Significant Events In Music This Week - 5.23 - 5.29
May 23rd In Music
1973 - Jefferson Airplane were prevented from giving a free concert in Golden Gate Park when San Francisco authorities passed a resolution banning electronic instruments. The group later wrote 'We Built this City' about the ban.
2006 - The King of Sweden presented the surviving members of Led Zeppelin with the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm recognizing them as "great pioneers" of rock music. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were joined by the daughter of drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980. The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group ABBA who named it after his record label, Polar Records.
Birthdays:
1934 - Dr. Robert Moog. Inventor of the synthesizer. He built his first electronic instrument, a theremin, at the age of 14 and made the MiniMoog, "the first compact, easy-to-use synthesizer" in 1970. Born in New York City. He died on 8.21.2005.
1946 - Daniel Klein. Bassist with American rock band The J Geils Band, who had the 1982 US No. 1 single 'Centerfold' which was taken from their US No. 1 1981 album Freeze Frame. Born in The Bronx, New York City.
1947 - Bill Hunt. Keyboardist and horn player for Electric Light Orchestra. Born in Birmingham, England.
1953 - Rick Fenn. English rock guitarist, best known for being a member of 10cc since 1976. He has also collaborated with Mike Oldfield, Rick Wakeman and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Born in England.
May 24th In Music
1975 - Earth, Wind & Fire went to No. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Shining Star', the group's first and only US No. 1.
Birthdays:
1938 - Tommy Chong. Comedian of Cheech & Chong. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Not a musician, but I don’t care.)
1944 - Patti Labelle. American singer, songwriter, who scored the 1975 US No. 1 single 'Lady Marmalade', and the 1986 US No. 1 single with Michael McDonald, 'On My Own'. Labelle became the the first African-American vocal group to land the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1947 - Albert Bouchard. Drummer, guitarist, songwriter, from American hard rock band Blue Oyster Cult who scored the 1976 US No. 12 single '(Don't Fear) The Reaper'. Blue Oyster Cult have sold over 24 million records worldwide. Born in Watertown, New York.
May 25th In Music
1967 - Procol Harum's 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' entered the UK chart for the first time, where it went on to become a No. 1 hit. 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' became the most played song in the last 75 years in public places in the UK (as of 2009). The first video for the song was shot in the ruins of Witley Court in Worcestershire, England.
1974 - Rick Wakeman became the first member of the group Yes to have a No. 1 album when 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth' went to the top of the charts.
1977 - The Star Wars title theme, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, is a No. 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and John Williams takes home numerous awards for the soundtrack, including an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award.
Birthdays:
1936 - Donnie Elbert. American soul singer and songwriter who had a 1972 US No. 22 single with ‘I Can’t Help Myself, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch’ and a hit with 'A Little Piece of Leather'. He died on 1.26.1989.
1948 - Klaus Meine. From German rock band Scorpions. Their 1990 power ballad 'Wind Of Change' topped the European charts and was a No. 4 hit in the US. The Scorpions hold the record for the best-selling single by a German artist and band. Born in Hanover, Germany.
1950 - Robert Steinhardt. From American rock band Kansas, who scored the 1978 US No. 3 single 'Dust In The Wind', and the 1978 hit single 'Carry On Wayward Son'. which was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No. 1 in 1997. Born in Illinois.
May 26th In Music
1966 - The Rolling Stones were at No. 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Paint It Black', their sixth UK No. 1 single. It was the first No. 1 single to feature a sitar on the recording.
1967 - The Beatles release their landmark album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in the UK.
2016 - A set of stamps celebrating 50 years of Pink Floyd were unveiled by the Royal Mail. The ten stamps which would be available the following month marked five decades since the band turned professional. The collection included the band's most famous album covers as well as live performance shots.
