Today in Rock n Roll history

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1964
Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas reach #7 with "Little Children".

1965
The Yardbirds' "For Your Love" enters the Billboard Hot 100 at Number 84. Soon after, Eric Clapton leaves the band and is replaced by Jimmy Page. The song stays on the charts for twelve weeks, peaking at Number Six.

1976
Welcome Back (John Sebastian) was a hit.

1981
Human League hits #12 in the UK with "The Sound of the Crowd".

1988
Tony Bennett unveils MTV's multi-million dollar consumer advertising campaign "Tv...Or MTV?"

1992
Ugly Kid Joe hits #9 with "Everything About You".

1994
MTV Networks announces that it will launch wholly owned and operated channels for the Asian market. The network includes an encrypted Mandarin language service to reach young people on Mandarin-speaking countries including Taiwan, Singapore and China and an English-language service directed primary at young people in South Asia, the Philippines and other countries.

1998
"I Want You Back" by 'N Sync hits #13 in the US.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1933
James Brown is born in Barnwell, South Carolina. He is raised in poverty in Augusta, Georgia, 40 miles away.

1937
Frankie Valli was born.

1968
Booker T. and the M.G.s hit #6 with "Time Is Tight".

1969
The Edwin Hawkins Singers hit #4 with "Oh Happy Day".

1969
The Isley Brothers hit #2 with "It's Your Thing".

1970
American Woman (The Guess Who) was a hit.

1970
Kraftwerk hits US #25 with "Autobahn".

1972
Bruce Springsteen auditions for Columbia Records A&R man John Hammond at his office in New York. He signs with the label a month later.

1972
"Old Man," by Neil Young, peaks at #31 on the pop chart. It is the third and last time Young will crack the Top Forty

1974
Led Zeppelin launches their Swan Song label, which releases their albums and ones by handpicked artists like Bad Company and the Pretty Things.

1975
Kraftwerk hits #25 with "Autobahn".

1979
Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher becomes Prime Minister of Britain.

1980
Def Leppard makes its US debut with 'On the Night'.

1993
MTV announces it will launch MTV Productions to produce projects for theatrical release, network syndication and the international marketplace.

1997
'Tellin' Stories' by Charlatans reaches #1.

2003
James Brown turns 70 years old.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1946
"New Spanish Two Step," a vocal version of Bob Willis' 1935 instrumental "Spanish Two Step," enters the country chart, which it will top for 16 weeks.

1956
Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps record "Be-Bop-A-Lula" in Nashville. It is released as the B-side of the single "Woman Love."

1959
Chuck Berry hits #3 on the R&B chart and #32 (5/04) on the pop chart with the Chess single "Almost Grown."

1963
The Chantays hit #4 with "Pipeline".

1968
"I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to Be Free)" enters the R&B chart, where it will peak at #32. It is Solomon Burke's last solo hit for Atlantic.

1970
Four students are killed as the National Guard fires on a Vietnam War protest at Kent State University.

1973
Grand Funk Railroad hits #1 with "The Loco-Motion"

1986
West End Girls (Pet Shop Boys) was a hit.

1988
Paul Wilson of the Flamingos dies.

1990
MTV announces presentation of Madonna's "1990 Blond Ambition World Tour," and airs live on-air coverage from the U.S. opening weekend in Houston on May 4 and 5.

 

[BuckeyeFan]

1970
Four students are killed as the National Guard fires on a Vietnam War protest at Kent State University.

Without getting into the politics of the day, it was a sad day on both sides of the issue that day. Kent State is here in Ohio and this happened on my ninth birthday. Never understood it at the time.

This also inspired the song "Four dead in O-hi-o"

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1959
The Happy Organ (Dave "Baby" Cortez) was a hit.

1962
The Shirelles' "Soldier Boy" becomes their first #1 hit, topping the charts for three weeks.

1965
Alan Price announces he is leaving the Animals at the peak of their popularity. He is replaced by Dave Rowberry.

1968
Buffalo Springfield performs its final concert in Long Beach, California.

1973
David Bowie releases 'Aladdin Sane' ("a lad insane"), a further elaboration upon his hard-rocking spaceman persona. It yields the singles "Jean Genie" (#2 UK, #71 US) and "Drive-In Saturday" (#3 UK),

1973
Sweet hits #3 in the US with "Little Willy."

1979
Canadian trio Triumph hits the US charts with its second album, 'Just A Game'.

1979
Peaches & Herb hits #1 with "Reunited".

1984
Human League hits #11 in the UK with "The Lebanon".

1985
Crazy For You (Madonna) was a hit.

1990
Aerosmith hits #9 with "What It Takes".

1995
MTV announces the launch of its seventh international network, MTV Asia. The customized 24-hour English-language channel is targeted to 12-34 year-old audiences in Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore. With MTV Asia's launch, the service is distributed to more than 5 million television homes in 11 countries.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1958
All I Have to Do Is Dream (The Everly Brothers) was a hit.

1965
"Got to Get You Off of My Mind," written by Solomon Burke about the late Sam Cooke - in whose company he'd been shortly before Cooke was shot to death under mysterious circumstances - is released. It becomes Burke's biggest hit, topping the R&B chart and hitting #22 on the pop chart.

1965
Paul Simon's first solo album, T'he Paul Simon Songbook,' is released in the U.K. on CBS Records. It never sees the light of day in the U.S.

1967
"Somebody to Love," by Jefferson Airplane, enter the Top Forty. It will remain there well into the Summer of Love, peaking at #5.

1969
Jethro Tull hits #3 in the UK with "Living in the Past".

1972
Jackson Browne hits #8 with "Doctor My Eyes".

1972
Joe Tex hits #2 with "I Gotcha".

1973
Iggy Pop and the Stooges release 'Raw Power' which peaks at #184.

1973
Paul Simon's second album, 'There Goes Rhymin' Simon,' is released. It is his best-selling album until 1986's 'Graceland,' producing a pair of singles that each hit #2: "Kodachrome" and "Loves Me Like a Rock."

1984
Hello (Lionel Richie) was a hit.

1989
Winger hits #26 with "Seventeen."

1997
James Taylor inducts Crosby, Stills and Nash into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Cleveland.

1997
The Bee Gees are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Brian Wilson is their presenter.

1997
The Rascals are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Steve Van Zant is their presenter.

1997
Parliament-Funkadelic is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Prince is their presenter.

1997
Mahalia Jackson is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Mavis Staples is her presenter.

1997
Bill Monroe is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Ricky Skaggs and Emmylou Harris are his presenters.

1997
Syd Nathan is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Seymour Stein is the presenter.

1997
Crosby, Stills & Nash are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1997
Joni Mitchell inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Shawn Colvin is her presenter.

1997
Buffalo Springfield is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Tom Petty is their presenter.

1997
The Jackson 5 are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Diana Ross is their presenter.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1946
Bill Kreutzmann, drummer for the Grateful Dead, is born in Palo Alto, California.

1965
"Just a Little," by the Beau Brummels, becomes a Top Ten hit. It is the second biggest single released on the San Francisco-based Autumn Records, cofounded by legendary deejay Tom Donahue.

1966
"Monday, Monday" hits #1, where it remains for three weeks. It is, according to 'The Billboard Book of Number One Hits', "the first song recorded by a fully sexually integrated group to go to Number One."

1978
If I Can't Have You (Yvonne Elliman) was a hit.

1989
I'll Be There for You (Bon Jovi) was a hit.

1991
MTV Network and HutchVision Limited announces plans to develop and launch an Asian version of MTV to reach 31 countries and more than 2 billion people.

1994
Blur's album 'Parklife' reaches #1.

1996
Allen Toussaint releases 'Connected', his first full-length national release in nearly two decades. It appears on his new label, NYNO Records, which specializes in New Orleans music.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1911
Robert Johnson was born.

