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GORDYMCCOLLUM
A longtime veteran of radio, the Ol’ GM in the PM has been with “The Valley” since the late 1990s. Gordy is a tried and true diehard fan of radio. He loves sharing news and info with his audience while playing the music he loves.
Raised in the Quad Cities, Gordy now resides in Kankakee with his wife Donna. He graduated from Western Illinois University and has worked for radio stations across Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. At “The Valley,” he loves most, “the palatial penthouse studios.” Tune in weekday afternoons for Gordy and add a little GM to your PM.
Add a little GM
to your PM!
Posted by Gordy 2/21/12 at 11am
Happy Fat Tuesday!!!
Music History for Tuesday, February 21
1911 - Gustav Mahler conducted his last concert. He collapsed immediately afterward from a severe streptococcal infection. He died on May 18.
1958 - The first Flying V, by Gibson, was shipped from a factory in Kalamazoo, MI.
1968 - McGraw-Hill, Inc. outbids eight other American publishers for the U.S. rights to Hunter Davies' authorized biography of the Beatles. They paid $150,000 for the rights.
1970 - The Jackson 5 made their TV debut on "American Bandstand."
1977 - Neil Diamond's in-concert TV special aired on NBC.
1981 - Prince appeared on "Saturday Night Live" and performed "Party Up." It was his first appearance on the show.
1987 - Sly Stone was jailed on drug charges.
1995 - For the first time in seven years, Bruce Springsteen performed live with the E Street Band. The New York City nightclub appearance was for a video for Jonathan Demme's film "Murder Incorporated."
Posted by Gordy 2/20/12 at 11am
Happy Presidents Day
Music History for Monday, February 20
1940 - Larry Clinton and his orchestra recorded "Limehouse Blues".
1949 - Ricky Nelson joined the cast of his parents' radio show.
1964 - The Beach Boys recorded "Don't Worry Baby".
1969 - "Goodbye Cream" opened in Baltimore. The film was of Cream's November 26, 1968 farewell concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.
1969 - The X-rated film "Candy" premiered. It was Ringo Starr's first non-musical role in a film.
1970 - John Lennon's "Instant Karma" was released in the U.S.
1974 - Cher filed for separation from husband Sonny Bono. She filed for divorce not long afterwards. They had been married for 10 years.
1976 - KISS placed their footprints on the sidewalk outside the Grauman Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
1982 - Singer Pat Benatar married musician-producer Neil Geraldo in Hawaii. It was Benatar's second marriage.
1992 - Paula Abdul and actor Emilio Estevez announced their engagement.
1996 - Rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and a bodyguard were found not guilty of first-degree murder. The jury was deadlocked on voluntary manslaughter charges resulting in a mistrial.
1997 - Ben and Jerry's introduced a their ice cream Phish Food. It was named after the rock group Phish.
1998 - The first of two concerts honoring the late Nicolette Larson was held.
2000 - ABC-TV aired the "Little Richard" TV movie.
Posted by Gordy 2/17/12 at 11am
Music History for Friday, February 17
1904 - The opera "Madama Butterfly" by Giacomo Puccini had its world premiere at La Scala in Milan.
1955 - Little Richard sent his first audition tape to Specialty Records.
1960 - The Everly Brothers signed with Warner Bros. Records in a 10-year contract worth $1 million.
1964 - The first Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass concert was held, in Los Angeles, CA.
1966 - Brian Wilson began recording the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations."
1969 - Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan had a recording session in Nashville, TN. "Girl from the North Country" was the only duet released from the session.
1970 - Joni Mitchell announced her retirement from live performances. She returned to the stage within a year.
1970 - Maurice Gibb (Bee Gee's) opened in the London stage musical "Sing a Rude Song."
1971 - James Taylor made his prime-time television debut on ABC's the "Johnny Cash Show."
1972 - Pink Floyd began a 4-night stand in London. During the stand they premiered "The Dark Side of the Moon" a full year before it was released.
1975 - John Lennon released "Rock n' Roll." It was his last record before he left the music business for 5 years.
1976 - The Eagles released their "Greatest Hits."
1976 - Bette Midler was awarded the "Woman of the Year" award from Harvard's University's Hasty Pudding Theatrical Society.
1979 - The Clash opened its first U.S. tour in New York City.
1989 - David Coverdale (Whitesnake) and Tawny Kitaen were married.
1990 - Aerosmith appeared on "Saturday Night Live". The performed the Wayne's World theme song while appearing in the skit as themselves.
Posted by Gordy 2/16/12 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, February 16
1942 - Shep Fields and his orchestra recorded "Jersey Bounce."
1963 - Paul Anka and Marie-Ann DeZogheb were married in Paris.
1964 - The Beatles performed for the second time on "The Ed Sullivan Show." They had made their first appearance on the show only a week before.
1968 - In Detroit, MI, Aretha Franklin day was declared.
1971 - Aretha Franklin recorded "Spanish Harlem."
1971 - Alan David Pasaro sued the Rolling Stones charging them with invasion of privacy. The charge stemmed from the footage of a stabbing in the film "Gimme Shelter." Pasaro was tried and acquitted for the stabbing death.
1972 - Ricky Nelson began his first British tour.
1984 - Jerry Lee Lewis surrendered to federal authorities to answer income tax evasion charges. He was later acquitted.
1988 - Billy Vera received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
1990 - Ike Turner was sentenced to 4 years in prison on cocaine charges.
1993 - At the Brit Awards a Faces reunion took place.
1999 - "Rolling Stones Day" was declared in Minnesota.
Posted by Gordy 2/15/12 at 11am
Music History for Wednesday, February 15
1941 - Duke Ellington and his orchestra recorded "Take the "A" Train" for the first time.
1954 - Big Joe Turner recorded the original "Shake, Rattle & Roll".
1958 - "The Dick Clark Show" debuted on ABC-TV. Connie Francis, Pat Boone and Jerry Lee Lewis were the first performers to appear on the show.
1961 - The Marcels recorded "Blue Moon".
1965 - The Beatles released the single "Eight Days a Week".
1964 - Sam Cooke announced that he was cutting back on live performances to concentrate on songwriting and building his record labels.
1965 - Nat "King" Cole died of complications following surgery for lung cancer at the age of 48.
1967 - The band Chicago formed.
1969 - A Florida woman was arrested for impersonating Aretha Franklin during a concert at a club.
1975 - Gino Vannelli became the first white artist to perform on "Soul Train."
1976 - Bette Midler bailed seven members of her entourage out of jail. They were arrested on cocaine and marijuana possession charges.
1981 - Mike Bloomfield died of an accidental drug overdose.
1999 - "Rolling Stones Day" was declared in Minnesota.
2008 - Activision announced that "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" would be released in June 2008.
Posted by Gordy 2/14/12 at 11am
Happy Valentine's Day
Music History for Tuesday, February 14
1958 - On CBS television Walter Cronkite reported that the Iranian government has banned rock & roll becausee it is against the concepts of Islam and also a hazard to health.
1964 - Chad & Jeremy were guests on the "Patty Duke Show."
1967 - Aretha Franklin recorded her song "Respect" in New York.
1970 - The Who taped a concert at Leeds University in Leeds, England, for their forthcoming album, "Live at Leeds."
1972 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono began a weeklong stay as co-hosts on "The Mike Douglas Show."
1972 - "Steppenwolf Day" was declared in Los Angeles as they announced their break-up.
1972 - "Grease" opened off-Broadway, where it ran for the next decade for a total of 3,388 performances.
1973 - David Bowie collapsed at the end of his Valentines Day Show at New York's Radio City Music Hall reportedly due to total exhaustion.
1974 - The Captain and Tennille were married.
1974 - Rolling Stone reported that David Bowie had turned down a Gay Liberation group who asked him to compose the "world's first Gay National Anthem."
1977 - The B-52's perform their first concert together in Athens, GA.
1978 - Dire Straits began recording their first album.
1981 - Billy Idol left Generation X for a solo career.
1984 - Elton John and Renata Blauel were married. The marriage lasted for four years.
1986 - Frank Zappa appeared on "Miami Vice" playing a crime boss named "Mr. Frankie."
2000 - KISS announced that they were going to do a farewell tour in makeup and then sell off the stage props from their career in an auction.
1998 - Madonna performed her first club performance in more than 10 years at the Roxy in New York.
2001 - "Barbra Streisand: Timeless" aired on FOX. The show was a farewell-tour concert.
Posted by Gordy 2/13/12 at 11am
Music History for Monday, February 13
1867 - Johann Strauss' magnificent "Blue Danube Waltz" was played for the first time at a public concert in Vienna, Austria.
1914 - The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (known as ASCAP) was formed in New York City. The society was founded to protect the copyrighted musical compositions of its members.
1940 - Earl 'Fatha' Hines and his orchestra recorded the classic "Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues".
1961 - Frank Sinatra unveiled his own recording label, Reprise.
1965 - Gary Lewis recorded "Count Me In."
1966 - The Rolling Stones appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The appearance had been taped the day before.
1967 - The Beatles' "Penny Lane" backed with "Strawberry Fields Forever" was released in the U.S.
1970 - Black Sabbath's self-titled first LP was released.
1972 - Led Zeppelin was forced to cancel a concert in Singapore when officials wouldn't let them off the plane because of their long hair.
1976 - The album, "Frampton Comes Alive", was released by Herb Alpert's A&M Records in the U.K.
1978 - "Al Green Day" was declared in Los Angeles, CA.
1982 - The 300 pound gravestone on the grave of Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant was stolen from an Orange Park, FL, cemetery. Police found it two weeks later in a dry river bed.
1983 - Marvin Gaye sang the U.S. national anthem at the NBA All-Star game.
1988 - Michael Jackson bought a ranch in Santa Ynez, California that he called "Neverland."
1992 - It was announced that Vince Neil was leaving Motley Crue.
2005 - Ray Charles won eight posthumous Grammy awards for his final album, "Genius Loves Company."
Posted by Gordy 2/10/12 at 11am
Music History for Friday, February 10
1956 - Little Richard recorded "Long Tall Sally".
1958 - The "Annette" serial began on ABC-TV's "Mickey Mouse Club."
1968 - The Beatles turned all of their business affairs over to the newly formed Apple record company.
1971 - Carole King's "Tapestry" was released.
1978 - Van Halen's debut album was released.
1987 - Expose's debut album "Exposure" was released.
1993 - Michael Jackson granted his first interview in 15 years to Oprah Winfrey. In the interview, Jackson claimed that he has a disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin and that he had had very little plastic surgery.
Posted by Gordy 2/9/12 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, February 9
1893 - In Milan, Italy, Giuseppe Verdi's "Falstaff" was first performed. It was his last opera.
1962 - Neil Sedaka recorded "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" for the first time.
1964 - The Beatles made the first of three record-breaking appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show." 73 million people watched the show. It was their American TV debut.
1966 - Liza Minnelli brought her night club act to New York City. She opened at the Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel.
1969 - Roslyn Kind made her TV debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show". Roslyn Kind is the sister of Barbra Streisand.
1972 - Wings made their concert debut at Nottingham University in England.
1975 - Cher's TV show premiered with guests Elton John and Bette Midler.
1983 - Prince's "Little Red Corvette" was released.
1993 - Mick Jagger released a solo album called "Wandering Spirit."
1993 - Paul McCartney released a solo album, "Off The Ground."
1998 - Oprah Winfrey announced that Garth Brooks had agreed to donate his earnings from sales from his album "Sevens" for a seven-day period. The money went to "Oprah's Angel Network."
2010 - Sade's album "Soldier of Love" was released in the U.S. It had been released in Germany on February 5 and worldwide on February 8.
Posted by Gordy 2/7/12 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, February 7
1959 - Buddy Holly's funeral was held in Lubbock, TX.
1961 - The Jive Five recorded "My True Story".
1964 - The Beatles arrived in New York to begin their first U.S. tour.
1969 - "This Is Tom Jones" premiered on ABC-TV.
1979 - The Clash kick off their first American tour at the Berkeley Community Theatre outside San Francisco.
1979 - Stephen Stills became the first rock performer to record on digital equipment in Los Angeles' Record Plant Studio.
1986 - The Rolling Stones shot the video for "Harlem Shuffle" in New York City.
1988 - The TV mini-series "Elvis and Me" (based on Priscilla Presley's book) began on ABC.
1993 - Carmen Electra's self-titled debut album was released.
Posted by Gordy 2/6/12 at 11am
Music History for Monday, February 6
1939 - Elvis Presley's father, Vernon, was released from prison after serving 8 months for altering a check.
1943 - Frank Sinatra made his debut as vocalist on radio's "Your Hit Parade."
1970 - John Lennon's "Instant Karma" with Yoko Ono's "Who Has Seen the Wind?" was released in the U.K.
1981 - Former Beatles, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison teamed up to record a musical tribute to John Lennon. The song "All Those Years Ago" was the result.
1987 - Joan Jett made her acting debut in "Light Of Day."
1987 - Sonny Bono declared his candidacy for mayor of Palm Springs.
1990 - Billy Idol broke several bones in a serious motorcycle accident. As a result he could not appear in Oliver Stone's "The
2002 - Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come" was released for radio play. It was her first new song in two years.
Posted by Gordy 2/3/12 at 4pm
Music History for Friday, February 3
1941 - Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra recorded "Amapola."
1956 - Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash held a recording session at Sun Studios in Memphis. The sessions were later named the "Million Dollar Quartet" and released.
1959 - Buddy Holly (22), Ritchie Valens (17), and the Big Bopper (28) died in a plane crash in Iowa.
1960 - The record label Reprise Records is formed by Frank Sinatra.
1961 - In New York, Bob Dylan made his first recording, taping "San Francisco Bay Blues".
1977 - Elton John resumed live performing in Sweeden 15 months after he had announced that he would not perform live anymore.
1978 - "Dead Man's Curve" premiered on ABC-TV.
1978 - Harry Chapin" met with U.S. President Carter to discuss hunger.
1993 - Gloria Estefan received the 1,974th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1996 - B.B. King guest starred on CBS-TV's "Touched by an Angel".
2002 - Britney Spears performed the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXVI. A Pepsi commercial featuring Britney Spears was premiered during the game.
Posted by Gordy 2/2/12 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, February 2
1937 - Guy Lombardo and his orchestra recorded "Boo Hoo."
1949 - The first 45 RPM record was released.
1956 - The Coaster signed with Atlantic Records.
1957 - Fats Domino sang "Blueberry Hill" and "Blue Monday" on the "Perry Como Show" on television.
1959 - Buddy Holly performed for the last time. At the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, he played drums for Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and Dion.
1949 - The first 45 RPM record was released.
1956 - The Coaster signed with Atlantic Records.
1957 - Fats Domino sang "Blueberry Hill" and "Blue Monday" on the "Perry Como Show" on television.
1959 - Buddy Holly performed for the last time. At the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, he played drums for Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, and Dion.
1959 - Frankie Avalon's "Venus" was released.
1959 - The Coasters song "Charlie Brown" was released.
1963 - The Beatles began their first British tour supporting Helen Spapiro.
1973 - NBC-TV debuted "Midnight Special."
1973 - Keith Emerson injures his hands when a rigged piano prematurely explodes during a concert in San Francisco.
1978 - Van Halen signed with Warner Brothers Records.
1993 - Willie Nelson and the IRS settle their longstanding tax feud. The U.S. government kept $3.6 million in assets it had already seized and Nelson would have to pay $5.4 million of the $13.1 million balance.
1999 - Prince released "1999 New Master." It was a re-release and re-done version of the 1982 version of the song "1999."
2002 - Britney Spears was the host and musical guest on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
Posted by Gordy 2/1/12 at 11am
Music History for Wednesday, February 1
1939 - Benny Goodman and his orchestra recorded "And the Angels Sing." Martha Tilton was the vocalist on the song.
1940 - Frank Sinatra sang "Too Romantic" and "The Sky Fell Down" in his first recording session with the Tommy Dorsey Band. Frank replaced Jack Leonard as lead singer with the band.
1956 - The Rock and Roll Ice Revue opened at the Roxy Theater in New York City.
1964 - The governor of Indiana declared that the song "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen was pornographic. He requested that the state's radio stations not play the song.
1963 - Neil Young, at age 17, performed his first professional date at a country club in Winnipeg.
1969 - Joni Mitchell made her Carnegie Hall debut.
1975 - Lisa Marie Presley met her favorite singer, Elton John, for her seventh birthday. The event was arranged by Elvis Presley.
1976 - "Sonny and Cher" resumed on TV despite a real life divorce.
1977 - The film "Genesis in Concert" premiered in London.
1982 - "Bar-Kays Day" was declared in Memphis, TN.
1985 - Glenn Frey (Eagles) appeared on an episode of "Miami Vice" on NBC-TV.
1988 - The Cars disbanded.
2010 - More than 80 artists gathered to record the remake of "We Are The World". The next day Janet Jackson laid down her version of Michael Jackson's part. The song was premiered at the opening of the Winter Olympics on February 12.
Posted by Gordy 1/31/12 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, January 31
1961 - The "Bobby Darin and Friends" TV special aired on NBC-TV.
1963 - The Beach Boys recorded "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Shutdown."
1969 - Bobby Darin walked off the set of the "Jackie Gleason Show" when he was not allowed to sing "Long Line Rider."
1970 - In New Orleans, LA, the Greatful Dead were busted for possession of LSD and barbituates. The event was alleged to be the inspiration for the song "Truckin."
1970 - Creedence Clearwater Revial (CCR) filmed a television special.
1972 - Aretha Franklin sang at Mahalia Jackson's funeral.
1978 - Greg Herbert (Blood Sweat & Tears) died of a drug overdose in Amsterdam during the band's European tour. He was 30 years old.
1979 - The Clash began their first U.S. tour with Bo Diddley as their opening act.
1986 - "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" opened co-starring Little Richard.
1988 - Herb Alpert performed the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXII.
1998 - The "Come Together" benefit concert was held in New Jersey. The benefit was for the family of Sgt. Patrick King, a police officer in Long Branch, NJ, who was killed in the line of duty in 1997.
1998 - The Presidents of the United States of America played their final show in Seattle, WA. The show benefited the Chicken Soup Brigade.
1999 - Cher sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXXIII.
1998 - Yanni set the gross revenue record for the MCI Center in Washington, DC, with $860,300. His record was broken by Janet Jackson on July 9, 1998.
2001 - It was announced that Peter Criss was leaving KISS and that he would be replaced by Eric Singer for the remainder of dates of the farewell tour. Criss' last show was on October 7, 2000.
Posted by Gordy 1/29/12 at 11am
Music History for Monday, January 30
1917 - The Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded "The Darktown Strutters' Ball." (considered to be the first jazz record)
1956 - Jerry Lee Lewis played piano for Billy Lee Riley's recording of "Red Hot."
1956 - Elvis Presley recorded "Blue Suede Shoes."
1968 - Bobby Goldsboro recorded "Honey."
1969 - The Beatles made their last-ever public appearance as a group. The performance of "Get Back" was filmed for the movie "Let It Be."
1973 - KISS played their first show at Popcorn (The Coventry Club) in Queens, NY. The band performed 2 sets at the club that night for a crowd of under 10 people.
1974 - Bob Dylan made his first New York concert performance in eight years at Madison Square Garden.
1990 - Bob Dylan was named commander in France's Order of Arts and Letters by the country's Culture Ministry.
1994 - Natalie Cole sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXVIII.
1998 - Elton John recieved a knighthood in British Prime Minister Tony Blair's first New Year's Eve Honours List.
2002 - The musical "Taboo" opened at London's Leicester Square. The musical follows the life of Boy George.
Posted by Gordy 1/27/12 at 11am
Music History for Friday, January 27
1756 - Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born.
1956 - Elvis Presley released "Heartbreak Hotel."
1958 - Little Richard entered Oakwood College in Huntsville, AL. This was after he announced that he was giving up rock & roll so he could serve God.
1961 - Leontyne Price made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.
1964 - The Rolling Stones appeared as judges on the British TV show "Juke Box Jury."
1968 - Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was released. The release came 6 weeks after he was killed in a plane crash.
1968 - The Bee Gees made their U.S. debut with a concert at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
1971 - David Bowie arrived for his first visit to the U.S. He did not perform, but received a lot of publicity for wearing dresses in Texas and Louisiana.
1990 - "Tom Petty Day" was declared in the musician's hometown of Gainsville, FL.
1991 - Whitney Houston sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV.
2002 - Koko Taylor, 66, fainted during a private function at her club, Koko Taylor's Celebrity. Her blood pressure and blood sugar level had gone up when she failed to take medication for diabetes. A blocked artery was also discovered.
Posted by Gordy 1/26/12 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, January 26
1911 - The Richard Strauss opera "Der Rosenkavalier" premiered in Dresden, Germany.
1966 - Eric Burdon (The Animals) sang lead vocals for Manfred Mann at a London concert.
1970 - Australia's first rock festival, the Ourimbah Rock Festival was attended by 11,000 people over the weekend.
1970 - John Lennon wrote and recorded "Instant Karma."
1974 - The Doobie Brothers opened their first European tour in London.
1975 - The BBC showed a documentary on David Bowie called "Cracked Actor."
1977 - Patti Smith fell off the stage and was rushed to the hospital for 22 stitches to her head. She temporarily retired from stage performing.
1977 - Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac's first lead guitar player, was committed to a mental hospital in England. He had fired a pistol in the general direction of a delivery boy. Green left the band in May of 1970.
1988 - The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Phantom of the Opera" opened at Broadway's Majestic Theater.
1995 - Joni Mitchell made a rare concert appearance at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum theater in Los Angeles. She was promoting material from "Turbulent Indigo," her newest album.
1997 - ZZ Top, James Brown and the Blues Brothers performed at the Super Bowl XXXI halftime show.
1999 - The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that John Denver died in a 1997 airplane crash because he took off with too little fuel in one tank, had trouble switching to his backup tank and inadvertently put his plane into a roll while his attention was diverted.
2003 - Billy Joel was hospitalized for several hours after crashing his car into a tree in Sag Harbor, NY. He was released early the next morning.
Posted by Gordy 1/25/12 at 11am
Music History for Wednesday, January 25
1858 - Mendelssohn’s "Wedding March" was presented for the first time, as the daughter of Queen Victoria married the Crown Prince of Prussia.
1940 - Mary Martin recorded "My Heart Belongs to Daddy."
1958 - Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" became the first single to ever enter the U.K. pop chart at Number One.
1962 - Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away" was released.
1963 - Cilla Black debuted as a vocalist at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.
1969 - Creedence Clearwater Revival released the "Proud Mary" LP.
1980 - Paul McCartney was released from a Tokyo jail where he had been imprisoned for nine days after trying to carry a half pound of marijuana through customs at the Tokyo airport.
