Music History - August 13

In 1925, "The Prisoner's Song" by Vernon Dalhart became country music's first million-selling record. It charted for 32 weeks, twelve of them at #1, and eventually sold more than seven million copies, the biggest-selling non-holiday record of the pre-1955 era.

In 1938, blues singer/guitarist Robert Johnson gave his last performance near Greenwood, Mississippi and was allegedly poisoned by either the club's owner or a jealous girlfriend who put strychnine in an open bottle of whiskey. When offered the bottle, fellow bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson knocked it out of Johnson's hand, pointing out the potential danger of drinking from an open container at a public event. But Johnson drank from the next open bottle and died three days later. He was 27.

In 1952, the original version of "Hound Dog" was recorded by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton. It would become the first hit for the song-writing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and went on to top the Billboard R&B chart for seven weeks, selling nearly two million copies.

In 1953, in Hollywood, Dean Martin recorded "That's Amore." A soundtrack version of the song was included in the Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis movie "The Caddy," released three days earlier.

In 1955, due to the large number of Pop hits which are remakes of R&B hits, Savoy Records announces that those wanting to record cover versions of songs must obtain permission from the US copyright office.

In 1957, the guest performers on ABC-TV's "American Bandstand" were Sal Mineo and Jodi Sands.

In 1957, in Los Angeles, Frank Sinatra recorded "All The Way" and "Chicago," the A- and B-sides, respectively, of his next single release. Sinatra sang both songs in his movie "The Joker Is Wild."

In 1958, in Nashville, Johnny Cash recorded "Don't Take Your Guns to Town."

In 1959, at Owen Bradley's Quonset Hut studio in Nashville, Brenda Lee recorded "Sweet Nothin's."

In 1959, Bobby Darin signed his first movie contract, a $1 million, six-year, six-picture deal with Paramount Studios.

In 1963, the 4 Seasons sued their record label, Vee-Jay, for non-payment of royalties, then moved to the Philips label. This was one of several major incidents that led to the demise of Vee-Jay.

In 1963, Elvis Presley's 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' album was certified Gold.

In 1964, in Studio A at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, the Supremes recorded "Baby Love." Considered one of the most popular songs of the late 20th century, "Baby Love" was ranked #324 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was also the second of five Supremes songs in a row to go to number-one in the United States, reaching the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 on October 31, 1964, and staying there for four weeks

In 1964, Manfred Mann were at #1 on the UK singles chart with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy," the bands first of three UK #1's. The song which was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich was originally recorded in 1963 by the American vocal group the Exciters.

In 1964, the Kinks reach the UK charts for the first time with "You Really Got Me." The song will top the British list a month later and climb to #7 in the US.

In 1965, Jefferson Airplane made their live debut at San Francisco's Matrix Club. In the audience that night was future Jefferson Airplane/Starship member Grace Slick.The photograph of the members of Jefferson Airplane that was featured on the front cover of their best-known album, 'Surrealistic Pillow' (1967), was taken inside the Matrix.

Also in 1965, the Beatles arrived at Kennedy International Airport for a tour of North America. The set list for the tour was ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘She's a Woman’, ‘I Feel Fine’, ‘Dizzy Miss Lizzie’, ‘Ticket to Ride’, ‘Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby’, ‘Can't Buy Me Love’, ‘Baby's in Black’, ‘Act Naturally’, ‘A Hard Day's Night’, ‘Help!’, ‘I'm Down’ and ‘I Wanna Be Your Man.’ The tour was not a happy one for the Beatles, John Lennon took to screaming off-microphone obscenities at the audiences.

In 1966, 'Revolver,' the Beatles seventh album release in three years started a seven-week run at #1 on the UK charts. It spent a total of 34 week's on the UK chart and was also a US #1. The title 'Revolver,' like 'Rubber Soul' before it, is a pun, referring both to a kind of handgun as well as the "revolving" motion of the record as it is played on a turntable.

In 1967, the Daughters of the American Revolution were successful in preventing a Joan Baez concert at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC because of her opposition to the Vietnam War.

