1952: Gladys Knight & the Pips formed following a birthday party for Bubba Knight in Atlanta, Georgia.
1959: "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin was banned by a radio station in New York City.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Friday, September 2, 2016
This Date in Rock Music History: September 3
1955: Bill Haley & the Comets refused an offer to tour Australia because of a fear of flying.
1955: Chuck Berry logged a third week at #1 on the R& B chart with "Maybellene".
1962: The Beatles, Billy J. Kramer, the Coasters, and Rory Storm and the Hurricanes played the first of three Monday night gigs at the Queen's Hall in Widnes, Cheshire, England. The Hurricanes by this time had gotten over the defection of drummer Ringo Starr to the Beatles.
1963: Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records was absorbed by Warner Brothers Records.
1966: The Supremes stood on top of the R&B chart with "You Can't Hurry Love".
1966: What Now My Love gave Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass their third #1 album out of six released.
1966: The great song "Born Free" was #1 on the Easy Listening chart for Roger Williams.
1966: The Association were making their move as "Cherish" jumped from #66 to #27.
1962: The Beatles, Billy J. Kramer, the Coasters, and Rory Storm and the Hurricanes played the first of three Monday night gigs at the Queen's Hall in Widnes, Cheshire, England. The Hurricanes by this time had gotten over the defection of drummer Ringo Starr to the Beatles.
1963: Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records was absorbed by Warner Brothers Records.
1966: The Supremes stood on top of the R&B chart with "You Can't Hurry Love".
1966: What Now My Love gave Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass their third #1 album out of six released.
1966: The great song "Born Free" was #1 on the Easy Listening chart for Roger Williams.
1966: The Association were making their move as "Cherish" jumped from #66 to #27.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
This Date in Rock Music History: September 2
1957: Elvis Presley had the #1 R&B song with "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear".
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
This Date in Rock Music History: September 1
1953: Buddy Holly and Bob Montgomery auditioned for KDAV's Sunday Party in Lubbock, Texas. The duo began a Sunday afternoon slot that became The Bob and Buddy Show.
1956: Jerry Lee Lewis (19 years old at the time) pulled up to Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee hoping for an audition with owner Sam Phillips. Phillips was on vacation so Lewis recorded some demos to pass on to Phillips when he got back.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
This Date in Rock Music History: August 31
1957: Elvis Presley performed at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
1959: Bobby Vee appeared on the music charts for the first time as "Suzie Baby" debuted.
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Makes a great Christmas gift!
Monday, August 29, 2016
This Date in Rock Music History: August 30
1959: Carole King married songwriting partner Gerry Goffin.
1961: The Paris Sisters released the single "I Love How You Love Me".
1962: The Beatles played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England in the afternoon and then joined Gerry and the Pacemakers at the Riverpark Ballroom in Chester.
1961: The Paris Sisters released the single "I Love How You Love Me".
1962: The Beatles played at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England in the afternoon and then joined Gerry and the Pacemakers at the Riverpark Ballroom in Chester.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
This Date in Rock Music History: August 29
1958: Alan Freed's Big Beat Show 4th anniversary concert premiered at the Fox Theater in Brooklyn, New York after being turned down by the Paramount. Frankie Avalon, Bill Haley & the Comets and Jimmy Clanton performed.
1959: The Quarrymen got a break when the Les Stewart Quartet got into a clash amongst themselves and refused to play at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney played in their place and after the show, the group was hired by owner Mona Best to play regular Saturday night gigs.
1960: "Kiddio" by Brook Benton, which would go on to become one of the biggest R&B hits of the 60's, took over at #1.
1960: Elvis Presley switched directions musically but it didn't matter--his #1 song "It's Now Or Never" was #1 for a third week. "Walk--Don't Run" from the Ventures was second followed by "The Twist" from Chubby Checker.
1962: The Elvis Presley movie Kid Galahad opened in theaters.
1964: Dean Martin's hit "Everybody Loves Somebody" spent a fifth week at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
1964: The Supremes remained at #1 on the R&B chart with "Where Did Our Love Go".
1966: The Youngbloods recorded one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*--"Get Together". It didn't fare well initially--it took over a year before the song was back and became a big hit.
