It’s Throwback Thursday! Here’s what happened this week in Boss rock n’ roll history.
In 1960, former chicken plucker Chubby Checker topped the U. S. singles chart with “The Twist.” In 1970, Diana Ross started a three-week run at No. 1 on America’s singles chart with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” And in 1940 Bill Medley, half of The Righteous Brothers, was born.
In 1973, on his way to perform his second concert of the day, U.S. singer-songwriter Jim Croce was killed, along with five others, when his chartered aircraft hit a tree on takeoff. In 1997, Elton John started a 6-week run at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with “Candle in the Wind 97.” The 1974 hit he rewrote to raise funds for the Diana, Princess of Wales, charity, went on to become the world’s biggest-selling single ever.
In 1963, Bobby Vinton started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Blue Velvet.” In 1968, Jimi Hendrix Experience released their version of the Bob Dylan song “All Along the Watchtower.” In 1985, heavy MTV exposure helped make “Money for Nothing” Dire Straits’ first U. S. No.1 single.
In 1967, The Doors appeared on the Murray the K show on WPIX-TV in New York City performing “People Are Strange” and “Light My Fire.” In 1990, Garth Brooks’ album “No Fences” entered the U. S. album chart and became the biggest-selling country album of all time. And in 1951, Whitesnake’s David Coverdale was born.
In 1930, Ray Charles was born. The famed blind singer-songwriter — 1962 UK & U. S. No. 1 single “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and many others — died on 10 June 2004 aged 73.
In 1957, The Elvis Presley classic, “Jailhouse Rock,” was released. Many historians consider the film clip from the movie where he sang the song to be the first rock video.