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Music History - December 30

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The great Bo Diddley was born on this date in 1928 (died in 2008).

Del Shannon was born today in 1934 (died in 1990).

In 1942, Frank Sinatra started an eight-week run of live performances at New York's Paramount Theatre. Nearly 400 policemen were needed to handle his screaming "bobbysoxer" fans.

In 1944, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys made their Grand Ole Opry debut.

In 1950, at the National Studios in New York City, the Dominoes, a group that included Billy Ward and Clyde McPhatter, recorded the sexually suggestive novelty song "Sixty Minute Man," with Bill Brown taking the lead vocal. In the spring of 1951, despite being banned by many US radio stations, the record rose to #1 on the R&B charts, where it remained for 14 weeks.

In 1952, at the Capitol recording studio in Hollywood, Nat "King" Cole recorded "Pretend."

In 1956, at Reco-Art Sound Recording in Philadelphia, Charlie Gracie recorded "Butterfly." It topped the charts in mid-April of 1957, two weeks after the Andy Williams version of the song had reached #1.

In 1957, Don Gibson released the single "Oh Lonesome Me" b/w "I Can't Stop Lovin' You."

In 1957, Noble "Thin Man" Watts was the guest performer on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand."

In 1962, Brenda Lee was slightly injured when she ran back into her burning Nashville home to rescue her poodle, Cee Cee. However, it was too late as the pet succumbed to smoke inhalation and the home was destroyed by the flames. Brenda's hit, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", that featured Boots Randolph on saxophone, was still riding high on the charts.

In 1962, Ike & Tina Turner and the Ikettes played the Cocoanut Grove in Sacramento, California.

In 1962, the BBC began filming "Madhouse on Castle Street," a play featuring a cameo by Bob Dylan singing his recently-recorded "Blowin' In The Wind."

In 1964, "Shindig!" on ABC-TV featured Mary Wells, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Rydell, Vic Dana, and Willie Nelson.

In 1965, ABC-TV's "Shindig!" featured performances by the Who, the Kinks, the Hollies, Manfred Man, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Marianne Faithfull, Adam Faith, and Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames.

In 1966, in New York City, the Young Rascals recorded "I've Been Lonely Too Long."

In 1967, songwriter ("Hang On Sloopy,""Piece Of My Heart,""I Want Candy,""Twist And Shout" to name a few) /record producer/record label co-owner (Bang) Bert Berns died of heart failure at age 38.

In 1967, "Hello Goodbye" became the Beatles 15th Billboard #1 hit. The flip side, "I Am The Walrus" reached #56, the lowest ranking for any charted "B" side of a Beatles number one single. John Lennon wrote nonsense words for "Walrus" after learning that a teacher at his old primary school was having his students analyze Beatles' lyrics.

In 1968, Vanilla Fudge performed at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, with Led Zeppelin as their opening act.


On December 30, 1968, in Los Angeles, Frank Sinatra recorded his signature song "My Way." Paul Anka heard the original 1967 French pop song, Comme d'habitude (as usual) performed by Claude François, while on holiday in the south of France. Back in New York, Anka re-wrote the original French song for Sinatra, subtly altering the melodic structure and changing the lyrics.  Sinatra released it in early 1969 on the album of the same name and as a single. It reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Easy Listening chart in the US. In the UK, the single achieved a still unmatched record, becoming the recording with the most weeks inside the Top 40, spending 75 weeks from April 1969 to September 1971. It spent a further 49 weeks in the Top 75 but never bettered the #5 slot achieved upon its first chart run.  "My Way" is often quoted as the most covered song in history.

In 1968, Peter Tork quit The Monkees, buying himself out of his contract for $160,000, which left him broke. He went on to form a group called Release and played banjo on George Harrison's soundtrack to the film Wonderwall. He later did some club performances and live television appearances before intermittently returning to The Monkees in 1986.

In 1969, Peter, Paul & Mary's recording of the John Denver composition "Leaving On a Jet Plane" was certified Gold.

