Thursday, January 17, 2008

This Day In Music History- Jan 17

Cat woman Eartha Kitt, whose raspy-voiced delivery made VH1 dub her one of the 100 Greatest Women in Rock, was born in North, S.C. in 1927.

Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Ian Stewart perform together for the first time at London's Marquee Jazz Club in 1963.

In 1972, a section of Bellevue Boulevard in Memphis was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard. The remaining length of road kept its original name after protests from the Bellevue Baptist Church.

Barry Manilow had the number one record in the US in 1976 with "I Write The Songs.” Ironically, he wrote many of his hits, but he didn't write this one; Bruce Johnson of The Beach Boys did.

In 2003, Charlie Webber of The Swingin' Medallions, died of cancer on January 17th at the age of 57. The group was best known for their 1966 hit, "Double Shot Of My Baby's Love.”

Mick Taylor (one-time member of the Rolling Stones) turns 60.

Billy Stewart ("Summertime") dies, along with three members of his band, in an auto accident near Smithfield, North Carolina, in 1970.

In 1994,Donny Osmond fights Danny Bonaduce of the Partridge Family in a charity boxing match in Chicago (Danny wins a controversial split decision-Must See TV!)

The Blues Brothers make their first appearance on NBC-TV's "Saturday Night Live” in 1976.

The first Led Zeppelin album (self-titled) was released in 1969.

In 2004, Art Garfunkel was arrested in Hurley, NY, for pot possession after cops pulled him over for speeding and subsequently smell marijuana wafting from his limousine(so that’s what he does in his spare time).

In 1975, Bob Dylan released Blood on the Tracks, arguably his most important album of the '70s.

In 1970, the Doors performed the first of two nights at New York's Felt Forum. The dates are recorded for their live album Absolutely Live.

In 1967 an article appeared in today's Daily Mail about the "holes in our roads." The snippet gives John Lennon an idea for a lyric in his song "A Day in the Life." (interesting)

Steve Earle was born Fort Monroe, Va. in 1955. The country outlaw went from "Copperhead Road" to working as a guard at a crack house to resurrecting his career with 1995's “Train A Comin'.”

Chris Montez ("Let's Dance") was born in 1943 in Los Angeles as Christopher Montanez.

In 1945, the Delfonics' singer William Hart was born in Washington, D.C. The soul group's biggest hit was 1968's "La - La - Means I Love You."

Blue-eyed British soul boy Paul Young ("Everytime You Go Away") was born in 1956.

In 1969, "Lady Samantha" was released in England. It was one of the very first recordings by Reginald Kenneth Dwight, better known as Elton John.