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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 10, 2015 6:03:14 GMT -5
February 10: ...Nigel Olsson who turns 66 today. Nigel is best known as the drummer for the Elton John Band. He has appeared in over 2,000 concerts with Elton, and was the drummer on "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Honky Chateau", and "Reg Strikes Back" to name a few. He also had a pair of top 40 solo singles, a cover of the Jarmels' "A Little Bit Of Soap" and this one that peaked at #18 in late 1978/early 1979. Dancin' Shoes - Nigel Olsson
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 11, 2015 6:17:20 GMT -5
February 11: ...Otis Clay. The 2013 Blues Hall Of Fame inductee blows out 73 candles on his cake today. Otis only reached the Hot 100 once. A cover of the Sir Douglas Quintet song "She's About A Mover" spent 3 weeks in the Hot 100, peaking at #97. He went to Memphis in 1972 and recorded a classic written by Eugene Williams. It bubbled under at #102, but was his highest R & B charting single, peaking at #24. Bob Seger calls it an "Old Memphis Song", and his live cover reached #5. He supposedly recorded it to show the Eagles how similar "The Long Run" was in terms of melody. Try To Live My Life Without You - Otis Clay
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 12, 2015 2:53:24 GMT -5
February 12: ... Ray Manzarek who would have been 76 today. He was the keyboardist and co-founder of the Doors. In honor of his birthday, he kicks off this Doors classic. Their first single, it briefly bubbled under in early 1967. Break On Through (To The Other Side) - Doors
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 13, 2015 6:30:24 GMT -5
February 13: ...Peter Tork who turns 73 today. Hey, hey, he's a Monkee! Stephen Stills auditioned for the Monkees, but was not hired. He was asked if he knew someone with a similar "look", and he suggested Peter. He is a proficient musician playing multiple instruments, and did so on at least one track of each of their albums. He also contributed banjo to George Harrison's "Wonderwall" album. In his honor, we have to play the closing theme to their TV show. We'll do it... For Pete's Sake - Monkees
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 14, 2015 6:23:53 GMT -5
February 14: ...Rob Thomas who turns 43 this Valentine's Day. He's Matchbox Twenty's keyboardist and lead singer. Also has had a successful solo career, as well as fueling Santana's comeback at the turn of the century by co-writing and singing lead on the monster #1 hit "Smooth". This one peaked at #64 during an 18 week chart run late in 2006. Streetcorner Symphony - Rob Thomas
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 15, 2015 6:52:41 GMT -5
February 15: ...Melissa Manchester who turns 64 today. She studied songwriting at New York University under the tutelage of Paul Simon. She was discovered by Barry Manilow while he was working for Bette Midller before his hit-making years. She was a part of Bette's backup group, the Harlettes and also toured with Barry Manilow as backup following his breakthrough. In 1975, she made her first of three trips to the top ten with the #6 hit "Midnight Blue". She reached the top 40 seven times. In 1983, she won the Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance with her highest charting and final Top 40 hit to date. It was a #4 smash that was originally recorded by Charlie Dore (Pilot Of The Airwaves) who was backed by Toto. You Should Hear How She Talks About You - Melissa Manchester
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 16, 2015 6:23:39 GMT -5
February 16: ...Sonny Bono who would have been 80 today. He began his career working for Specialty records, where one of his songs was recorded by Sam Cooke. He moved on to Phil Spector, and gained recognition as co-writer of "Needles And Pins". It was first recorded by Jackie DeShannon, and later became a hit for the Searchers. Sonny then began recording with his then-wife Cher, and they released a string of hits from the mid-sixties through the early seventies including the #1 single "I Got You Babe". Sonny also reached the top ten as a solo artist with "Laugh At Me". He was the writer, arranger, and producer on many of these songs. They also had a career in the seventies as hosts of a popular musical-variety show. The show had two runs, the latter after their divorce. Sonny had parts on television and in movies, but later branched into politics. He served a term as mayor of Palm Springs, then became a California congressman until his untimely death in a skiing accident in 1998. Sonny is the godfather of the Red Hot Chili Peppers Anthony Kiedis. The epitaph on his tombstone reads: And... The Beat Goes On - Sonny & Cher
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 17, 2015 6:43:10 GMT -5
February 17: ...Gene Pitney who would have been 75 today. Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002, Gene accomplishments as a singer and a songwriter are remarkable. He had 16 Top 40 hits, 4 of them reaching the Top 10 as a singer. He was even more popular in the UK (22 Top 40, 11 Top 10). As a songwriter, he wrote Bobby Vee's #6 hit "Rubber Ball" and Ricky Nelson's "Hello Mary Lou". His highest charting single was the #2 "Only Love Can Break A Heart". The song preventing him from reaching the top of the charts was "He's A Rebel" by the Crystals, which was written by Gene. One of my favorites was his last Top 40 single. It was originally released to radio stations with the artist being "GP". It's a good rocker that made it to #16 in the spring of 1968. She's A Heartbreaker - Gene Pitney