In 1970, Elvis Presley toured FBI headquarters in Washington DC. He requests and was given a permit to carry a gun in every state.

Also in 1970, Paul McCartney sued the other three Beatles to dissolve the partnership and gain control of his interest.

In 1972, Bruce Springsteen opened for Brownsville Station and Sha-Na-Na at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1976, ABBA, the world's most successful singing group of the seventies, are awarded a US Gold record for their 'Greatest Hits' album. Despite the title of the compilation, only half of the tracks had actually charted as hit singles.

On this day in 1976, "Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" by Rod Stewart was the #1 song.

In 1978, after selling over 35 million albums since forming in 1970, Emerson, Lake and Palmer announced that they are splitting up. 

In 1978, XTC played live for the first time in the US in Philadelphia.

In 1979, composer Richard Rogers died at the age of 77.

In 1981, the J. Geils Band album 'Freeze-Frame' was awarded a Gold record. The LP would reach number one on the Billboard Hot 200 chart in February 1982 and remain at the top for four weeks on the strength of the hit singles "Centerfold" and "Freeze Frame."

In 1993, lyricist/composer Mack David, older brother of songwriter Hal David, died at age 81.

In 1995, 55 year-old Clarence Satchell, guitarist and saxophone player for the '70s R&B group the Ohio Players, died from a brain aneurysm. The group placed eight songs in the Billboard Top 40, including two chart toppers, "Fire" in 1974 and "Love Rollercoaster" in 1976.

In 1998, Johnny Moore, lead singer for the Drifters on their 1960s hit "Under The Boardwalk", died at the age of 64.

In 1999, George Harrison was attacked by an intruder in his Oxfordshire mansion. At about 3:00 a.m., Michael Abram, a 33 year old Liverpudlian, stabbed Harrison several times in the chest. With the help of wife Olivia and son Dhani, Abram was hit over the head with a lamp and then detained until police arrived. Harrison suffered a collapsed lung but eventually recovered from the wound. Abram would later be found not guilty by reason of insanity and less than two years after his trial, was given a conditional discharge. 

In 1999, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits an OBE (Order of the British Empire).

In 2000, the first year of the new millennium was a good one for several classic rockers. Pollstar's Top 10 list of tours showed that the number 1 concert draw was Tina Turner with earnings of $80.2 million from her Twenty Four Seven farewell tour. Fourth place was earned by Kiss, at $62.7 million, and eighth spot was Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young with $42.1 million.

In 2002, according to a Nielsen SoundScan survey, total CD album sales were down 10.7% in 2002, marking the sharpest sales decrease from the previous year in the 11-year tracking history. It was the second straight year the market declined, following steady growth since Nielsen first began tracking the US market in 1991. Total album sales in 2002 were 681 million, compared with 762.8 million the previous year. Country album sales posted the largest increase, as sales rose 12.2% from 2001. This rise was largely fuelled by such crossover sensations as The Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, Alan Jackson, and Faith Hill.

In 2004, bandleader/musician/composer Artie Shaw died of complications from diabetes at the age of 94.

In 2006, R&B singer Brandy was involved in a four-car crash that left one woman dead, after the singer failed to slow down and hit the back of another car. No alcohol or drugs were involved.

In 2006, it was announced that Rod Stewart would receive a CBE from the Queen.

In 2009, musicians Burton Cummings of the Guess Who and Neil Young were among those named by Governor General Michaëlle Jean as an officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest civilian honors, established in 1967 to mark a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation.

In 2010, Bobby Farrel, vocalist for Boney M, who topped the charts with "By the Rivers of Babylon" in 1978, died of natural causes at the age of 61.

In 2010, retired New York City policeman/doo-wop singer Nick Santo (born Santamaria), lead vocalist of the Capris, died of heart failure at 69.

birthdays today include (among others): Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary) (76), Kenny Pentifallo (Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes) (73), Michael Nesmith (Monkees) (71), Patti Smith (67), Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull) (67), Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra, Traveling Wilburys) (66)

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