This Date In Music History- February 24

Birthdays:

Michel LeGrand- jazz composer (1932)

Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones- (1942)

Joanie Sommers ("Johnny Get Angry") is 68.

Rupert Holmes is 62. He scored his own #1 with 1979's "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" and wrote the hit "Timothy" for the Buoys.

Michelle Shocked (1962)


They Are Missed:

In 2004, Estelle Axton, who helped create the legendary US soul music label Stax, died in hospital in Memphis, aged 85. Axton founded Stax with her brother 1959, and its roster later included Otis Redding, Booker T. & the MG's and Isaac Hayes.

Born on this day in 1944, Nicky Hopkins, session piano player who worked with the Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, the Beatles, John Lennon, the Who and Small Faces. Hopkins died on September 6th, 1994.

Johnnie Ray, the 1950's teen idol, died of liver failure at the age of 63 in 1990. He scored over twenty US Top 40 singles between 1952 and 1960.

The late George Harrison was born in 1943.

Howie Epstein, former bassist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, was found dead from a drug overdose in 2003. He was 47.


History:

In 1975, after nearly a two-year wait since Houses of the Holy, Led Zeppelin released Physical Graffiti. It goes to #1 on the Billboard album chart in a record-breaking two weeks.

Buddy Holly & the Crickets recorded the hit version of "That'll Be The Day" in 1957.

In 1956, police in Cleveland, Ohio enforced a 1931 ordinance that barred people under the age of 18 from dancing in public unless accompanied by an adult.

In 1992, the US Postal Service unveils two versions of its proposed Elvis stamp for fans to vote on. The younger Elvis would win and was issued on January 8, 1993.

The Beatles began filming their second, as yet un-named movie on New Providence in the Bahamas in 1965. The film would eventually be called Eight Arms to Hold You before producers finally settled on Help!

John Lennon's "Double Fantasy" LP was named Album Of The Year at the Grammy Awards in 1982. Kim Carnes' "Betty Davis Eyes" wins for Record Of The Year and Sheena Easton was named Best New Artist.

In 1969, the Jimi Hendrix Experience played their last British concert at London's Royal Albert Hall before breaking up.

The Byrds made their final live appearance in 1973 when they played at The Capitol Theatre, in Passaic, New Jersey.

Roberta Flack achieved her second Billboard #1 hit in 1973 with "Killing Me Softly With His Song.” The tune was inspired by singer Lori Lieberman after she saw Don McLean perform at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

In 1976, the Eagles LP "Their Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975" became the first album in history to be certified platinum by the RIAA. The new certification represents sales of at least 1 million copies for albums and 2 million copies for singles. The Platinum award was originated in the early seventies because Gold status was achieved by most popular records in a very short period of time. The Eagles Greatest Hits album stayed on Billboard's Hot 200 chart for two and half years.

The Beach Boys recorded "Help Me Rhonda" in 1965, with guitarist Al Jardine singing lead vocal. The disc became their second Billboard #1 and stay on the chart for eleven weeks.

"Roxanne" was released by The Police in 1979.

In 1990, Roger McGuinn, David Crosby and Chris Hillman of The Byrds reunited to play "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" at the Roy Orbison All-Star Tribute Concert. A couple of months later, the trio would record four more songs for their upcoming Boxed Set, which also included the two songs from the tribute concert.

In 1963, The Rolling Stones take over as the Sunday house band at the Station Hotel, near London. They are paid £24 ($67) to entertain a crowd of 66 people.