Thursday, February 7, 2008

This Day In Music History- Feb 7

"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," by Paul Simon, reached #1 in 1976 for the first of three weeks at the top position. It is the biggest single of his career.

Sammy Johns ("Chevy Van") is 62.

The late King Curtis ("Soul Twist") was born in 1934.

A thousand people (including Phil Everly) showed up for Buddy Holly's funeral in Lubbock, Texas and Ritchie Valens was laid to rest in San Fernando, California, in 1959.

In 1989, a bill is sponsored to make "Tutti Frutti" the official Georgia state song (Bubba vetoed it).

The TV mini-series "Elvis And Me" (based on Priscilla Presley's book) begins airing on ABC in 1981.

Shocking Blue, a three man, one woman band from Holland, had the top single in America with in 1970 with the song "Venus."

Today the song "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks. (1981)

Today the song "Open Your Heart" by Madonna topped the charts and stayed there for a week. (1987)

Dale Evans, Roy Rogers' better half and a co-writer of their song "Happy Trails," died of congestive heart failure in 2001. She was 88.

Foghat's "Lonesome" Dave Peverett succumbs to cancer. The 57-year-old singer and guitarist led the popular '70s hard rock quartet to top 20 glory with "Slow Ride."

In 1969, George Harrison enters London's University College Hospital to have an operation on his infected back molar and tonsils. (it was news back then!)

The Beatles land at New York's Kennedy Airport to make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. A crowd of 4,000 screaming fans meets them.

In 1962, Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan is born David Rashbaum in Sayreville, N.J.

Country superstar Garth Brooks was born in Tulsa, OK in 1962.

Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones died in New York of pneumonia at age 33 in 1959. His use of distortion and flamboyant stage manner - Slim would dye his hair to match his outfits - influenced guitarists like Albert Collins and Jimi Hendrix.

In 1979, at Los Angeles' Record Plant studio, Stephen Stills test drives to a new method of digital recording. He later scraps the sessions, and Ry Cooder becomes the first rock performer to release a digitally recorded album.

Rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty leaves Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1971, to spend more time with his family. CCR continues for another year and a half as a trio.

Limp Bizkit guitarist Wesley (Wes) Louden Borland was born in Richmond, VA in 1975.

In 1957, Iraq banned the film "Rock Around The Clock” (featuring Bill Haley & His Comets and Little Richard) because it "dangerous to teenagers and youths." Forty-six years later the U.S. finally retaliated by invading Iraq.

In 1984, Michael Jackson is noted in the Guinness Book of Records when his album "Thriller" passes the 25 million sales mark.

51 year old Carl Wilson, lead guitarist of The Beach Boys, died on February 7th in 1998, of lung cancer. He had also been battling brain cancer for over a year. Carl formed The Beach Boys with brothers Dennis and Brian, along cousin Mike Love in 1961 and was the lead vocalist on their hits, "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations".