The late Toy Caldwell (lead guitarist with The Marshall Tucker Band – ‘Heard It In A Love Song’) was born in 1947
Wayne Parker (bass guitar with Glass Tiger – ‘Someday’) is 55
Andrew Rankin (drummer with The Pogues – ‘Fairytale Of New York’) is 62
Bill Gibson (drummer with Huey Lewis & The News – ‘The Power Of Love’) is 64
Roger Steen (guitarist with The Tubes – ‘She’s A Beauty’) is 66
Timmy Thomas (‘Why Can’t We Live Together’) is 71
RCA Victor released ‘50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records – Volume 2′—1959
Rock Factoid: The album – a compilation of Presley singles issued in 1958 and 1959 – peaked at #31 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.
The Tokens released ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ / ‘Dry Your Eyes’—1961
The Rolling Stones released ‘Little Red Rooster’ / ‘Off The Hook’ in the UK—1964
Rock Factoid: Although the single reached #1 on the British charts, it was not released as a single in the U.S. as it was banned because of its “sexual connotations”. That ruling seems absurd since it was released on the Stones’ ‘Rolling Stones, Now!’ album one month later.
The Moody Blues released ‘Go Now’—1965
The McCoys released ‘Fever’—1965
The hills really were alive! ‘The Sound Of Music’ soundtrack, featuring Julie Andrews, knocked The Beatles’ ‘Help!’ off the top of the Billboard album chart—1965
Rock Factoid: As impressive as that was, the album’s success in the UK was even more spectacular.
It reached #1 in May 1965 (for 10 weeks), grabbed #1 again in October (for 10 more weeks), knocked The Beatles’ ‘Rubber Soul’ out of #1 in February 1966 (10 more weeks), replaced the Rolling Stones’ ‘Aftermath’ at #1 in June 1966 (7 more weeks) and returned to the top in September 1966 (for 18 more weeks) by knocking The Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ from the top of the chart.
Rock Factoid #2: The soundtrack spent a total of 70 weeks at the top in England over several runs, including replacing ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ twice in 1967. It was the biggest-selling album in the UK during 1965, 1966 and 1968, and the second biggest selling album (behind ‘Sgt. Pepper’) of the entire decade.
The Byrds recorded ‘Get To You’—1967
Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones bought Cotchford Farm, the former home of ‘Winnie The Pooh’ author A.A. Milne—1968
Rock Factoid: In July, 1969, Jones was found floating face down in the swimming pool.
The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine premiered in the U.S.—1968
The Beach Boys recorded ‘This Whole World’—1969
John Lennon purchased Dorinish Island off the Ireland coast—1967
Rock Factoid: The island, one of the most westerly islands scattered across Clew Bay, the large ocean bay on the western side of County Mayo, was made up of two smaller islands – Dorinish Beg and Dorinish More – connected by a natural causeway, for a total surface area of 19 acres.
Rock Factoid #2: Lennon purchased the uninhabited island as a holiday home for his family in for less than $3,000. After divorcing his then-wife Cynthia, he invited “King of the Hippies” Sid Rawle to Dorinish to establish a commune in 1970, where a group of 25 lived for the next two years.
Rock Factoid #3: Lennon maintained a lifelong dream to build a retreat on the island. When asked in 1971 how he imagined himself at the age of 64, he said, “I hope we’re a nice old couple living off the coast of Ireland, looking at our scrapbook of madness.” Following his death in 1980, Yoko Ono said, “It was a place where we thought we could escape the pressures and spend some undisturbed time together. But because of what happened our hopes never came to be.”
Rock Factoid #4: Yoko Ono sold the island in 1984 for $49,000 and donated the proceeds to an Irish orphanage.
Three Dog Night released ‘An Old Fashioned Love Song’ / ‘Jam’—1971
Jerry Lee Lewis, Jr. was killed in a car accident near Hernando, Mississippi. He had been working as the drummer in his father’s band—1973
Melody Maker announced the dates for the first British major punk tour featuring The Sex Pistols, The Ramones and The Talking Heads. The tour never took place—1976
Ringo Starr released ‘Wrack My Brain’ / ‘Drumming Is My Business’ in the UK.
Rock Factoid: The single failed to reach the British charts. The failure of the single, and the subsequent flop of the album (‘Stop And Smell The Roses’) from which the single came, prompted RCA to drop Starr from its roster.
Don Addrisi of the Addrisi Brothers (they wrote ‘Never My Love’) died (cancer)—1984
Sonny & Cher reunited to sing ‘I Got You Babe’ on Late Night with David Letterman—1987
Paul McCartney released ‘Figure Of Eight’ / ‘Où est le Soleil?’. The single peaked at #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart—1989
Our Strange Lawsuit of The Week: Rod Stewart was sued by Patricia Boughton for kicking a soccer ball into the audience at a concert in Clarkston, MI that ruptured a tendon in her middle finger. As a result, Boughton alleged the injury made sex between her and her husband difficult. Boughton would later receive a $17,000 settlement—1990
Former Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne asked the group to open for him at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, CA. Lead singer Ronnie James Dio vehemently refused to open for Ozzy and quit the group. Rob Halford of Judas Priest stepped in to sing with the band—1992
Ronnie Bond (drummer with The Troggs – ‘Wild Thing’) died (cancer)—1992
Bobby McClure (‘Don’t Mess Up A Good Thing’) died (brain aneurysm)—1992
Bill Doggett (‘Honky Tonk’) died (heart attack)—1996
Kenny Kirkland (session keyboardist for Sting – ‘If You Love Somebody Set Them Free’, ‘Russians’, ‘All This Time’) died (congestive heart failure)—1998
R.J. Vealey (drummer with Atlanta Rhythm Section – ‘Voodoo’) died (heart attack)—1999
Rock Factoid: The band had finished a concert at the University of Central Florida and were sitting backstage signing autographs for fans. Vealey complained of indigestion and collapsed. He was only 37. He died on his daughter’s first birthday.
Donald Mills (The Mills Brothers – ‘Cab Driver’) died (pneumonia)—1999
Apple Records released ‘Beatles 1’. The 27 songs included on the album were #1 hits in either the UK or U.S. charts—2000
Michael Stewart (guitarist with We Five – ‘You Were On My Mind’ and producer of Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ album) died (long illness)—2002
Russell Jones (better known under his stage name ‘Ol’ Dirty Bastard’ and one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan – ‘Method Man’) died (drug overdose)—2004
Compiled by Ray Lemire ©2015 RayLemire.com. All Rights Reserved.