1984 - Yoko One donated $375,000 to Liverpool's Strawberry Fields retirement home.
1987 - Neil Diamond sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXI.
1990 - Paul McCartney (Beatles) was profiled on CBS-TV's "48 Hours".
1990 - Bill Medley (Righteous Brothers) appeared on NBC-TV's "Cheers."
2002 - "Les Miserables" played for the 6,138th time to become the second-longest running show in Broadway history. "Cats" closed in 2000 with the record of 7,485 shows.
2010 - KISS rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
Posted by Gordy 1/24/12 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, January 24
1936 - Benny Goodman and his orchestra recorded "Stompin' at the Savoy."
1957 - Elvis Presley recorded "Teddy Bear."
1962 - Brian Epstein signed with the Beatles as their manager and began to direct their image away from leather jackets. He led them toward a smarter stage presentation, with matching suits and bows to the audience.
1969 - Jethro Tull played its first U.S. concert in New York City as the opening act for Led Zeppelin.
1970 - It was announced that John Lennon and Yoko Ono had shaven their heads to commemorate the start of Year One for Peace.
1970 - James "Shep" Sheppard of the The Heartbeats and Shep and the Limelites, was found murdered in his car on the Long Island Expressway.
1982 - Diana Ross sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XVI.
1989 - James Brown was sentenced to 6 years in jail for drug and and assault charges.
1995 - Van Halen released their "Balance" LP. It was the last album recorded with lead singer Sammy Hagar.
2002 - Freddy Fender underwent a kidney transplant. He was released on January 30.
2005 - The iTunes Music Store reached 250 million songs sold.
Posted by Gordy 1/23/12 at 11am
Music History for Monday, January 23
1941 - Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded "Moonglow."
1978 - Terry Kath (Chicago) died after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a pistol he didn't know was loaded. He was 32 years old.
1978 - Vic Ames (Ames Brothers) died in an auto accident.
1979 - Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and his wife Marilyn were divorced.
1980 - Prince's single "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" was released.
1986 - The first annual induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was held in New York City.
1989 - James Brown was sentenced in Georgia to 6 years in jail in connection with a police chase through two states.
1990 - Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd) died from chronic pneumonia.
1997 - The movie "Spice World" was released in the United States.
2002 - EMI announced that it would pay Mariah Carey $28 million to end their association which was planned to last for several albums estimated at $100 million.
Posted by Gordy 1/20/12 at 11am
Music History for Friday, January 20
1942 - Harry Babbitt sang as Kay Kyser and his Orchestra recorded, "Who Wouldn't Love You", on Columbia Records.
1958 - "Get a Job" by the Silhouettes was released.
1958 - Elvis Presley got his orders to report to duty from the U.S. Army. He was allowed a 60-day deferment so he could finish the film "King Creole".
1964 - The album "Meet the Beatles" was released in the U.S. on Capitol Records. It was their U.S. debut LP.
1965 - The Rolling Stones and the Kinks made their first appearance on ABC-TV's "Shindig!"
1967 - Arthur Conley recorded "Sweet Soul Music".
1969 - Elvis Presley recorded "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds." It was the first time he had recorded in Memphis since 1956.
1973 - Jerry Lee Lewis mades his debut at the Grand Ole Opry.
1974 - Stevie Wonder played his first show after an auto accident that almost took his life five months earlier.
1982 - Ozzy Osborne bit the head off of a bat in Des Moines, IA, and was hospitalized to undertake a series of rabies shots.
2002 - Sting won his first Golden Globe for his song "Until" from the "Kate & Leopold" soundtrack.
Posted by Gordy 1/191/12 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, January 19
1853 - Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" premiered in Rome.
1957 - Johnny Cash made his first network TV appearance, on CBS' "Jackie Gleason Show."
1957 - Pat Boone sang at Dwight Eisenhower's presidential inauguration ball.
1967 - Lesly Gore appeared on ABC-TV's "Batman" as Catwoman's sidekick, Pussycat.
1971 - At the Charles Manson murder trial, the Beatles' "Helter Skelter" was played. At the scene of one of his gruesome murders, the words "helter skelter" were written on a mirror.
1976 - The Beatles turned down an offer of $30 million to play together again on the same stage. The offer was made by rock promoter Bill Sargent.
1977 - Charlie Daniels and the Marshall Tucker Band played for Jimmy Carter's inauguration.
1977 - Aretha Franklin sang "God Bless America" at a special inaugural concert for President-elect Jimmy Carter.
1988 - Metallica began recording their fourth full-length release, "And Justice For All."
1993 - Fleetwood Mac reunited to perform at Bill Clinton's inauguration.
1993 - Tom Waits was allowed to keep the $2.5 million that a judge awarded him after he sued Frito-Lay for using a sound alike in a 1988 commercial. The U.S. Supreme Court supported the amount of the damages.
1998 - Pat Boone was awarded the first annual Michael the Archangel Award by the National Assn. of Chiefs of Police.
Posted by Gordy 1/18/12 at 11am
Music History for Wednesday, January 18
1939 - Louis Armstrong and his orchestra recorded "Jeepers Creepers."
1944 - The first jazz concert was held at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The performers were Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge and Jack Teagarden.
1965 - Barbra Streisand and Bobbby Darin sang for Lyndon Johnson's presidential inauguration.
1969 - Pete Best won his defamation suit against the Beatles. He was asking for 8 million dollars, but won considerably less.
1973 - Pink Floyd began recording "Dark Side Of The Moon."
1973 - The Rolling Stones' benefit concert raised $200,000 for Nicaraguan earthquake relief. Mick Jagger donated $150,000 more.
1974 - Bad Company was formed by ex-members of several groups. Those groups included Free, Mott the Hoople and King Crimson.
1978 - Neil Sedaka received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1987 - Steve Winwood married Eugenia Grafton.
1991 - Three people were crushed to death at an AC/DC concert in Salt Lake City by people who rushed the stage.
1991 - The 10 day Rock In Rio Two festival opened in Brazil.
1995 - Jerry Garcia crashed a rented BMW into a guardrail near Mill Valley, CA. He was unhurt.
1996 - Lisa Marie Presley filed for divorce from Michael Jackson.
Posted by Gordy 1/17/12 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, January 17
1969 - Charlie Watts' (Rolling Stones) book, Ode to a High Flying Bird was published. The book was a tribute to Charlie Parker.
1969 - Led Zeppelin's debut album was released.
1969 - "Lady Samantha" was released in England. It was one of the very first recordings by Reginald Kenneth Dwight, better known as Elton John.
1970 - The Doors played the first of several shows at the Felt Forum in New York City. The shows were recorded for use on their "Absolutely Live" album.
1970 - Billy Stewart and three of his band members were killed when their car went out of control and off a bridge over the River Neuse in North Carolina.
1971 - Marvin Gaye sang the U.S. national anthem at SuperBowl V in Miami, FL.
1972 - Highway 51 South in Memphis, TN, was renamed Elvis Presley Blvd.
1974 - Dino Martin, singer and son of Dean Martin, was arrested on suspicion of possession and sale of two machine guns. He was arraigned and released the next day on $5,000 bail.
1979 - Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton announced that they would record an album together.
1992 - "Michael Jackson...the Legend Continues" aired on CBS-TV.
1994 - Donny Osmond fought the Partridge Family's Danny Bonaduce in a charity boxing match in Chicago, IL. Bonaduce won a split decision.
1996 - Pink Floyd was officially inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
1999 - Cyndi Lauper was a voice on the TV show "The Simpsons."
Posted by Gordy 1/16/12 at 11am
Music History for Monday, January 16
1932 - Duke Ellington and his Orchestra recorded "It Don't Mean a Thing."
