This Date In Music History-February 2

Birthdays:

Derek Shulman (Gentle Giant) was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1947. He later worked as an A&R man for PolyGram Records and signed Bon Jovi.

Stone Temple Pilots- Robert DeLeo (1966)

Earth, Wind & Fire- Al McKay (1948)

Howard Bellamy- Bellamy Brothers (1946)

Peter Lucia-Tommy James and The Shondells (1947)

Graham Nash turns 67.


They Are Missed:

John Spence, singer, original member of No Doubt (1969-1987)

Born on this day in 1940, Alan Caddy, guitarist with The Tornadoes, who had a 1962 UK & US #1 single with “Telstar.” This was the first major hit from a UK act on the American chart. Caddy died on August 16th 2000.

Skip Battin, the Byrds was born in 1934. Also a member of New Riders Of The Purple Sage and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Battin died on July 6th 2003.

At the age of 21, ex-Sex Pistol bass player Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose in 1979 in the New York City.

Billy Henderson, one of the founders The Spinners died in 2007 (age 67).

Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz was born in Philadelphia in 1927. Died on June 6, 1991.


History:

Appearing at Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959, Buddy Holly, Richard Valens and The Big Bopper. This was all three acts last ever gig before being killed in a plane crash the following day.

In 1955, Petula Clark scored her first major hit on the UK chart with a song called "Majorca.” The single was the first of a string of Top 20 hits in the UK and Europe, but it would be ten years before Clark gained any attention in the United States.

In 1959, Frankie Avalon released his biggest hit, "Venus,” which reached #1 in the US and #16 in the UK.

Mouseketeer Annette Funicello saw her first hit, "Tall Paul" enter the Billboard Pop chart in 1959, where it reached #7.

Barbra Streisand started a four week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1974 with the theme from the film “The Way We Were.” The single won an Oscar and a Grammy for “Song of the Year.”

In 1964, in response to a storm of controversy, Max Firetag, the publisher of The Kingsmen's hit, "Louie Louie,” offered $1,000 to anyone who could find suggestive lyrics in the song. The reward was small change, considering that the disc cost $50 to record and has sold over 1 million copies.

Simon and Garfunkel recorded "Mrs. Robinson” in 1968, which would become their second US #1 and win a Grammy Award for Record Of The Year.

In 1949, RCA released the first 45 RPM records (seven 45's in various genres, including the original "That's All Right Mama" by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup).

The Beatles began their first British tour in 1963.

In 1956, two members of the Robins broke away from the group and signed with Atlantic Records as the Coasters.

The Midnight Special premiered on NBC-TV with Helen Reddy as host in 1973. Wolfman Jack would later take over for an eight-and-a-half-year run.

Dale Hawkins recorded "Susie-Q" in 1957.

REO Speedwagon's 10th album, "Hi Infidelity," goes platinum in 1981.