4/28-5/2
4/29/1899- Duke Ellington (pictured standing), whose work as a pianist/composer and band leader made him perhaps the most pivotal and important Jazz figures ever, is born in our nation’s capital.
5/3/1903- One of the most celebrated and influential music artists of the 20th century and one of music’s 1st global icons, Bing Crosby, is born in Tacoma. His list of accomplishments in Music, theatre, film and TV are too exhaustive to list. His daughter, Mary, attended UT in the 70's.
5/3/1919- American/Folk music legend and activist Pet Seeger (pictured with Bob Dylan) is born in NYC. “Turn, Turn, Turn”, “If I had a hammer”, and the American Civil Rights anthem “We Shall Overcome” were but a few of the songs he wrote.
5/1/1930- Famed Blues harmonica virtuoso Marion “Little Walter” Evans is born in central Louisiana.
4/29/1933- During the Great Depression, in the impoverished central Texas rural town of Abbott (population over 300), this man was given to us. He'd go on and write/record/perform songs for over 5 decades that would so transcend the Country genre that he would star in dozens of films. And with that, become an American Icon and known instantly by either his first name, or his braided long hair with headband or his smooth relaxed voice and singing voice. He is an image, genre, sound, movement, spirit and attitude that is truly one of a kind. As synonymous with Texas as The Alamo, or with America as the Statue of Liberty.
5/3/1933- Just outside of Augusta, the “Godfather of Soul” is born. He was one of the original 10 inductees into the Rock Hall Of Fame.
5/3/1934- Blue-eyed soul/Doo Wop icon and one music’s lost celebrated voices, the Jersey Boy Frankie Valli is born in Newark.
5/4/1937 Dick Dale, the “King of Surfer Rock”, is born in Boston.
4/28/1941- Actress/singer/performer and all-time sex symbol Ann Margret is born in Sweden.
5/5/1942- Country legend Tammy Wynette is born in MS. She would have 23 Country chart no. 1’s and sell over 30 million records. More than that she helped re-define the role of Women artists in Country music, singing of marital issues loneliness and D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
4/29/1943- The lead singer of The Oak Ridge Boys, Duanne Allen (2nd from left) is born in Paris, Texas.
5/5/1943- MTV reporter and music journalist Kurt Loder is born in FL.
4/28/1945- Motown’s all too brief starlet Tammi Terrell is born in PA.
5/2/1946- Early 60’s teen pop star Lesley Gore is born in NYC.
4/29/1946- Criminally underrated 60’s singer/writer Tommy James is born in OH. Much of his work with The Shondells and his solo efforts were covered by other band and other artists, and he never really got the credit he deserved. And his label that was so locked into during his prime years were so involved in The Mafia that he had to frequently go into hiding, which seriously impacted his career. What a talent.
5/2/1950- Lou Gramm, frontman and songwriter for the band Foreigner, is born in NY.
5/3/1951- Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Christopher Cross is born in San Antonio. He is a 1969 graduate of Alamo Height HS.
4/28/1953- Singer/songwriter and bassist for alt rock/indie legends Sonic Youth, is born in NY.
5/1/1955- Chess Records signs a singer/guitarist at the urging of label artist Muddy Waters. Just a few weeks later, young man begins work on a up tempo tune he modeled after a Bob Wills Texas swing tune. Leonard Chess strongly urges the young artist to change the songs title of a rural girl’s name to that a bit more modern. The artist agrees and Rock’s first guitar-driven smash single is born.
5/1/1956- Johnny Cash release this single that would become his 1st Country no. 1 single and hit the top U.S. singles chart top 5. Walk the line
5/5/1956- Elvis has his first U.S. no. 1 single when “Heartbreak Hotel” hits the top, it would become his 1st 1 million copies selling single.
5/5/1959- Echo & the Bunnymen lead singer Ian McCulloch is born in Liverpool.
Ace guitarist Steve Stevens, lifelong collaborator with Billy and the man behind the Top Gun theme, is born in NYC.
4/30/1961- The Everly Brothers top the UK singles charts with “Cathy’s Cown.”
4/29/1961- Famed Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti makes his opera debut in Italy.
5/4/1962- The soundtrack to the film West Side Story is the no. 1 album in America.
5/5/1962- This Shirelles classic is the no. 1 song in America.
4/28/1963- Cliff Richards and The Shadows have the no. 1 album in the UK. This would be last time for another 2 plus years that the UK’s no. 1 album wasn’t by either The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. Bob Dylan’s The Freewheelin’ Bod Dylan album would finally break in May of 1965.
4/28/1964- Elvis releases this title track from his upcoming 15th film.
5/2/1964- The no. 1 album in America is…no surprise…The Beatles with The Beatles Second Album, which knocked off their debut album from the top spot.
The Rolling Stones self-titled debut album starts a 14-week run as the no.1 album in the UK. Also, their single “Not Fade Away” is the band’s first entry on the U.S. singles charts, and fittingly a cover of Buddy Holly’s 1957 hit.
4/30/1965- This Herman’s Hermits song is the top tune in America.
4/28/1966- Rap pioneer Todd “Too $hort” Shaw is born in LA.
4/30/1966- This tune by The Young Rascals is the no. 1 song in America.
5/1/1966- James Brown performs on The Ed Sullivan Show for the 1st time, and he brings his 10-member band along, hardly the case with show’s solo performing acts, giving the audience and America its first taste of “Mr. Dynamite.”
4/29/1967- Aretha Franklin release this eternal song (a cover of Otis Redding btw) from her album I have Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You.