1938 - Benny Goodman and his band, plus a quartet, played at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
1957 - Little Richard recorded "Lucille."
1957 - The Cavern Club opened for business in Liverpool, England. The rock club was where the Beatles began.
1965 - The first Guess Who album, "Shakin' All Over," was released.
1970 - John Lennon's London Art gallery exhibit of erotic lithographs, Bag One, was closed by Scotland Yard and eight prints were confiscated as evidence of pornography.
1976 - The TV show "Donny & Marie" premiered on ABC-TV.
1979 - Cher and Greg Allman were divorced.
1980 - Paul McCartney was jailed in Tokyo for possession of a half pound of marijuana. He spent ten days behind bars before being kicked-out of the country by Japanese authorities. The remainder of his tour was canceled.
1987 - The Beastie Boys became the first act censored on "American Bandstand."
1994 - The Diana Ross TV movie "Out of Darkness" aired on CBS-TV.
1996 - Wayne Newton performed his 25,000th Las Vegas show.
1996 - Jamaican authorities fired upon on Jimmy Buffett's seaplane, after mistaking it for a drug trafficker's plane. U2 singer Bono was with Buffett, but neither was hurt.
Posted by Gordy 1/13/12 at 11am
Music History for Friday, January 13
1854 - Anthony Faas of Philadelphia, PA, patented the accordion.
1941 - The four Modernaires joined the Glenn Miller Band on a permanent basis.
1957 - Elvis Presley recorded "All Shook Up" and "That’s When Your Heartaches Begin" in Hollywood.
1964 - The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand" in the U.S.
1968 - Dr. K.C. Pollack of the University of Florida audio lab reported that tests found that the noise levels at rock & roll concerts was harmful to teenage ears.
1973 - Eric Clapton performed his comeback concert at the Rainbow Theatre, London.
1976 - The trial of seven Brunswick Records and Dakar Records employees began. The charges were bilking artists out of more than $184,000 in royalties.
1978 - The Police began recording their debut album.
1979 - Soul pop singer Donny Hathaway died after jumping, (or falling) from a 15th floor hotel room in New York City at the age of 34.
1979 - The Y.M.C.A. filed a lawsuit against the Village People over their song, "Y.M.C.A." The suit was later dropped.
1980 - A benefit concert was held for the people of Kampuchea. The featured acts were The Grateful Dead, Beach Boys and Jefferson Starship.
Posted by Gordy 1/12/12 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, January 12
1928 - Vladimir Horowitz debuted as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
1959 - Berry Gordy borrowed $800 to found the Motown record empire.
1963 - Bob Dylan performed in a radio play for the BBC in London. The play was called, "The Madhouse of Castle Street" and he played a folk singer.
1965 - "Hullabaloo" premiered on NBC TV.
1968 - The Supremes appeared in an episode of "Tarzan" on NBC-TV. The ladies played a group of nuns.
1981 - The Recording Industry Association of America donated Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde," KISS' "Alive!" and "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" to the Library of Congress.
1984 - Motley Crue opened its first U.S. tour at Madison Square Garden, New York.
1985 - After a record 24 weeks as the #1 album in the nation, Prince slipped to the #2 spot with "Purple Rain". Replacing Prince at the top spot: ‘The Boss’ Bruce Springsteen’s "Born In the USA".
1999 - Britney Spears' debut album "...Baby One More Time" was released.
2002 - Adam Ant (Stuart Goddard) was arrested at the Prince of Wales club in London. He was charged with possession of a firearm and with criminal damage and assault. He also allegedly attacked a man in his 40s.
2005 - Bob Marley's widow announced her plans to exhume his remains in Jamaica and rebury them in his "spiritual resting place" in Ethiopia.
Posted by Gordy 1/11/12 at 11am
Music History for Wednesday, January 11
1928 - "Ol’ Man River" was recorded by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra. Bing Crosby was the song’s featured vocalist. The song is from the Broadway musical, "Showboat".
1963 - The Whiskey-a-Go-G0 nightclub opened in Los Angeles, CA. It is recognized as the first disco in the U.S.
1964 - "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash became the first country album to top the U.S. pop album chart.
1965 - The Beach Boys recorded "Do You Wanna Dance."
1967 - Jimi Hendrix recorded "Purple Haze."
1968 - The Daily Mirror of London reported that Jimi Hendrix had moved into the London townhouse where George Frederick Handel was believed to have composed "Water Music" and "Messiah."
1969 - "This Was" was released by Jethro Tull.
1977 - Rolling Stone Keith Richards was tried in London for possession of cocaine, found in his car after an accident, and fined £750.
1987 - Frankie Goes to Hollywood began what would be its final tour in Manchester, England.
1992 - Paul Simon began a concert tour in South Africa. He was the first international star to perform in South Africa following the end of the UN cultural boycott.
Posted by Gordy 1/10/12 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, January 10
1945 - Erskine Hawkins recorded "Tippin’ In" for Victor Records with the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra.
1947 - The musical "Finian’s Rainbow" opened in New York City and ran for 725 performances. The music was written by Burton Lane and the lyrics were written by E.Y. Harburg.
1949 - Vinyl records were introduced by RCA (45 rpm) and Columbia (33.3 rpm).
1956 - Elvis Presley recorded his first songs as an RCA Victor artist in Nashville. Elvis recorded "Heartbreak Hotel," "I Was the One," "I’m Counting On You," "I Got a Woman" and "Money Honey."
1978 - Howlin' Wolf died following brain surgery in Chicago.
1979 - Richard Carpenter entered a chemical dependency treatment center in Topeka, KS.
1981 - The Gilbert and Sullivan musical "The Pirates of Penzance" opened at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.
1985 - Ted Nugent appeared on TV's "Miami Vice."
1997 - James Brown got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2003 - George Strait was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, TX.
2006 - The iTunes Music Store reached 850 million songs sold.
2006 - The iTunes Music Store reached 8 million videos sold.
2007 - The iTunes Music Store reached 2 billion songs sold.
Posted by Gordy 1/9/12 at 11am
Music History for Monday, January 9
1941 - Sammy Kaye and his orchestra recorded "Until Tomorrow."
1973 - Mick Jagger was refused a Japanese visa because of a 1969 drug bust. The event halted the Rolling Stones' plan to tour the Orient.
1976 - Graham Parker of Graham Parker & the Rumour signed his first recording contract.
1979 - A benefit concert called A Gift of Song was held at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The performers were Olivia Newton-John, Rita Coolidge, the Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, Donna Summer, John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Abba and Earth, Wind & Fire.
1992 - Sting made a guest appearance on the series "The Simpsons," in the episode "Radio Bart."
Posted by Gordy 1/6/12 at 11am
Music History for Friday, January 6
1957 - Elvis Presley made his last appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" in New York City.
1958 - Gibson patented its Flying V electric guitar.
1958 - Bobby Helms filmed a role in the movie "The Case Against Brooklyn".
1966 - Duke Ellington’s concert recorded at 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, was broadcast on CBS-TV.
1968 - Dick Clark premiered his TV series "Happening '68." The show ran through September of 1969.
1975 - About a thousand Led Zeppelin fans riot while waiting for tickets to go on sale at Boston Garden. About $30,000 was done in damage and the show was cancelled by Boston Mayor Kevin White.
1976 - The album, "Frampton Comes Alive", was released by Herb Alpert's A&M Records in the U.S.
1982 - The Prince single "Let's Work" was released.
1987 - Elton John cancelled all live performances for a year after having throat surgery.
1993 - Bill Wyman announced that he has officially left the Rolling Stones.
2009 - The iTunes Music Store reached 6 billion songs sold.
Posted by Gordy 1/5/12 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, January 5
1957 - Pat Boone began filming the movie "Bernadine."
