This Date In Music History - October 22

Birthdays:

Annette Funicello (1942)

Leslie West - Mountain (1945)



Eddie Brigati - Young Rascals (1946)

Cris Kirkwood - Meat Puppets (1960)

John Wesley Harding (1965)

Shaggy (Orville Richard Burrell) (1968)

Shelby Lynne (1968)

Nick Oliveri - Queens Of The Stone Age (1971)

Zachary Walker Hanson - Hanson (1985)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1942, Bobby Fuller, singer, The Bobby Fuller Four. (1966 US #9 single "I Fought The Law" written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly's Crickets). Fuller died on July 18,1966 mysteriously from gasoline asphyxiation, while parked in a car outside his apartment.



Singer Tommy Edwards died in 1969 after suffering a brain aneurysm in Henrico County, Virginia (age 47). Had the 1958 US & UK #1 single "It's All In The Game."

In 1986, Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash during a live traffic report for WNBC radio in New York. Listeners heard the terrified voice of Dornacker screaming "Hit the water, hit the water” as the helicopter from which she and pilot Bill Pate were reporting, fell from the sky and crashed into the Hudson River. Dornacker had been a member of The Tubes and Leila And The Snakes.

English folk singer, songwriter, poet, and record producer Ewan MacColl died in 1989 (age 74). He wrote "Dirty Old Town" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," (became a #1 hit for Roberta Flack in 1972). Acts including Planxty, The Dubliners, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash recorded his songs. He was the father of singer, songwriter Kirsty MacColl.

Born on this day in 1939, Ray Jones, bass, Billy J Kramer & the Dakotas. He died on January 20, 2000.

Elliot Smith, singer/songwriter, committed suicide in 2003 (age 34). One time member of Stranger Than Fiction, solo 1997 album 'Either/Or.'


History:

The Metropolitan Opera House held its grand opening in New York in 1883.

Dick Clark did a telephone interview with Ricky Nelson on American Bandstand in 1957.

In 1961, Chubby Checker appeared on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and performed "The Twist."

In 1964, the Who, then known as The High Numbers, received a letter from EMI Records, asking them for original material after their recent audition for the company.

"Get Off My Cloud" was released in the UK by the Rolling Stones in 1965.

The Supremes had their first US #1 album in 1966 with 'The Supremes a Go Go,' knocking The Beatles 'Revolver,' from the top of the charts.

In 1966, the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" made its debut on the US singles chart. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the track was recorded over 6 weeks in four different Los Angeles studios, at a cost of over $16,000. The recording engineer would later say that the last take sounded exactly like the first, six months earlier. The record would reach number one on December 10,1966 and was nominated for Song Of The Year at The Grammy Awards, but lost to "Winchester Cathedral" by The New Vaudeville Band.



Also in 1966, according to Cashbox Magazine, ? And The Mysterians had the best selling tune in America with "96 Tears." The song has since been ranked #210 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Paul McCartney officially denied that he was dead in 1969. The most recent of many "clues" of this 'Death Hoax' was the fact that he was the only barefoot Beatle on the newly released 'Abby Road' LP cover. And, that was news back then!

Building on their debut earlier in the year, 'Led Zeppelin II' was released in 1969.

Joan Baez received a Gold record in 1971 for "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." It turned out to be her biggest hit, peaking at #3 in the US and #6 in the UK.

'Hotter Than Hell' was released by KISS in 1974. It was the second album to be released by the band.

In 1976, drummer Keith Moon played his last North American show with The Who in Toronto

The Pretenders started a run of four consecutive Monday nights at the Marquee Club in London in 1979.

Van Halen played Worchester, MA in 1982 after 25,000 signed a petition asking the band to add their city to its tour schedule.

Phil Collins started a two week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1988 with "Groovy Kind Of Love," his 6th US #1.

Also in 1988 - Elton John sold out Madison Square Garden for a record 26th time.

Pearl Jam played their first show in 1990. It’s at the Off-Ramp in Seattle.

In 1992, members of Boyz II Men received awards for having the longest running #1 song of the Rock era. "End Of the Road" broke Elvis' record of 11 weeks, previously held by "Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog."

In 1996, it was announced that, "The Beatles were now bigger than The Beatles!" The statement was based on sales so far this year, having sold 6,000,000 albums from their back catalog and a combined total of 13,000,000 copies of ‘The Beatles Anthology 1’ and ‘The Beatles Anthology 2.' With the release of ‘The Beatles Anthology 3’ a week away, it was anticipated that total Beatles album sales for 1996 would exceed 20 million. A poll showed 41 percent of sales were to teenagers who were not born when The Beatles officially called it quits in 1970.

In 1998, Bob Dylan played in his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota for the first time since the '60s. The show sold out in just five hours.

MTV Italy launched its first domestically planned and produced Italian-language show, "Sonic" in 1997.

In 1999, it was reported that Sinead O'Connor was attempting to buy the church where she was ordained into the Catholic sisterhood. The church was on the market for over $100,000. Bald chicks church?

In 2000, George Michael paid over 2 million dollars for the Steinway piano on which John Lennon wrote "Imagine." George said, "I know that when my fingers touch the keys of that Steinway, I will feel truly blessed. And parting with my money has never been much of a problem, just ask my accountant." The singer outbid Robbie Williams and The Oasis brothers.

Ja Rule went to #1 on the US album chart in 2000 with 'Rule 3:36.'

In 2005, "Waterloo," by Abba was voted the best song in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest. Viewers in 31 countries across Europe voted during a special show in Copenhagen to celebrate the annual event's 50th birthday.

John Mellencamp played "Our Country" prior to game two of the World Series in Detroit in 2006. The song, from Mellencamp’s 'Freedom’s Road' CD, was also featured in ads for Chevrolet's 2007 Silverado pickup truck.

In 2008, a homeless man claimed a $3,000 reward by returning a waxwork head of ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, which had been left on a train. Anthony Silva found the item in a bin at Reading station after auctioneer Joby Carter left it under a seat at Maidenhead station. The homeless man thought it was a Halloween mask and had been using it as a pillow before realising what it was. The wax model sold the following week for $8,675 at auction.

"Rock N Roll Train," the first single from AC/DC's album "Black Ice," was heard in an episode of the CBS show Criminal Minds in 2008.

A collection of photography titled Who Shot Rock And Roll? was in bookstores in 2009. The collection features snaps of The Beatles, Sonic Youth, Mick Jagger, Chuck Berry, Blondie, James Brown, Johnny Cash, U2, the Velvet Underground and Frank Zappa.