This is the week that was in matters musical…
1956, the Platters become the first black group to have a number one pop hit when “My Prayer” reaches the top spot on the Billboard chart…
1957, Jerry Lee Lewis hits the TV screen for the first time on the Steve Allen Show … Allen is so taken with The Killer that he books Lewis for two more appearances…
1959, the Isley Brothers record “Shout” … the song only reaches No. 47 on the pop charts … a Joey Dee & the Starliters cover will later climb to No. 6 . . . but the Isley’s version has legs and will become recognized as one of the all-time great songs of rock-and-roll…
1966, “Wild Thing” by The Troggs hits the top of the chart … due to a legal snarl, it is a simultaneous release from two different labels, a distinction no other number one hit can claim … this same week, Bob Dylan is cruising on his Triumph 500 motorcycle near Woodstock, NY, when he takes a dive that nearly kills him, breaking his neck, giving him a concussion, and lacerating his face and scalp … after a week he begins to rally but still suffers paralysis, amnesia, and internal injuries for a month…
1968, The Beatles record “Hey Jude” … it will top the singles chart for nine weeks and become the band’s biggest-selling single…
1969, Elvis Presley performs his opening night show at the International Hotel in Las Vegas backed up by The Sweet Inspirations … Elvis is hot and by the time his set is over, Colonel Parker has negotiated a new deal written out on a restaurant tablecloth … Elvis will receive a million dollars a year for five years performing eight weeks each year…
1976, John Lennon finally gets his green card from U.S. Immigration … it has been held up because of a drug conviction and comes three years and four months after Lennon was ordered to leave the country … if only he had…
1980, David Bowie opens in the title role of Elephant Man in Denver … he receives rave reviews for his performance…
1984, The film Purple Rain premieres … Prince is writer, director, and star of the film, a vaguely biographical tale of a young musician finding his way in the world … the movie is largely panned by the critics but has it moments for music lovers and Prince fans…
1991, superfreaker Rick James, the King of Funk, finds himself in deep trouble … he is arrested for the sexual torture of a 24-year-old woman … he will be convicted for this and an earlier cocaine-fueled assault on a woman and will spend two years in Folsum for his misbehavior…
1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley announce to the world that they are a married couple … the secret wedding took place several months earlier … the marriage is largely perceived by the public as an attempt to convince the world that Jackson is a normal, two-fisted, manly guy … the union will last 20 months . . .
2000, Beastie Boy Mike D. is injured in a biking accident causing postponement of The Rhyme & Reason Tour that The Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine are about to embark on…
And that was the week that was.
Arrivals
July 27: Nick Reynolds of The Kingston Trio (1933), The Drifter’s Elsbearry Hobbs (1936), Bobbie Gentry (1944), Al Ramsey of Gary Lewis and the Playboys (1946), Maureen McGovern (1949), drummer Simon Kirke of Bad Company (1949), Karl Mueller of Soul Asylum (1963), Rex Brown of Pantera (1964), Juliana Hatfield (1967), Pete Yorn (1974)
July 28: Rudy Vallee (1901), George Cummings of Dr. Hook (1938), Mike Bloomfield (1944), Rick Wright of Pink Floyd (1945), Jonathan Edwards (1946), Simon Kirke of Bad Company (1949), Steve Morse (1954)
July 29: Charlie Christian (1916), Neal Doughty of REO Speedwagon (1946), Geddy Lee (1953), Patti Scialfa of the E Street Band (1956), John Sykes of Whitesnake (1959), Martina McBride (1966), Chris Gorman of Belly (1967), Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men (1972)
July 30: Buddy Guy (1936), Paul Anka (1941), David Sanborn (1945), Marc Bolan (1947), The Sweet’s Andy Scott (1949), Stewart Copeland (1952), Rat Scabies of The Damned born Chris Miller (1957), Kate Bush (1958), Brad Hargraves of Third Eye Blind (1972)
July 31: Bob Welch of Fleetwood Mac (1946), Karl Green of Herman’s Hermits (1946), singer Gary Lewis (1946), ELO’s Hugh MacDowell (1953), Daniel Ash of Love and Rockets (1957), Bill Berry of R.E.M. (1958) Norman Cook of The Housemartins (1963), Fatboy Slim (1963), Coldplay’s Will Champion (1978)
August 1: Francis Scott Key (1778), Piano Slim aka Robert T. Smith (1928), Ramblin’ Jack Elliot born Elliott Charles Adnopoz (1931), Jerry Garcia (1942), Geoff Britton of Wings (1943), Boz Burrell of Bad Company (1946), Rick Anderson of The Tubes (1947), Rick Coonce of The Grass Roots (1947), Tommy Bolin (1951), Andrew Gold (1951), BTO’s Tim Bachman (1951), bluesman Robert Cray (1953), Joe Elliott of Def Leppard (1960), Public Enemy’s Chuck D (1960), Coolio (1963), Adam Duritz of Counting Crows (1964), Ashley Angel of O-Town (1981)
August 2: big band singer Helen Morgan (1900), “Big” Walter Price (1917), country singer Hank Walters (1933), country star Hank Cochran (1935), Garth Hudson of The Band (1937), Edward Patten of Gladys Knight & The Pips (1939), Doris Coley Kenner of The Shirelles (1941), guitarist Larry Coryell (1943), steel guitarist Hank DeVito (1948), Fat Larry (1949), Ted Turner of Wishbone Ash (1950), Clive Wright of Cock Robin (1953), Apollonia born Patricia Kotero (1961), Pete De Freitas of Echo and the Bunnymen (1961), Zelma Davis of C+C Music Factory (1970)
Departures
July 27: saxophonist Harold Land (2001), Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Leon Wilkeson (2001), Harry “Sweets” Edison (1999), Bobby Day (1990), Lightnin’ Slim (1974)
July 28: Simon “Mahlathini” Nkabinde (1999), Marguerite Ganser Dorste of the Shangrilas (1996), Johann Sebastian Bach (1750)
July 29: Anita Carter of the Carter Sisters (1999), Eddie Hinton (1995), Eddie Guzman (1993), steel guitarist Pete Drake (1988), Tom Jones manager and songwriter Gordon Mills (1986), “Mama” Cass Elliot (1974)
July 30: Sun Studios founder Sam Phillips (2003), Rob Jones of Wonder Stuff (1993), sax man Donald Myrick (1993), guitarist and vocalist Glenn Goins (1978)
July 31: Jim Reeves (1964), Jim Reeves’ pianist/manager Dean Manuel (1964)
August 1: pianist Svyatoslav Richter (1997), Joe “The Honeydripper” Liggins (1987), Johnny Burnette (1964)
August 2: Ron Towson of The 5th Dimension (2001), Afrobeat star Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (1997), Motown bassist James Jamerson (1983), former Pink Floyd road manager Peter “Puddy” Watts (1976), Brian Cole of The Association (1972)