Rocking50s Blog

Sunday January 31
KC (Harry Wayne Casey) of KC & the Sunshine Band ("Get Down Tonight") is 59
The late Terry Kath of Chicago ("25 Or 6 To 4") is born in 1946
The late Chuck Willis ("C.C. Rider") is born in 1928
Barbara Cowsill of the Cowsills ("Indian Lake") dies of emphysema in 1985
Slim Harpo ("Baby Scratch My Back") dies of a heart attack while recording in London, 1970
Aretha Franklin sings at the funeral of gospel great Mahalia Jackson in Chicago, 1972
Bob Dylan is reported to be in the audience as Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper play Duluth, Minnesota less than three days before their fatal plane crash, 1959
Seventeen year-old Neil Young performs his first professional date at a Winnipeg country club, 1963
The Grateful Dead's bust for LSD and barbiturates in a New Orleans hotel becomes the inspiration for their song, "Truckin'", 1970
The Jackson 5 receive the key to their home town of Gary, Indiana (the city must have changed the locks-- 32 years later they gave another key to Michael Jackson), 1971
Elvis Presley signs a contract with the William Morris Agency to represent him in film deals, 1956
Herb Alpert performs the national anthem (and Chubby Checker sings during halftime) at Superbowl XXII in 1988
Cher sings the national anthem (and Stevie Wonder is among the halftime performers) at Superbowl XXXIII, 1999
Michael Jackson (along with 3,500 local children) perform at halftime of Superbowl XXVII in Pasadena, California, 1993
Creedence Clearwater Revival film a television special, 1970
Tommy Sands sings "Teen Age Crush" in "The Singing Idol"-- an episode of "Kraft Television Theatre" on NBC (which leads to the song becoming a big hit), 1957
Bobby Darin becomes the youngest person to headline a TV special when "Bobby Darin & Friends" (including Joanie Sommers) airs on NBC, 1961
Bobby Darin walks off the set of CBS' "Jackie Gleason Show" when he is not allowed to sing "Long Line Rider", 1971
The Beach Boys record "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Shutdown", 1963
Crow record "Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me", 1969

Sunday January 31
KC (Harry Wayne Casey) of KC & the Sunshine Band ("Get Down Tonight") is 59
The late Terry Kath of Chicago ("25 Or 6 To 4") is born in 1946
The late Chuck Willis ("C.C. Rider") is born in 1928
Barbara Cowsill of the Cowsills ("Indian Lake") dies of emphysema in 1985
Slim Harpo ("Baby Scratch My Back") dies of a heart attack while recording in London, 1970
Aretha Franklin sings at the funeral of gospel great Mahalia Jackson in Chicago, 1972
Bob Dylan is reported to be in the audience as Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper play Duluth, Minnesota less than three days before their fatal plane crash, 1959
Seventeen year-old Neil Young performs his first professional date at a Winnipeg country club, 1963
The Grateful Dead's bust for LSD and barbiturates in a New Orleans hotel becomes the inspiration for their song, "Truckin'", 1970
The Jackson 5 receive the key to their home town of Gary, Indiana (the city must have changed the locks-- 32 years later they gave another key to Michael Jackson), 1971
Elvis Presley signs a contract with the William Morris Agency to represent him in film deals, 1956
Herb Alpert performs the national anthem (and Chubby Checker sings during halftime) at Superbowl XXII in 1988
Cher sings the national anthem (and Stevie Wonder is among the halftime performers) at Superbowl XXXIII, 1999
Michael Jackson (along with 3,500 local children) perform at halftime of Superbowl XXVII in Pasadena, California, 1993
Creedence Clearwater Revival film a television special, 1970
Tommy Sands sings "Teen Age Crush" in "The Singing Idol"-- an episode of "Kraft Television Theatre" on NBC (which leads to the song becoming a big hit), 1957
Bobby Darin becomes the youngest person to headline a TV special when "Bobby Darin & Friends" (including Joanie Sommers) airs on NBC, 1961
Bobby Darin walks off the set of CBS' "Jackie Gleason Show" when he is not allowed to sing "Long Line Rider", 1971
The Beach Boys record "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Shutdown", 1963
Crow record "Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me", 1969