dreamweaver

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

Sunday September 27

Randy Bachman of the Guess Who ("No Time") and Bachman-Turner Overdrive ("Takin' Care Of Business") is 65
Shaun Cassidy ("Hey Deanie") is 51
Meat Loaf ("Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad") is 63
Dale Houston of Dale & Grace ("I'm Leavin' It Up To You") dies from congestive heart failure, 2007
George Jones, lead singer of the Edsels, dies of cancer, 2008
Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds marry (it lasts four years), 1955
Jonathan King is sentenced to seven years in prison for the sexual assault of underaged boys, 2001
Phil Spector is formally charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of actress Lana Clarkson, 2004
Carl Dobkins, Jr. is called up for six months of duty with the national guard at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, 1959
Marvin Gaye receives a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1990
The Jackson 5 open a Gary, Indiana concert for Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight (Gladys, not Diana Ross, tips off Motown Records to sign them), 1968
Dolly Parton's variety TV show, "Dolly" premieres on ABC (it lasts one season), 1987
The first national "Tonight" show" with Steve Allen, is telecast, 1954
The Beatles finish recording "I Am The Walrus" and "The Fool On The Hill", 1967

Monday September 28

Ben E. King ("Stand By Me") is 70
The late Ed Sullivan is born in 1902
Dewey Phillips (the Memphis DJ who was the first to play an Elvis Presley record on the radio) dies in 1968
Johnny Horton marries Hank Williams' widow, Billie Jean, 1953
The Rolling Stones appear on U.S. television for the first time in six years (an ABC's "In Concert"), 1973
Richard Chamberlain debuts in "Dr. Kildare" on NBC-TV (it lasts five seasons), 1961
Connie Stevens' TV show, "Wendy And Me" (with George Burns) premieres (it lasts 32 episodes over one season), 1964
Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson appear on TV's "$100,000 Pyramid", 1987

Tuesday September 29

Jerry Lee Lewis ("Great Balls Of Fire") is 74
The late Tommy Boyce of Boyce & Hart ("I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight") is born in 1944
Mike Post ("The Rockford Files") is 65
Jerry Lee Lewis accidentally shoots his bass player-- twice-- while celebrating his birthday, 1976
The Clinton White House awards Don Henley of the Eagles a National Medal of the Humanities, 1997
The Rolling Stones begin their first tour, supporting the Everly Brothers, Little Richard and Bo Diddley in England, 1963
The "Oh Susanna" TV show (AKA "The Gale Storm Show") debuts on CBS (it lasts five seasons-- the last two in reruns on ABC), 1956
Buddy Holly and the Crickets record "Maybe Baby" in 1957
Little Anthony & the Imperials record "Shimmy Shimmy Koko Bop" (Anthony is quoted as saying the song is "stupid"), 1959

Wednesday September 30

The late Frankie Lymon ("Why Do Fools Fall In Love") is born in 1942
Johnny Mathis ("Chances Are") is 74
Marilyn McCoo Davis of the 5th Dimension ("One Less Bell To Answer") is 66
Mary Ford (partner of Les Paul-- "How High The Moon") dies of cancer in 1977
James Dean dies at the age of 24 in a 1955 California car crash
Elvis Presley meets Tom Jones for the first time, on the set of the King's "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" movie, 1965
John Lennon is awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1988
Bette Midler is awarded $400,000 in a lawsuit against the Ford Motor Company over their use of a soundalike singer in their commercials, 1989
Donovan makes his U.S. TV debut on ABC's "Shindig", 1965
George Harrison guests on Fox-TV's "The Simpsons", 1993
Pat Boone guests on the WB's "Seventh Heaven" TV show, 2002
Joe Walsh and members of James Gang guest on ABC-TV's "Drew Carey Show", 1998
Roy Orbison's cable TV special, "A Black & White Night" is filmed, with Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne backing Roy, 1982

