Calendar Search Results: ding song
October 7, 1963 Pete Seeger copyrights "We Shall Overcome." The song dates to the early 1900s, but Seeger adapted it into the well-known version that became a civil rights anthem. He lists three others as songwriters, including two representatives of the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, where he developed the song. Royalties from the song go to the We Shall Overcome Fund, which supports the school and its outreach efforts.
August 22, 1963 Myra Ellen Amos is born to a religious family in Newton, North Carolina. She changes her name to Tori and becomes an alt-rock icon of the '90s with empowering tunes about women, right-wing politics, and religious oppression.More
August 10, 1963 Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips (Part 2)" becomes the first live recording to hit #1 in the US. It holds the position for three weeks.More
May 17, 1963 The very first Monterey Folk Festival begins at the Monterey Fairgrounds in California. Over the weekend, Bob Dylan makes his first West Coast performance, Jerry Garcia's band wins an amateur competition, and Janis Joplin draws a crowd on the second stage.More
May 15, 1963 At the fifth Annual Grammy Awards, The First Family, an album of comedy bits that pokes fun at President John F. Kennedy and his family, wins Album Of The Year, the only time a comedy or spoken-word album has ever won that award. Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" takes Record of the Year, Ray Charles' "I Can't Stop Loving You" gets Best R&B Recording, and Bent Fabric's instrumental "Alley Cat" takes Best Rock and Roll Record.
May 10, 1963 The first Rolling Stones recording session is held in London, where they record their first single: a cover of Chuck Berry's "Come On."
May 6, 1963 The Ronettes sign a five-year "personal services" contract with Phil Spector, giving him complete control of their recordings in exchange for a cash advance of $15,000 and royalties of about 3% of record sales. This works out very well for Spector, who reaps huge profits on the songs. The group claims they are never paid the royalties, and spend decades in legal action trying to recover them.
April 18, 1963 After a Beatles performance at Royal Albert Hall in London for the radio show Swingin' Sound '63, Paul McCartney meets the actress Jane Asher. They become one of the most popular couples in England and get engaged, but they never marry and split up in 1968. This relationship inspires several Beatles songs, including "All My Loving" and "I'm Looking Through You."
March 8, 1963 The Four Tops get a $400 advance to sign with Motown. They spend the rest of the year singing backup for other acts, including The Supremes.
February 11, 1963 At EMI Studios in London (later re-named Abbey Road), The Beatles record 10 songs in one day, nine of which are included on their first UK album, Please Please Me. Songs done at the session are: "There's A Place," "I Saw Her Standing There," "A Taste Of Honey," "Do You Want To Know A Secret," "Misery," "Hold Me Tight," "Anna (Go To Him)," "Boys," "Chains" and "Twist And Shout."
February 7, 1963 Weeks before her tragic death in a plane crash, Patsy Cline wraps up her final recording sessions, including a contemporary rendition of the 1925 pop ballad "Always" and a cover of country song "Sweet Dreams."
January 13, 1963 A pre-famous Bob Dylan appears in a British television play called The Madhouse on Castle Street, playing an itinerant musician. No recording exists, but Dylan supposedly played "Blowin' In The Wind" during the show, marking the first broadcast of the song.
October 27, 1962 The Rolling Stones record their first demos in London at Curly Clayton Studios, recording covers of songs by Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and Bo Diddley. The demos get little interest when they shop them to record companies.
August 23, 1962 John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell at the Registrar office in Liverpool with Paul McCartney as best man. His wedding night is spent playing a gig with The Beatles at the nearby Riverpark Ballroom.
July 15, 1962 Héctor Angulo, a Cuban student attending the Manhattan School of Music, plays the song "Guantanamera" for Pete Seeger during the Folk Festival of the Catskills at Camp Woodland in Phoenicia, New York, where Angulo is working as a counselor for the summer. Seeger learns the song and adds it to his repertoire, introducing it to American audiences.
April 8, 1962 Guitarist Izzy Stradlin, a founding member of Guns N' Roses, is born Jeffrey Dean Isbell in Lafayette, Indiana.
February 11, 1962 Sheryl Crow is born in Kennett, Missouri. She works as an elementary school music teacher before landing a gig a backing vocalist on Michael Jackson's Bad World Tour in 1987.
February 7, 1962 Garth Brooks is born Troyal Garth Brooks in Tulsa, Oklahoma; he's raised in Yukon, Oklahoma.More
January 27, 1962 With "The Twist" at #1 in America, two San Francisco DJs sell out the Cow Palace in San Francisco with a "Twist Party" headlined by Chubby Checker.More
January 20, 1962 Dick Dale's guitar instrumental "Let's Go Trippin'" hits #60, becoming the first Surf Rock song to chart. Many groups, including The Beach Boys, subsequently cover the song.More
December 18, 1961 "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," with a chorus in poorly translated Zulu, tops the Hot 100 for The Tokens.More
October 26, 1961 Bob Dylan signs with Columbia Records, his first recording contract. Behind the deal is famed Columbia A&R man John Hammond, who is impressed by Dylan's songwriting talents, unique voice and harmonica playing.
October 18, 1961 Mirisch Pictures releases the film version of the Broadway musical West Side Story, starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, and Rita Moreno. The soundtrack features music by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim - including the song "Somewhere," later recorded by Tom Waits, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Kylie Minogue, and others.
July 8, 1961 Toby Keith is born Toby Keith Covel in Clinton, Oklahoma. He works in the oil fields and for a rodeo company before launching his music career in his 30s. His pre-music life informs many of his songs, including "Beer For My Horses," inspired by his rodeo days.
June 18, 1961 Would-be riders of the Hudson Belle, a popular excursion boat that travels up and down the Hudson River, break into a stampede after learning that some of them are holding fraudulent tickets. The next day, a young Bob Dylan hears about the story and writes "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues."
April 24, 1961 Bob Dylan makes his professional recording debut when he plays harmonica on the Harry Belafonte recording of "Midnight Special." Dylan makes $50 for the session.
April 12, 1961 Ray Charles is the big winner at the third annual Grammy Awards, winning four trophies, including the award for Best Male Vocal for "Georgia On My Mind."
April 5, 1961 On The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet episode "A Question of Suits and Ties," Ricky Nelson sings "Travelin' Man" in what could be considered the first music video.More
March 22, 1961 Elvis Presley records "Blue Hawaii," "Ito Eats," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Island Of Love," "Steppin' Out Of Line," and "Almost Always True."
March 10, 1961 Jeff Barry, later half of the famous Brill Building songwriting team Barry-Greenwich, lands his first big gig with a publisher, signing to Trinity Music.
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