John Lodge, the enduring bassist and vocalist of British rock pioneers The Moody Blues, has died at the age of 82. His family confirmed the news Friday, saying the rock icon passed “suddenly and unexpectedly,” but peacefully, surrounded by his family—and poignantly, the classic sounds of The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly. Born in Birmingham, […]
1957 – Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra introduced the Ford Edsel on an hour long special. 1963 – In Britain, the Beatles appeared on the ITV’s “Sunday Night at the Palladium.” It was their first appearance on a major TV show. 1967 – Pat Boone, the owner of the Oakland Oaks, sang the national anthem […]
1940 – Lanny Ross recorded “Moonlight and Roses.” 1958 – Eddie Cochran recorded “C’mon Everybody.” 1962 – The BBC banned the song “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett. 1966 – The self-titled debut album from The Monkees was released.
1959 – Bobby Darin became the youngest performer to headline the Sands Hotel’s Copa Room in Las Vegas, NV. Johnny Mathis held the previous record (he had been 23). 1964 – The Rolling Stones announced they had cancelled a planned tour in South Africa because of an anti-apartheid embargo by the British Musicians’ Union. 1967 […]
1956 – The show “Lawrence Welk’s Top Tunes and New Talent” debuted. 1957 – Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the song “Great Balls Of Fire.” 1968 – Cass Elliot debuted as a solo act in Las Vegas, NV. She cancelled the two-week gig after one night because of a throat hemorrhage. 1980 – Prince released the […]
1950 – “The Frank Sinatra Show” debuted. 1954 – Marian Anderson became the first black singer to be hired by New York’s Metropolitan Opera Company. 1957 – RCA Victor announced that they had already received 500,000 advance orders for Elvis’ Christmas album. 1964 – The Beatles appeared on “Shindig!” The show was taped in London […]
1968 – “The Doors are Open” was aired on British TV. The show was a documentary about the Doors. 1969 – For the first time in Beatles history a George Harrison song got the A side of a 45, “Something”/”Come Together.” 1976 – “Disco Duck” by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots received a […]
1961 – “Banks of the Ohio” was released by Joan Baez. 1965 – The Who made their debut on U.S. TV on the show “Shindig!” 1967 – The Grateful Dead, all six members, were arrested for possession of marijuana. They were released six hours later on bail. 1976 – John Belushi came out on stage […]
At the premiere of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere at the New York Film Festival, Bruce Springsteen made a dramatic, surprise appearance—performing and issuing one of his most pointed political statements to date. As the film traces his emotional journey through the making of Nebraska and the depression that shadowed his early 30s, Springsteen seized […]
1954 – Julie Andrews made her first Broadway appearance in “The Boy Friend.” 1961 – Bob Dylan played harmonica for the recording of Carolyn Hester’s first Columbia album. 1965 – Donovan made his U.S. television debut on the show “Shindig!” 1966 – “I Love My Dog” was released by Cat Stevens. It was his first […]