooks released the incredible album No Fences.  (Note:  some websites incorrectly say the album was released September 4.  According to the book 'The Garth Factor:  The Career Behind Country's Big Boom' by Patsi Bale Cox, the album was released August 27.)

1990:  Elite guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn, the pilot, and three members of Eric Clapton's band were killed in a helicopter crash in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.













1991:  Pearl Jam released an album (Ten) that would alter the grunge rock landscape.

1992:  Lyrics to "A Day In The Life" that were handwritten by John Lennon sold at a Sotheby's auction for $87,000.

1993:  Rage Against the Machine, the Stone Temple Pilots, Tool and Chumbawamba were the top performers on the opening day of the three-day Reading Festival in the U.K.  Radiohead was to appear, but had to cancel because lead singer Thom Yorke had a sore throat.
1994:  Primal Scream, Radiohead, Ice Cube and the Manic Street Preachers were among the performers on the second day of the Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1994:  Boyz II Men had the #1 R&B song for a second week with "I'll Make Love To You".
1995:  Neil Young, Soundgarden, White Zombie and Blind Melon performed on the final day of the Reading Festival in Reading, England.
1996:  OutKast released their album ATliens on LaFace Records.
1996:  Pearl Jam released the album No Code on Epic Records.

2000:  It was the best Reading Festival in years--Rage Against the Machine, Blink-182, Slipknot, Placebo, and the Stereophonics performed on opening night in Reading, England.
2000:  Richard Jaeger, percussionist who played for Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Pointer Sisters, Jimi Hendrix, and the Grateful Dead, died at the age of 52.
2001:  Five had the #1 U.K. song with "Let's Dance".

















2003:  The Rolling Stones took to the London club Astoria to perform.
2003:  A Georgia judge ordered Bobby Brown to serve nine days in jail for violating parole.
2004:  The Darkness, the Offspring, and Modest Mouse performed on the opening day of the Carling Weekend Festival in Reading and Leeds, England.
2005:  The Foo Fighters and the Kings of Leon headlined day two of the Reading Festival in the U.K.
2006:  Pearl Jam, Chemical Romance, Placebo, and Slayer performed on the final day of the Carling Weekend Reading Festival in Leeds and Reading, England.
2006:  Beyonce and Jay-Z held the #1 spot in the U.K. with "Deja Vu".
2009:  John Paul Young was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame.
2010:  Marvin Hamlisch was named as the principal conductor of the Pasadena Pops Orchestra in California.

Born This Day:
1937:  Tommy Sands ("Teen-Age Crush" from 1957) was born in Chicago, Illinois. 

1942:  Daryl Dragon of the Captain & Tennille was born in Los Angeles.
1949:  Tim Bogert, bassist for Vanilla Fudge, was born in New York City. (Note:  some sources incorrectly say Bogert was born in Richfield, New Jersey.  According to Tim's official website, he was born in New York City.)
1949:  Jeff Cook, founding member, vocalist, lead guitarist, keyboardist and fiddle player of Alabama, was born in Ft. Payne, Alabama.


















1953:  Alex Lifeson (real name Alex Zivojinovich), guitarist of Rush, was born in Fernie, British Columbia, Canada.  (Note: Some websites claim Alex was born in Surnie, British Columbia, Canada.  There is no such city in British Columbia; the correct name of the city is Fernie.)1956:  Glen Matlock, bass guitarist for the Sex Pistols, was born in London, England.





























1961:  Yolanda Adams was born in Houston, Texas.
1970:  Tony Kanal, bassist of No Doubt, was born in Kingsbury, London, England.
1978:  Mase (real name Mason Betha) was born in Jacksonville, Florida (Note:  sources are all over the map on his year of birth, citing 1974, 1975 and 1977.  His booking agency, Richard De La Font, lists his birth year as 1978.)
1979:  Jon Siebels, guitarist for Eve 6











1986:  Mario was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

Unknown/Underrated Song of the Rock Era*: Foghat's "Fool For The City"

This British Rock group put out some good R&R in the '70s, including this great song from 1976:

Fool For The City

Foghat

Lyrics and Music by Dave Peverett





Goin' to the city, got you on my mind,
Country sure is pretty, I'll leave it all behind,
This is my decision, I'm comin' home to stay this time.

'Cause I'm a fool for the city, I'm a fool for the city,
Fool for the city, I'm a fool for the city.

