Category: Music

I’m unaware of whether the soundtrack of “West Side Story” got any radio airplay, but since I played it in both the La Follette and UW marching bands, I note that today in 1962 the soundtrack hit number one and stayed there for 54 weeks:

Happy birthday to drummer Bill Ward of Black Sabbath …

… and Maggie MacNeal, half of Mouth & MacNeal, who asked …

… and Sean McLuskey, singer for the one-hit-wonder Jo Boxers:

Today is the birthday as well of saxophonist Ace Cannon, whom like many instrumentalists you may not have heard of, but you’ve heard his work:

Having a small set of offerings today, here are two more famous versions (and quite different from each other) of a song noted earlier this week:

So who is celebrating the same birthday as my oldest son?

Pete Seeger, writer of this classic:

James Brown, the hardest working man in show business:

Frankie Valli, whose Four Seasons are the inspiration of the musical “The Jersey Boys”:

Peter Staples of the Troggs:

One-hit-wonder Mary Hopkin:

One year later came Christopher Cross, who has in my opinion exactly one listenable song,  thanks to Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers:

Two years later came Bruce Hall, bassist of REO Speedwagon:

REO was an icon of ’80s rock, as was one-hit-wonder Soft Cell:

David Darwin Pedruska is not a name in rock, but Spencer native Dave Dudley had, in chronological order, a number-two and number-one country hit in his long recording career:

One other anniversary in keeping with Monday’s note about WLS: Far to the west, the Real Don Steele started work in Los Angeles today in 1965:

And on a much more serious note, National Public Radio began programming today in 1971.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3jKm61xfbY&feature=player_embedded#!

Today are the birthdays of Patty Schemel of Hole …

Just two birthdays today: Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark …

… and Jesus Jones (how oddly appropriate this weekend) drummer Gen:

As it usually does, ABC-TV is carrying “The Ten Commandments” tonight, a movie about the Book of Exodus, which could be said to be the theme of this song:

The short list of rock — well, pop music — birthdays start today with ex-Beach Boy Glen Campbell:

Peter Frampton, who recorded one of the biggest live albums of all time:

Bon Jovi bassist Craig Logan:

Seeing as how rock music procreation apparently slowed to a near-crawl nine months ago, we’re going to expand our offerings a bit:

The birthday: Craig Frost of Grand Funk Railroad:

The history: Paul McCartney released “Band on the Run” in 1974:

The death: Steve Marriott of Small Faces died in a fire in 1991:

Sunday’s birthdays start with the recently deceased Don Kirschner of “Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert”:

Pete Graves of the Moonglows:

Jan Hammer, who composed one of the coolest TV themes ever:

And happy birthday to Ralphie Parker. Don’t shoot your eye out

Saturday’s birthdays begin with Henry Mancini:

[http://www.youtube.com/v/v1V7EwR5w2A]

The late Dusty Springfield:

The recently late Gerry Rafferty:

The number one British single today in 1966:

Today’s birthdays begin with one-hit wonder Buddy Knox:

Tony Burrows sang for five one-hit wonders:

Derek Leckenby, one of Herman’s Hermits …

… was born the same day as Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Rainbow …

Birthdays today start with Herbert Mills of one of the great singing groups of the 1940s and 1950s, the Mills Brothers:

You probably have never heard of keyboard player Stan Free. You may have heard of his most notable record:

Not that I was a fan, but Tiny Tim was in a class of his own, whatever class that was:

Herbie Hancock has had a long jazz career, but hit the pop charts once for:

Don’t know who Joachim Krauledat is? How about John Kay, lead singer of Steppenwolf:

Blackfoot drummer Jackson Spires:

J.D. Nicholas was a guitarist for the Commodores and before that the underrated Heatwave:

Alexander Briley was a lead singer for the Village People:

And there’s Tony James, bassist for Sigue Sigue Sputnik: