This Date In Music History-October 17

This Date In Music History-October 17

Birthdays:

Rico Rodrigues - The Specials (1934)
Alan Howard - Tremeloes (1941)
Jim Seals - Seals & Croft (1941)
Gary Puckett - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (1942)
Jim Tucker - Turtles (1946)
David St Hubbins - Spinal Tap (1947)
Alan Jackson (1958)
Ziggy Marley - Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers (1968)
Eminem (1972)
Wyclef Jean - The Fugees (1972)
Chris Kirkpatrick - *NSYNC (1977)


They Are Missed:

The late Cozy Cole ("Topsy II") was born in 1909 (died January 31, 1981).

In 1972, Billy Williams, lead singer of the Charioteers, died in Chicago (age 61).

Singer and television presenter Tennessee Ernie Ford ("Sixteen Tons") died of liver failure in 1991. In the 60’s hosted a daytime talk show, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show on the ABC television network.

Born today in 1933, Floyd Cramer, country piano player. Worked with Elvis Presley on "Heartbreak Hotel" and other hits. Cramer died on December 31, 1997.

Chris Acland drummer with UK indie band Lush committed suicide in 1996 (age 30)

Thomas Durden, who wrote the lyrics to "Heartbreak Hotel" died in 1999 (age 79). Durden had read a newspaper account of a man who had committed suicide, the man had left a note saying, ''I walk a lonely street,'' and Durden used the phrase as the basis for the Elvis hit "Heartbreak Hotel."

Songwriter and composer Jay Livingston died of pneumonia in 2001. Best known for writing hits with Ray Evans for Doris Day, ("Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" and Nat King Cole, ("Mona Lisa").

Derek Bell, instrumentalist in the Irish folk group The Chieftains, died of cardiac arrest in Phoenix, Arizona in 2002.

Singer Teresa Brewer died in 2007 (age 76). She was one of the most popular US pop singers of the 1950s scoring hits such as "Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now" and "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall." She also sang with Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Wynton Marsalis.

Four Tops singer Levi Stubbs died at his Detroit home in 2008 (age 72). The group signed with Motown Records in 1963 and produced 20 Top 40 hits over the following 10 years, making music history with other acts in Berry Gordy's Motown stable.


History:

The Drifters started a three week run at #1 in 1960 with "Save The Last Dance For Me."

Dion and the Belmonts split up in 1960.

The Beatles performed on TV for the first time in 1962, on the British program People and Places.

The Zombies' "She's Not There" was released in 1964.

Manfred Mann started a two week run at #1 in 1964 with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy."



The musical "Hair" made its premiere off-Broadway at New York's Public Theatre in 1967.

In 1968, Jose Feliciano, the blind Latino singer-guitarist, issues his controversial, bluesy rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" on RCA Records. He first performed it at a 1968 World Series game between the Tigers and Cardinals. The fans booed Feliciano's rendition.

In 1969, Led Zeppelin began its third US tour at New York's Carnegie Hall. It also released "Led Zeppelin II" which many feel is destined to become the heavy-metal Bible.

Eric Clapton's "After Midnight" was released in 1970.

The Jackson Five started a five-week run at #1 in 1970 with "I'll Be There," the group's fourth #1 of 1970. Motown records claimed the group had sold over 10 million records during the year.

In 1977, "Street Survivors" was released by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Three days later vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines (Steve's sister) and road manager Dean Kilpatrick were killed when their plane crashed in Gillsburg, MS. The other four members of the band were seriously injured but survived the crash.

Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand record "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" in 1978.

Frankie Valli hits #1 in 1978 with the title track from "Grease." It's the biggest hit of his solo career and will go on to sell over seven million copies.

Fleetwood Mac's two record set Tusk, an experimental set of songs that cost the band $1 million to record, was released on Warner Brothers Records in 1979.

"Sid And Nancy," the film biography of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and girlfriend Nancy Spungen, opened nationally in 1986.

Lisa Lisa and Cold Cut went to #1 in 1987 with "Lost In Emotion."

The Barenaked Ladies went to #1 in 1998 with "One Week."

In 1999, Bruce Springsteen and the reunited E Street Band play the first of four nights at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The concert was the first event in the building.

Usher and Alicia Keys were at #1 in 2004 with "My Boo." The hit gave Usher his fourth #1 of 2004.