Breathin' all the clean air, sittin' in the sun,
When I get my train fare, I'll get up and run.
I'm ready for the city, air pollution here I come!

'Cause I'm a fool for the city, I'm a fool for the city,
I'm a fool for the city, I'm a fool for the city.

I ain't no country boy, I'm just a homesick man.
I'm gonna hit the grit just as fast as I can.

I'll get off on Main Street, step into the crowd,
Sidewalk under my feet, yeah, traffic's good and loud.
When I see my inner city child, I'll be walkin' on a cloud.

'Cause I'm a fool for the city, I'm a fool for the city,
I'm a fool for the city, I'm a fool for the city...
I'm a fool, (Fool for the city) A fool for the city, (Fool for the city)
I'm a fool, (Fool for the city) A fool for the city, (Fool for the city)
I'm a fool, (Fool for the city) A crazy fool, (Fool for the city)

I'm a fool yea, (Fool for the city) A fool for the city, (Fool for the city)
(Fool for the city) (Fool for the city)
I ain't no country boy, woo! (Fool for the city) (Fool for the city)
Woo! (Fool for the city) (Fool for the city)
A Fool for the city (Fool for the city) (Fool for the city)
Whoo! (Fool for the city) (Fool for the city) ...

This Date in Rock Music History: August 26

1961:  Bobby Lewis enjoyed his eighth week at #1 on the R&B chart with "Tossin' And Turnin'".

1963:  Cilla Black appeared in a major concert for the first time, opening for the Beatles at the Odeon Cinema in Southport, England.



1964:  The Kinks released the single "You Really Got Me" in the United States.  It had been released on August 4 in the U.K.
1965:  The Byrds were in concert at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
1967:  The Beatles gave a press conference with guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.  Paul McCartney announced that the group had given up drugs.  "It was an experience we went through," he said.  "We don't need it anymore."

1967:  Small Faces headlined the first day of the three-day Festival of the Flower Children at Woburn Abbey in England, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford.  It was the first time a music festival of that magnitude had been attempted in Great Britain.  No official posters or promotional announcements can be found that show the schedule of performers, but it is believed that the new group the Bee Gees, the Alan Price Set, and Marmalade also performed on opening day.  Another highlight of the first day was when a hot air balloon dropped 5,000 flowers on the crowd. 
1967:  Aretha Franklin had the new #1 R&B song with "Baby I Love You".
1967:  The Box Tops moved from 58 to 25 with "The Letter".

                                                    They don't make 'em much better than this classic from Bobbie Joe..

1967:  After just four weeks, Bobbie Gentry had made the long haul up to #1 with "Ode To Billie Joe".  The Beatles retreated after a brief one-week stay with "All You Need Is Love".  The Monkees maintained at #3 with "Pleasant Valley Sunday" with "Light My Fire" by the Doors still hanging around.  The rest of the Top 10:  "Baby I Love You" by Aretha Franklin, "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder, "Cold Sweat" by James Brown, the Supremes moved from 20 to 8 with the innovative "Reflections", the Temptations were up to 9 with "You're My Everything" and Procol Harum held on with "A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

                                       The Association reached the Top 10 with the best of their studio albums...

1967:  The Beatles made it week number nine as the top album once again was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.  Headquarters by the Monkees was #2.  The Rolling Stones had a distant #3 with Flowers while the Doors' debut moved up to #4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You from Aretha Franklin at #6, Sounds Like from Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Engelbert Humperdinck had #8 with Release Me, the 5th Dimension with Up, Up and Away and the Association reached the Top 10 with Insight Out.


















1968:  Mary Hopkin released her single "Those Were The Days" in the United States.










1969:  Elvis Presley released the single "Suspicious Minds".
1970:  Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studio opened at 52 West Eighth Street in New York City.  Hendrix spent just four weeks recording there before his death, but since then, artists such as AC/DC, Bob Dylan, Hall & Oates, John Lennon, Kiss, John Mayer, the Clash, and Daft Punk have recorded at Electric Lady. 
1970:  Guitarist Duane Allman joined Derek & the Dominoes in a recording studio in Florida for the beginning of sessions that would result in the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
1970:  Kris Kristofferson, Redbone, and Rosalie Sorrels performed on the opening day of the fantastic Isle of Wight Festival at Afton Down on the Isle of Wight.  Chicago, The Who, the Moody Blues, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, the Doors, Sly and the Family Stone, Donovan, Jethro Tull, Joan Baez, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Free, Miles Davis, Procol Harum, Melanie, Lighthouse, Ten Years After and Spirit all performed in subsequent days at the Festival.  Experts generally agree that this was the largest music festival in history, with estimates ranging from 600,000 to 700,000.
1972:  Three Dog Night had a hot song as one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*, "Black And White", moved from 47-23.









1972:  It was their only hit but "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)" was a good one--#1 in fact.  Gilbert O'Sullivan grudgingly dropped to #2 with "Alone Again (Naturally)" but he would be back.  The Hollies held on to 3 with "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" and Al Green moved up with "I'm Still in Love With You".  Jim Croce ("You Don't Mess Around With Jim") and Mac Davis ("Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me") had new entries in the Top 10.
1973:  10cc appeared live for the first time at the Douglas Palace Lido on the Isle of Man.
1973:  Bobby Darin performed live for the final time at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.  He died later that year.  (Note:  several websites report that Darin's final show was August 25, and some say it was August 5.  According to the official website for Darin, the correct date is August 26.)












1974:  Bachman-Turner Overdrive released their great album Not Fragile.

1975:  The Eagles were in concert in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1977:  The Pretenders made their live debut opening for Strangeways at Unity Hall in Wakefield, England.
1977:  Uriah Heap and Golden Earring were among the performers on the opening day of the three-day Reading Festival in England.  Aerosmith, the Doobie Brothers, and the Little River Band, Thin Lizzy, and Hawkwind would perform on subsequent days.
1978:  Here's a great show--Fleetwood Mac, the Cars, Todd Rundgren and Utopia, Eddie Money and Bob Welch were in concert at the World Series of Rock at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
1978:  Oh Canada!  The First Jam Festival opened at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.  The Doobie Brothers, the Commodores, Kansas, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, the Village People, Dave Mason, Triumph, and Dave Mason were among the performers.  The Festival attracted 110,000 fans, the biggest concert in Canadian history up to that point.










1978:  The Commodores scored a second week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "Three Times A Lady".
1978:  "Don't Look Back" by Boston moved from 62 to 36 on this date.












                                                                      Walter Egan 's one and only big hit...

1978:  "Grease" had been the word all summer and finally the charts proved it as Frankie Valli reached #1.  The Commodores slipped with "Three Times A Lady".  The Rolling Stones latched on to position #3 with "Miss You" while "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey was fourth.  The rest of the Top 10:  Foreigner with "Hot Blooded", Pablo Cruise at #6 with "Love Will Find A Way", Olivia Newton-John with "Hopelessly Devoted To You", Walter Egan and "Magnet And Steel", Andy Gibb had his fourth straight Top 10 with "An Everlasting Love" and Donna Summer's former #1 "Last Dance" finished the list.
1979:  Peter Gabriel was joined by former Genesis bandmate Phil Collins for a version of the Genesis song "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" at the Reading Festival in England.
1980:  Bassist Tom Petersson left Cheap Trick.
1981:  The Rolling Stones released the album Tattoo You.  (Note:  various dates for the release date are scattered all over the Internet.  Some say the album was released August 24, others say it was released August 30.  According to the newspaper 'The New York Times', the album was released August 26.)
1981:  The Ottawa City Council honored Paul Anka by naming today "Paul Anka Day" and the Council also named a street in Ottawa "Paul Anka Drive".
1983:  David Bowie starred in the movie Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, which opened in theaters.
1987:  Sonny Bono announced that he would run for mayor of Palm Springs, California.  He was victorious.
1988:  The Reading Festival in Reading, England kicked off with the Ramones and Iggy Pop.   Starship, Squeeze, Bonnie Tyler, Meat Loaf, John Hiatt, Hothouse Flowers and more would perform on subsequent days.
1989:  "It's No Crime" by Babyface was the new R&B #1 song.





1989:  Richard Marx owned the #1 Adult Contemporary song for a fourth week with "Right Here Waiting".
1990:  Randy Newman won an Emmy Award for the music he composed for the television show Cop Rock.

1990:  Stevie Ray Vaughan performed at the Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconsin.  Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray and Jimmie Vaughan joined Stevie Ray for the encore.  The next morning, Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash.
1995:  Blur reached #1 in the U.K. with "Country House".
1995:  "Boombastic" by Shaggy rose to #1 on the R&B chart.
1995:  Coolio moved from 28 to 6 with his remake of the Stevie Wonder song "Pastime Paradise", retitled "Gangsta's Paradise".

















