Music History - May 21

In 1955, Chuck Berry recorded "Maybellene," which would become his first hit record, reaching #5 on the US Pop chart and #1 on the R&B chart.  In the heyday of Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and the McGuire Sisters, it was one of the few rock 'n' roll songs to get any radio air play that year.  Rolling Stone magazine wrote, "Rock & roll guitar starts here." The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences and it was quickly covered by several other artists after its initial release.

In 1955, Eddie Calvert was at #1 on the UK singles chart with his version of "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White." The song from the film 'Underwater' had also been a #1 for Perez Prado in the same year.

In 1956, at the Municipal Auditorium in Topeka, Kansas, an estimated 2,500 fans stormed the stage during an Elvis Presley concert.

In 1956, Brenda Lee signed a recording contract with Decca Records.

Also in 1956, Doris Day released the single "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)."

In 1957, 16 year old Paul Anka records "Diana" at the ABC-Paramount studios in New York. The song would reach #1 in the US the following September and became the first of his 33 US Top 40 hits. It was also a chart topper in the UK.

In 1959, Jackie Wilson recorded "I'll Be Satisfied."

In 1961, at Owen Bradley's Quonset Hut Studio in Nashville, Brenda Lee recorded "Dum Dum."

In 1962, at the Cameo-Parkway Studios in Philadelphia, Dee Dee Sharp recorded "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)."

In 1963, 13 year-old Little Stevie Wonder recorded a song that would be his first #1 hit, "Fingertips Pt. 2" at a concert in Detroit. The 7 minute song was later edited into two parts for radio play.

In 1963, the Beatles, recorded two BBC radio programs at the Playhouse Theatre in London. They recorded five songs for Saturday Club and six songs for Steppin' Out.

In 1964, in New York City, the Drifters recorded "Under The Boardwalk," with Johnny Moore substituting for lead singer Rudy Lewis who was found dead the previous night.

In 1966, Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" enters the Billboard Hot 100, where it will reach #4 and become her biggest US hit. In the UK, it went all the way to #1.

Also in 1966, the Mamas and the Papas went to the top of the Billboard album chart with 'If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears,' which contained the singles "Monday Monday" and "California Dreamin'". The LP was initially credited to the grammatically incorrect The Mama's and The Papa's, which was corrected on later printings.

In 1966, the Castiles (with Bruce Springsteen on vocals) appeared at Freehold Regional High School in New Jersey. They were performing at their own high school for the very first time. All five members of the band were Juniors at Freehold High School.

In 1967, the Seekers performed "Georgy Girl" and Petula Clark sang a medley of her hits on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1968, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones was arrested for a second time for possession of cannabis.

In 1968, the Monkees performed at Olympia Stadium in Salt Lake City.

In 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recorded "Ohio." Young wrote the lyrics to "Ohio" after seeing the photos of the incident in Life Magazine.  On the evening that CSN&Y entered Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, the song had already been rehearsed, and the quartet with their regular rhythm section recorded it live in just a few takes. During the same session they recorded the single's equally direct B-side, Stephen Stills's ode to the war's dead, "Find the Cost of Freedom." The record was mastered with the participation of the four principals, rush-released by Atlantic and heard on the radio with only a few weeks delay.  Young termed the Kent State incident as "probably the biggest lesson ever learned at an American place of learning" and reported that "David Crosby cried when we finished this take." Indeed, Crosby can be heard keening "Four, why? Why did they die?" and "How many more?" in the fade.

In 1971, Free disbanded. Two members of the group went on to form Bad Company.

In 1971, Frank Zappa, with opening act Flo & Eddie, played the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Zappa threatened to end the show unless the rowdy audience stopped throwing objects (a grapefruit proved to be the last straw) onto the stage. They had come to see the zany Mothers of Invention Zappa rather than the serious musician.

In 1972, the Doors, Pink Floyd, the Faces, Family, Curved Air, Atomic Rooster, the Kinks, Rory Gallagher, Uriah Heep, Country Joe McDonald, Buddy Miles, Status Quo, Brinsley Schwarz, Spencer Davis, the Strawbs and Humble Pie all appeared at the 2nd British Rock Meeting, Insel Grun, Germersheim, West Germany. The festival was due to take place in Mannheim, West Germany, but after protests from the locals, the concert actually took place in nearby Germersheim.

In 1973, big band leader/trumpeter/actor/TV host/singer Vaughn Monroe died shortly after having stomach surgery at the age of 61.

In 1975, officials at Gatwick Airport in London announce that they will not permit a plane carrying the Osmonds to land there because when the group last visited the UK, twenty overly enthusiastic teens were injured.

In 1976, the Rolling Stones open a six night stand at London's Earl's Court Theatre. The indifference of the Stones' performance causes them to be targeted as "dinosaurs" by the growing British Punk movement.

In 1977, Rod Stewart was at #1 on the UK singles chart with the double-A sided single “I Don’t Want to Talk About It”/“The First Cut is the Deepest.”

In 1977, Stevie Wonder scored his sixth #1 record on the Billboard Pop chart with "Sir Duke", a song written as a tribute to Jazz legend, Duke Ellington. The song reached #2 in the UK.

In 1979, Elton John became the first solo rock artist to tour Russia when he played the first of eight concerts. He was currently enjoying chart success back in the USA with "Mama Can't Buy You Love", his first Top 10 hit in 2½ years.

Also in 1979, the Charlie Daniels Band released the single "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." The song was the band's biggest hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It was featured in the 1980 movie 'Urban Cowboy,' whose choreographer, Patsy Swayze, claims that she set the song's tempo. "How fast can you dance it?" Daniels asked. "How fast can you play it?" Swayze replied.