1940
Ricky Nelson was born.

1943
Paul Samwell-Smith was born.

1951
Chris Frantz of Talking Heads is born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

1958
Brenda Lee records with producer Owen Bradley at his Nashville studio for the first time. He will remain her producer for the next 18 years.

1965
Sound Orchestral hits #10 with "Cast You Fate to the Wind"

1965
The Miracles hit #16 with "Ooh Baby Baby".

1972
Betty Wright hits #6 with "Clean-Up Woman".

1977
The Grateful Dead perform at Barton Hall, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Of the 2000+ concerts performed by the group in its lifetime, this one is ranked #1 by Deadheads.

1982
Vangelis hits #1 with "Chariots of Fire - Titles".

1982
Mike Post hits #25 with "Theme from 'Magnum P.I.'".

1982
Huey Lewis plays for the winner of the "MTV House Party" contest at the winner's home in Mt. Clemons, Detroit.

1982
Associates hit #13 in the UK with "Country Club".

1982
Depeche Mode hits #12 in the UK with "The Meaning of Love".

1982
Genesis hits #40 with "Man on the Corner".

1988
Anything For You (Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine) was a hit.

1993
'Get a Grip,' Aerosmith's 11th studio album, debuts at #1. It goes on to sell 7 million copies in the U.S. and more than 10 million worldwide. It also ushers forth another quartet of hits: "Livin' On the Edge" (#18), "Cryin'" (#12), "Amazing" (#24) and "Crazy" (#17).

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1937
Dave Prater was born.

1939
Mahalia Jackson popularizes one of Thomas Dorsey's greatest compositions, "There Will Be Peace In the Valley."

1944
Richie Furay was born.

1946
Chet Atkins makes his first recording, “Guitar Blues,” for Bullet Records.

1949
William Martin Joel is born in The Bronx, New York.

1954
Odetta's debut album, 'The Tin Angel', is released.

1960
Jackie Wilson hits #4 on pop and #3 on R&B with "Night".

1960
Jackie Wilson hits #15 on pop and #1 on R&B with "Doggin' Around".

1976
Boogie Fever (Sylvers) was a hit.

1978
'You’re Gonna Get It!,' Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ second album, is released. It climbs to #55 and spins off two singles that just miss the Top Forty: “I Need to Know” (#41) and “Listen to Her Heart” (#59).

1981
The Who hit #18 with "You Better You Bet"

1981
Adam & the Ants hit #1 in the UK with "Stand and Deliver".

1981
Duran Duran hits #37 in the UK with "Careless Memories".

1982
Ebony and Ivory (Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder) was a hit.

1991
MTV presents coverage of the premiere parties for Madonna's new film "Truth or Dare: On the Road, Behind the Scenes, and In Bed with Madonna." MTV also airs a new interview with Madonna conducted by MTV News anchor Kurt Loder.

1992
Def Leppard hits #15 with "Let's Get Rocked".

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1955
Johnny Ace hits #1 on the R&B chart and #17(3/19) on the pop chart with "Pledging My Love" and #7 on the R&B chart with "Anymore".

1960
Paul Hewson (a.k.a. Bono of U2) was born.

1964
My Guy (Mary Wells) was a hit.

1964
The first edition of Frank Zappa's long-running group, the Mothers, performs in Pomona, California.

1969
The Ventures hit #4 with "Hawaii Five-0".

1975
Gary Glitter hits #10 in the UK with "Love Like You and Me."

1975
Lobo hits #27 with "Don't Tell Me Goodnight."

1975
Though Bob Marley has been recording prolifically in his native Jamaica since 1962, Natty Dread is the first album by Marley and the Wailers to make the U.S. charts, reaching #92.

1980
Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark hits #13 in the UK with "Messages".

1981
Bette Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes) was a hit.

1987
With Or Without You (U2) was a hit.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1941
Eric Burdon, vocalist for the Animals, is born in Newcastle, England.

