On This Day in 1964: The Supremes land their first #1 hit
August 16, 1964 – The Supremes land their first #1 hit Formed in modest fashion by a group of teenage girls from Detroit’s Brewster housing project, the Supremes went on to become Motown’s biggest act of the 60s and the most successful “girl group” of an era. But it wasn’t a sure thing in 1964, […]
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 climb to #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 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 […]
On This Day in 1979: “Off The Wall” was released, and there has been nothing like it since
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 1969: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis marry
They are legends two times over, and a model for longevity in an industry where that comes at a premium. We wish a Happy Anniversary to the great Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, married in July 24, 1969. Both as members of the 5th Dimension and as a duo, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis have created a lot […]
Today in Music History: Joseph Jackson, patriarch of the Jackson family, dies at 89
June 27, 2018 – Joseph Jackson, patriarch of the world-changing Jackson family, dies at age 89 On this day in 2018, Joseph Jackson, the patriarch of the first family of popular music, the Jacksons, died in a Las Vegas hospital after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 89. Jackson launched the careers of five […]
Today in Music History: The great Casey Kasem dies
June 15, 2014 – Legendary broadcaster Casey Kasem dies He was a Middle Eastern kid from Detroit whose voice and vision changed the world of radio for millions of people. On this day in 2014, Casey Kasem, the most famous disc jockey in America during the 1970s and 80s, died at age 82 after a […]
Today in Music History: 52 years ago, Marvin Gaye released “What’s Going On”
May 21, 1971 – Marvin Gaye releases What’s Going On It was a response to personal grief, a statement of independence, and a message for a troubled nation. And it became one of the greatest – maybe THE greatest – soul albums of all time. On May 21, 1971, Marvin Gaye released What’s Going On, and […]
Today in Music History: The day Jeffrey Osborne went solo
May 18, 1982 – Jeffrey Osborne releases releases his solo debut album Love Togetherness and Devotion (later shortened to L.T.D.) was one the best and most popular self-contained Soul groups of the 70s. Formed in 1968 at Greensboro, North Carolina, the group was “super-sized” by the time it signed with A&M Records in 1973, with […]
