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[Click for more information on Ron Smith's Chicago Chart books]

[Oldies Music Calendar]

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Here are the Births, Deaths
and Events this week in
Rock 'n' Roll History

Sunday February 7

  • Sammy Johns ("Chevy Van") is 64
  • The late King Curtis ("Soul Twist") is born in 1934
  • Matt Monro ("My Kind Of Girl") dies of liver cancer, 1985
  • A thousand people (including Phil Everly) show up for Buddy Holly's funeral in Lubbock, Texas and Ritchie Valens is laid to rest in San Fernando, California, 1959
  • The Beatles arrive at Kennedy Airport in New York for their first American tour, 1964
  • A bill is sponsored to make "Tutti Frutti" the official Georgia state song (it fails), 1989
  • The Rolling Stones' "Shine A Light" documentary premieres at the Berlin Film Featival, 2008
  • The TV mini-series "Elvis And Me" (based on Priscilla Presley's book) begins airing on ABC, 1981
  • Mary Hopkin and the Moody Blues guest on the first "This Is Tom Jones" on ABC-TV, 1969
  • Davy Jones guests on an episode of NBC-TV's "My Two Dads", 1988
  • The Jive Five record "My True Story", 1961

Monday February 8

  • The late "England" Dan Seals ("I'd Really Love To See You Again") is born in 1950
  • Ray Sharpe ("Linda Lu") is 72
  • Larry Verne ("Please Mr. Custer") is 74
  • Del Shannon ("Hats Off To Larry") dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, 1990
  • Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood form Blind Faith, 1969
  • Peter and Gordon split up, 1967
  • Buddy Holly signs a recording contract with Decca Records (the contract leaves off the "E" in his last name, "Holley" so he drops it from his stage name, as well), 1956
  • Don Felder files suit against the Eagles after being ousted from the band, 2001
  • The publisher of "Louie Louie" offers $1,000 to anyone who can find suggestive lyrics in the song, 1964
  • The Who (minus the late Keith Moon) reunite for their 25th anniversary, at a London awards ceremony, 1988
  • The Dave Clark Five begin filming their "Catch Us If You Can" (AKA "Having A Wild Weekend") movie, 1965
  • Cher opens on Broadway in "Come Back To The Five And Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean", 1982
  • Tom Jones guests on NBC-TV's "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air", 1993

Tuesday February 9

  • Carole King ("It's Too Late") is 69
  • Barry Mann ("Who Put The Bomp" and prolific songwriter) is 71
  • Barbara Lewis ("Hello Stranger") is 67
  • Major Harris ("Love Won't Let Me Wait") is 63
  • Bill Haley ("Rock Around The Clock") dies of a heart attack in 1981
  • Tyrone Davis ("Can I Change My Mind") dies after a stroke, 2005
  • Percy Faith ("Theme From A Summer Place") dies of cancer in 1976
  • Bobby Darin enters a Los Angeles hospital for surgery to replace a faulty heart valve (he survives this operation), 1971
  • Frankie Avalon contracts pneumonia and is forced to leave the Winter Dance Party tour (Paul Anka and Fabian eventually fill-in for him), 1959
  • Roger Daltrey of the Who receives a "Commander of the Order of the British Empire" medal from Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, 2005
  • Wings make their concert debut, at Nottingham University in England, 1972
  • The Beatles perform for 73 million Americans on CBS-TV's "Ed Sullivan Show", 1964
  • Bobby Darin appears on an episode of "Night Gallery" on NBC-TV, 1972
  • Neil Sedaka records "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" (the original version), 1962

Wednesday February 10

  • Roberta Flack ("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face") is 71
  • The late Ral Donner ("You Don't Know What You've Got") is born in 1943
  • Freddie Bell ("Giddy Up A Ding Dong") dies, 2008
  • Producer Phil Spector is seriously burned in a car crash, but recovers, 1974
  • The Oklahoma State Senate passes a resolution hooring Wanda Jackson, 2009
  • The San Diego school board apologizes to Pete Seeger for asking him to sign a loyalty oath before performing at a school there 49 years earlier , 2009
  • The "Annette" serial begins on ABC-TV's "Mickey Mouse Club", 1958
  • Oprah Winfrey gets the first interview in fifteen years with Michael Jackson on her prime-time ABC-TV special, 1993
  • Elton John performs at the National Basketball Association All-Star Game in Philadelphia, 2002
  • Chad & Jeremy guest on CBS-TV's "Dick Van Dyke Show", 1965
  • Little Richard records "Long Tall Sally", 1956

