This Date In Music History- August 7

Birthdays:

B.J. Thomas ("Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head") turns 66.

Stan Freberg (parody versions of "Heartbreak Hotel", "Banana Boat Song" and others) is 82.

Herb Reed of the Platters ("Smoke Gets In Your Eyes") is 77.

Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson was born in Worksop, England in 1958.
Born on this day in 1952, Andy Fraser, bass player with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and he joined Free at age 16. Ted Nugent, Robert Palmer and Joe Cocker have all covered songs written by Fraser.

History:

In 1957, The Quarry Men, minus Paul McCartney who was away at camp, made their first appearance at Liverpool's Cavern Club. The club's owner, Alan Sytner tells them not to play any Rock music.

"Little" Esther Phillips ("Release Me") died of liver and kidney failure in 1984.

Today in 1954, the song "Sh-Boom" by the Crew-Cuts topped the charts and stayed there for 9 weeks.

Paul Anka made his TV debut on ABC's "American Bandstand" in 1957.

The movie "Beach Party", with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, opened in 1963. Dick Dale & the Del Tones provided the music.

In 1991, Paul Simon gave a free concert in Central Park, New York, in front of three quarters of a million people. The performance was released later in the year as "Paul Simon's Concert in the Park".

Tonight on TV in 1955, Ed Sullivan played host to Bill Haley & the Comets, bringing rock 'n' roll to the masses with their "Rock Around the Clock."

In 1964, the nation's weeklies reviewed the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night. "Avoid this film at all costs!" declared Time. " Some Marx Brothers surrealism!" noted Life. "Amusing and engaging!" decided The Los Angeles Herald Examiner.

In 1970, Fleetwood Mac welcomed new member Christine McVie, the wife of bass player John McVie and a former vocalist with Chicken Shack.

After having half-a-dozen Top 20 hits in the US, The Bee Gees finally scored their first number one hit in 1971 with "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.” Barry and Robin Gibb had written the song for crooner Andy Williams, but he turned it down.

In 1987, a Los Angeles judge threw out a lawsuit against Ozzy Osbourne. The lawsuit had been filed by the parents of a teenager who had committed suicide while listening to Ozzy's song, "Suicide Solution."

In 2000, the family of Jimi Hendrix won a case at an international panel to evict the holder of the Internet address www.jimihendrix.com.

Although it failed to chart at all in the UK, Herman's Hermits reached number one in the US in 1965, with a silly little song called "I'm Henry VIII, I Am.” The tune was actually written in 1911 and had been popularized by Cockney comedian Harry Champion.

James Blunt was at No.1 on the UK singles chart in 2005 with ‘You're Beautiful’, Mariah Carey was at No.1 on the US charts with ‘We Belong Together’ and Axel F had ‘Crazy Frog’ at No.1 on the Australian singles charts.

With Flo and Eddie on board, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention recorded "Just Another Band From L.A." at U.C.L.A. in 1971.