Week in Music History

Louis Silvers, composer of the song "April Showers", was born in New York City.

American blues musician and songwriter Jimmy Reed was born in Dunleith, Mississippi. He became famous for songs including "Big Boss Man", "Baby What You Want Me to Do" and "Bright Lights, Big City". In 1964, he had the UK hit "Shame, Shame, Shame", which reached No. 45. He strongly influenced The Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley recorded his song "Baby What You Want Me to Do". Reed died on August 29, 1976.

Benny Goodman and his orchestra recorded the song "Sugar Foot Stomp".

David Allan Coe, an American country singer and songwriter, was born.

English singer, songwriter and actress Yvonne Ann Burgess, known by her stage name Jackie Trent, was born in Newcastle. In 1965, she had the UK No. 1 hit "Where Are You Now (My Love)". Together with her husband Tony Hatch, she wrote songs for Frank Sinatra, Petula Clark, Des O'Connor, Val Doonican, Shirley Bassey, Vikki Carr and Dean Martin. She died on March 21, 2015, at the age of 74.

Jazz-rock trombonist and tuba player David "Dave" Bargeron was born in Athol, Massachusetts. He became known as a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. The group had the U.S. No. 2 hit "Spinning Wheel" and the No. 12 hit "You've Made Me So Very Happy" in 1969. Their second album, "Blood, Sweat & Tears", reached No. 1 in the U.S. in 1968.

Roger Waters, singer, songwriter, bassist and co-founder of Pink Floyd, was born George Roger Waters in Great Bookham, Surrey, England. After Syd Barrett's departure in 1968, he gradually became the band's main lyricist and gained increasing creative control around the 1979 album "The Wall", which led to growing estrangement from his bandmates. He left Pink Floyd in 1985 and subsequently released several successful solo albums as well as the opera "Ça Ira".

American singer and songwriter Sylvester James Jr., known simply as Sylvester, was born in Los Angeles. He became famous primarily in disco, R&B and soul, with his distinctive androgynous appearance, falsetto and disco hits of the late 1970s and 1980s. He died on December 16, 1988.

Claydes "Charles" Smith, co-founder and lead guitarist of Kool & the Gang, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. The group had the U.S. No. 1 hit "Celebration" in 1981, the UK No. 2 hit "Joanna" in 1984, and more than 15 other Top 40 songs. Smith died on June 20, 2006, at the age of 57.

Guy Mitchell took "Look At That Girl" to No. 1 on the UK singles chart. It was his second UK chart-topper that year, and as an internationally successful singer of the 1950s, he sold more than six million singles.

Stella Barker, a member of the British pop-rock group The Belle Stars, was born. The group had the 1983 UK hit "Sign Of The Times", which reached No. 3, and also became known for their cover of "Iko Iko", which appeared on the soundtrack of "Rain Man".

Elvis Presley and his band traveled from Memphis to Bono, Arkansas, where they performed in a high school gymnasium. Johnny Cash, Bud Dickerman, Eddie Bond, Floyd Cramer and Jimmy Day also performed. The crowd was so large that the floor collapsed during the concert, fortunately without injuries. Elvis also showed off his new 1954 Cadillac Eldorado.

Elvis Presley returned to Radio Recorders studio in Hollywood, where he worked on Christmas songs for his new album and on the single "Don't". During the day, he recorded "My Wish Came True", "White Christmas", "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)", "Silent Night" and "Don't", among others.

American country songwriter Liz Rose was born. She is best known for her collaborations with Taylor Swift, with whom she co-wrote 17 officially released songs, including "Tim McGraw", "You Belong with Me", "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "White Horse". They won a Grammy for Best Country Song for "White Horse" in 2010.

English singer Douglas Trendle, known as Buster Bloodvessel, was born in London. He became famous as the frontman of Bad Manners, who had the 1981 UK hit "Can Can", which reached No. 3. He took his stage name from a bus conductor played by Ivor Cutler in The Beatles' 1967 film "Magical Mystery Tour".

Georgia Gibbs performed "The Hula-Hoop Song" on The Ed Sullivan Show, helping to fuel the craze surrounding the hula hoop. Twenty-five million plastic hoops were sold in less than four months, and sales exceeded 100 million within two years.

Mattel Toy Corporation introduced the first Barbie doll.

Tracy Samie, daughter of Sam Cooke, was born.

Bob Dylan made his first appearance at New York City's Gaslight Cafe.

Colin Ferrguson of the Scottish pop group H2O was born. The group had the 1983 UK hit "Dream To Sleep", which reached No. 17. The band's bassist was also Alan McGee, who later co-founded the independent label Creation Records and signed Oasis.

Pal Waaktaar-Savoy, also known as Pal Waaktaar, founding member, guitarist and songwriter of a-ha, was born in Norway. Sources give Oslo and Tonsenhagen as his birthplace. He wrote or co-wrote most of the group's biggest hits, including "Take On Me" and "The Sun Always Shines On TV". a-ha became the first Norwegian group to have a No. 1 hit in both the U.S. and UK.

Scott Travis, drummer for Judas Priest and Racer X, was born.