1947
Claude Hudson "Butch" Trucks, of the Allman Brothers Band, is born in Jacksonville, Florida.

1959
Dion and the Belmonts hit #5 with "A Teenager In Love".

1963
Solomon Burke's biggest hit to date - "If You Need Me," written by Wilson Pickett - competes with Pickett's own version for chart supremacy. Burke wins, as his version hits #2 on the R&B chart and remains there for five weeks.

1968
The Stooges release their self-titled debut. It peaks at #106.

1968
Willie Mitchell hits #23 with "Soul Serenade".

1968
Arthur Conley hits #14 with "Funky Street".

1972
Melanie hits #31 with "Ring the Living Bell".

1974
Mike Oldfield hits #7 with "Tubular Bells".

1977
Iggy Pop releases 'The Idiot' and it hits #30 in the UK and #32 in the US. The album is produced by David Bowie.

1981
Bob Marley dies of brain, lung and stomach cancer at 11:45 a.m. in Miami, Florida.

1981
Frank Zappa releases four albums in one day: 'Tinseltown Rebellion' (a double album), 'Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar,' 'Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar Some More,' and 'Return of the Son of Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar.'

1984
Alan Parsons Project hits #15 in the US with "Don't Answer Me".

1986
Greatest Love of All (Whitney Houston) was a hit.

1990
Nelson hits #14 with "More Than Ever".

1994
Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as President of South Africa.

1997
'Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix,' by Michael Jackson, is released. Containing eight remixes from 1995's 'HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book 1' and five new songs, it sells only one million copies.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1945
The only single of Billie Holiday's ever to chart, "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be), enters Billboard's R&B chart, rising to #5.

1951
Wynonie Harris hit #6 on the R&B chart with "Bloodshot Eyes".

1956
"Born to Be With You" by the Chordettes hits #5.

1959
Kansas City (Wilbert Harrison) was a hit.

1960
Elvis guest-stars on a Frank Sinatra-hosted TV special, Welcome Home Elvis, and cuts his first post-Army recordings in Nashville. They yield the hit album Elvis Is Back and such million-selling singles as "It's Now or Never" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight."

1963
If You Wanna Be Happy (Jimmy Soul) was a hit.

1968
Tighten Up (Archie Bell & The Drells) was a hit.

1973
"Right Place Wrong Time," by Dr. John, enters the singles chart, where it will peak at #9. Allen Toussaint produced, arranged, played and sang on the song, which was Dr. John's commercial zenith.

1973
Sweet hits #2 on the UK charts with "Hellraiser."

1973
Dobie Gray hits #5 with "Drift Away".

1973
'Houses of the Holy,' Led Zeppelin’s fifth album, becomes their third to reach #1.

1974
The Streak (Ray Stevens) was a hit.

1976
Robert Fripp of King Crimson releases solo album, 'Exposure'.

1976
The Allman Brothers Band dissolves acrimoniously, albeit temporarily.

1985
Don't You (Forget About Me) (Simple Minds) was a hit.

1990
Faster Pussycat hits #28 with "House of Pain".

1992
MTV Europe takes second Astra transponder to increase reach in Southern Europe.

1998
'So Goes Love', the last studio album of Charles Brown's career, is released on the Verve label.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1941
Richard Steven Valenzuela, better known as Ritchie Valens, is born in Los Angeles.

1948
Bull Moose Jackson hits #10 on the R&B chart with "Sneaky Pete," #3 on the R&B chart with "All My Love Belongs To You," #5 on the R&B chart with "I Want A Bowlegged Woman" and #1 on the R&B chart with "I Can't Go On Without You." All four singles are released on King Records.

1950
Stevie Wonder was born.

1950
Danny Kirwan is born.

1951
Dinah Washington's Mercury single "Cold, Cold Heart" hits #3 on the R&B chart.

1953
For their first recording, the Staples cut a 78 rpm single ("These They Are" b/w "Faith and Grace") and pressed it up on their own Royal label.

1957
Chuck Berry hits #1 on the R&B chart and #3 on the pop chart with "School Day" and #6 on the R&B chart and #8 (12/23) on the pop chart with "Rock and Roll Music." Both singles are released on Chess Records.

