Little Anthony & The Imperials recorded Neil Sedaka’s “The Diary” along with their street corner classic, “Traveling Stranger”.
Top Single:
“Reach Out” The Four Tops #7 1966
Birthday:
Barbara Parritt (The Toys) 1944
Herbert “Tubo” Rhoad (The Persuasions) 1944
Howard Hewett (Shalamar) 1959
The Spaniels “Let’s Make Up” was released.
Phil Spector launched his successful label Philles (with partner Lester Still) with the release of The Crystals first single, “There’s No Other”.
Top Single:
“Who Put The Bomp” Barry Mann
& The Edsels #11 1961
“Play That Funky Music” #1 1976
Birthday:
David Sommerville (The Diamonds) 1933
Claude McKnight (Take 6) 1962
Elvis Presley made his first public performance at 10 in a dairy show talent contest. He sang “Old Shep” and won $5, finishing 2nd.
The Tokens reunited for one Concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall after more than a decade apart.
Top Single:
“Oh Pretty Woman” Roy Orbison #1 1964
“Candida” Dawn #3 1970
George Goldner (End Records President) signed The Flamingos.
Bob Dylan showcased at New York’s Carnegie Hall Annex. Fifty three people showed up.
Top Single:
“Hurt So Bad” The Lettermen #18 1969
“Another One Bites The Dust” Queen #1 1980
Birthday:
Arlene Smith (The Chantels) 1941
Patti LaBelle (The Bluebelles) 1944
Cream – The 3 ½ year old “Supergroup” led by Eric Clapton began its farewell tour. All three of their LP’s were million sellers.
Top Single:
“Mack The Knife” Bobby Darin #1 1959
The Elegants follow-up to their #1 “Little Star”, “Please Believe Me” was issued. They recorded 12 more 45’s but never charted again.
After living together for 9 years, ABBA members Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Anderson finally married.
Top Single:
“Glory of Love” The Five Keys #1 R&B 1951
“Sherry” The 4 Seasons” #1 1962
The Crests first single “My Juanita” was released. The record reached #86 Pop and the group members each earned $17.50.
The Mama’s & The Papa’s British tour and TV appearances were canceled when Mama Cass Elliot was jailed for a night, accused of stealing items from a hotel.
Top Single:
“The Letter” The Box Tops #1 1967
“Everybody Plays The Fool” The Main Ingredient #4 1972
Birthday: Tony Sylvester (The Main Ingredient” 1941
The Emotions “Don’t Ask My Neighbors” (#44 Pop, #7 R&B) charted as the follow up to their mega-hit “Best Of My Love” (#1 Pop & R&B). It was their 17th of 30 R&B hits between 1969 and 1984.
Top Single:
“Last Train To Clarksville” The Monkees #6 1966
Birthday:
Fred Cash (The Impressions) 1940
Shirley Gunter and The Queens, a Los Angeles female quartet, hit the R&B singles survey with “Oop Shoop” (#*). By the time “Oop Shoop” was released Shirley (sister of Coasters member Cornel Gunter” was legally blind.
Eddie Cochran recorded “C’mon Everybody”.
Top Single:
“Bristol Stomp” The Dovells #5 1961
“Hit The Road Jack” Ray Charles #1 1961
The Dells opened a weeks engagement headlining at New York’s Apollo Theater.
Aerosmith members Joe Perry and Steven Tyler were injured when an over zealous fan launched a “Cherry Bomb” on to the stage in Philadelphia.
Top Single:
“Dancing In The Streets” Martha &
The Vandellas #3 1964
“Mr. Custer” Larry Verne #1 1960
Birthday:
Cyril Neville (The Neville Brothers) 1948
The Cowsills last of seven Top 100 entries, Silver Threads (MGM #74) charted.
“Love Me Do” become the first Beatles 45 to chart when it debuted at #49 on the British hit list.
Top Single:
“Dance With Me” The Orleans #7 1975
“When I Think Of You” Janet Jackson #1 1986
Johnnie Ray’s “Just Walkin’ In The Rain” entered the U.K. charts. The million selling American hit was co-written by Johnny Bragg & Robert Riley, two inmates at the Tennessee State Prison.
