Today in Rock n Roll History

1959: Ray Charles recorded What’d I Say, which is widely credited as being the song that broke Charles mainstream.

1962: On weekend leave from marine training, The Everly Brothers appeared on the US Ed Sullivan show, in full uniform and with regulation cropped hair, singing their new single, ‘Crying In The Rain’.

1964: While in Miami for a concert, the Beatles meet up with Cassius Clay, who is training in the city for an upcoming bout with Sonny Liston.

1966: Beach Boy Brian Wilson recorded the future classic song ‘Good Vibrations’, which went on to become the band’s third U.S. number-one hit. As a child, his mother told him that dogs could pick up “vibrations” from people, so that the dog would bark at “bad vibrations” Wilson turned this into the general idea for the song.

1968: David Gilmour replaced Syd Barrett as guitarist & singer for Pink Floyd due to Barrett’s increasingly erratic behavior.(can you say LSD boys and girls)

1969: Lulu, best known for her hit single “To Sir with Love,” marries Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees.

1973: Long running radio concert series The King Biscuit Flower Hour premiered with guests Blood, Sweat and Tears & Bruce Springsteen.

1974: Kiss released their self-titled debut album on Casablanca Records. The album would later peak at number 87 on the Billboard 200 album chart & five songs from the album remain permanent staples in Kiss’ live set to this day.

1977: No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Blinded by the Light,” Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. The song is written by Bruce Springsteen and first appears on the New Jersey rocker’s album Greetings from Asbury Park.

1978: Winners at this years Grammy Awards included Fleetwood Mac, Album of the year for ‘Rumours’, The Eagles, Record of the year for ‘Hotel California’ and Best pop vocal performance, The Bee Gees for ‘How Deep Is Your Love.’

1999: Pop star turned disc jockey Bob Geldof, organizer of Live Aid, wins substantial but undisclosed damages from the Sun newspaper in London in a libel case over a story in which it falsely alleges that he had “groped, fondled and kissed” a nightclub stripper.

2000: An American court ordered the release of FBI files relating to John Lennon’s interests and activities including his support for the Irish Republican cause and the Workers Revolutionary Party. The British Government told the US that it wanted the files to remain secret. MI5 also had files on Lennon, which they had passed on the FBI during the 70’s.

2003: Styx released Cyclorama, their first album without founding member Dennis DeYoung. It contained guest appearances from Brian Wilson, Billy Bob Thornton, John Waite & Tenacious D & peaked at 127 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

2003: Country singer Johnny Paycheck, best known for his 1977 song “Take This Job and Shove It,” dies in a Nashville nursing home of emphysema and diabetes, among other problems. He is 64.

2010: According to Glaad.org, JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford will make a “special appearance” at the Los Angeles presentation of the 21st annual Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards on April 17 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS
1947: Dennis DeYoung singer for Styx
1953: Robbie Bachman drummer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive
1954: John Travolta actor and singer (remember Grease?)