1957
The Platters hit #5 on the R&B chart and #16 on the pop chart with the Mercury Records single "He's Mine."

1965
The Four Seasons reach #3 with "Let's Hang On".

1967
"The Happening" by the Supremes hits #1.

1967
Arthur Conley hits 32 with "Sweet Soul Music."

1970
'ABC,' the Jackson 5's second album, is released. Two more -- 'Third Album' and 'The Jackson 5 Christmas Album' -- are released before the year is over.

1972
Bowie declares his bisexuality in the British Magazine 'Melody Maker.' In later years, he distances himself from such statements.

1972
Don McLean hits #12 with "Vincent".

1973
You Are the Sunshine of My Life (Stevie Wonder) was a hit.

1975
Bob Wills dies of pneumonia at a Fort Worth, Texas, nursing home.

1975
Slade hits #7 in the UK with "Thanks For the Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)."

1976
'Rastaman Vibration,' by Bob Marley and the Wailers – and featuring an American, Don Kinsey, on lead guitar – is released. It becomes Marley’s highest-charting album, reaching #8 in the U.S. and #15 in the U.K.

1978
Robert Flack & Donnie Hathaway hit #2 with "The Closer I Get To You".

1980
Robert Fripp releases 'God Save the Queen/Heavy Manners', featuring an electronic style dubbed "Frippertronics".

1989
"I'll Be There For You" by Bon Jovi tops the US charts.

1989
Bon Jovi hits #1 with "I'll Be There For You"

 

[Heather]

May 14th

1936
Bobby Darin was born.

1946
Gene Cornish was born.

1948
Dinah Washington's Mercury single "It's Too Soon To Know" hits #2 on the R&B chart.

1951
Jackie Jackson was born.

1952
David Byrne of Talking Heads is born in Dumbarton, Scotland.

1959
Fabian hits #5 with "Hold That Tiger". It will say there for five months.

1967
Groovin' (The Young Rascals) was a hit.

1967
The Strawbs form.

1976
Keith Relf of the Yardbirds dies of electrocution in his London home.

1977
Talking Heads perform in London, where they meet Brian Eno, late of Roxy Music. He will subsequently produce three Talking Heads albums and cut an album ('My Life in the Bush of Ghosts') with David Byrne.

1978
With a Little Luck (Wings) was a hit.

1982
ABC hits #4 in the UK with "The Look of Love".

1983
Duran Duran hits #14 in the US with "Rio".

1987
MTV devotes a 45 minutes weekly special to the artists featured on the AMC High Priority album which benefits AMC's public awareness campaign for breast cancer research.

1988
Led Zeppelin reunites, with drummer Jason Bonham (the late John Bonham's son), to perform a few songs at Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary concert at New York's Madison Square Garden.

1989
Forever Your Girl (Paula Abdul) was a hit.

1989
'Dreams,' the Allman Brothers Band's career-spanning box set, is released.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1947
Joe Liggins hits #3 on the R&B chart with the Exclusive release of "Blow Mr. Jackson."

1970
Frank Zappa's film, '200 Motels', premieres.

1970
The Mothers of Invention perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta. Frank Zappa cues the esteemed conductor with the command, "Hit it, Zuben!"

1971
Bread hits #4 with "If".

1975
Stevie Wonder hits #3 with "Boogie on Reggae Woman".

1977
Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) was a hit.

1982
Duran Duran hits #5 in the UK with "Hungry Like the Wolf".

1983
"Let's Dance", featuring Stevie Ray Vaughn on guitar, is David Bowie's first #1 hit in both the US and UK.

1990
MTV officially launches first licensed line of clothing and accessories with products including clothing, sunglasses, footwear, hats, bags, watches, beach chairs and beach towels.

1994
MTV pays tribute to the music of Nirvana in the wake of the recent suicide of the band's composer and lead singer Kurt Cobain. The two-hour special, hosted by Kurt Loder, features rare performances and videos from throughout the band's career, as well as exclusive interviews with the bands members and people who had the chance to work with them.

