1947 - This was the day when American President Truman's daughter, Margaret, gave her first public concert performance as a singer. When she was 16 years-old, Margie began taking voice lessons in from Mrs. Thomas J. Strickler, a family friend. On March 16, 1947, she made her actual singing debut over a nationwide radio hookup with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. But her first outdoor public live appearance as a singer was today, August 23, 1947, at the Hollywood Bowl before a crowd of around 15,000 to 20,000, depending on whose version of the event one believes. Just nine years later, in 1956, Elvis Presley went to #1 with his song, Don't Be Cruel, backed with Hound Dog. Presley causes an uproar with his pelvic undulations when he first performs Hound Dog on Milton Berle’s TV show. The two-sided hit topped charts around the world for 11 weeks, setting a record for the rock era that stood until 1992. A version of Don’t Be Cruel by Bill Black’s Combo reached #11 in 1960 and a remake by Cheap Trick hit No. 4. Thanks to youtuber motorecka, here's a new spin on Presley's Don't Be Cruel.
1962 - When John Lennon was performing in Hamburg with The Beatles, Cynthia Powell rented his bedroom from his aunt and legal guardian, Mimi Smith. After she became pregnant with Julian, the Lennons were married on this day in 1962, at the Mount Pleasant Register office in Liverpool. Their wedding night was spent with Lennon playing with the Beatles at Liverpool’s Riverpark Ballroom. Julian Lennon was born in April of 1963. Six years later, Lennon left her for Yoko Ono. During this time it is said that Paul McCartney visited Cynthia, Hey Jude brewing in his head on the way.The Lennons' divorce was legally granted on 8 November 1968. This is the song Paul wrote for Cynthia and Julian.
1963 - Another of the 60s British beat-boom bands, Billy J Kramer And The Dakotas, reached #1 on world charts (on this day in the UK) with Bad To Me, a song John Lennon wrote for them while on holiday in Spain with Brian Epstein.
1965 - A couple of years after The Dakotas, a little rock group from Sydney, known as the Easybeats had created their own sound, with their own take on rock'n'roll. A long way from their homes in Scotland, Liverpool and Holland, this bunch of teenage immigrants had their own ideas of how rock'n'roll should be, their sound somewhere between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and raw, and with a dynamic lead singer with hiw own style. The Easybeats were unique, and they began a long, long thread in Australian rock music, through many sub-genres, that eventually took us to AC/DC. Look closely at this video from 1965, an 18yo Stevie Wright, the lead singer; Angus and Malcolm's big brother playing rhythm guitar; Snowy Fleet, whose drumming style influenced many Australian drummers in following decades; Dick Diamond did Bill Wyman better than Wyman, and Harry Vanda experimented with blues licks inside a pop structure. If you look closely at Stevie Wright, you will see a spark, a stance, a look, a grin, a phrase, a show biz glint, and you'll see the influence he had on AC/DC's Bon Scott.
1970 - American rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival started a nine-week run at #1 on the US album chart, today, with their fifth studio album Cosmo's Factory. The album then went on to become a top selling album in most countries around the world. The name of the album comes from the warehouse in Berkeley, California, where the band rehearsed. Bandleader John Fogerty was so insistent on practicing, and so often, so regularly, that drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford began referring to the place as "the factory". This little-seen 1970 movie was directed by Claude Villers & Bernard Bouthier, and comes from a French 70's TV show "A l'affiche du monde". This is the warehouse in Berkeley, 1230 Fifth Street, where the band rehearsed.
John Fogerty was so demanding of perfection that drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford began referring to the place as "the factory".
1970 - This was the night that Lou Reed left the Velvet Underground, following the band's gig at Max’s Kansas City. The group’s manager carried on, inviting Doug Yule to be the frontman. The band toured with a variety of lineups, until its final album, Squeeze, recorded three years later in 1973. There were no original members at this time. Here's Lou, with an absolute killer song.
1970 - The Wailers began recording a series of classic recordings with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, and the lineup would end up being THE classic Wailers personnel; Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and brothers Aston and Carlton Barrett. Five years later, and Joy Division singer Ian Curtis married Deborah Woodruff, whom he met while still at school, when he was 19 and she was 18. They remained married until his death when he hanged himself in the kitchen of his house in Macclesfield, England at the age of 23. For more details and videos on Bob Marley and the Wailers and Joy Division, go to our archive search engine. three years after his Curtis was married, and on the same day, Sex Pistol bassist Sid Vicious made his final live stage appearance when he appeared with Rat Scabies from The Damned, former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and Nancy Spungen at London's Electric Ballroom. Interestingly, audience members included Elvis Costello, Blondie, Joan Jett , The Slits and Captain Sensible. And as punk wheezed its final cough, on August 23, 1980, David Bowie had a worldwide #1 song with Ashes to Ashes. It was accompanied by a bizarre video, he in a clown outfit, the look and feel a large contributing factor to the birth of the London new romantic music movement…here's Bowie with a live version of the song, just a few years later.
1991- Here we are, just 20 years ago, August 23, with that year's famous Reading Festival in England, with the following formidable lineup: Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Pop Will Eat Itself, Dinosaur Jr., Chapterhouse, Nirvana, Silverfish, Babes in Toyland, James, The Fall, De La Soul, Blur, Teenage Fanclub, Flowered Up, The Fat Lady Sings, Kingmaker, Mercury Rev, Sisters of Mercy and Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Let's check out the stella noise factor of Sonic Youth.