4/29/1899- Duke Ellington (pictured standing), whose work as a pianist/composer and band leader made him perhaps the most pivotal and important Jazz figures ever, is born in our nation’s capital.
5/3/1903- One of the most celebrated and influential music artists of the 20th century and one of music’s 1st global icons, Bing Crosby, is born in Tacoma. His list of accomplishments in Music, theatre, film and TV are too exhaustive to list. His daughter, Mary, attended UT in the 70's.
5/3/1919- American/Folk music legend and activist Pet Seeger (pictured with Bob Dylan) is born in NYC. “Turn, Turn, Turn”, “If I had a hammer”, and the American Civil Rights anthem “We Shall Overcome” were but a few of the songs he wrote.
5/1/1930- Famed Blues harmonica virtuoso Marion “Little Walter” Evans is born in central Louisiana.
4/29/1933- During the Great Depression, in the impoverished central Texas rural town of Abbott (population over 300), this man was given to us. He'd go on and write/record/perform songs for over 5 decades that would so transcend the Country genre that he would star in dozens of films. And with that, become an American Icon and known instantly by either his first name, or his braided long hair with headband or his smooth relaxed voice and singing voice. He is an image, genre, sound, movement, spirit and attitude that is truly one of a kind. As synonymous with Texas as The Alamo, or with America as the Statue of Liberty.
5/3/1933- Just outside of Augusta, the “Godfather of Soul” is born. He was one of the original 10 inductees into the Rock Hall Of Fame.
5/3/1934- Blue-eyed soul/Doo Wop icon and one music’s lost celebrated voices, the Jersey Boy Frankie Valli is born in Newark.
5/4/1937 Dick Dale, the “King of Surfer Rock”, is born in Boston.
4/28/1941- Actress/singer/performer and all-time sex symbol Ann Margret is born in Sweden.
5/5/1942- Country legend Tammy Wynette is born in MS. She would have 23 Country chart no. 1’s and sell over 30 million records. More than that she helped re-define the role of Women artists in Country music, singing of marital issues loneliness and D-I-V-O-R-C-E.
4/29/1943- The lead singer of The Oak Ridge Boys, Duanne Allen (2nd from left) is born in Paris, Texas.
5/5/1943- MTV reporter and music journalist Kurt Loder is born in FL.
4/28/1945- Motown’s all too brief starlet Tammi Terrell is born in PA.
5/2/1946- Early 60’s teen pop star Lesley Gore is born in NYC.
4/29/1946- Criminally underrated 60’s singer/writer Tommy James is born in OH. Much of his work with The Shondells and his solo efforts were covered by other band and other artists, and he never really got the credit he deserved. And his label that was so locked into during his prime years were so involved in The Mafia that he had to frequently go into hiding, which seriously impacted his career. What a talent.
5/2/1950- Lou Gramm, frontman and songwriter for the band Foreigner, is born in NY.
5/3/1951- Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Christopher Cross is born in San Antonio. He is a 1969 graduate of Alamo Height HS.
4/28/1953- Singer/songwriter and bassist for alt rock/indie legends Sonic Youth, is born in NY.
5/1/1955- Chess Records signs a singer/guitarist at the urging of label artist Muddy Waters. Just a few weeks later, young man begins work on a up tempo tune he modeled after a Bob Wills Texas swing tune. Leonard Chess strongly urges the young artist to change the songs title of a rural girl’s name to that a bit more modern. The artist agrees and Rock’s first guitar-driven smash single is born.
5/1/1956- Johnny Cash release this single that would become his 1st Country no. 1 single and hit the top U.S. singles chart top 5. Walk the line
5/5/1956- Elvis has his first U.S. no. 1 single when “Heartbreak Hotel” hits the top, it would become his 1st 1 million copies selling single.
5/5/1959- Echo & the Bunnymen lead singer Ian McCulloch is born in Liverpool.
Ace guitarist Steve Stevens, lifelong collaborator with Billy and the man behind the Top Gun theme, is born in NYC.
4/30/1961- The Everly Brothers top the UK singles charts with “Cathy’s Cown.”
4/29/1961- Famed Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti makes his opera debut in Italy.
5/4/1962- The soundtrack to the film West Side Story is the no. 1 album in America.
5/5/1962- This Shirelles classic is the no. 1 song in America.
4/28/1963- Cliff Richards and The Shadows have the no. 1 album in the UK. This would be last time for another 2 plus years that the UK’s no. 1 album wasn’t by either The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. Bob Dylan’s The Freewheelin’ Bod Dylan album would finally break in May of 1965.
4/28/1964- Elvis releases this title track from his upcoming 15th film.
5/2/1964- The no. 1 album in America is…no surprise…The Beatles with The Beatles Second Album, which knocked off their debut album from the top spot.
The Rolling Stones self-titled debut album starts a 14-week run as the no.1 album in the UK. Also, their single “Not Fade Away” is the band’s first entry on the U.S. singles charts, and fittingly a cover of Buddy Holly’s 1957 hit.
4/30/1965- This Herman’s Hermits song is the top tune in America.
4/28/1966- Rap pioneer Todd “Too $hort” Shaw is born in LA.
4/30/1966- This tune by The Young Rascals is the no. 1 song in America.
5/1/1966- James Brown performs on The Ed Sullivan Show for the 1st time, and he brings his 10-member band along, hardly the case with show’s solo performing acts, giving the audience and America its first taste of “Mr. Dynamite.”
4/29/1967- Aretha Franklin release this eternal song (a cover of Otis Redding btw) from her album I have Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You.