Top Single:
“Sugar Shack” Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs #1 1963
The Heartbeats classic, “A Thousand Miles Away” (#53 Pop, #5 R&B) was released. The groups lead singer, James Sheppard, wrote the standard while lounging in his bath tub.
The term “Beatlemania” coined after a near riot at a TV show, Sunday Night at The London Palladium, where the “Mop Tops” appeared.
Top Single:
“Tears On My Pillow” Little Anthony &
The Imperials #4 1958
“It’s All In The Game” Tommy Edwards #1 1958
Birthday:
Marie Osmond (The Osmonds) 1959
The Rays timeless tune “Silhouettes” charted en route to #3.
19 year old Buddy Holly and his friend Bob Montgomery were opening act (as Buddy & Bob) in their hometown of Lubbock, TX for visiting rock start Bill Haley & The Comets. The next day they opened for Elvis Presley.
Top Single:
“Happy, Happy Birthday Baby”
The Tune Weavers #4 R&B 1957
“Kiss You All Over” Exile #1 1978
Danny & The Juniors, hit artists of the era-defining “At The Hop” left ABC Records and signed with Swan Records of Philadelphia.
During a concert leader of The Kinks, Ray Davies, announced his retirement and then immediately checked into Whittington Hospital in England after swallowing a bottle of uppers.
Top Single:
“I’ve Got You Under My Skin” The 4 Seasons #9 1966
Birthday:
Marv Johnson (The Seranaders) 1938
Tito Jackson (The Jacksons) 1953
Classic 45’s “Bells Of St. Mary’s” by Lee Andrews & The Hearts and “Ling, Ting Tong” by The Five Keys (#28 Pop, #5 R&B) were released.
Joan Baez and 123 others were arrested for blocking the entrance to the armed forces induction center in Oakland during draft demonstrations. She spent 10 days in jail.
Top Single:
“Runaround Sue” Dion & The Del Satins #2 1961
Disco Duck” Rick Dees #1 1976
Birthday:
Wendy Wilson (Wilson Phillips) 1969
Dion & The Belmonts split up. Dion stayed with Laurie Records while The Belmonts formed their own Sabina Records.
Top Single:
“Save The Last Dance For Me” The Drifters #1 1960
Richard Nader’s legendary first Rock & Roll Revival Concert in New York included The Five Satins.
Hard to believe, but for the first time in Rock history females held the top 3 spots on the charts. Janet Jackson (“When I Think of You”) Tina Turner (“Typical Male”) and (“True Colors”).
Top Single:
“I Can’t Get Next To You” The Temptations #1 1969
Birthday:
Russ Giguere (The Association) 1943
Backup vocalist for Gene Vincent, Tommy Facenda, charted with a most unique single, “High School USA” which was issued with 28 different versions each mentioning the names of different schools in major metropolitan areas. Collectively the record reached #28.
Top Single:
“Emotions” Mariah Carey #1 1991
The two biggest names in 50’s Rock &Roll, Bill Haley & The Comets and Elvis Presley performed on the same bill at Brooklyn High School in Cleveland.
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame held its second induction awards honoring the class of 1999 and 2000. the “99” class included The Ink Spots, The Imperials, Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, The Moonglows and The Four Seasons among others. 2000 included The Flamingos, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Dion & The Belmonts, The Drifters and The Mama’s & The Papa’s. The awards hosts were music historian Jay Warner and The Supremes Mary Wilson.
Top Single:
“Monster Mash” Bobby “Boris” Pickett #1 1962
“Rock-in Robin” Bobby Day & The Satellites #1 R&B
Birthday:
Jay Siegel (The Tokens) 1939
Bobby Day & The Hollywood Flames recorded their soon-to-be hit, “Buzz, Buzz, Buzz” (#11 Pop, #5 R&B). Also in the group at the time was The Penguins Curtis Williams.
Buddy Holly’s last formal recording session included “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” and “True Love Ways”. It was done at Coral Records 80th street New York studio.