1959 - "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" backed by "Raining in My Heart" was released by Coral Records. It was the last release of Buddy Holly before his death.
1965 - The Supremes recorded "Stop! In the Name of Love."
1976 - Mal Evans, a Beatle's bodyguard and road manager, was killed in a confrontation with Los Angeles police.
1978 - The Sex Pistols' U.S. concert debut took place.
1978 - Prince made his solo performance debut in Minneapolis, MN.
1975 - "The Wiz" opened on Broadway.
1984 - The Police, announced a farewell concert for March 2 in Australia. The group had been together for 9 years.
1998 - Sonny Bono died in a skiing accident.
Posted by Gordy 1/4/12 at 3pm
Music History for Wednesday, January 4
1932 - NBC Red debuted "The Carnation Contented Hour". The show was as a showcase for top singers and musicians.
1935 - Bert Ambrose and his Orchestra recorded "Hors d’oeuvres."
1936 - The first pop music chart based on national sales was published by "Billboard" magazine.
1950 - RCA Victor announced that it would manufacture long-playing (LP) records.
1954 - Elvis Presley recorded "Casual Love" and "I’ll Never Stand in Your Way."
1957 - Boxer Joe Louis appeared on "The Steve Allen Show" to introduce singer Solomon Burke.
1962 - Gene McDaniels recorded "Point of No Return".
1965 - Leo Fender sold the Fender Guitar Company to CBS for $13 million.
1971 - The film "Performance" starring Mick Jagger debuted in London.
1973 - The Allman Brothers name Lamar Williams as the replacement for the late Berry Oakley. The announcment was in Rolling Stone magazine.
1976 - Mal Evans was shot to death by police at his Los Angeles apartment. Evans alledgedly pointed a loaded rifle at officers causing them to fire upon him. Evans was a former roadie and bodyguard of the Beatles.
Posted by Gordy 1/3/12 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, January 3
1900 - Giuseppe Verdi's "Aida" was performed in New York.
1940 - The "Southland Shuffle" was recorded on Bluebird Records by Charlie Barnet and his Orchestra. Billy May was featured as a trumpet player.
1957 - Fats Domino recorded "I'm Walkin'."
1960 - Bobby Darin and Connie Francis performed together on the "Ed Sullivan Show."
1964 - The Beatles made their first appearance on U.S. television in a film clip shown on the "Jack Paar Show." It was a performance of the song "She Loves You."
1966 - The Beatles appeared on "Hullabaloo."
1967 - Carl Wilson (Beach Boys) refused to be sworn in after receiving a U.S. Army draft notice. He said he was a conscientious objector.
1970 - "I Me Mine" was recoreded by the Beatles. It was the last song that the band would record together.
1970 - Davy Jones announced he was leaving the Monkees.
1987 - Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Bill Haley and 14 others. Franklin was the first woman to be inducted.
Posted by Gordy 12/30/11 at 11am
Happy New Year!!!
Music History for Friday, December 30
1962 - Brenda Lee's home was destroyed by fire.
1970 - Paul McCartney sued the other three Beatles to dissolve the partnership and gain control of his interest.
Today in Beatles History - Beatles apparel and gear
1979 - Emerson, Lake & Palmer announced their break-up.
1989 - Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) and Shelli Dilley were married.
1999 - George Harrison and his wife were attacked in their home during a robbery. Though, Harrison was stabbed in the chest four times, he and his wife were able to subdue the assailant until police arrived.
2002 - In Tucson, AZ, Diana Ross was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.
Posted by Gordy 12/29/11 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, December 29
1812 - Beethoven's Opus 96: Violin Sonata No. 10 in G major was performed for the first time.
1943 - "San Fernando Valley" was recorded by Bing Crosby.
1957 - Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme were married.
1963 - The Weavers gave their farewell concert at Orchestra Hall in Chicago.
1967 - Orchestra leader Paul Whiteman died at the age of 76.
1967 - Dave Mason quit Traffic and started a solo career.
1975 - Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane were divorced.
1980 - Folksinger/songwriter Tim Hardin died at age forty due to a heroin overdose.
1982 - Jamaica issued a Bob Marley commemorative stamp.
Posted by Gordy 12/28/11 at 11am
Music History for December 28
1944 - The musical "On the Town" opened in New York City and ran for 462 performances. It features the song, "New York, New York."
1968 - The Doors' "Touch Me" was released.
1969 - "Temptations Day" was declared in Detroit, MI.
1975 - Twenty-five year old David Gelfer pointed a .44 magnum at Ted Nugent and was then brought down to the ground by members of the audience and security guards. Gelfer was charged with "intimidating with a weapon."
1981 - WEA Records (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic) raised the price of its 45-rpm records from $1.68 to $1.98.
1983 - Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys drowned while swimming near his boat in the harbor at Marina del Ray, CA.
Posted by Gordy 12/27/11 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, December 27
1903 - In New York City, the barbershop quartet favorite, "Sweet Adeline," was sung for the first time.
1927 - The musical "Showboat" opened in New York.
1932 - Radio City Music Hall opened its doors to the public for the first time.
1939 - "The Glenn Miller Show," also known as "Music that Satisfies," debuted on CBS radio.
1940 - Singer Al Jolson and actress Ruby Keeler were divorced after 12 years of marriage.
1963 - The Animals perform on their first radio broadcast on the BBC show "Saturday Club."
1964 - The Supremes made their first appearance on TV's "Ed Sullivan Show."
1970 - "Hello, Dolly!" closed on Broadway after a run of 2,844 performances.
1971 - The "Sonny & Cher Show" began airing on CBS. The show ran for four 1/2 years.
1975 - The Four Seasons, "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" was released.
1992 - Harry Connick Jr. was arrested at New York's Kennedy Airport after a 9mm pistol was discovered in his carry-on luggage.
1992 - The musical revival of "3 From Brooklyn" closed after 45 performances.
1992 - The musical revival of "Tommy Tune Tonite! A Song and Dance Act" opened.
Posted by Gordy 12/23/11 at 11am
Music History for Friday, December 23
1959 - Chuck Berry was arrested for transporting a minor across a state line for an immoral purpose.
1959 - The Drifters recorded "This Magic Moment."
1964 - The Beach Boys made their first appearance on "Shingdig!"
1966 - The final show of BBC-TV's "Ready, Steady Go!" was aired with the Who as special guest.
1967 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Foxy Lady" was released.
1969 - Elton John and Bernie Taupin began writing songs together.
1972 - John Lennon's film "Imagine" premiered on national TV.
1974 - George Harrison released a holiday single, "Ding Dong, Ding Dong."
1977 - Cat Stevens converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusef Islam.
1978 - Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" was released.
Posted by Gordy 12/22/11 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, December 22
1808 - Beethoven's Opus 67: Symphony No. 5 in C minor first performed for Prince Lobkotwitz.
1941 - Jimmie Lunceford and his orchestra recorded "Blues in the Night."
1968 - Eric Burdon left the Animals.
1975 - Ike and Tina Turner are robbed of $86,000 when a suitcase was stolen containing concert receipts.
1976 - Isaac Hayes filed for bankruptcy.
1978 - Kenney Jones, of Faces, becomes the drummer for the Who. He replace Keith Moon who had died a couple of months earlier.
1978 - The stage version of Harry Nilsson's "The Point" opened in London with Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz.
1981 - A rock 'n' roll auction in London brought in $2,000 for a letter of introduction from Buddy Holly to Decca Records. John and Cynthia Lennon’s marriage certificate was sold for $850 and an autographed program from the world premiere of the Beatles film "Help!" brought in $2,100.
1984 - CBS Records announced the upcoming release of Mick Jagger’s first solo album, set for February, 1985. The album was titled "She's the Boss."
