Category: On This Day…

February 7, 1932 – Warren Smith was born in Humphreys County, Mississippi. Smith was an American rockabilly and country singer and guitarist. He is best known for the rockabilly songs he recorded in the 1950s for the Sun Record Company, such as “Ubangi Stomp.” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Ruby,” and “Uranium Rock.” #ROCkabillyHop #WarrenSmith #UbangiStomp #RockNRollRuby #UraniumRock #HappyBirthday #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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February 6, 1961 – Dion was a guest on “American Bandstand” and sang “Havin’ Fun.” Missing the success of “Lonely Teenager” released the previous year, the song peaked at #47. It wouldn’t be until later in 61 that Dion would have the fun of #1 and #2 hits “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer.” #OTD #RockNRoll #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @DickClarkProd #DickClark #AmericanBandstand
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February 6, 1957 – “Come Go with Me” by The Del-Vikings enters the pop charts on its way to becoming a hit. It would peak at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reach #2 on the R&B chart. #ROCkabillyHop #DelVikings #ComeGoWithMe #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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February 7, 1959 – Ritchie Valens was buried in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery. #ROCkabillyHop #RitchieValens #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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February 5, 1957 – Bill Haley arrives in London for his first British tour. He’s the first American rock star to tour there and is met by about 4,000 fans at Heathrow Airport, mostly thanks to promoters who hyped his coming as “the second battle of Waterloo.” #ROCkabillyHop @billhaleymusic #BillHaley #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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February 5, 1956 – Elvis Presley scores his first national #1 hit, not with an RCA release but his last Sun single, “Mystery Train” backed with “I Forgot to Remember to Forget,” which reaches the top spot on Billboard’s country singles chart. #ROCkabillyHop #MysteryTrain @ElvisPresley #Elvis #TCB #theKing #IForgotToRememberToForget #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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February 5, 1929 – Hal Blaine was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Blaine was the famous session drummer who is credited with coining the term “Wrecking Crew” for the prolific group of Los Angeles studio musicians who played on hundreds of Top 40 hits coming out of the west coast in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Blaine, a member of the “Wrecking Crew” played on more than 140 Top Ten hits and about 40 #1 hits. #HappyBirthday #HalBlaine #OTD #RockNRoll #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #WreckingCrew
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February 4, 1977 – “American Bandstand” gets a prime-time special in honor of the show’s 25th anniversary. The show features one of the first “all-star jams,” as Chuck Berry is joined by Greg Allman, Junior Walker, The Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, and several others on a performance of “Roll Over Beethoven.” @ChuckBerry #ROCkabillyHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand #RollOverBeethoven #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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February 4, 1962 – Gene Pitney appeared on the British variety television program “Thank Your Lucky Stars” singing “Town Without Pity.” Afterward, Pitney begins his first tour of England. #OTD #RockNRoll #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop
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February 4, 1961 – Johnny Burnette is rushed to Hollywood’s Cedars of Lebanon Hospital to undergo an emergency appendectomy. The medical crisis forces Burnette, then on the charts with “You’re Sixteen,” to cancel $10,000 worth of domestic engagements and postpone a European tour. #OTD #RockNRoll #ROCkabillyHop #johnnyburnette #RocHop #YoureSixteen
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