On This Day in 1992: Boyz II Men began recordbreaking #1 run
August 15, 1992 – Boyz II Men begin 13 weeks at #1 with “End of The Road” First as a quartet and then as a trio, Boyz II Men has created a seemingly endless collection of great songs over more than three decades in the spotlight. And today celebrates one of the act’s biggest achievements. […]
On This Day in 1962: The soul group The Manhattans was formed
August 15, 1962 – The soul group The Manhattans was formed On this day in 1962, one of the all-time great vocal groups became a reality: The Manhattans were formed in the early 60s in New Jersey as a quintet led by writer/bass vocalist Winfred “Blue” Lovett and emotive lead singer George Smith, along with Edward […]
On This Day in 1977: The Floaters get their lone #1 hit with “Float On”
August 13, 1977 – The Floaters hit #1 with the single “Float On” The talented quartet from Detroit known as The Floaters unfortunately became synonymous with the term “One Hit Wonder,” but that one hit took the country by storm, hitting #1 on this day in 1977, and staying there for a whopping six weeks. The […]
On This Day in 1979: Michael Jackson grew up with “Off The Wall”
August 10, 1979 – Michael Jackson’s album Off the Wall is released There are times in our lives when an event, a person or, yes, an album, is such a symbol of pure bliss that it – even for a moment — drowns out all of the negative countervailing forces of the time. For many of us, […]
On This Day in 2013: The great George Duke dies at 67
August 6, 2013 – The legendary George Duke dies He was one of those artists who was loved by fans, but was maybe loved even more by his peers. And on this day in 2013 George Duke, one of the true giants of popular music, died in Los Angeles at age 67, a year after the death […]
Today in Music History: Marvin Gaye tries out for the NFL’s Detroit Lions
July 1970 – Marvin Gaye tries out for the Detroit Lions It’s a story that’s well known among Detroiters of a certain age, but has generally been forgotten elsewhere. It was the time that the great Marvin Gaye tried out for the Detroit Lions football team of the NFL. In the late 60s, Gaye had become close […]
On This Day (July 16, 1984): The world meets Sade and “Diamond Life”
July 16, 1984 – Sade releases Diamond Life It is the album that introduced the world to a new force in popular music, and helped shepherd a wave of talented new artists who straddled the line between soul and jazz. The album was Diamond Life and the singer was Helen Folasade Adu, who went by […]
On This Day in 1984: Rockwell hits #1 with the MJ-infused “Somebody’s Watching Me”
March 3, 1984 – Rockwell hits #1 with “Somebody’s Watching Me” On this day in 1984, one of the most curious – but infectious – songs of the 80s shot all the way to the top. And the story behind it is as twisted as the song itself. The son of Motown Records founder Berry […]
On This Day in 2019: Singer James Ingram dies at age 66
January 29, 2019 – Singer James Ingram dies at age 66 Most fans didn’t know, but James Ingram had been silently suffering from brain cancer and cognitive difficulties for some time, resulting in his tragic death on January 29, 2019 at the too young age of 66. Ingram had been a staple on the pop […]
On This Day in 1981: Lakeside shoots to #1 with “Fantastic Voyage”
January 25, 1981 – Lakeside hits #1 with “Fantastic Voyage” Another in the long line of talented funk acts to come out of Dayton, Ohio, Lakeside was formed around 1970 by members of two local groups, the Nomads and the Young Undergrounds. The group, consisting of members Otis Stokes, Thomas Shelby, Steve Shockley, Mark Wood, […]