Thursday February 11

  • The late Gene Vincent ("Be-Bop-A-Lula") is born in 1935
  • Sergio Mendes ("The Fool On The Hill") is 75
  • The late Bobby "Boris" Pickett ("Monster Mash") is born in 1940
  • Leon Haywood ("I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You") is 68
  • Songwriter Gerry Goffin (wrote tunes like "Up On The Roof" with partner and then-wife Carole King) is 74
  • Estelle Bennett of the Ronettes ("Be My Baby") is discovered dead in her Englewood, New Jersey apartment, 2009
  • Ringo Starr marries his first wife, Maureen Cox, in London, 1965
  • Diana Ross is granted a divorce from her Norwegian bussinessman husband of 14 years, 2000
  • Chris Squire of Yes undergoes leg surgery, forcing the group to cancel the remaining dates on their tour, 2009
  • A gunman at an Isley Brothers concert in Los Angeles shoots three people before being fatally shot himself by police, 2000
  • The Beatles hold their first American concert, at the Colliseum in Washington, DC, 1964
  • Joan Baez, Booker T. & the MG's, the Grateful Dead and the Doors are all given Lifetime Achievement Grammy awards, 2007
  • The TV movie "Elvis" (with Kurt Russell in the title role) airs on ABC, 1979
  • The Beatles record "Twist & Shout" and "I Saw Her Standing There" (as well as most of the songs on their first British album, "Please Please Me"), 1963
  • Cher records "Bang Bang", 1966

Friday February 12

  • Gene McDaniels ("Chip Chip") is 75
  • The late Lorne Greene ("Ringo") is born in 1915
  • Ray Manzarek of the Doors ("Touch Me") says he's 71
  • Eldee Young of the Ramsey Lewis Trio ("Hang On Sloopy") and Young/Holt Unlimited ("Soulful Strut") dies of a heart attack, 2007
  • Sal Mineo ("Start Movin'") is stabbed to death during an apparent robbery, 1976
  • Sammi Smith ("Help Me Make It Through The Night") dies after a long illness, 2005
  • "Screamin'" Jay Hawkins ("I Put A Spell On You") dies in 2000
  • Oliver ("Good Morning Starshine") dies of cancer in 2000
  • Chynna Phillips (of Wilson Phillips) is born to John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas, 1968
  • Tiny Tim runs for mayor of New York (and amazingly, loses), 1989
  • Jimi Hendrix is given an honorary high school diploma and the key to his hometown of Seattle, Washington, 1968
  • London police bust Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull on drug charges (and no, she was not found with a Mars bar in an indelicate place, despite rumors to the contrary), 1967
  • The Miracles' "Shop Around" becomes Motown's first million-selling single, 1961
  • "Screamin'" Jay Hawkins records "I Put A Spell On You" in 1956

Saturday February 13

  • Peter Tork of the Monkees ("Words") is 66
  • The late "Tennessee" Ernie Ford ("Sixteen Tons") is born in 1919
  • The late King Floyd ("Groove Me") is born in 1945
  • Peter Gabriel ("Games Without Frontiers" and one-time member of Genesis) is 59
  • Miss Toni Fisher ("The Big Hurt") dies of a heart attack in 1999
  • Waylon Jennings (country star and the person who, as a member of the Crickets, gave up his seat to the Big Bopper on "the day the music died") dies of complications from diabetes, 2002
  • The first of Michael Jackson's children, Prince is born in 1997
  • Don & Phil Everly graduate from Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego and Don marries British actress Venetia Stevenson (the marriage lasts eight years), 1962
  • Jimmy McCracklin is named to the Blues Hall of Fame, 2008
  • "Al Green Day" is declared in Los Angeles, 1978
  • Marvin Gaye sings the national anthem at the National Baskbetball Association All-Star Game in Los Angeles, 1983
  • Gary Lewis records "Count Me In", 1965
  • Jefferson Starship records "Miracles", 1975


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