1999
Suede's 'Head Music' reaches #1.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1945
Joe Liggins hits #2 on the R&B chart with "Left A Good Deal In Mobile."

1950
Classical composer Karlheinz Stockhausen proposes his theory of electronic music.

1964
"(The Best Part of) Breaking Up" by the Ronettes charts at #39.

1965
Ticket to Ride (The Beatles) was a hit.

1976
Silly Love Songs (Wings) was a hit.

1979
Bad Company hits #13 with "Rock and Roll Fantasy".

1982
Jethro Tull hits #19 in the US with 'Broadsword and the Beast'.

1987
Poison hits #9 with "Talk Dirty to Me".

1990
Thanks to Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation, the former Chess Records Office and Studio at 2120 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago is officially recognized as a protected Chicago Landmark.

1992
MTV presents the networks; inaugural MTV Sports Festival, a free, MTV-style sports event which travels to 10 cities nationwide. Pepsi in the presenting sponsor and Reebok International Ltd. is the associate sponsor.

2000
Britney Spears releases her sophomore album, 'Oops...I Did It Again'. The first single is the title track.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1958
Little Richard hits #4 on the R&B chart and #10 on the pop chart with the Specialty release "Good Golly, Miss Molly".

1959
The Flamingos hit #11 with "I Only Have Eyes For You".

1960
Cathy's Clown (The Everly Brothers) was a hit.

1962
Muddy Waters records Willie Dixon’s “You Shook Me,” a classic blues that will later be covered by Led Zeppelin on their self-titled debut album.

1965
Moog introduces the first analog synthesizer.

1966
Bob Dylan and the Hawks (a.k.a. The Band) perform at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. Dylan is booed by folk purists who object to his appearing with an electric band. This widely bootlegged concert, often misidentified as having been performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall, is officially released 22 years later as 'Live 1966.'

1967
The Grateful Dead’s self-titled first album, a potpourri of blues, bluegrass and psychedelic rock, is released on Warner Bros. Records.

1968
Simon and Garfunkel hit #7 with "The Boxer."

1968
Having worked their way up from the street, the Santana Blues Band performs at San Francisco's storied Avalon Ballroom. They soon become regulars at the Fillmore West, and Bill Graham himself manages the band.

1968
After unsuccessfully negotiating a new contract with Atlantic Records, Jim Stewart sells Stax Records to Gulf + Western.

1970
Rock artists such as Pink Floyd, the Who, and Yes incorporate synthesizers into their work.

1971
Kraftwerk forms.

1973
The U.S. Senate begins the Watergate hearings, investigating the Nixon Administration's involvement in illegal campaign activities.

1975
Led Zeppelin hits #38 with "Trampled Under Foot".

1975
Queen hits #12 in the US with "Killer Queen."

1980
Echo & the Bunnymen hit #62 in the UK with "Rescue".

1986
Van Halen hits #3 with "Why Can't This Be Love".

1988
After nine years of fighting, Soviet troops begin withdrawing from Afghanistan.

1988
The Traveling Wilburys – a low-key supergroup comprising Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison – come together to record their first album, which is released in October.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1911
Big Joe Turner was born in Kansas City, MO.

1948
Amos Milburn hits #1 on the R&B chart with the Aladdin single "Bewildered."

1948
The Vibranaires, a vocal group from Baltimore, Maryland, change their name to the Orioles at the suggestion of record executive Jerry Blaine.

1957
Having been promoted to RCA’s manager of operations, Chet Atkins persuades the label to build its own office and studio in Nashville. The result is the world-famous RCA Studio B, a.k.a. “the house that Chet built.”

1958
LaVern Baker hits #2 on the R&B chart and #6 (2/23/59) on the pop chart with the Atlantic single "I Cried A Tear."

1966
Little Willie John is imprisoned after being convicted of manslaughter.

1968
Student demonstrations and riots in the streets of Paris, coupled with labor strikes, virtually shut down the city.

1968
Archie Bell & the Drells hit #1 with "Tighten Up".

1969
Get Back (The Beatles) was a hit.

1974
"Dancing Machine," one of the Jackson 5's last big hits for Motown, reaches #1 on the R&B chart and #2 on the pop chart.