1966: Paul Anka hosted the final Hullabaloo show on NBC-TV with guests Peter & Gordon, Lesley Gore and the Cyrkle.
1966: The Beatles closed their American tour at Candlestick Park in San Francisco California. As events would unfold, it would be their last public concert. The last song played by the Fab Four? Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally".
1969: Bob Seger filed for divorce from his wife of ten months.
1970: The Isle of Wight Festival was breaking attendance records, even those set by the famous Woodstock Festival, and on day four, the Who, the Doors, Sly & the Family Stone, Joni Mitchell, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Miles Davis, Melanie, John Sebastian, and Lighthouse (performing a second set at the Festival) thrilled the crowd.
1970: Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Chilliwack, the Youngbloods and Ides of March performed at the Man-Pop Festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
1970: Anne Murray's first hit "Snowbird" took over at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
1970: Cosmo's Factory produced a #1 album for CCR.
1970: Probably no coincidence that "War" by Edwin Starr became a #1 song and soon after, American involvement in Vietnam ended. That generation didn't just whine and complain, they made a stand and got things done.
1976: Spirit played a reunion concert in Santa Monica, California. Bassist Mark Andes invited Neil Young on stage for the encore, but a jealous Randy California objected and shoved Young when he hopped on stage.
1977: Three people were arrested in Memphis, Tennessee for trying to steal the body of Elvis Presley. As a result, the body was moved to Graceland Mansion in Meditation Garden.
1978: The Eagles performed at the Miami Baseball Stadium in Miami, Florida.
1981: Billy Squier closed the second night of the three-day Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1981: U2, Wang Chung (known then as Huang Chung), Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Doctor Feelgood and Lindisfarne performed at the two-day Rock on the Tyne Festival in Gateshead, England.
1981: ELO posted their second #1 album in the U.K. with Time.
The great album Escape...
1981: 4 by Foreigner was #1 for the second straight week. Bella Donna from Stevie Nicks took runner-up while Escape by Journey was #3. Pat Benatar's Precious Time was #4, the Moody Blues stayed at #5 with Long Distance Voyager and Billy Squier was #6 with Don't Say No.
One of rock's greatest classics entered the Top 10 on this date...
1981: Diana Ross & Lionel Richie reached three weeks at #1 with "Endless Love". They weren't close to done. The Pointer Sisters edged up with "Slow Hand" while Joey Scarbury slipped down with the "Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not)". Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers had #4--"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around". The rest of the Top 10: "Jessie's Girl" from Rick Springfield, newcomer Juice Newton was up with "Queen Of Hearts", Ronnie Milsap had a crossover with "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me", Foreigner's great "Urgent" moved from 15 to 8, the Commodores had song #9 with "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" and Journey entered the Top 10 with "Who's Crying Now".
1982: Dave Edmunds, the Michael Schenker Group, Twisted Sister, Spider, Marillon, and Y&T closed out the three-day Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1984: U2 began the Unforgettable Fire World Tour at the Town Hall Auditorium in Christchurch, New Zealand.
1986: The former studio of American Bandstand in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 4548 Market Street was placed on the National Register of Historic Places of the United States.
1987: "Never Gonna' Give You Up" by Rick Astley reached #1 in the U.K.
1987: Hysteria hit #1 in the U.K. for Def Leppard.
1987: Los Lobos hit #1 with their remake of the Ritchie Valens' song "La Bamba".
1987: Michael Jackson & Siedah Garrett had the top AC hit with "I Just Can't Stop Loving You".
The most successful album of their career...
1987: Whitney by Whitney Houston had been the #1 album every week of its release, which now added up to 10. Whitesnake's self-titled release was at 2 followed by Bigger and Deffer by L.L. Cool J. La Bamba from Los Lobs was Fourth with Bad Animals by Heart taking the fifth position. The rest of the Top 10: In the Dark by Grateful Dead, U2 was at 7 with The Joshua Tree, Motley Crue's Girls, Girls, Girls was #8, Hysteria from Def Leppard jumped from 36 to 9 and the Soundtrack to "Beverly Hills Cop II" came in #10.
1988: Michael Jackson was in concert at Roundhay Park in Leeds, England.
