Oldies

1962 - Ringo Starr was picked to replace Pete Best as the drummer for the Beatles. Best had been with the group for about 2 1/2 years. 1966 - The Monkees' first single "Last Train to Clarksville" was released. 1974 - In New York, the Ramones made their debut CBGB's . 1977 - Elvis Presley died at the age of 42 in Memphis, TN. He died of coronary arrhythmia. 1983 […]

1941 - "Au Revoir, Pleasant Dreams" was recorded by Ben Bernie and his orchestra. 1958 - Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago were married in a private ceremony at his parents home in Lubbock, TX. 1965 - The Beatles set a record for having the largest single crowd at a concert at Shea Stadium in New York. Attendance was 56,000. 1969 - The Woodstock Music and Art Fair began in […]

1956 - A Washington, DC, DJ, Bob Rickman, created the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Elvis Presley. 1970 - Stephen Stills was arrested on cocaine possession charges at a motel in La Jolla, CA. He was released on $2,500 bail. 1976 - Nick Lowe's debut solo single, "So It Goes," was released. 1985 - Michael Jackson outbid Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono for the ATV music-publishing catalog. Jackson […]

1952 - In Los Angeles, CA, the original version of "Hound Dog" was recorded by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton. 1965 - The Jefferson Airplane made its stage debut at the Matrix Club in San Francisco, CA. 1965 - The Beatles album "Help!" was released in the United States. 1967 - The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to allow Joan Baez to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, […]

On August 30, Verve/UMe is set to release Sarah Vaughan's Golden Hits on vinyl in two different color options: black and gold. Remastered at Capitol Studios from the original analog tapes, this collection of an even-dozen of the legendary jazz vocalist's greatest performances showcases the scope of her wide vocal range, bop-phrasing innovations, and expert yet effortless vibrato control. Upon the album's original release in November 1961, a featured review […]

It was 50 years ago today, on August 8, 1969, that the world's most famous band stepped out from London's EMI Recording Studios to stride, single-file, across the black and white stripes of Abbey Road's nearby zebra crossing. With photographer Iain Macmillan balanced on a stepladder and one policeman stopping the street's light traffic, The Beatles crossed back and forth three times, led by John Lennon, followed by Ringo Starr, […]

1960 - 25,000 copies of "Tell Laura I Love Her" were destroyed by Decca Records. It was said that the song was "too tasteless and vulgar for English sensibility." 1970 - Janis Joplin bought a headstone for the grave of blues singer Bessie Smith. Smith was one of Joplin's idols. 1975 - Hank Williams, Jr. fell 500 feet down a mountain in Montana. After, two years of surgeries he returned […]