Elvis Presley took part in filming the movie "It Happened at the World's Fair" in Seattle. MGM closed part of the World's Fair grounds to the public for filming, and after word spread that Elvis would be there, hundreds of fans and curious onlookers gathered around the closed area.

Cilla Black, born Priscilla White, signed a management contract with The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein. After a mistake in the music magazine Mersey Beat, she began using the surname Black, and Epstein insisted that she keep the stage name.

Jerry Lee Lewis's contract with Sun Records expired, and he subsequently signed with the Smash label.

English musician and songwriter Terence "Terry" Bickers was born in Kensington, London. He became known for his work with the bands Levitation and The House of Love, where he was the lead guitarist. The group made a major breakthrough in 1987 with their first single, "Shine On", released on the independent label Creation Records.

The Who began a week-long engagement at The Palais in Ilford, Essex, England. Later that day, they recorded performances of "I'm A Boy" and "Heatwave" for the British television program "Ready, Steady, GO!"

Engelbert Humperdinck scored his second and final UK No. 1 single with "The Last Waltz", which remained at the top for five weeks. In the U.S., it reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and entered the Top 10 on the Easy Listening chart.

American musician William DuVall was born in Washington, D.C. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of rock band Alice in Chains.

Eric Clapton recorded the guitar solo for The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", becoming the first major rock solo guitarist from outside the group to guest on a Beatles recording. George Harrison later said that Clapton's presence encouraged the other members of the band to try harder.

Jimi Hendrix gave a legendary performance at London's Roundhouse.

The Beatles worked at London's Abbey Road Studios on overdubs for George Harrison's new song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Eric Clapton recorded the guitar solo and became the first musician from outside the Beatles to appear on one of their recordings. George Harrison also recorded the lead vocal. The Beatles subsequently completed the recording; the song was released as a single on November 22, and although Eric Clapton was not credited, he played the main guitar part.

Bob Dylan reached No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard singles chart and No. 5 in the UK with "Lay Lady Lay". His unusually calm, deeper vocal, different from his usual high nasal delivery, helped the song achieve international success.

Singer Cecelia "CeCe" Peniston was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She became best known for the club hit "Finally", which was based on a poem she wrote about searching for an ideal partner. In 1992, the song reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 5 in the U.S. In the early 1990s, she also had five No. 1 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance chart.

After a concert at the Memphis Mid-South Coliseum, James Brown announced that he would stop performing live as of July 4, 1970. He said he was tired. At the same time, he faced a paternity lawsuit filed by the former president of his local fan club. Brown ultimately did not retire from live performance and later placed another 16 songs in the Billboard Top 40 and 39 songs on the R&B chart.

Jethro Tull scored their first UK No. 1 album when "Stand Up" reached the top of the chart.

Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis performed at Cobo Hall in Detroit as part of one of the early concerts reviving the rock'n'roll scene of the time.

R&B and soul singer Natalie Renée McIntyre, known by her stage name Macy Gray, was born in Canton, Ohio. Her song "I Try" reached No. 5 in the U.S. and No. 6 in the UK in 1999, while the album "How Life Is" reached No. 4 in the U.S. In 2001, she won a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Try".

Paddy Boom, born Patrick Seacor, drummer with Scissor Sisters, was born. Their self-titled 2004 album reached No. 1 on the UK chart, became the year's best-selling album and later received nine-times-platinum certification.

The Allman Brothers Band performed at the Electric Zoo club in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Rolling Stones remained at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart for a third week with "Honky Tonk Women". Johnny Cash was at No. 2 with "A Boy Named Sue", while The Archies were at No. 3 with "Sugar, Sugar".

American rock musician and multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertita was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. He played with The Waxwings, was a member of The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, and later joined Queens of the Stone Age.

Elvis Presley performed at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in an evening Dinner Show followed by a Midnight Show. Both performances were attended by approximately 2,200 people.

Australian singer Cheyne Coates was born. With Madison Avenue, she had the Australian No. 1 hit "Don't Call Me Baby" in 1999 and the UK No. 1 in 2000.

Jimi Hendrix gave his final live performance at the Open Air Love & Peace Festival on the German island of Fehmarn. The set included songs such as "Hey Joe", "Purple Haze" and "Foxy Lady". A recording of the festival was not officially released until 2005, on the album "Live at the Isle of Fehmarn". Jimi Hendrix died on September 18, 1970.

The Rolling Stones performed at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Singer and songwriter Dolores O'Riordan was born in Ballybricken, County Limerick, Ireland. She became famous as the lead singer of alternative rock band The Cranberries, who had the 1994 hits "Linger", "Dreams" and "Zombie". O'Riordan died unexpectedly on January 15, 2018, in London, where she was attending recording sessions.

Elvis Presley completed the final day of his Las Vegas engagement at the Hilton Hotel. During the evening performance, he ended the concert wearing a cape for the first time. He also performed a midnight show that same day.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared on Jerry Lewis' Muscular Dystrophy Telethon.

Anika Noni Rose, an American singer and Tony Award-winning actress, was born. She appeared in the 2006 musical film "Dreamgirls".