In 1980, after poor ticket sales at the venue caused him to cancel his second scheduled concert in Dayton, Ohio, Bob Dylan performed his last "gospel" show, eventually returning to secular music.

In 1980, a thief breaks into Electric Lady Studios in New York City, the recording studio built by Jimi Hendrix, and steals five Hendrix Gold records. They are for the albums 'Are You Experienced?''Axis: Bold as Love''Cry of Love''Rainbow Bridge' and 'Live at Monterey.'

Also in 1980, singer/guitarist Joe Strummer of the British punk group the Clash is arrested in Hamburg, Germany for hitting a fan on the head with his guitar. A fight broke out between the band and the audience following a concert.

In 1981, in St. Ann's, Jamaica, Bob Marley was laid to rest with full state honors.

In 1982, the world-famous Hacienda Club was opened in Manchester, England. Madonna made her U.K. TV debut at the club when C4 music show The Tube was broadcast live. It was home to many Manchester acts including Oasis, Happy Mondays, U2, The Smiths, Charlatans, James, M People, who all played at the club. The club closed in 1997.

In 1983, David Bowie went to #1 on the US singles chart with “Let’s Dance,” featuring blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.  It was Bowie’s first single to reach #1 on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 1985, Marvin Gaye released his last album, 'Dream of a Lifetime' featuring songs that critics considered too offensive, such as the controversial pop version of "The Lord’s Prayer." Three of the songs on the album were completed after Gaye’s death.

In 1989, "Forever Your Girl" by Paula Abdul was the #1 song.

In 1990, Morris Levy, founder/owner of Roulette Records, died at the age of 62.

In 1992, Bette Midler was Johnny Carson's last guest on his second-to-last "Tonight Show" on NBC-TV. She sang several songs, including a short duet with Carson, a rewritten version of "You Made Me Love You" (as 'You Made Me Watch You') and a moving version of "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)."

In 2000, Willie Nelson was a guest voice on Fox-TV's animated series "The Simpsons."

In 2006, in California, Madonna played the first of three sold-out nights at the Los Angeles Forum, the first dates on her 60-date Confessions Tour. It became the highest-grossing tour ever for a female artist, earning $260 million.

In 2006, country music singer  Billy Walker, his wife, and two band members were killed in a car crash while driving back to Nashville from a show in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Walker, a member of the Grand Ole Opry for 46 years, was 77.

In 2008, Lou Pearlman, the music mogul who created the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison over a decades-long scam that bilked thousands of investors out of their life savings. Many victims were Pearlman's relatives, friends and retirees in their 70s or 80s who lost everything. A view of the behind-the-scenes life of The Backstreet Boys is revealed in Gary James' interview with A.J. Mclean's mother, Denise McLean Solis

In 2009, at Toronto's Air Canada Centre, Sting, Sheryl Crowe and the Canadian Tenors headlined the One Night Live benefit concert, which raised more than $1.8 million for a local Women & Babies Program.

In 2011, Adele went to #1 on the US singles chart with "Rolling In The Deep," taken from her second studio album, '21.' The video to the song was nominated for seven MTV Video Music Awards nominations and was also the Billboard Year End Hot 100 Number One Single of 2011. And on February 12, 2012, "Rolling in the Deep" received three Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Short Form Music Video.

In 2011, Bob Dylan came out on top as both the most inspirational individual for poets and the dream collaborative partner, in a survey carried out by The Foyle Poetry Society. The extensive survey questioned poets asking which musician and which genre of music most inspired their writing. The young people, aged between 11 and 17, from countries throughout the world also voted for artists such as Regina Spektor, David Bowie, Florence and the Machine, Leonard Cohen, Morrissey and Pete Doherty.

In 2012, the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from a Boston University student who was successfully sued by the Recording Industry Association of America for illegally sharing music on peer-to-peer networks. In 2009, a jury ordered Tenenbaum to pay $675,000, or $22,500 for each song he illegally downloaded and shared.

In 2012, musician/singer/record label founder (Bel-Aire Recordings) Eddie Blazonczyk, Grammy award-winning "Polka King" and leader of the Versatones, died at the age of 70.

In 2013, Trevor Bolder, the bassist in David Bowie's legendary 1970s backing band Spiders From Mars, died from cancer at the age of 62. Bolder appeared on the studio albums 'Hunky Dory' (1971), 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' (1972), 'Aladdin Sane' (1973) and 'Pin Ups' (1973). He joined Uriah Heep in 1976, replacing John Wetton.

In 2013, Chris Brown was charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run and driving without a valid license following an accident in the San Fernando Valley, California. If convicted, the singer could face up to one year in jail with other recent incidents including an outburst at a valet, a parking lot brawl with Frank Ocean and a fight with Drake in a New York nightclub.

In 2013, pianist/film score composer/arranger and bandleader Bob Thompson died at the age of 88.

In 2013, Mack Emerman, founder of Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, where acts including Eric Clapton, James Brown and the Bee Gees made some of their most famous records, died of pneumonia at age 89.

In 2013, news reports surfaced that 47-year-old Janet Jackson had now become a billionaire on the strength of her album sales, music and book publishing fees and sold out tours.

birthdays today include (among others):  Ronald Isley (Isley Brothers) (73), Hilton Valentine (Animals) (71), John Dalton (Kinks) (71), Leo Sayer (66), Stan Lynch (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) (59), Mike Barson (Madness) (56) and Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) (51)