In 1967, Fleetwood Mac made their live debut when they appeared at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Windsor. Also on the bill Jeff Beck, Cream, Small Faces, the Move, Pink Floyd, Donovan and Chicken Shack.

In 1968, at EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, the Beatles recorded "Yer Blues." They also added overdubs to "Sexy Sadie," a track started July 19 and not completed until August 21.

In 1969, at the RCA studios in Chicago, the Guess Who recorded "American Woman." The song originated from their live jam at a curling rink concert in Kitchener, Ontario, with lead singer Burton Cummings improvising lyrics to fit the music. Shortly after its release, the Guess Who were invited to play at the White House. Because of its supposed anti-American lyrics, Pat Nixon asked that they not play "American Woman." The song is noted for its memorable anti-American line. "I don't want your war machines/I don't need your ghetto scenes." The song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1971, Pink Floyd performed at Festival Hall in Melbourne, their first Australian date.

In 1971, John Lennon left England for New York City to search for Yoko Ono's estranged daughter Kyoto. It was his last time in England.

In 1971, saxophonist King Curtis (Ousley) was stabbed to death by a vagrant on the front steps of his New York City home at age 37.

In 1972, in New York City, John Lennon joined Stevie Wonder to perform at the One to One Concert for the benefit of the retarded.

In 1972, "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan was the #1 song.

In 1975, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed for the first of five sold-out shows at the Bottom Line in New York City.

In 1977, Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive announced the break-up of the band. They reunited six years later.

In 1980, four masked men invaded Todd Rundgren's home in Woodstock, New York. Rundgren, his girlfriend and three house guests were bound and gagged while the robbers stripped the house of valuables. One of the intruders reportedly hummed Rundgren's hit song "I Saw The Light" during the robbery.

In 1982, Queen performed at the Poplar Creek Music Theater, in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

In 1982, R&B singer Joe Tex died five days after a heart attack at 49.

In 1982, major American record companies including CBS Atlantic and Warner Brothers all made staff cut-backs as the industry plunged into 'the worst shape in its history'.

In 1985, in San Diego at State University's Open Air Theatre, Sting began his first solo tour of North America.

In 1988, as part of their 232-date Hysteria world tour, Def Leppard played the first of two nights at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver.

In 1988, a new sports and entertainment venue north of Detroit, the Palace of Auburn Hills, opened with a concert by Sting.

In 1990, soul singer/songwriter Curtis Mayfield was paralyzed after a lighting tower fell from the stage and onto his back while he was warming up for an outdoor concert at Wingate Field in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The accident left him as a quadriplegic for the remaining nine years of his life.

In 1992, Neil Diamond played the first of six sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden in New York. Diamond would bring in over $40 million from touring this year, the second highest in the music industry.

In 1999, "Detroit Rock City," produced by and starring KISS, with Edward Furlong, James DeBello, Lin Shaye, Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Lyonne, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Shannon Tweed, opened in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters.

In 2002, the Everly Brothers released the album 'A Night at the Royal Albert Hall.'

In 2003, R&B singer/songwriter Ed Townsend died at age 74.

In 2005, soul singer Francine Hurd Barker, the first of the six women who performed as Peaches in the R&B singing duo Peaches & Herb, died at the age of 58.

In 2007, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) honored Fats Domino as an "American Music Legend."

In 2007, Amy Winehouse withdrew from two scheduled Rolling Stones concerts in Hamburg, Germany, citing exhaustion.

In 2011, four people were killed and a dozen others were injured after a stage collapsed during a storm at the Indiana State Fair, where the country music group Sugarland was set to perform.

In 2013, Jon Brookes, the drummer with the Charlatans died aged 44. He had suffered a seizure on tour with the band in 2010 and had been receiving treatment for a brain tumour.

In 2013, country music singer/songwriter/music publisher/recording studio owner (19th Avenue South) Thomas Paul "Tompall" Glaser, a central figure in country music's "Outlaw Movement" of the 1970s, died at the age of 79.

birthdays today include (among others): Dave “Baby” Cortez (76), Cliff Fish (Paper Lace) (65) and Danny Bonaduce (Partridge Family) (55)