Birthdays:
1945 - Gary Peterson. Drummer from Canadian rock band Guess Who who had the 1970 US No. 1 single 'American Woman'. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
1948 - Stevie Nicks. American singer-songwriter, from Fleetwood Mac who scored the 1977 US No. 1 single 'Dreams', taken from the world-wide No. 1 album Rumours and the 1987 UK No. 5 single 'Little Lies.’ She scored the solo, 1981 US No. 1 album Bella Donna, and the 1989 hit single 'Rooms On Fire'. Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975 along with her then boyfriend, Lindsey Buckingham. Born in Phoenix, Arizona,
1964 - Lenny Kravitz. American singer, songwriter, who had the 1990 UK hit single 'Let Love Rule', the 1999 UK No. 1 single 'Fly Away', and the 1993 UK No. 1 album 'Are You Gonna Go My Way'. Kravitz has also worked with Mick Jagger, Madonna and David Bowie. Born in Manhattan, New York.
May 27th In Music
1957 - Buddy Holly and the Crickets released 'That'll Be The Day' which became a US No. 3 hit. The song had its genesis in a trip to the movies by Holly, Allison and Sonny Curtis in June 1956. The John Wayne film The Searchers was playing. Wayne's frequently used, world-weary catchphrase, “That'll be the day" was the Inspiration behind the song.
Birthdays:
1948 - Pete Sears. Bassist, keyboardist, guitarist for Jefferson Starship. Born in Bromley, Kent, England.
May 28th In Music
1968 - Creedence Clearwater Revival released their debut album. The band had played for years as the Golliwogs, Saul Zaentz who had bought Fantasy Records offered the band a chance to record an album on the condition that they change their name. The album features an 8 minute version of the Dale Hawkins song 'Suzie Q' which became the band's only Top 40 hit not written by John Fogerty.
1973 - Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon was on both the UK and US album charts. It remained in the US charts for 741 discontinuous weeks from 1973 to 1988, longer than any other album in history. (After moving to the Billboard Top Pop Catalog Chart, the album notched up a further 759 weeks, and had reached a total of over 1,500 weeks on the combined charts by May 2006).
Birthdays:
1917 - Papa John Creech. American blues violinist, with Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna. He had also worked with Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, Nat King Cole. Born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He died in 1994 aged 76.
1945 - John Fogerty. American musician, singer, and songwriter from Creedence Clearwater Revival who had the 1969 US No. 2 single 'Bad Moon Rising', plus ten other US Top 30 hits and the 1970 US No. 1 album Cosmo's Factory. After CCR parted ways in 1972 Fogerty had a successful solo career. Born in Berkeley, California.
May 29th In Music
1962 - Chubby Checker won a Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Recording for ‘Let's Twist Again’ and Ray Charles won Best Rhythm & Blues Recording for ‘Hit The Road Jack’.
1965 - The Beach Boys started a two week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Help Me Rhonda', the group's second US No. 1.
1969 - Crosby, Stills & Nash released their self-titled debut on Atlantic Records label. It spawned two Top 40 hits: 'Marrakesh Express' and 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes'.
1971 - The Rolling Stones started a two week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart with 'Brown Sugar', from Sticky Fingers. The first single released on Rolling Stones Records, it was the bands sixth US No. 1.
Birthdays:
1945 - Gary Brooker. English singer, songwriter, pianist and founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum who had the 1967 UK No.1 and US No.5 single A Whiter Shade Of Pale. (one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies) and scored the hits 'Homburg', 'Conquistador'. Brooker founded The Paramounts in 1962 with his guitarist friend Robin Trower and has also worked with Eric Clapton, Alan Parsons and Ringo Starr. Born in Hackney, East London, England.
1955 - Mike Porcaro. Bassist with American rock band Toto who had the 1980s Top 5 hits 'Hold the Line', 'Rosanna', and 'Africa'. The band has released 17 studio albums, and has sold over 40 million records worldwide. Born in Windsor, Connecticut. Porcaro died on 3.15.2015.
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