1993 - The relentless persecution of Michael Jackson continued 18 years ago, when The Los Angeles Police Department formally announced that Jackson was the subject of a criminal investigation. Rednecks continued to unite, mob rule ruled, hysteria was the order of the day, and Chinese whispers continued the slander. Easy prey, was Jackson. 1993 - Duran Duran received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. And a year later, same day, Prince released his home video, 3 Chains O'Gold. Prince doesn't allow his videos to be played in a public forum, sadly. Sixteen years ago, former lead singer for 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant, became the first guest in a series of live chats being conducted on the new Elektra Entertainment Group's World Wide Web site, held today, August 23. I totally adore Natalie Merchant, how could you not - this is she, four years later, in 1999, when she so beautifully performed this song, Carnival.
1962 - When John Lennon was performing in Hamburg with The Beatles, Cynthia Powell rented his bedroom from his aunt and legal guardian, Mimi Smith. After she became pregnant with Julian, the Lennons were married on this day in 1962, at the Mount Pleasant Register office in Liverpool. Their wedding night was spent with Lennon playing with the Beatles at Liverpool’s Riverpark Ballroom. Julian Lennon was born in April of 1963. Six years later, Lennon left her for Yoko Ono. During this time it is said that Paul McCartney visited Cynthia, Hey Jude brewing in his head on the way.The Lennons' divorce was legally granted on 8 November 1968. This is the song Paul wrote for Cynthia and Julian.
1963 - Another of the 60s British beat-boom bands, Billy J Kramer And The Dakotas, reached #1 on world charts (on this day in the UK) with Bad To Me, a song John Lennon wrote for them while on holiday in Spain with Brian Epstein.
1965 - A couple of years after The Dakotas, a little rock group from Sydney, known as the Easybeats had created their own sound, with their own take on rock'n'roll. A long way from their homes in Scotland, Liverpool and Holland, this bunch of teenage immigrants had their own ideas of how rock'n'roll should be, their sound somewhere between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and raw, and with a dynamic lead singer with hiw own style. The Easybeats were unique, and they began a long, long thread in Australian rock music, through many sub-genres, that eventually took us to AC/DC. Look closely at this video from 1965, an 18yo Stevie Wright, the lead singer; Angus and Malcolm's big brother playing rhythm guitar; Snowy Fleet, whose drumming style influenced many Australian drummers in following decades; Dick Diamond did Bill Wyman better than Wyman, and Harry Vanda experimented with blues licks inside a pop structure. If you look closely at Stevie Wright, you will see a spark, a stance, a look, a grin, a phrase, a show biz glint, and you'll see the influence he had on AC/DC's Bon Scott.
1970 - American rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival started a nine-week run at #1 on the US album chart, today, with their fifth studio album Cosmo's Factory. The album then went on to become a top selling album in most countries around the world. The name of the album comes from the warehouse in Berkeley, California, where the band rehearsed. Bandleader John Fogerty was so insistent on practicing, and so often, so regularly, that drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford began referring to the place as "the factory". This little-seen 1970 movie was directed by Claude Villers & Bernard Bouthier, and comes from a French 70's TV show "A l'affiche du monde". This is the warehouse in Berkeley, 1230 Fifth Street, where the band rehearsed.
John Fogerty was so demanding of perfection that drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford began referring to the place as "the factory".
1970 - This was the night that Lou Reed left the Velvet Underground, following the band's gig at Max’s Kansas City. The group’s manager carried on, inviting Doug Yule to be the frontman. The band toured with a variety of lineups, until its final album, Squeeze, recorded three years later in 1973. There were no original members at this time. Here's Lou, with an absolute killer song.
1970 - The Wailers began recording a series of classic recordings with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, and the lineup would end up being THE classic Wailers personnel; Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and brothers Aston and Carlton Barrett. Five years later, and Joy Division singer Ian Curtis married Deborah Woodruff, whom he met while still at school, when he was 19 and she was 18. They remained married until his death when he hanged himself in the kitchen of his house in Macclesfield, England at the age of 23. For more details and videos on Bob Marley and the Wailers and Joy Division, go to our archive search engine. three years after his Curtis was married, and on the same day, Sex Pistol bassist Sid Vicious made his final live stage appearance when he appeared with Rat Scabies from The Damned, former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock and Nancy Spungen at London's Electric Ballroom. Interestingly, audience members included Elvis Costello, Blondie, Joan Jett , The Slits and Captain Sensible. And as punk wheezed its final cough, on August 23, 1980, David Bowie had a worldwide #1 song with Ashes to Ashes. It was accompanied by a bizarre video, he in a clown outfit, the look and feel a large contributing factor to the birth of the London new romantic music movement…here's Bowie with a live version of the song, just a few years later.
1991- Here we are, just 20 years ago, August 23, with that year's famous Reading Festival in England, with the following formidable lineup: Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Pop Will Eat Itself, Dinosaur Jr., Chapterhouse, Nirvana, Silverfish, Babes in Toyland, James, The Fall, De La Soul, Blur, Teenage Fanclub, Flowered Up, The Fat Lady Sings, Kingmaker, Mercury Rev, Sisters of Mercy and Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Let's check out the stella noise factor of Sonic Youth.
1993 - The relentless persecution of Michael Jackson continued 18 years ago, when The Los Angeles Police Department formally announced that Jackson was the subject of a criminal investigation. Rednecks continued to unite, mob rule ruled, hysteria was the order of the day, and Chinese whispers continued the slander. Easy prey, was Jackson. 1993 - Duran Duran received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. And a year later, same day, Prince released his home video, 3 Chains O'Gold. Prince doesn't allow his videos to be played in a public forum, sadly. Sixteen years ago, former lead singer for 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant, became the first guest in a series of live chats being conducted on the new Elektra Entertainment Group's World Wide Web site, held today, August 23. I totally adore Natalie Merchant, how could you not - this is she, four years later, in 1999, when she so beautifully performed this song, Carnival.