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 18, 2015 5:34:37 GMT -5
February 18: ...Dennis DeYoung, 68 years "DeYoung" today. Dennis was a founding member and the theatrical side of Styx, lead vocalist and keyboardist. As a songwriter, he was responsible for the majority of their Top 10 successes including the #1 hit "Babe", "Mr. Roboto", "Lady", and "Come Sail Away". He also reached the Top 10 as a solo artist with "Desert Moon". We go back to the beginning, a great Styx rocker from their first album. It was their first Hot 100 single. Best Thing - Styx
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 19, 2015 6:07:27 GMT -5
February 19: ...the legendary William "Smokey" Robinson, 75 years young today. Front man for the Miracles, impressive solo career, and one of the great poets of the rock era: All these are apt descriptions of Smokey. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles "Tears Of A Clown" is so timeless that it reached the top of the charts despite being released three years after it was recorded. He wrote "My Guy" (Mary Wells) and "My Girl" (Temptations), as well as classics like "Get Ready" (Temptations/Rare Earth), "Don't Mess With Bill" (Marvelettes), and "I'll Be Doggone" (Marvin Gaye) for other Motown artists. His tenure with the Miracles produced over two dozen top 40 hits, and he had 4 top ten hits as a solo artist. He's been honored in song by ABC and George Harrison. This great track by Smokey and the Miracles peaked at #8 in early 1969. Baby, Baby Don't Cry - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 20, 2015 6:34:12 GMT -5
February 20: ...Walter Becker, who turns 65 today. He's one-half of Steely Dan, bass player and co-writer of many of their songs. In his honor, we'll go with the title track to their best selling album. Aja - Steely Dan
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 21, 2015 6:16:54 GMT -5
February 21: ...Jerry Harrison, guitarist and keyboardist for the Talking Heads is 66 today. After a stint with Jonathan Richman in the Modern Lovers, Jerry joined the Talking Heads after their first single "Love --->Building On Fire" and remained with them through the entire duration. This included the mid-90s version without David Byrne as The Heads, and the 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame reunion. Jerry has been very successful as a producer, with albums and songs by the Violent Femmes, Fine Young Cannibals, Crash Test Dummies, and No Doubt to his credit. He's also released three albums of solo material. From this work, here is his most successful single. It reached #7 on Modern Rock tracks in 1988. Rev It Up - Jerry Harrison
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 22, 2015 5:56:16 GMT -5
February 22: ...Marni Nixon, 85 years young today. Marni is best known for dubbing the singing voices on some of the all-time greatest musicals. She sang Marilyn Monroe's high notes on "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and worked with Deborah Kerr on "The King And I". She was the singing voice for Natalie Wood on "West Side Story" and also Audrey Hepburn's Eliza in "The Sound Of Music" Marni most certainly passed many of her talents to her son. In the seventies, he was a producer and arranger and played many instruments on recordings by America, Carly Simon, James Taylor, and most notably Linda Ronstadt's #1 hit "You're No Good". He also charted on his own, reaching #7 with one of his singles in 1977. Another one of his singles only peaked at #25. Over the years, this song has become his signature hit having been used as a TV theme. It's also one of the most requested tunes on Casey's "Long Distance Dedication". Thank You For Being A Friend - Andrew Gold
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 23, 2015 6:00:03 GMT -5
February 23: ...Steve Priest who turns 65 today. Steve is the bass player/vocalist and founding member of the glam/rock group Sweet. He still tours the states with his version of the band. The follow-up to "Fox On The Run" was a great single, peaking at #20 on the Hot 100. Are you ready Steve? Action - Sweet
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Post by 1finemrg on Feb 24, 2015 6:13:55 GMT -5
February 24: ...Rupert Holmes who turns 68 today. His "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" was the last #1 single of the 70s. He also reached the Top 40 with the #6 follow-up "Him" and "Answering Machine". He began as a session musician, jingle and songwriter. He wrote and played piano on the Buoys #17 hit "Timothy" from early 1971. His career received a boost as writer, arranger, and conductor of a series of Barbara Streisand albums beginning in the mid-seventies. In the 80s, he wrote the #3 hit "You Got It All" for the Jets, later covered by Britney Spears. He turned his attention to playwriting, earning a Tony award for "Drood". He was also nominated in 2003 for "Say Goodnight, Gracie". He created and wrote the AMC cable TV series "Remember WENN" in the 1990s. One of Rupert's earliest appearances in the Top 40 was on this studio project that peaked at #36 early in 1970. Jennifer Tomkins - Street People
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