1991 - Gregg Allman made his acting debut as a drug kingpin in the movie "Rush."
Posted by Gordy 12/21/11 at 11am
Music History for Wednesday, December 21
1955 - LaVern Baker recorded "Jim Dandy".
1960 - Elvis Presley was inducted into the Los Angeles Indian Tribal Council coinciding with the opening with his movie "Flaming Star."
1967 - The Rolling Stones album, "Their Satanic Majesties Request" was released.
1968 - Crosby, Stills and Nash performed together in public for the first time.
1968 - Janis Joplin gave her first solo performance in Memphis, TN.
1969 - Diana Ross gave her last performance as a member of the Supremes on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
1970 - Elvis Presley went to the White House to volunteer his services to U.S. President Nixon on fighting the nation's drug problems. He gave Nixon a chrome-plated Colt .45 and Tricky Dick gave Elvis a Narcotics Bureau badge.
1971 - Martha & the Vandellas disbanded.
1976 - "Barry Manilow on Broadway" opened for a two-week run in New York.
1992 - David Crosby was a guest on ABC-TV's "Roseanne."
1996 - Tony Bennett was rushed to a hospital for an emergency operation for an erupted hernia. Bennett was just arriving at the White House for a holiday dinner with U.S. President and Mrs. Clinton when he fell ill.
Posted by Gordy 12/20/11 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, December 20
1932 - Al Jolson recorded "April Showers."
1957 - Elvis Presley received his U.S. Army draft notice.
1962 - The Osmond Brothers appeared on NBC-TV's "Andy Williams Show" for the first time.
1967 - Jethro Tull was formed.
1975 - Joe Walsh joined the Eagles, replacing original member Bernie Leadon. Leadon left for a solo career.
Posted by Gordy 12/19/11 at 11am
Music History for Monday, December 19
1955 - Carl Perkins recorded the hit "Blue Suede Shoes."
1957 - "The Music Man" opened on Broadway.
1960 - Neil Sedaka’s "Calendar Girl" was released.
1960 - Frank Sinatra recorded his first session with his very own record company, Reprise Records. Frank did "Ring-A-Ding-Ding" and "Let’s Fall in Love."
1974 - Ron Woods joined the Rolling Stones.
1980 - The film "9 to 5," with Dolly Parton, opened.
1987 - Paul Simon the musician, and Paul Simon, the presidential candidate, both host "Saturday Night Live."
1992 - Neil Diamond's "Christmas in Washington" aired on NBC-TV.
2001 - VH1 premiered "Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story."
2001 - Dick Clark filed a $10 million lawsuit against Recording Academy President Michael Greene. The charge was that Greene would bar artists who appear first on Clark's American Music Awards from performing on the Grammy Awards.
2001 - Madonna appeared on television's "Dateline."
Posted by Gordy 12/15/11 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, December 15
1893 - Anton Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E-minor, Opus 95, "From the New World," was performed in New York City during a "public rehearsal" at Carnegie Hall. The official world premier was the next day.
1944 - A single-engine plane carrying U.S. Army Major Glenn Miller disappeared in thick fog over the English Channel while en route to Paris. The true fate of the plane and its passengers has never been determined.
1959 - The Everly Brothers recorded "Let It Be Me" in New York City. It was the first time they recorded outside of Nashville and it was the first time they recorded with strings.
1967 - The Beach Boys met Maharishi Yogi in Paris and learned transcendental meditation.
1968 - Grace Slick appeared in blackface when Jefferson Airplane appeared on the "Smothers Brothers" TV show on CBS.
1969 - John Lennon gave his last live performance in England. It was a UNICEF benefit in London.
1998 - Andrew Lloyd Webber was acquitted on charges that he plagiarized a 20-year-old song to write the theme from "The Phantom Of The Opera."
Posted by Gordy 12/14/11 at 11am
Music History for Wednesday, December 14
1962 - Bob Dylan's first single, "Mixed-Up Confusion", was released.
1963 - Dinah Washington died of a drug overdose at the age of 39. She had 34 top 10 hits on the Billboard R&B charts.
1966 - The Elvis Presley film "Spinout" premiered.
1966 - Chad & Jeremy and Don Ho guest on ABC-TV's "Batman."
1967 - Dick Clark announced that he was making a film, "The Love Children," about hippies.
1968 - Tommy James and the Shondells released "Crimson & Clover."
1972 - Alexander's department store in New York stayed open late so Alice Cooper could do his Christmas shopping.
1972 - The Ringo Starr film about U.K. rocker Marc Bolan, "Born to Boogie," debuted in London. The film stars Elton John.
1974 - Styx' "Lady" was released.
1977 - "Saturday Night Fever" premiered in New York City.
1980 - Yoko Ono called for a 10-minute silent vigil around the world for John Lennon, her husband, who was shot to death six days earlier. Over 100,000 people went to Central Park in New York to honor the request.
1986 - Elton John recorded a live version of "Candle in the Wind" that would later be released as a single.
1991 - Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" debuts at No. 1 on Billboard's pop albums chart.
1995 - Classified documents from the White House were released that revealed the FBI had spied on John Lennon and his anti-war activities during the early '70s in a possible attempt to have Lennon deported.
1995 - "Frank Sinatra: 80 Years My Way" aired on ABC-TV.
1999 - Paul McCartney played a show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. It was the first time that McCartney had played at the club since 1963.
Posted by Gordy 12/13/11 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, December 13
1928 - George Gershwin's musical work "An American in Paris" was premiered by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
1961 - The Beatles signed with manager Brian Epstein.
1966 - Jimi Hendrix recorded "Foxey Lady."
1974 - George Harrison had lunch with U.S. President Gerald Ford at the White House.
1975 - David Bowie's "Golden Years" was released.
1975 - Foghat's "Slow Ride" was released.
1985 - Phil Collins made his U.S. TV acting debut on "Miami Vice" playing a drug dealer.
1990 - The musical revival of "Peter Pan" opened.
1991 - "John Denver's Montana Christmas Skies" special aired on CBS.
1993 - Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash joined Billy Joel on stage in Los Angeles to play a solo on the tune "Shameless."
1994 - Prince performed the song "Dolphin" on the David Letterman show.
1996 - The movie "Jerry Maguire," starring Glenn Frey, opened.
Posted by Gordy 12/12/11 at 11am
Music History for Monday, December 12
1792 - In Vienna, 22-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven received one of his first lessons in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn.
1915 - Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey.
1955 - Bill Haley and the Comets recorded "See You Later Alligator."
1964 - The Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" was released.
1968 - "Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus" was recorded. It was not shown publicly until its release in late 1996.
1970 - Steven Stills' "Love The One You're With" was released.
1971 - Filming began on the Diana Ross movie, "Lady Sings the Blues."
1974 - Mick Taylor left the Rolling Stones.
1980 - Marie Osmond's solo TV series debuted on NBC.
1985 - Dionne Warwick received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2001 - Flutist James Galway received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.
2002 - It was announced that Les Paul planned to give memorabilia from his music career to Waukesha County's historical society for an exhibit. Paul said that he planned to donate about 2,000 records and original sheet music.
Posted by Gordy 12/9/11 at 11am
Music History for Friday, December 9
1963 - The first Supremes album, "Meet the Supremes," was released.
1964 - The John Coltrane Quartet recorded "Love Supreme."
1967 - Jim Morrison was arrested onstage in New Haven, CT, and charged with breach of peace and resisting arrest.
1968 - The Supremes' and the Temptations' "TCB (Takin' Care of Business") special aired on NBC-TV.
1971 - Richie Havens received a role in the orchestral stage version of "Tommy."