1995:  Seal hit #1 with "Kiss From A Rose", ending TLC's seven-week stay at #1 with "Waterfalls". 
1996:  The Corrs performed for the first of two nights at the Carrickdale Hotel in Dundalk, Ireland.
1997:  Boyzone began a tour of Southeast Asia in Bangalore, India.  That was a first on many fronts, not the least of which was the first time an international act had performed in the region.













1997:  Creed released their debut album My Own Prison.
1997:  Chad Smith, drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, suffered a dislocated shoulder following a motorcycle crash on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.  He was treated at Cedars-Sinai Hospital and released.
2000:  Douglas Allen Woody, bassist of the Allman Brothers, was found dead sitting in a chair at a hotel in Queens, New York at age 44.  The cause of death was "unknown".
2001:  Madonna's concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan was filmed and would be part of the DVD Madonna - Drowned World Tour 2001.
2001:  Staind owned the top U.K. album with Break the Cycle.
2001:  Maxwell had the top album in the U.S. with Now.










2004:  Laura Branigan died of a brain aneurysm at age 52 at home in East Quogue, New York.  (Note:  numerous websites, including the newspaper 'The New York Times' and 'Billboard' magazine, incorrectly say that Branigan was 47 at the time of her death.  According to Laura's high school, Byram Hills High School in Armonk, New York, Laura was born July 3, 1952, which made her 52 when she died.)
2005:  Former Quarrymen members John Duff Lowe and Colin Hantonat unveiled a Blue Plaque at the Percy Phillips studio in Liverpool, England, the site where the band that was to become the Beatles made their first recordings in 1958.
2005:  A post office in Los Angeles near where Ray Charles recorded most of his music was renamed the Ray Charles Post Office.
2008:  Pink Floyd were awarded the Swedish Polar Music Prize at a ceremony in Stockholm.
2009:  It's Gonna' Be Alright, a documentary film featuring 17 performances by Gerry & the Pacemakers from 1963 to 1965, debuted at the Hard Day's Night Hotel in Liverpool, England.

2009:  Ellie Greenwich, a songwriter who gave us "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James & the Shondells, "Chapel Of Love" by the Dixie Cups, "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann, "Leader Of The Pack" by the Shangri-Las and "Da Doo Ron Ron" by the Crystals, among many others, died of a heart attack at the age of 68 at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan, New York.


Born This Day:
1939:  Fred Milano, one of the original members of the Belmonts, was born in the Bronx, New York; died January 1, 2012 of complications of lung cancer in New York City.
1941:  Chris Curtis, drummer and lead singer of the Searchers, was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England; died February 28, 2005 in Liverpool, England.
1942:  Vic Dana, who had a hit with a remake of "Red Roses For A Blue Lady" in 1959, was born in Buffalo, New York.  (Note:  MTV claims that Dana was born in 1940, while 'Billboard' and most other reputable sources say he was born in 1942.)
1944:  Maureen Tucker, drummer of Velvet Underground, was born in  Levittown, New York.



1946:  Valerie Simpson of the duo Ashford & Simpson ("Solid"), who with Ashford wrote songs such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", "You're All I Need To Get By", and "I'm Every Woman", was born in the Bronx, New York.  (Note:  MTV reports Simpson was born in New York City, while some websites report Simpson was born in 1945 or 1948 .  According to the book 'Motown:  The Golden Years' by Bill dahl, she was born in 1946 in the Bronx.)
1949:  Bob Cowsill of the Cowsills was born in Portsmouth, Virginia.
1949:  Dick Cowsill of the Cowsills was born in Portsmouth, Virginia; died of lung cancer July 8, 2014 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, sleeping as his twin brother Bob worked at his computer.  (Note:  some websites report Dick died in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but according to the group's official website, he died in Rio Rancho.)
1952:  Billy Rush, guitarist and songwriter of Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes
1954:  Michael Chetwood, keyboard player for T'Paul ("Heart And Soul" from 1987), was born in Telford, England.
1957:  John O'Neill, the main songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the Undertones, was born in Derry, Northern Ireland.
1966:  Shirley Manson, lead vocalist of Garbage, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.  (Note:  some websites report Manson was born on August 3.  Her correct birthdate is August 26, according to 'Biography.com'.)
1966:  Dan Vickrey, lead guitarist of the Counting Crows, was born in Walnut Creek, California.
1969:  Adrian Young, drummer of No Doubt, was born in Long Beach, California.