This Date In Music History-January 6

Birthdays:


Malcolm Young- AC/DC (1953)

Kathy Sledge- Sister Sledge (1959)

Mark O'Toole- Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1964)

Alex Turner- Arctic Monkeys (1986)

Nino Tempo turns 74.

Polka great Joey Miskulin (1949)

Fabulous Thunderbirds' Kim Wilson (1951)

Banjo virtuoso Earl Scruggs (1924)


They Are Missed:

Soul singer Lou Rawls died at a Los Angeles hospital in 2006.

Georgeanna Gordon, singer with Motown girl group The Marvelettes, died in 1980.

Van McCoy, singer and producer was born in 1944. He had a 1975 US #1 hit “The Hustle.” McCoy died on July 6, 1979 (age 38).

Syd Barrett, guitar, vocals, Pink Floyd original member was born in 1946. Barrett died from complications arising from diabetes on 7th July 7, 2006 (age 60).

Sandy Denny, UK folk singer and member of Fairport Convention was born in 1947. She died on April 21, 1978 after falling down the stairs at a friend’s house.

Jazz great Dizzy Gillespie died in 1993.

In 1998, Sonny Bono suffered fatal head and neck injuries while skiing at the Heavenly Ski Resort in Nevada. The 62 year old Bono was apparently skiing alone, late in the day when he crashed into a tree. After leaving show business, Sonny was elected Mayor of Palm Springs, California in 1988 and in 1994 was elected to the US congress and re-elected in 1996.


History:

The Village People scored their only UK #1 single in 1979 with “Y.M.C.A.” At its peak the single was selling over 150,000 copies a day.

In 1970, CSN&Y made their UK live debut at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

Gibson guitars launched it' 'Flying V' electric guitar in 1958.

Elvis Presley performed in the gym at Randolph High School, Mississippi in 1956; this was the last time he ever appeared in a small auditorium.

Elvis Presley made his last appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1957. He performed for over 20 minutes, singing "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "Heartbreak Hotel" among others.

“He could play the guitar just like a-ring in a bell.” Chuck Berry recorded the epic, and Rock n’ Roll defining, “Johnny B. Goode” at Chess Studios in Chicago in 1958.

In 1975, Pink Floyd began recording their album-long tribute to Syd Barrett, "Wish You Were Here," on the former front man's 29th birthday.

In 2003, the estate of George Harrison sued a Staten Island doctor who they allege forced the late Beatle to sign a guitar while he was critically ill with cancer. The estate sought possession of the autographed instrument.

Danny and the Juniors' Rock 'n' Roll classic "At The Hop" was the #1 song in the US in 1958. Originally written as "Do the Bop,” American Bandstand host Dick Clark advised the group to re-write the lyrics because the dance known as “The Bop” was on its way out. Clark was right and the Philadelphia quartet's record stayed in the top spot for a month.

The Beatles' "We Can Work It Out" was awarded a gold record in 1966, two days before it began a three-week reign in the #1 spot. It entered the US chart on December 18, 1965 and stayed on the Hot 100 for 12 weeks.