March 24

From the King to Buck Private in just one day: 
March 24, 1958 the United States Army inducted 53 310 761.

March 23

In response to JIM MORRISON's recent behavior at a Miami concert,  the Rally for Decency was held at the Orange Bowl.

 30,000 people attended, "longhairs and weird dressers" were turned away.

Read more about the  rally and see Richard Nixon's letter and FBI documents regarding the event here.

March 22

Today is the birthday of Jeremy Clyde (1941), the half of CHAD & JEREMY with 20/20 vision.

Electrocuted while playing guitar, at least The YARDBIRDS' Keith Relf (3/22/1943-5/14/1976) died doing what he lived for.

Greatness begins here: The BEATLES Please Please Me hit record store shelves on March 22, 1963.

 

March 21

Composer Johann Sebastian Bach lived from March 21, 1685 to July 28, 1750.

Not only did he dominate the Billboard charts of his time (if there was such a thing), his influence continued well after his death.

The TOYS "A Lover's Concerto" is based on his "Minuet in G Major."

1961:  The BEATLES made their first appearance at London's Cavern Club.









Legendary DJ ALAN FREED host his first "Moondog Coronation Ball" in Cleveland, 1952.

Freed, who coined the phrase "Rock & Roll" is the reason the Hall of Fame is in Cleveland.

March 20

JOHN LENNON married the love of his life in Gibraltar on March 20, 1969.

Say what you want about YOKO and The BEATLES, but it's plain to see that John loved her very much.

SMOKEY & The MIRACLES were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.

Forty-four years earlier, in 1965, The Miracles,  MARTHA & The VANDELLAS, The TEMPTATIONS, The SUPREMES and STEVIE WONDER played London as part of the first and only Motown UK tour.

March 19

Two from The TEMPTATIONS, a MIRACLE, and now one from The SPINNERS- it has not been a good month for Motown.

Longtime singer Bobbie Smith has passed away, you can read more here.

1957: ELVIS pays $102,500 for Graceland.

It's worth the trip the next time you're in Memphis.

March 18

(March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006)

Wicked.

March 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

March 16

 

1964: The BEATLES "Can't Buy Me Love" sets a record for advance orders in the US, with over 2 million copies pre-ordered.

 

 

 

1968:  Three months after his death, OTIS REDDING earns the the first posthumous number-one single in US chart history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 15

MIKE LOVE, cousin to the Wilson brothers, doesn't need anything for his birthday- he's got The BEACH BOYS name.

 SLY STONE (b 3/15/1943) is one of those people that will probably show up late for his own funeral.  I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.  Check out this clip from better days:

 The BEATLES were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a band in 1988, Paul received the honor as a solo act in 1999 and George Harrison was posthumously honored in 2004.  The all-star jam that year was incredible- check it out here.

March 14

 

1964: The BEATLES "Please Please Me" stalled at #3 on the charts.   "She Loves You" had the #2 spot and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" held the top spot for one of its 5 weeks at #1.

86 years before Phil Phillips won American Idol, PHIL PHILLIPS was born in Louisiana.

Disillusioned by the fact that he was only paid $6,800 for "Sea of Love" so he never recorded a follow-up song.

March 13

The incredibly talented NEIL SEDAKA was born in Brooklyn on March 13, 1939.

 A neighbor heard Neil practicing piano and introduced him to her son who was an aspiring poet and lyricist.  Sedaka was 13 and Howard Greenfield was 16.

Down the hall from Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich and Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman; the pair would write some of the biggest hits of the 1960's.

His career spans over 5 decades, millions of records sold and Neil has written or co-written more than 500 songs for himself or others.

A little about teen-idol Fabian and a nice piece on Neil Sedaka here



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MIKE STOLLER (b 3/13/1933), pictured here with ELVIS and his partner Jerry Lieber (left to right) was half of another great songwriting team that authored hits for the King, The DRIFTERS, BEN E. KING, The COASTERS and more.

March 12

One of the greatest love stories of all time:  Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman at the Marleybone Registry Office in London on 12 March 1969.

Over the course of their 29 year marriage, they only ever spent 11 nights apart.  (Paul was in jail in Japan.)

My love, indeed.

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE's Paul Kantner (b 3/12/1941) and Grace Slick were called "the psychedelic John and Yoko."

Mike Gibbins (March 12 1949-October 4 2006) kept the beat for BADFINGER and can be heard on all of the bands hit records.

March 11

   

 

PAUL McCARTNEY was knighted by Britan's Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, 1997. 

 

Can't Buy Me Love:  In 1996 PAUL, RINGO and GEORGE reportedly turned down a $225 million offer to do a reunion tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 10

Check out this JAN & DEAN clip in which the guys wear suits instead of their usual beach attire. 

Jan was the one involved in the famous "Deadman's Curve" accident and passed away in 2004.  Dean is celebrating his 73rd birthday. 

Before Bobby Hatfield's death in November, The RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 10, 2003.

BOB DYLAN recorded "Rainy Day Women ♯12 & 35", the opening song of the seminal album Blonde on Blonde today in 1966.

Labelled a "drug song" it would be banned by the BBC and many American radio stations as well.