Top Single:
“Never My Love” The Association #3 1967
“To Sir With Love” Lulu #1 1967
Birthday:
Norman Wright (The Dell-Vikings) 1937
Garfield Bright (Shai) 1969
Ted Taylor of The cadets died in a car accident while touring Louisiana.
Top Single:
“Go Away Little Girl” The Happenings #17 1966
50,000 watt, black radio giant, WDIA in Memphis began banning all records with (what was then considered) suggestive lyrics including The Drifters “Honey Love”, The Bess “Toy Bell” and the entire “Annie” series by The Midnighters et al.
The first female vocal group to top the U.S. album charts were The Supremes with “Supremes a Go Go”.
Top Single:
“I Love How You Love Me” The Paris Sisters #7 1961
“Runaround Sue” Dion & The Del Satins #1 1961
Birthday:
Barbara Ann Hawkins (The Dixie Cups) 1943
Perry Lee Tavares (Tavares) 1954
Davis Thomas (Take 6) 1966
Clyde McPhatter recorded with The Drifters for the last time. The only released single from the session was “Everybody’s Laughing”
Keith Richards punishment for a Heroin possession charge in Canada was a one year suspension and an order to play a charity concert for the blind.
Top Single:
“I’ll Be There” The Jackson Five #1 1970
“Do Wha Diddy Diddy” Manfred Mann #1 1964
Gladys Knight & The Pips “Friendship Train” (#17 Pop, #4 R&B) became their lucky 13th of 66 Pop charters from 1961 through 1994.
John Lennon sued the U.S. Government alleging his phone was tapped while he was fighting a deportation order.
Top Single:
“To Each His Own” Faith, Hope & Charity #1 R&B 1975
“Bad Blood” Neil Sedaka #1 1975
A year and 22 days after Bob Dylan played before only 53 people at the Carnegie Hall Annex, he played to a sell out crowd at Carnegie Hall.
Top Single:
“Mack The Knife” Bobby Darin #1 1959
The Flamingos first for End, “That Love Is You” was released however its flip side “Lovers Never Say Goodbye” became the classic hit (#52 Pop, #25 R&B). “Lovers” was originally released under the title, “Please Wait For Me”.
Ben E. King began his solo career after leaving The Drifters when he recorded four songs including “Spanish Harlem” and “Stand By Me”.
Top Single:
“Do You Love Me” The Contours #2 1962
“Monster Mash” Bobby “Boris” Pickett #1 1962
The Cellos “Girlie That I Love” was released.
The Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond hit collaboration on “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” was not their first performance encounter. In fact, they sang together at New York City’s Erasmus Hall High School in the school choir during the 60’s.
Top Single:
“Besame Mucho” The Ray O Vacs #5 R&B 1950
“Hot Child In The City” Nick Gilder #1 1978
Birthday:
Telma Hopkins (Dawn) 1948
The R&B group, The Diamonds recorded their initial four sides including the exquisite debut disc
“A Beggar Four Your Kisses”
Top Single:
“Black Denim Trousers” The Cheers #6 1955\
Birthday:
Eugene Daughtry (The Intruders) 1939
Joey Dee & The Starliters “Peppermint Twist” was released. It reached #1.
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame held their inaugural induction ceremonies at the Hall’s museum in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Among those inducted were The Mills Brothers, The Ravens, The Orioles, The Original Drifters, The Platters, The Beach Boys, The Supremes and The Manhattan Transfer.
The event was hosted by legendary D.J’s Martha Jean(The Queen) Steinberg, Jack “The Rapper” Gibson and music historian and author Jay Warner.
Top Single:
If You Leave Me Now” Chicago #1 1976 “A Lovers Concerto” The Toys #2 1965
Probably the most perfect sounding vocal group single ever issued, The Flamingos third 45, “Golden Teardrops” was released.
Johnny Burnette’s “You’re 16” charted eventually reaching #8, the same day Jerry Butler’s “He Will Break Your Heart” charted but reached #7.
Top Single:
“Baby Love” The Supremes #1 1964
Birthday:
Otis Williams (The Temptations) 1941