Month: April 2023

April 7, 1965 – The Elvis Presley movie “Girl Happy” opens and is the 25th top-grossing film of the year. The soundtrack hits #8, while the single “Crying in the Chapel” hits #3. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #TCB #GirlHappy #CryingInTheChapel #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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April 7, 1961 – Gene Pitney performs “(I Wanna) Love My Life Away” on “American Bandstand.” The song was Pitney’s first charting single, and spent 8 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #39. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand #GenePitney #OTD #RockNRoll
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April 7, 1959 – As the snow melts in Mason City, Iowa, Buddy Holly’s glasses are found from the plane crash that killed him two months earlier. They are turned in to police, where they remain in evidence lockup, forgotten until 1980 when a sheriff finds them and returns them to Holly’s widow. @buddyholly #OTD #RockNRoll @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets #RocHop
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April 7, 1956 – The CBS Radio Network premiered the first regularly scheduled national broadcast rock & roll show, Alan Freed’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party.” #ROCkabillyHop #AlanFreed #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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April 6, 1962 – Jay and the Americans make their national television debut on “American Bandstand.” They sing “She Cried.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand #OTD #RockNRoll
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April 6, 1959 – The self-titled LP by Ritchie Valens hits US charts. Included on the album are the songs “Donna” and “La Bamba.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #RitchieValens #Donna #LaBamba #OTD #RockNRoll
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April 6, 1956 – Elvis Presley signs a three-picture deal with Paramount only five days after his first screen test. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #TCB #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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April 6, 1938 – Barbara Pittman was born in Tennessee. She was one of the few female singers to record at Sun Studio. As a young teenager, she recorded some demos of songs for others. Pittman’s most popular recordings include “I Need A Man” on the Sun label and “Two Young Fools In Love”, released on Sam Phillips’ International label. #HappyBirthday #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #BarbaraPittman #INeedAMan #OTD #RockNRoll
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April 5, 1963 – Gene Pitney headlines the Show of Stars that currently are in the Hawaiian Islands. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #GenePitney #OTD #RockNRoll
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April 5, 1962 – Chubby Checker is guest of honor at a party thrown by the Philadelphia Variety Club. Checker’s latest movie “Don’t Knock the Twist” is previewed. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @Chubby_Checker #ChubbyChecker #twist #DontKnockTheTwist #OTD #RockNRoll
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