Thursday, February 21, 2008

This Day In Music History- Feb 21

Janet Vogel of the Skyliners ("Since I Don't Have You") dies of carbon monoxide poisoning in 1980.

In 1964, Elvis Presley's "Kissin' Cousins" movie is sneak previewed in North Long Beach, California (it opens nationwide in April).

In 2004, pop/opera singer Charlotte Church turned 18, thereby gaining control of a trust fund made up of $30 million of her earnings.

Disc jockey, Murray "The K" Kaufman, died of cancer on February 21st, 1982 at the age of 60. Kaufman's influence on rock and roll and its audience led the Beatles to seek him out when they first came to America in 1964. Kaufman's friendship with the group earned him the nickname "The Fifth Beatle".

1970- Having been in release for only 15 weeks, Led Zeppelin II approaches sales of 2million.

Steve Wynn, Dream Syndicate founder and a leader of the Paisley Underground, was born in Los Angeles in 1960.

Contemporary country singer Mary Chapin Carpenter was born in Princeton, N.J. in 1958.
Music industry kingpin David Geffen was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1943.

New Orleans R&B singer Bobby Charles ("See You Later, Alligator") was born in Abbeville, LA in 1938.

Soulful jazz singer Nina Simone was born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, N.C. in 1933.

The Jackson 5 made their TV debut on "American Bandstand" In 1970.

In 1964, a New York band called The Echoes recruited a new, young piano player named Billy Joel.

1970- Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" entered the UK albums chart at number 1 and stayed there for 12 consecutive weeks. It would return to the top seven times, spending a total of 41 weeks there over the next two years. In the US, it spent 10 weeks at number 1 on the strength of three top 10 singles, and was the number 7 album of the decade in America.

In 1976, the Four Seasons attained their only UK #1 hit with "December '63 (Oh What A Night).”

In 1981, Dolly Parton topped the Billboard Pop Chart with her own composition, "9 to 5.”

Also in 1981, REO Speedwagon started a 15 week run at the top of the Billboard album chart with "Hi Infidelity.”

In 1987, "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King topped the UK singles chart, after it was featured in a movie by the same name. The song first became a hit in 1961.

Milli Vanilli were awarded the Best New Artist Grammy in 1990 (oops). It would take until the following November for producer Frank Farian to confess that the duo never actually sang a single note on their recordings.

Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads is born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1949.

In 1964, the Rolling Stones crack the U.K. Top 10 for the first time with a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away.”

Sublime bassist (’88 – ’96), Eric Wilson, entered the world in 1970.