Timmy Thomas (1934)
Roger Steen - Tubes (1949)
Bill Gibson - Huey Lewis and the News
Andrew Ranken - Pogues (1953)
Wayne Parker - Glass Tiger (1960)
Walter Kibby - Fishbone (1964)
Nikolai Fraiture - Strokes (1979)
Born today in 1980, Monique Adrienne Coleman, actress and singer from High School Musical, as part of the cast had the 2006 US #1 ‘High School Musical’ album and 2007, US #1 ‘High School Musical 2’ album. Over 17 million viewers in the United States watched the TV premier of High School Musical; making it the highest rated basic cable broadcast in US history. Amazing.....
They Are Missed:
In 1973, nineteen year old Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. was killed in a traffic accident near Hernando, Mississippi, just days after he had appeared on TV's Midnight Special as a drummer in his father's band. Steven Allen Lewis, the senior Jerry Lee's only other son, drowned in the family swimming pool in 1962.
Ronnie Bond drummer with The Troggs died in 1992..
Bill Doggett (Honky Tonk") died of lung cancer in 1996.
In 1999, drummer R.J. Vealey of the Atlanta Rhythm Section suffered a fatal heart attack 10 minutes after their show in Orlando, Florida. The 37 year-old Vealey had joined the band in 1995.
In 2002, Michael Stewart, leader of the 1960s folk-rock group We Five, died at the age of 57 after a long illness. The band took the Sylvia Tyson composition of "You Were On My Mind" to #3 in 1965.
In 2004, rap artist Ol' Dirty Bastard, (real name Russell Jones), collapsed and died at a Manhattan recording studio in New York (age 35). A spokesman for his record company, said the rapper, had complained of chest pains, was dead by the time paramedics reached him. ODB was a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan in the early 1990s.
History:
In 1937, NBC formed the first full-sized symphony orchestra exclusively for radio broadcasting. The conductor for its first 17 years was Arturo Toscanini.
The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was released in 1961.
In 1963, the Beatles recorded a television interview at Westward Television Studios in Plymouth, Devon, for a local teen program "Move Over, Dad." Due to a large crowd of excited fans outside, the Beatles had to be smuggled from their dressing-room at the ABC Cinema, where they were scheduled to appear that night, into an adjacent building, then through a tunnel, to get to Westward Studios for the interview taping. They had tunnels?
The Castiles, which featured a young singer called Bruce Springsteen appeared at The Fire House, Hazlet, New Jersey in 1965. The night was billed as a 'Teenage Go, Go Dance.'
In 1965 James Brown's "I Got You" enters both the Billboard Pop and R&B charts, where it will reach #3 and #1 respectively. The record will become one of the Godfather of Soul's most enduring and readily identifiable songs.
As a follow-up to their number one hit "Hang On Sloopy", the McCoys' released "Fever", which climbed to #7 on the US charts in 1965.
Rolling Stone Brian Jones bought 'Cotchford Farm' in Sussex in 1968. The author AA Milne who wrote Winnie The Pooh had owned the house. There were still statues of Pooh characters on the grounds.
The Beatles' animated movie "Yellow Submarine" premiered in the US in 1968.
Hugo Montenegro was at #1 in the UK singles chart in 1968 with 'The Good The Bad And The Ugly,' the soundtrack from a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western film. The first instrumental #1 since 1963.
In 1969, Crosby Stills Nash & Young played the first of four nights at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, California.
In 1971, Santana scored their second US #1 album with 'Santana III' (recorded live at the Fillmore West).
Three Dog Night's "Old Fashioned Love Song" was released in the US , where it will climb to #4 on the Billboard Pop chart in 1971. It was a tune that songwriter Paul Williams would later say that he wrote in 20 minutes. Sounds like it....
In 1974, an impostor posing as Deep Purple's guitarist Ritchie Blackmore borrowed a Porsche in Iowa City and wrecked it, having already conned food and shelter out of several Deep Purple fans. He was later arrested and charged. The real Ritchie Blackmore was playing a concert in San Francisco.
Having lead the Billboard Pop chart for one week in October of 1976, Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now" began a three-week stay at the top of the UK chart.
