Today In Oldies Music History: May 4

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Births

1928: Maynard Ferguson
1931: Ed Cassidy (Spirit)
1934: Ace Cannon
1937: Dick Dale
1938: Tyrone Davis
1941: Richard Burns (The Hondells)
1941: David LaFlamme (It's A Beautiful Day)
1942: Ronnie Bond (The Troggs)
1942: Nickolas Ashford (Ashford and Simpson)
1943: Ricky West (The Tremeloes)
1944: Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco)
1944: Peggy Santiglia (The Angels)
1945: George Wadenius (Blood Sweat and Tears)
1949: Zal Cleminson (Sensational Alex Harvey Band)
1949: Stella Parton
1951: Bruce Day (Santana, Pablo Cruise)
1951: Jackie Jackson (The Jackson 5)

Deaths

1987: Paul Butterfield
2004: Clement "Coxsone" Dodd

Events

1886: The graphophone, a link between the earlier gramophone and the modern phonograph, is patented, featuring wax cylinders which conducted music better than Thomas Edison's original tinfoil ones.

1956: Lonnie Donegan quits the popular Chris Barber Jazz Band to form a skiffle group.
1956: England's New Musical Express erroneously reports that "Elvin" Presley will be performing an upcoming gig at the Palladium in London. Elvis never plays Europe.
1957: ABC-TV premieres Alan Freed's Rock and Roll Revue show, an attempt to replicate the success of their own American Bandstand. The first show features performances from The Clovers, The Del-Vikings, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Sal Mineo, and Guy Mitchell.
1959: The very first Grammy Awards are held in Los Angeles, with Record of the Year going to Domenico Modugno's "Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)" and Henry Mancini's The Music From Peter Gunn soundtrack winning Album of the Year. The Champs' "Tequila," for some reason, takes home Best Rhythm and Blues Performance.
1964: Birmingham, England musicians Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder form an R&B group they call the Moody Blues (after Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo").
1968: Steppenwolf makes its US television debut, performing "Born To Be Wild" on ABC-TV's American Bandstand.

1968: Twiggy, one of the first English "supermodels," catches an 18-year-old singer named Mary Hopkin on the BBC-TV talent show Opportunity Knocks and calls friend Paul McCartney, who eventually signs her to Apple and gives her one of his songs, "Those Were The Days," to record.
1970: The US National Guard opens fire on a Vietnam War protest at Kent State University in Ohio, killing four unarmed students and wounding eleven more. After seeing the photos later that week in Life magazine, Neil Young immediately writes the song "Ohio," which Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young will record the next day. Twenty-five years later to the day, Peter Paul and Mary play a commemorative concert at the university, performing Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind."
1985: The legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem reopens after a massive ten-million-dollar makeover.
1990: In an interview, David Bowie's ex-wife, Angie (she of the Rolling Stones song), claims for the first time that she once walked in on her ex and Stones frontman Mick Jagger having sex.
1992: Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke declares today "KISS Day" and presents the band with a key to the city.
2008: Martha Reeves' home in Detroit is burglarized and one million dollars' worth of recording equipment stolen. In just a few hours, the perpetrator is caught while attempting to hock the merchandise for $400.

Releases

1977: The Beatles, The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl

Recording

1945: Stan Kenton, "Tampico"
1956: Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula"
1961: The Jarmels, "A Little Bit Of Soap"
1979: Bob Dylan: "Gotta Serve Somebody," "Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)," "When He Returns," "Man Gave Names To All The Animals"

Charts

1963: Andy Williams' LP Days Of Wine And Roses hits #1
1963: The Beach Boys' LP Surfin' USA enters the charts
1974: Marvin Hamlisch's soundtrack LP The Sting hits #1
1974: Grand Funk's "The Loco-Motion" hits #1

Certifications

1967: The Turtles' "Happy Together" is certified gold
1978: Jefferson Starship's LP Earth is certified platinum