1972 - "Tommy" was performed at London's Rainbow Theatre. The recording of the event was released the next year.
1972 - Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" was released.
1974 - George Harrison released his first album on his Dark Horse label, entitled "Dark Horse."
1978 - "Soul Man," John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's version, was released under the name, "The Blues Brothers."
1984 - The Jacksons played their last show together in Los Angeles, CA.
1992 - Bill Wyman left the Rolling Stones after over 30 years with the group.
1993 - The musical revival of "My Fair Lady" opened.
1995 - "Free as a Bird," debuted on a six-hour ABC documentary on the Beatles'. It was their first new song in 25 years.
Posted by Gordy 12/8/11 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, December 8
1813 - Beethoven's "Opus 92: Symphony No. 7 in A major" was performed for the first time.
1914 - "Watch Your Step" opened in New York. It was the first musical revue to feature a score completely by Irving Berlin.
1960 - Fabian visited Elvis Presley at Graceland and lent him his pants when Elvis ripped his demonstrating karate.
1961 - "Surfin'," the Beach Boys first recording, was released.
1963 - Frank Sinatra, Jr. was kidnapped.
1967 - Traffic's "Mr. Fantasy" LP was released.
1968 - Graham Nash announced the formation of Crosby, Stills and Nash three days after he quit the Hollies.
1972 - Frank Zappa Sr. placed an advertisement in Variety Magazine claiming he will give private instruction in craps, roulette, keno and blackjack.
1976 - John Denver appeared on the Carpenters' ABC-TV special.
1980 -In New York City, Mark David Chapman shot John Lennon to death. Earlier in the day, Lennon had autographed an album for Chapman.
1982 - Marty Robbins died of heart failure at the age of 57.
1991 - The musical "Nick and Nora" opened.
1995 - The surviving members of the Grateful Dead announced they were disbanding. Jerry Garcia's, the founder of the group, had died the previous August.
1998 - The FBI opened its files on Frank Sinatra to the public. The file contained over 1,300 pages.
1998 - It was announced that Bruce Springsteen would tour again with the E Street Band for the first time in nearly a decade.
1999 - Prince appeared on NBC's "Today."
1999 - James Brown made his new MP3-only holiday album "James Brown Christmas For The Millennium & Forever" available exclusively through EMusic.com.
2000 - Sting received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2003 - In England, Ozzy Osbourne was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. His injuries included a fractured left collarbone, eight fractured ribs and stable fracture to one of the vertebrae in his neck.
Posted by Gordy 12/7/11 at 11am
Music History for Wednesday, December 7
1842 - The New York Philharmonic gave its first concert.
1963 - The Beatles appeared on the British TV show "Jukebox Jury."
1964 - Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys, suffered a nervous breakdown on a flight from L.A. to Houston. The event led Wilson to stop touring with the group.
1966 - Nancy Sinatra appeared on "Frank Sinatra: A Man & His Music Part II" on CBS-TV.
1968 - Eric Burdon announced he would break-up the Animals after a December 22 concert at Newcastle City Hall. His intention was to go to California and start an acting career.
1984 - Michael Jackson testified in Chicago, IL, that he wrote the song "The Girl is Mine," not an Illinois man. Jackson won the case.
1986 - Huey Lewis and the News sang the U.S. national anthem a capella before a San Francisco 49ers-New York Jets NFL football game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA.
1991 - "Achtung Baby" by U2 debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's pop albums chart.
U2 apparel and gear
1993 - Guns N' Roses announced they would keep the tune written by Charles Manson "Look At Your Game, Girl" on their album, "The Spaghetti Incident?" The decision to keep the song came when the band learned that the royalties would go to the son of one of Manson's victims.
1996 - Jerry Lewis' white and red pinstriped devil suit was stolen from his dressing room at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. Lewis needed the costume, valued at $9,000, to play the role of Satan in the musical Damn Yankees.
1998 - Arturo Sandoval was granted U.S. citizenship after a six-year struggle with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Posted by Gordy 12/6/11 at 11am
Music History for Tuesday, December 6
1896 - Lyricist Ira Gershwin was born in New York City.
1939 - The musical comedy "Du Barry Was a Lady," by Cole Porter opened on Broadway.
1964 - The movie "Ferry Cross the Mersey" with Gerry & the Pacemakers debuted in London.
1968 - James Taylor's self-titled album was released in Britain.
1968 - Elvis Presley received one of 66,000 letters that U.S. President Nixon sent out to potential administrative office holders.
1969 - Four people died during a free concert given by the Rolling Stones. One of the deaths was a stabbing that occurred near the stage. The event was recorded and released a year later.
1970 - "Gimme Shelter," the documentary film about the Rolling Stones' 1969 tour of the U.S. debuted.
1993 - The Eagles taped a video for Travis Tritt's version of "Take It Easy" which led to their reunion.
1995 - Michael Jackson was hospitalized after collapsing in a New York theater while rehearsing for a TV special.
1995 - Joni Mitchell was awarded the Billboard's Century Award.
Posted by Gordy 12/5/11 at 11am
Music History for Monday, December 5
1791 - Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 35.
1956 - Alan Freed's "Rock Rock Rock" film (with Connie Francis singing for Tuesday Weld) was released.
1968 - The Rolling Stones unveil "Beggar's Banquet" in an uncontroversial white cover designed to resemble a formal invitation.
1968 - Graham Nash quit the Hollies. He announced the formation of Crosby, Stills and Nash three days later.
Posted by Gordy 12/2/11 at 11am
Music History for Friday, December 2
1949 - Gene Autry's song "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," hit the record charts.
1959 - Bobby Darin was the subject of the TV show "This Is Your Life."
1967 - Jimmie Rodgers was found in his car with a fractured skull after a serious accident. He recovered from the auto accident, but his singing career ended.
1969 - Cindy Birdsong (Supremes) was kidnapped. She later managed to escape her captor.
1972 - "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon was released.
1973 - The Who and some companions were jailed overnight for $6,000 worth of destruction they imposed on a hotel room after a show.
1973 - Bob Dylan began taking ticket requests by mail. Over 658,000 tickets were sold.
1974 - Ravi Shankar was hospitalized in Chicago after suffering chest pains. He rejoined the George Harrison Tour a week later.
1979 - Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge were divorced.
1981 - "Dreamgirls" opened on Broadway. The show was based on the careers of the Supremes.
1983 - MTV aired Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video for the first time.
1986 - Jerry Lee Lewis checked into the Betty Ford Clinic to overcome a painkiller addition.
1986 - Annie Lennox (Eurythmics) ripped off her bra while performing in front of 10,000 fans in Birmingham, England.
1988 - Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Willie Nelson appeared on "Geraldo" to discuss "Sex on the Road."
1991 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Shirelles, B.J. Thomas and Gene Pitney were owed $1.2 million in unpaid royalties.
Posted by Gordy 12/1/11 at 11am
Music History for Thursday, December 1
1956 - The Leonard Bernstein musical "Candide" opened on Broadway. The work was based on the book by Voltaire.
1956 - The rock and roll film "Shake, Rattle and Roll" opened.
1957 - Three rock and roll acts made their debut on the Ed Sullivan Show: Buddy Holly & the Crickets ("That'll Be the Day"), Sam Cooke ("You Send Me"), and the Rays.
1958 - The musical "Flower Drum Song" Rodgers and Hammerstein opened on Broadway.
1960 - Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee were married.
1968 - Janis Joplin made her final appearance with Big Brother & the Holding Company.
1972 - Martha & the Vandellas gave their farewell performance in Detroit, MI.
1982 - Epic Records released the album "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.
1987 - Prince decided to cancel the release of "The Black Album." It was only a week away from release.
1995 - An auction of Frank Sinatra's possessions earned him $2,072,000.
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