Thursday October 1

The late Meriska Veres, lead singer of Shocking Blue ("Venus") is born in 1947
The late Richard Harris ("MacArthur Park") is born in 1933
The late Donny Hathaway ("Where Is The Love" with Roberta Flack) is born in 1945
The late Charles Randolph Grean ("Quentin's Theme") is born in 1913
Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio ("Tom Dooley") dies of acute respiratory disease, 2008
Al Jackson, drummer for Booker T. & the Mg's, is killed by home invaders, 1975
Curtis Mayfield leaves the Impressions for a solo career, 1970
Barbra Streisand signs with Columbia Records, 1962
Wilson Pickett is sentenced to one year in jail for hitting an 86 year-old man with his car while drinking, 1993
John Fogerty gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1998
Elton John is inducted into the Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame in New York, 1977
The Beatles "A Hard Day's Night" movie premieres in Prague, Czechoslovakia and becomes the first Western pop culture film to be seen behind the Iron Curtain, 1964
The first "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson airs on NBC-TV (with a theme song credited to Johnny andPaul Anka), 1962
Jimmy Driftwood, composer of "The Battle Of New Orleans" is the guest on CBS-TV's "To Tell The Truth", 1959
Paul Simon's "One Trick Pony" film premieres in 1980
The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album is released in the U.S., 1969
Little Anthony records "The Diary" (Neil Sedaka is so unhappy with the recording of his song that he decides to make it his first single), 1958

Friday October 2

Don McLean ("Vincent") is 64
David Sommerville of the Diamonds ("The Stroll") is 76
Billy Joel marries his third wife, Katie, at his Long Island, New York home (they recently separated), 2004
Paul Anka files for divorce from his wife of 37 years, 2000
Elvis Presley's body is moved from a Memphis cemetery to the Meditation Garden at Graceland after a plot is foiled to steal the body, 1977
Elvis Presley makes his only appearance on Nashville's "Grand Ole Opry" (the Opry manager tells him to stick to driving a truck), 1954
Manfred Mann becomes the first Western rock band to play behind the Iron Curtain, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1965
"Bruce Springsteen Day" is celebrated in the state of Connecticut, 2007
The Everly Brothers receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1986
TV's "Soul Train" premieres in national syndication, with guests Gladys Knight and the Honey Cone, 1971
"The Twilight Zone" premieres on CBS-TV, 1959
John Belushi (doing his Joe Cocker imitation) duets with the real Joe Cocker on NBC-TV's "Saturday Night Live", 1976
"Ben Casey" (with would-be singer Vince Everett) premieres on ABC-TV (running 5 seasons), 1961
The first single is released on Phil Spector's Philles Records ("There's No Other Like My Baby" by the Crystals), 1961
Connie Francis records "Who's Sorry Now", 1957

Saturday October 3

Chubby Checker ("Limbo Rock") is 68
The late Eddie Cochran ("Sittin' In The Balcony") is born in 1938
Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac ("Rhiannon") is 62
Alan O'Day ("Undercover Angel") is 69
Lisa Marie Presley gets married the first time (it lasts five years), 1988
"Brenda Lee Day" is declared in her home town of Lithonia, Georgia and a street is named after her there, 1987
Johnny Cash is arrested at the Mexican border by U.S. Customs with over 1,000 amphetamine pills, 1965
Stonewall Jackson reaches an out-of-court settlement with the Grand Old Opry in his age discrimination lawsuit, 2008
The posthumous John Lennon documentary film, "Imagine" premieres in Hollywood, 1988
"The Concert For George" (the flm of the George Harrison tribute show) opens in 2003
Ann-Margret hosts the posthumous "Elvis In Concert" TV special that airs on CBS, 1977
The first "Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet" TV show (with son Ricky Nelson) begins a 14-year run on ABC in 1952
"The Mickey Mouse Club" (with Annette) debuts on ABC-TV (running four years), 1955
"The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom" premieres on ABC-TV (lasting two years), 1957