1990: Elton John checked into a rehab center in Chicago Illinois to be treated for bulimia, drinking and drugs. Good for him--most people don't have the wisdom and the fortitude to recognize when they need assistance.
1991: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers kicked off their national tour at Fiddlers Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado.
1992: The Smashing Pumpkins, Public Enemy, and the Manic Street Preachers performed on the second day of the Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1992: U2 became the second rock act to perform at Yankee Stadium (Billy Joel was the first), with two shows at the legendary baseball venue.
1992: Elton John spent a sixth week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "The One", his 43rd hit on that chart.
1992: Boyz II Men continued to have the top R&B song with "End Of The Road".
1994: Oasis released their debut album Definitely Maybe.
1995: The pilot of a helicopter and the cameramen shooting the Meat Loaf video "I'd Lie For You" were killed in the Sequoia National Forest about 150 miles north of Los Angeles.
1996: Isaac Hayes, co-writer of the song "Soul Man", mailed a letter to presidential candidate Bob Dole requesting that he cease using his song, which supporters had changed to "I'm A Dole Man". Don't these people realize that you have to have permission to use someone's song?
1999: Cher was in concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada for a live HBO special.
1999: Lou Bega topped the chart with "Mambo No. 5".
2000: These aren't the kind of people you invite to your house for fancy dinners. After winning Best Single and Best International Live Act at the Kerrang! Awards in London, the members of Slipknot attacked each other, smashed their glasses and set fire to the table. It's called the regressing of mankind.
2003: Metallica gave a show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City for members of their fan club only.
2003: Bobby Brown was released from the DeKalb County Jail after he served his seven days in jail for violating parole, but he would remain under house arrest for 60 days.
2003: Thom Yorke of Radiohead joined R.E.M. onstage at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for the songs "E-Bow The Letter" and "It's The End of the World As We Know It". How prophetic was R.E.M.?
2004: OutKast captured MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year, Best Hip-Hop Video, Special Effects and Art Direction for their video "Hey Ya".
2004: Green Day, 50 Cent, Placebo, and the Lostprophets performed on the final day of the Reading Festival in Leeds and Reading, England.
2004: Natasha Bedingfield owned the top song in the U.K. with "These Words".
2005: Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age collapsed from exhaustion during a concert in Hamburg, Germany.
2006: Jumpin' Gene Simmons ("Haunted House") died in his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi at the age of 73.
2007: The Police began their reunion tour at Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
Born This Day:
1924: Dinah Washington ("Baby (You Got What It Takes)" with Brook Benton), was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; died of drugs December 14, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan.
1924: Billy Myles ("The Joker" from 1957) was born in Manhattan, New York; died October 9, 2005 in Greenville, North Carolina at the age of 81. (Note: some websites say Myles was born in Harlem, New York. Harlem is a neighborhood in Manhattan and will never be listed on an official birth certificate.)
1942: Sterling Morrison, guitarist and one of the founding members of Velvet Underground, was born in East Meadow, New York; died August 30, 1995 of non-Hodgekin's lymphoma in Poughkeepsie, New York at the age of 53. (Note: some sources report Morrison's birthday as August 28, but official news reports, as well as the book 'The Velvet Underground Companion: Four Decades of Commentary', show his birth as August 29.)
1943: Dick Halligan, trombonist and a founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, was born in Troy, New York.
1945: Chris Copping, bass guitarist and organist of Procol Harum, was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. (Note: some websites report Chris was born in Middleton, Lancashire, England, but according to the official website for Procol Harum, Copping was born in Southend-on-Sea.)
1953: Rick Downey, drummer of Blue Oyster Cult
1958: Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana; died June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles from homocide at the age of 53 after being administered the drugs propofol and lorazepam by his doctor.
1970: Carl Martin of Shai
1975: Kyle Cook, lead guitarist of Matchbox 20, was born in Frankfort, Indiana.
1980: David Desrosiers, bassist of Simple Plan, was born in Sept-Îles, Quebec, Canada.
1960: "Kiddio" by Brook Benton, which would go on to become one of the biggest R&B hits of the 60's, took over at #1.
1960: Elvis Presley switched directions musically but it didn't matter--his #1 song "It's Now Or Never" was #1 for a third week. "Walk--Don't Run" from the Ventures was second followed by "The Twist" from Chubby Checker.
