The number one British album today in 1965 was “The Rolling Stones No. 2”:
The number one single on both sides of the Atlantic today in 1965:
The number one single today in 1982 …
… from the number one album, the J. Geils Band’s “Freeze Frame”:
The number one single today in 1966:
The number one single today in 1983:
Today in 2006, the Rolling Stones played during the halftime of the Super Bowl:
The number one single on both sides of the Atlantic today in 1965:
The number one British album today in 1967 was “The Monkees”:
The number one single on both sides of the Atlantic today in 1978:
Today in 1959, one night after their concert at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson got on a Beechcraft Bonanza in Mason City, Iowa, to fly to Fargo, N.D., for a concert in Moorhead, Minn.
The trio, along with Dion and the Belmonts, were part of the Winter Dance Party Tour, a 24-city tour over three weeks, with its ridiculously scheduled tour dates connected by bus.
Said bus, whose heater broke early in the tour, froze in below-zero temperatures two nights earlier between the scheduled concert in the Duluth, Minn., National Guard Armory, and the next scheduled location, the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay.
Holly’s drummer had to be hospitalized with frostbite in his feet, and Valens also became ill. The tour got to Green Bay, but its scheduled concert in Appleton that evening was canceled.
After the concert in Clear Lake, Holly decided to rent an airplane. Holly’s bass player, Waylon Jennings, gave his seat to the Big Bopper because he was sick, and Valens won a coin flip with Holly’s guitarist, Tommy Allsup. Dion DiMucci chose not to take a seat because the $36 cost equaled his parents’ monthly rent.
As he was leaving, Holly told Jennings, “I hope your ol’ bus freezes up,” to which Jennings replied, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes!”
Shortly after the 12:55 a.m. takeoff, the plane crashed, instantly killing Holly, Valens, the Big Bopper and the pilot.
The scheduled concert that evening went on, with organizers recruiting a 15-year-old, Robert Velline, and his band the Shadows. Bobby Vee went on to have a good career.
First: I have been asked to say that it’s a great day for groundhogs. Thus, a decades-long tradition is continued.
(By the way: If a groundhog near you predicts six more weeks of winter, you are authorized to kill the groundhog to prevent that prediction from ever happening again. The fact that winter in Wisconsin lasts more like 12 weeks from now regardless of groundhog predictions is beside the point.)
Today in 1959, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper all appeared at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.
That would be their final concert appearance because of what happened after the concert.
Today in 1949, RCA released the first 45-rpm record.
The seven-inch size of the 45, compared with the bigger 78, allowed the development of jukeboxes.
The number one single today in 1964:
I missed this, but a friend of mine heard this from WTMJ radio’s Jeff Wagner Tuesday:
Shortly before noon today, I received an email from Summerfest announcing that 1980s hair metal band Motley Crue would be performing at Summerfest on July 4th. It’s being billed as their Farewell Tour.
At the time, my friend and colleague Michelle Richards was in the studio preparing to read the noon news. When she learned that Motley Crue was coming, her first response was: “Are they still alive?”
Yes Michelle, they aren’t dead yet – although in some cases not from lack of trying.
Since the announcement was embargoed until 3 p.m., I couldn’t share the news that this particular band was on the way. I did however share Michelle’s comment – which led to a flood of emails from listeners speculating on what band could be coming that could be described as “Are they still alive”?
Some suggestions made me nostalgic (“Crosby, Stills and Nash”) and some just made me feel old. On the other hand, a couple of bands that were suggested really aren’t still alive.
Anyway, if you can’t get enough of “Smoking in the Boy’s Room”, or you just want to see the former Mr. Pamela Anderson in person, you know where to be on July 4th.
First: Wagner sort of misspelled the band’s name — the correct spelling is “Mötley Crüe” with the diaeresis, or umlaut, over the O and U, similar to Blue Öyster Cult. As for that part about a “Farewell Tour,” some bands have had more than one farewell tour, which brings to mind the Dan Hicks song, “How Can I Miss You If You Won’t Go Away.”
This makes one think of the other umlaut-user, Blue Öyster Cult, as well. David Crosby isn’t dead, though he’s on his second liver. Nor is Neil Young, though whether he’s part of CSN (which I assume would be CSNY) apparently depends on the day.
Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx did indeed have a near-death experience:
In a post on his Facebook.com page on Sunday (23Dec12), he writes, “25 years ago today I had two almost-fatal drug overdoses that changed my life forever. I can’t even see myself these days as that kid who was running head strong into the abyss, but I know he taught me how to live when he finally decided to do it for himself. I would of (sic) never seen the birth of my four beautiful children and had such a wonderful life (even with its adversity) if I had not kicked drugs.
“I can’t say it loud enough, if your (sic) into them or considering doing them: drugs don’t work. The downside is never pretty.
“I am extremely grateful to be able to look back over these last 25 years and have all the memories that would of (sic) otherwise gone down up flames… Life really is a crazy and fun journey, isn’t it? Have a great holiday season wherever you are. Live in the moment.”
Sixx (born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr.) can now be heard on classic rock radio stations, as can Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier) , who will be joining the Crüe on Independence Day and knows something about near-death experiences too.
Readers of my Presty the DJ posts know that many rock acts ascended to Rock and Roll Heaven earlier than they should have, beginning with an event whose anniversary is next week:
I could go on, but you get the idea. Apparently some musicians Don’t Fear (the Reaper) when perhaps they should have.
The number one British single today in 1963:
The number one single today in 1970:
The number one British single today in 1976 replaced a single that had the title of the new number one in its lyrics:
Today in 1917, the first jazz record was recorded:
The number one British single today in 1959:
The number one single today in 1961 was the first number one for a girl group:
Today in 1969, the Beatles held their last concert, on the roof of their Apple Records building:
Today in 1942 premiered what now is the second longest running program in the history of radio — the BBC’s “Desert Island Discs”:
What’s the longest running program in the history of radio? The Grand Ole Opry.
Today in 1968, the Doors appeared at the Pussy Cat a Go Go in Las Vegas. After the show, Jim Morrison pretended to light up a marijuana cigarette outside. The resulting fight with a security guard concluded with Morrison’s arrest for vagancy, public drunkenness, and failure to possess identification.
The number one British single today in 1969 was its only British number one:
Steve Prestegard.com: The Presteblog 