Month: May 2023

May 6, 1956 – Buddy Holly joins Faron Young’s “Grand Ole Opry Show” on its Oklahoma tour. Other performers included Ray Price, Carl Perkins, Tommy Collins, Jimmy & Johnny, Tom Pritchard, Red Sovine, and Joe Vincent. @BuddyHolly #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets #FaronYoung #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll Source: @BuddyHollyCtr
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May 5, 1962 – Bobby Rydell is signed for the role of Hugo in the upcoming film “Bye, Bye Birdie.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll #BobbyRydell #ByeByeBirdie
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May 5, 1961 – Ral Donner and the Starfires perform “Girl of My Best Friend” on “American Bandstand.” “Girl Of My Best Friend” backed with “It’s Been A Long Long Time” was released on Gone Records and would peak on the Hot 100 at #19. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand #RalDonner
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May 5, 1934 – Tenor and alto saxophonist John “Ace” Cannon was born in Grenade, Mississippi. He played and toured with Hi Records stablemate Bill Black’s Combo and started a solo career with his record “Tuff” in 1961, using the Black combo as his backing group. “Tuff” hit #17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, and the follow-up single “Blues (Stay Away from Me)” hit #36 that same year. #ROCkabillyHop #AceCannon #Tuff #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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May 4, 1960 – Ricky Nelson sings “Young Emotions” and “Right By My Side” on this evening’s episode of ABC-TV’s “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll #YoungEmotions #RightByMySide @RickyNelsonRem #RickyNelson
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May 4, 1957 – Alan Freed’s “Rock and Roll Revue” debuts on ABC; the show is an attempt to replicate the success of their own hit “American Bandstand.” The first show features performances from The Clovers, The Del-Vikings, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Sal Mineo, and Guy Mitchell. #ROCkabillyHop #AlanFreed #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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May 4, 1937 – Surf rock guitarist Dick Dale is born “Richard Anthony Monsour” in Boston, Massachusetts. #ROCkabillyHop #DickDale #HappyBirthday
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May 4, 1937 – Surf rocker Dick Burns (of The Hondells) is born in Buffalo, New York. #ROCkabillyHop #TheHondells #HappyBirthday #DickBurns #RocHop
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May 3, 1960 – Charlie Rich sings “Lonely Weekends” on “American Bandstand.” This was his third single for the Sun subsidiary, Phillips International Records, and charted at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand #CharlieRich #TheSilverFox #LonelyWeekends
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May 3, 1958 – The popular disc jockey Alan Freed hosts the “Big Beat Show” at the Boston Arena (a hockey rink) featuring Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. Accounts vary, but the crowd rushes the stage at various times, and Freed keeps imploring them to sit down – not easy to do when Lewis is playing “Great Balls of Fire.” Freed is forced to stop the show, telling the crowd, “It looks like the Boston police don’t want you to have a good time.” Violence erupts, spurred on by gang members at the show, and spills over to the streets. A Navy sailor is stabbed, others are injured, and arrests are made outside the concert hall. Alan Freed is charged with inciting a riot, but the charges are later dropped. The incident, which became known as the “Boston riot,” resulted in the cancellation of scheduled shows in Troy, NY; Providence, RI; New Haven, CT; and Newark, NJ. Rock and roll became demonized in Boston, and the city does not host another rock concert until 1964 when The Beatles come through. @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets @ChuckBerry @jerryleelewis #AlanFreed
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