1962: The Elvis Presley movie Kid Galahad opened in theaters.
1964: Dean Martin's hit "Everybody Loves Somebody" spent a fifth week at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
1964: The Supremes remained at #1 on the R&B chart with "Where Did Our Love Go".
1966: The Youngbloods recorded one of The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era*--"Get Together". It didn't fare well initially--it took over a year before the song was back and became a big hit.
1966: Paul Anka hosted the final Hullabaloo show on NBC-TV with guests Peter & Gordon, Lesley Gore and the Cyrkle.
1969: Bob Seger filed for divorce from his wife of ten months.
1970: The Isle of Wight Festival was breaking attendance records, even those set by the famous Woodstock Festival, and on day four, the Who, the Doors, Sly & the Family Stone, Joni Mitchell, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Miles Davis, Melanie, John Sebastian, and Lighthouse (performing a second set at the Festival) thrilled the crowd.
1970: Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Chilliwack, the Youngbloods and Ides of March performed at the Man-Pop Festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
1970: Anne Murray's first hit "Snowbird" took over at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
1970: Cosmo's Factory produced a #1 album for CCR.
1970: Probably no coincidence that "War" by Edwin Starr became a #1 song and soon after, American involvement in Vietnam ended. That generation didn't just whine and complain, they made a stand and got things done.
1976: Spirit played a reunion concert in Santa Monica, California. Bassist Mark Andes invited Neil Young on stage for the encore, but a jealous Randy California objected and shoved Young when he hopped on stage.
1977: Three people were arrested in Memphis, Tennessee for trying to steal the body of Elvis Presley. As a result, the body was moved to Graceland Mansion in Meditation Garden.
1978: The Eagles performed at the Miami Baseball Stadium in Miami, Florida.
1981: U2, Wang Chung (known then as Huang Chung), Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Doctor Feelgood and Lindisfarne performed at the two-day Rock on the Tyne Festival in Gateshead, England.
1981: ELO posted their second #1 album in the U.K. with Time.
The great album Escape...
1981: 4 by Foreigner was #1 for the second straight week. Bella Donna from Stevie Nicks took runner-up while Escape by Journey was #3. Pat Benatar's Precious Time was #4, the Moody Blues stayed at #5 with Long Distance Voyager and Billy Squier was #6 with Don't Say No.
One of rock's greatest classics entered the Top 10 on this date...
1981: Diana Ross & Lionel Richie reached three weeks at #1 with "Endless Love". They weren't close to done. The Pointer Sisters edged up with "Slow Hand" while Joey Scarbury slipped down with the "Theme From 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not)". Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers had #4--"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around". The rest of the Top 10: "Jessie's Girl" from Rick Springfield, newcomer Juice Newton was up with "Queen Of Hearts", Ronnie Milsap had a crossover with "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me", Foreigner's great "Urgent" moved from 15 to 8, the Commodores had song #9 with "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" and Journey entered the Top 10 with "Who's Crying Now".
1982: Dave Edmunds, the Michael Schenker Group, Twisted Sister, Spider, Marillon, and Y&T closed out the three-day Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1984: U2 began the Unforgettable Fire World Tour at the Town Hall Auditorium in Christchurch, New Zealand.
1986: The former studio of American Bandstand in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 4548 Market Street was placed on the National Register of Historic Places of the United States.
1987: "Never Gonna' Give You Up" by Rick Astley reached #1 in the U.K.
1987: Hysteria hit #1 in the U.K. for Def Leppard.
1987: Los Lobos hit #1 with their remake of the Ritchie Valens' song "La Bamba".
1987: Michael Jackson & Siedah Garrett had the top AC hit with "I Just Can't Stop Loving You".
The most successful album of their career...
1987: Whitney by Whitney Houston had been the #1 album every week of its release, which now added up to 10. Whitesnake's self-titled release was at 2 followed by Bigger and Deffer by L.L. Cool J. La Bamba from Los Lobs was Fourth with Bad Animals by Heart taking the fifth position. The rest of the Top 10: In the Dark by Grateful Dead, U2 was at 7 with The Joshua Tree, Motley Crue's Girls, Girls, Girls was #8, Hysteria from Def Leppard jumped from 36 to 9 and the Soundtrack to "Beverly Hills Cop II" came in #10.
