Sunday, February 22, 2009

This Date In Music History-February 22

Birthdays:

Michael Wilton- Queensryche (1962)

Scott Phillips- Creed (1973)

James Blunt (1977)

Bobby Hendricks- Drifters (1938)


They Are Missed:

Papa John Creach, the 76-year-old violinist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, died of heart failure in 1994.

In 2001, 61 year-old avant-folk guitarist John Fahey died after suffering complications following heart bypass surgery.

Florence Ballard of the Supremes died of cardiac arrest in 1976.

Andy Warhol, pop artist who produced and managed The Velvet Underground, designed the 1967 Velvet Underground And Nico 'peeled banana' album cover and The Rolling Stones 'Sticky Fingers' album cover, died in 1987.

Born on this day in 1936, Ernie K-Doe (1961 US #1 single with “Mother-in-Law”) K-Doe died on July 5, 2001.

The late Norman "Hurricane" Smith ("Oh Babe, What Would You Say") was born in 1923.


History:

In 1957, famed US dance instructor Arthur Murray reported that enrollment in his dance studios has increased ten percent since the "rock and roll craze" has swept the country.

In 1956, Elvis Presley entered the music charts for the first time with "Heartbreak Hotel."

In 1986, MTV dedicated a full 22 hours broadcast to The Monkees, showing all 45 episodes of the original Monkees TV series.

In 1958, Roy Hamilton's "Don't Let Go" becomes the first stereo single to reach the Billboard chart when it entered at #13.

Scottish group The Average White Band went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1975 with “Pick Up The Pieces,” the bands album AWB also went to #1 on the US chart.

Percy Faith started a 9-week run at #1 on the US chart in 1960 with “Theme From A Summer Place,” a #2 hit in the UK.

In 1969, the Beatles began their sessions for Abbey Road with a take of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)."

In 1968, Genesis released their debut single, "The Silent Sun."

In 1956, today's issue of Billboard reviewed James Brown's debut single, a little song called "Please, Please, Please." "A dynamic, religious fervor runs through the pleading solo here," the magazine raves. "Brown and his group let off plenty of steam."

The Beatles formed their Northern Music Publishing Company. (now owned by Michael Jackson) in 1963. Their single "Please Please Me" spent its first week at #1 on the U.K. charts. Brian Epstein takes the boys out to dinner to celebrate.

This Bud’s For You- In 1979, Rolling Stone reported that Journey have entered into a sponsorship deal with Budweiser in one of the first instances of what will soon become standard music industry practice.

In 2001, the Sunday Mirror listed the Beatles as the biggest money-earners of 2000. Although they no longer exist, the band pulled in a tidy $50 million.

The Silhouettes topped Cash Box Magazine's Best Sellers Chart in 1958 with "Get A Job" after Dick Clark started playing it on his TV show, American Bandstand. The group got their name from the 1957 song by The Rays, (covered by Herman's Hermits in the 60's) and the inspiration for the tune came from writer Rick Lewis' mother, when she chided her son to "get up in the morning and go out and get a job."

In 1989, a category for Heavy Metal was included at the Grammys Awards for the first time. Metallica performed on stage, but the award went to Jethro Tull. Many audience members booed. Meanwhile, Bobby McFerrin won Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Don't Worry, Be Happy," Tracy Chapman was named Best New Artist and Tina Turner won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Tina Live in Europe."

The film "Don't Knock The Rock," featuring appearances by Alan Freed, Little Richard and Bill Haley, opened at the Paramount Theatre in New York in 1957.

In 1986, Fine Young Cannibals had to postpone their appearance at a Boston nightclub after a tear gas bomb goes off in the venue. They finally came onstage and performed at 2 a.m.

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