1974
Lobo hits #37 with "Standing at the End of the Line."

1975
Shining Star (Earth, Wind & Fire) was a hit.

1975
Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis to pursue a solo career. Drummer Phil Collins eventually replaces Gabriel as lead singer for the group.

1977
Shaun Cassidy, half brother of David Cassidy, releases 'Shaun Cassidy' (which ends up going gold) and "Da Doo Ron Ron" (which tops the charts) at the same time.

1978
The Buddy Holly Story, a popular film biography starring Gary Busey in the title role, is released. Twelve years later, the actor pays a quarter of a million dollars at auction for an acoustic guitar that belonged to Holly.

1980
Mt. St. Helens erupts.

1980
Ian Curtis (Joy Division) takes his own life.

1980
Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of the Buggles join Yes.

1981
Tom Petty withholds the tapes for Hard Promises, his fourth album, until MCA abandons plans to hike the list price from $8.98 to $9.98.

1989
'The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert,' an unabridged double-CD version of Pete Seeger's historic 'Carnegie Hall concert' from 1963, is released.

1994
Traffic reunites for a US reunion tour.

1996
'1977' by Ash reaches #1.

1999
The Backstreet Boys release their sophomore album, 'Millennium'.

1999
'Honey to the B' by English pop princess Billie is released. "Because We Want To" is her first British single to debut at #1.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1945
Pete Townshend was born.

1946
The Gypsy (The Ink Spots) was a hit.

1949
The Charles Brown Trio releases three singles on Aladdin Records: "Get Yourself Another Foll" (#4 R&B), "Trouble Blues" (#1 R&B) and "In the Evening With the Sun Goes Down" (#4 R&B).

1951
Jeffrey Hyman (a.k.a. Joey Ramone) is born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York.

1956
Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers hits #3 on the R&B chart and #13 on the pop chart with (5/19) "I Want You To Be My Girl", #10 on the R&B chart with "I Promise To Remember", #7 on the R&B chart with "Who Can Explain?" and #8 on the R&B chart with "The ABC's of Love." All four singles are released on Gee Records.

1956
The Platters hit #4 on the R&B chart and #4 on the pop chart with the Mercury Records release "(You've Got) The Magic Touch."

1957
LaVern Baker hits #7 on the R&B chart with the Atlantic single "Jim Dandy Got Married."

1973
Gilbert O'Sullivan #17 with "Out of the Question".

1973
Yes hits #12 in the US with 'Yessongs'.

1975
The Average White Band hits #1 with "Pick Up the Pieces" and #10 with "Cut the Cake".

1985
Everything She Wants (Wham! ) was a hit.

1995
MTV spends the summer at its new Beach House in Malibu, California.

1998
Rod Stewart releases 'When We Were the New Boys,' which contains songs by Oasis, the Waterboys, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker and Nick Lowe – as well as the Faces and Stewart himself.

 

[Heather]

Today in the History of Rock.......

1911
Milt Gabler was born.

1946
Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown hit #2 on the R&B chart with "Drifting Blues".

1948
The Ravens hit #8 on the R&B chart with "Bye Bye Baby Blues."

1960
Etta and Harvey hit #6 on the R&B charts with the Chess release of "If I Can't Have You."

1967
"Groovin'" becomes the Rascals' second chart-topping single. It holds down the top spot for four weeks, finally giving way to Aretha Franklin's "Respect"—which was also on Atlantic Records.

1968
Gene Pitney cracks the U.S. Top Forty for the last time with “She’s a Heartbreaker,” which reaches #16.

1973
Frankenstein (The Edgar Winter Group) was a hit.

1978
The Michael Zager Band hits #36 with "Let's All Chant".

1984
Let's Hear It for the Boy (Deniece Williams) was a hit.

1997
Hourglass, James Taylor's first studio album in eight years, is released to glowing notices.