1814 - It's now almost 200 years since the saxophone was invented by the Belgian musical instrument maker, Antoine-Joseph 'Adolphe' Sax. His father, Charles-Joseph Sax, was an instrument designer too, having made several modifications to the design of the horn. Adolphe began to make his own instruments at an early age, and even submitted a couple of his flutes and a clarinet into a competition when he was just 15 years old. He then went on to study those two instruments at the Royal School of Singing in Brussels. But sax has become best known for inventing the saxophone, and although no single dat is known, it was around 1840. Clearly no videos of the man, but being the opportunist I am, here is a clip of one of the best-known sax players of our time, the recently departed Clarence Clemons. I'll let Bruce Springsteen introduce him, and then a feature of a solo from the big man. RIP, Clarence.
1941 - She has influenced many a young female vocalist through the years, and this is the day Lena Horne recorded the classic St. Louis Blues. Lena Horne was sizzling and sexy in her day, and sadly she died just a little more than a year ago. Two years after recording St. Louis Blues, Ms. Horne performed this song, the title track of the movie Stormy Weather, a song that became her signature tune, as the years rolled by. She was a stunner, as you can see. This is the great Lena Horne delivering her sizzling performance of Stormy Weather.
1965 - This is the day The Supremes made the studio recording of the Holland, Dozier, Holland song, Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart. For more information on The Supremes, Motown and Holland, Dozier and Holland, go to our archive search engine.
1965 - Ranked at #50 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Tracks Of My Tears by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles was released 46 years ago today. The much recorded love ballad, released on the Motown Records' Tamla label, has since been considered to be among the finest recordings of The Miracles, eventually selling almost two million copies. It is certainly the most recognized, most honored, and most covered song of the vocal group.
1970 - It's now 41 years since Chubby Checker and 3 others tried to twist their way out of a drug bust in Niagra Falls. The awesome foursome were arrested after marijuana and unidentified drug capsules were found in Checker's car. It amazes me to think that any of us can be busted for smoking pot in any year, it should be legal. Regardless, let's sneak back eight years before the bust and watch Chubby Checker doing a duet with the rock'n'soul mama, Dee Dee Sharp. This is Slow, Slow Twistin'.
1975 - I remember when I used to work in radio, in Adelaide, at 5KA, and when Alice Cooper came to town, copying a part of his stage show, I sprang out of a coffin, microphone-in-hand, to interview Alice Cooper when he came to town with his show, Welcome To My Nightmare. When the tour later left Oz and went to tour Vancouver, in Canada, Cooper fell off the stage and broke six ribs. He didn't have such bad luck when he appeared on the Muppet Show and gave this performance, also crawling out of his coffin.
1987 - Madonna's yearning for money from endorsements has been a consistent truism during the diva's career, and 1987 was no exception when she did this series of commercials for H&M women's clothing stores in London. To boost the effectiveness of the paid endorsements, Madge appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine today, June 23. Never mind the clothing stores, anyone for some S&M, Madonna-style?
2003 - In London, during his June 23 concert, Eminem gave away a $450,000 necklace to a fan in the front row of his show. Just to prove he was as interested in being a silver tongue as most other entertainers, he announced from the stage: "I'm going to give this to the sexiest woman I see." I think Em's one of the greatest lyricists of all time, and seeing him perform like this, I like him even more. No question, he's the real deal and a great performer.
1941 - She has influenced many a young female vocalist through the years, and this is the day Lena Horne recorded the classic St. Louis Blues. Lena Horne was sizzling and sexy in her day, and sadly she died just a little more than a year ago. Two years after recording St. Louis Blues, Ms. Horne performed this song, the title track of the movie Stormy Weather, a song that became her signature tune, as the years rolled by. She was a stunner, as you can see. This is the great Lena Horne delivering her sizzling performance of Stormy Weather.
1965 - This is the day The Supremes made the studio recording of the Holland, Dozier, Holland song, Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart. For more information on The Supremes, Motown and Holland, Dozier and Holland, go to our archive search engine.
1965 - Ranked at #50 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Tracks Of My Tears by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles was released 46 years ago today. The much recorded love ballad, released on the Motown Records' Tamla label, has since been considered to be among the finest recordings of The Miracles, eventually selling almost two million copies. It is certainly the most recognized, most honored, and most covered song of the vocal group.
1970 - It's now 41 years since Chubby Checker and 3 others tried to twist their way out of a drug bust in Niagra Falls. The awesome foursome were arrested after marijuana and unidentified drug capsules were found in Checker's car. It amazes me to think that any of us can be busted for smoking pot in any year, it should be legal. Regardless, let's sneak back eight years before the bust and watch Chubby Checker doing a duet with the rock'n'soul mama, Dee Dee Sharp. This is Slow, Slow Twistin'.
1975 - I remember when I used to work in radio, in Adelaide, at 5KA, and when Alice Cooper came to town, copying a part of his stage show, I sprang out of a coffin, microphone-in-hand, to interview Alice Cooper when he came to town with his show, Welcome To My Nightmare. When the tour later left Oz and went to tour Vancouver, in Canada, Cooper fell off the stage and broke six ribs. He didn't have such bad luck when he appeared on the Muppet Show and gave this performance, also crawling out of his coffin.
1987 - Madonna's yearning for money from endorsements has been a consistent truism during the diva's career, and 1987 was no exception when she did this series of commercials for H&M women's clothing stores in London. To boost the effectiveness of the paid endorsements, Madge appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine today, June 23. Never mind the clothing stores, anyone for some S&M, Madonna-style?
2003 - In London, during his June 23 concert, Eminem gave away a $450,000 necklace to a fan in the front row of his show. Just to prove he was as interested in being a silver tongue as most other entertainers, he announced from the stage: "I'm going to give this to the sexiest woman I see." I think Em's one of the greatest lyricists of all time, and seeing him perform like this, I like him even more. No question, he's the real deal and a great performer.