1988: Michael Jackson was in concert at Roundhay Park in Leeds, England.
1990: Elton John checked into a rehab center in Chicago Illinois to be treated for bulimia, drinking and drugs. Good for him--most people don't have the wisdom and the fortitude to recognize when they need assistance.
1991: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers kicked off their national tour at Fiddlers Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado.
1992: The Smashing Pumpkins, Public Enemy, and the Manic Street Preachers performed on the second day of the Reading Rock Festival in Reading, England.
1992: U2 became the second rock act to perform at Yankee Stadium (Billy Joel was the first), with two shows at the legendary baseball venue.
1992: Elton John spent a sixth week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "The One", his 43rd hit on that chart.
1992: Boyz II Men continued to have the top R&B song with "End Of The Road".
1994: Oasis released their debut album Definitely Maybe.
1995: The pilot of a helicopter and the cameramen shooting the Meat Loaf video "I'd Lie For You" were killed in the Sequoia National Forest about 150 miles north of Los Angeles.
1996: Isaac Hayes, co-writer of the song "Soul Man", mailed a letter to presidential candidate Bob Dole requesting that he cease using his song, which supporters had changed to "I'm A Dole Man". Don't these people realize that you have to have permission to use someone's song?
1999: Cher was in concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada for a live HBO special.
1999: Lou Bega topped the chart with "Mambo No. 5".
2000: These aren't the kind of people you invite to your house for fancy dinners. After winning Best Single and Best International Live Act at the Kerrang! Awards in London, the members of Slipknot attacked each other, smashed their glasses and set fire to the table. It's called the regressing of mankind.
2003: Metallica gave a show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City for members of their fan club only.
2003: Bobby Brown was released from the DeKalb County Jail after he served his seven days in jail for violating parole, but he would remain under house arrest for 60 days.
2003: Thom Yorke of Radiohead joined R.E.M. onstage at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for the songs "E-Bow The Letter" and "It's The End of the World As We Know It". How prophetic was R.E.M.?
2004: OutKast captured MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year, Best Hip-Hop Video, Special Effects and Art Direction for their video "Hey Ya".
2004: Green Day, 50 Cent, Placebo, and the Lostprophets performed on the final day of the Reading Festival in Leeds and Reading, England.
2004: Natasha Bedingfield owned the top song in the U.K. with "These Words".
2005: Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age collapsed from exhaustion during a concert in Hamburg, Germany.
2006: Jumpin' Gene Simmons ("Haunted House") died in his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi at the age of 73.
2007: The Police began their reunion tour at Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
Born This Day:
1924: Dinah Washington ("Baby (You Got What It Takes)" with Brook Benton), was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; died of drugs December 14, 1963 in Detroit, Michigan.
1924: Billy Myles ("The Joker" from 1957) was born in Manhattan, New York; died October 9, 2005 in Greenville, North Carolina at the age of 81. (Note: some websites say Myles was born in Harlem, New York. Harlem is a neighborhood in Manhattan and will never be listed on an official birth certificate.)
1942: Sterling Morrison, guitarist and one of the founding members of Velvet Underground, was born in East Meadow, New York; died August 30, 1995 of non-Hodgekin's lymphoma in Poughkeepsie, New York at the age of 53. (Note: some sources report Morrison's birthday as August 28, but official news reports, as well as the book 'The Velvet Underground Companion: Four Decades of Commentary', show his birth as August 29.)
1943: Dick Halligan, trombonist and a founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, was born in Troy, New York.
1945: Chris Copping, bass guitarist and organist of Procol Harum, was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. (Note: some websites report Chris was born in Middleton, Lancashire, England, but according to the official website for Procol Harum, Copping was born in Southend-on-Sea.)
1953: Rick Downey, drummer of Blue Oyster Cult
1958: Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana; died June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles from homocide at the age of 53 after being administered the drugs propofol and lorazepam by his doctor.
1970: Carl Martin of Shai
1975: Kyle Cook, lead guitarist of Matchbox 20, was born in Frankfort, Indiana.
1980: David Desrosiers, bassist of Simple Plan, was born in Sept-Îles, Quebec, Canada.