Led Zeppelin scored their seventh UK #1 album in 1976 with the film soundtrack to 'The Song Remains The Same,' it peaked at #2 on the US chart.
Rod Stewart started an 8 week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1976 with "Tonight's The Night." It was Rod's second US #1; it made No.5 in the UK despite being banned from the play lists of many radio stations because of its sexually suggestive lyrics ("spread your wings and let me come inside") and about the seduction of a virgin.
In 1982, after 42 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" finally fell off of the chart, passing the old longevity record held by Paul Davis' "I Go Crazy" by three weeks.
Sonny and Cher reunited for a performance on TV show Late Night with David Letterman in 1987.
In 1990, Patricia Boughton filed a lawsuit against Rod Stewart claiming that a football he kicked into the crowd during a concert at Pine Knob Music Theatre had ruptured a tendon in her middle finger. And as a result the injury had made sex between her and her husband difficult. Her Finger???
Madonna's "The Immaculate Collection" was released in 1990.
Elton John performed in Mexico for the first time in 1992, for more than 90,000 people in Mexico City
The musical "The Lion King" opened in 1997.
Also in 1997, Celine Dion released her first single in Japanese. The song, "Be The Man," was released in Japan only and is the theme to the Japanese TV drama "Eve."
In 1997, Ray Charles conducted his first-ever online chat at www.rhino.com. Amazing!
In 1999, a report showed that The Spice Girls were the highest earners in pop during the 90's with their debut album 'Spice' selling over 20 million copies. Elton John was second with 14 million sales from 'The Lion King.'
Elton John released his live album "One Night Only" in 2000. It was recorded at Madison Square Garden only 22 days before.
In 2002, the three surviving member of Led Zeppelin announced they were re-forming after 22 years for a US stadium tour.
In 2004, the Federal Communications Commission in the US finished the first phase of an investigation into the current practice of record labels paying radio stations for airplay.
Also in 2004, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea speaks at the second annual We The Planet Festival of Music, Consciousness and Activism in Oakland, CA. The eco-friendly event has environmental workshops and performances and is powered by bio-diesel fuel generators and solar panels. Ohmmmm....
Paul McCartney woke up the space shuttle astronauts in 2005 by singing "Good Day Sunshine" to them from his concert in Anaheim, California.
Legal proceedings begin in London in 2006 over songwriting credits for the classic ‘67 Procol Harum song "A Whiter Shade Of Pale.” Organist Matthew Fisher sues Procol Harum frontman Gary Brooker, one of the tune's two acknowledged co-authors, as well as a music-publishing company, claiming he deserves a share of the recording's royalties because of the significant contributions he made to the song's melody. By the way, Fisher’s organ is the song’s dominant sound. A month later, the judge rules in his favor.
In 2007, 47-year-old Boy George was charged by British Police with falsely imprisoning 28-year-old Auden Karlsen, who had gone to the musician's flat as a photo model. The former Culture Club lead singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was ordered to appear in court on November 22. Tie me up!
In 2007, Led Zeppelin continued their march to have more repackages than The Beatles with the release of "Mothership," a 2 CD compilation with 24 remastered tracks. In addition, a 165-song Zeppelin "digital box set" was available at iTunes. Also, individual songs in the band's catalog went on sale via the online music retailer. And finally, "The Complete Led Zeppelin" contained 13 studio albums plus "Mothership." All this for around $100.
The McCartney Years was released in 2007. The DVD focuses on Paul’s post-Beatles career with videos, performances from a ’76 Wings concert, his ’91 MTV Unplugged effort and an ’04 concert appearance.
'Kaleidoscope Eyes: A Day in the Life of Sgt. Pepper,' with more than 200 candid never-before-seen photos of the Beatles working on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," was in bookstores in 2008. The photos were taken by Henry Grossman at Abbey Road studios in London while the Beatles recorded "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." There are only 1,967 copies (the album was recorded in 1967) of the $495 book.
Michigan is the new Ohio. At a concert at Michigan's Auburn Hills Palace in 2008, Bruce Springsteen yells out "Hello, Ohio!" He continued to refer to the wrong state several times until E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt finally corrected him. "That's every frontman's nightmare," says Springsteen. Not to worry, the Ohio fans in the audience loved it.