Today in Music History
Last Week of School!
*Did either of you like/dislike any of the songs? Why?
May 14, 1973
R&B singer-songwriter Shanice is born Shanice Lorraine Wilson
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Fun Fact: In 1997, Shanice played Eponine in Les Misérables.
Music History Challenge!
During this last week, listen to or make a playlist of some or all of the songs below. Listen to them with someone else! Answer these questions and share them with me via email (ajtoline@dcsdk12.org) or here.
*How many songs did they know but you didn't?
*How many songs did you know but they didn't?
*What did you teach the other person from the facts below?
*What did your person teach you?
*Did any songs bring back memories for either of you?
May 13, 1994
Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" is released.
Fun Fact: The band is named after a sculpture in Seattle.
May 12, 1978
Alex Ebert, lead singer of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, is born.
Fun Fact: The band name is based on a story
Alex Ebert wrote when he was young.
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros "Home"
May 11, 1888
Irving Berlin is born.
Fun Fact: Irving Berlin never learned to read or write music,
but he taught himself to play enough piano to compose a melody.
Irving Berlin's "It's a Lovely Day Today"
May 8, 2009
The mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders, declares this day "Adam Lambert Day" after Adam Lambert's performances on American Idol.
May 7, 2016
Axl Rose of Guns 'n' Roses takes over as lead singer of AC/DC.
Fun Fact: Axl Rose has the same birthday as Ms. Toline. :)
AC/DC with Axl Rose "Thunderstruck"
May 6, 1997
Joni Mitchell is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Fun Fact: This was the first year the ceremony was held in Cleveland, Ohio where the Hall is located. All ceremonies previously had been held in New York.
Joni Mitchell "Big Yellow Taxi/Both Sides Now"
May 5, 1969
Creedence Clearwater Revival releases "Bad Moon Rising".
Fun Fact: This song contains classic misheard lyrics. The line that says, "There's a bad moon on the rise" is sometimes heard as "There's a bathroom on the right."
May 4, 1974
"The Loco-Motion" by Grand Funk Railroad is #1.
Fun Fact: This was the second time the song went to #1.
The first time was the original version by Little Eva in 1962.
Grand Funk Railroad "Loco-motion" Little Eva "Loco-motion"
May 1, 1967
Country singer Tim McGraw is born.
Fun Fact: Tim McGraw's full name is Samuel Timothy McGraw. His dad, Tug McGraw, played baseball for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.
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Tim McGraw Tug McGraw
April 30, 1965
Herman's Hermits make their debut in the U.S.
Fun Fact: Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter, which was recorded in two takes, was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1965.
Herman's Hermits "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter"
April 29, 2011
Ellie Goulding sings a cover of Elton John's "Your Song" at
the wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Fun Fact: Ellie started writing her own songs at age 15
and won a singing competition in college.
Ellie Goulding Prince William and Kate Middleton
April 28, 1958
"Witch Doctor" by David Seville is #1. It's the first song using vocals that are sped-up to create a squeaky sound that later becomes The Chipmunks.
David Seville
Fun Fact: This song has been featured on The Simpsons,
The Muppet Show, and Homeward Bound.
Alvin and The Chipmunks "Witch Doctor"
April 27, 1988
Lizzo is born in Detroit, Michigan.
Fun Fact: Lizzo's real name is Melissa Jefferson.
Lizzo "A Change is Gonna Come" One World: Together at Home
April 24, 1979
"Georgia On My Mind" is declared the official state song of the state of Georgia.
Fun Fact: Ray Charles' rendition of the song won Grammys for
Best Male Vocal Recording and Best Pop Song Performance.
Ray Charles "Georgia On My Mind"
April 23, 1936
Roy Orbison is born in Vernon, Texas.
Fun Fact: Roy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
April 22, 1985
Prince releases his seventh album, "Around the World in a Day".
Fun Fact: Prince learned to play more than a dozen instruments
before the age of 15.
April 21, 1962
Elvis Presley's "Good Luck Charm" is #1.
Fun Fact: Elvis collected police badges.
He had a police badge for almost every city he played in.
April 16: Music History Challenge!
Over the long weekend, listen to or make a playlist of some or all of the songs below. Listen to them with someone else! Answer these questions and share them with me via email (ajtoline@dcsdk12.org) or here.
*How many songs did they know but you didn't?
*How many songs did you know but they didn't?
*What did you teach the other person from the facts below?
*What did your person teach you?
*Did any songs bring back memories for either of you?
*Did either of you like/dislike any of the songs? Why?
April 15, 1991
MC Hammer's album, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em,
becomes the first rap album to earn Diamond status,
earned by selling 10 million copies.
Fun Fact: MC Hammer's real name is Stanley Kirk Burrell.
April 14, 2009
George Harrison posthumously gets a star on Hollywood Boulevard.
Fun Fact: George was the youngest member of the Beatles.
George Harrison "Got My Mind Set On You"
April 13, 1966
Marc Ford, guitarist for The Black Crowes, is born.
Fun Fact: The Black Crowes were originally named
Mr. Crowe's Garden, after a fairy tale.
The Black Crowes "Good Morning, Captain"
April 10, 1957
Steve Gustafson of 10,000 Maniacs is born in Seville, Spain.
Fun Fact: Steve is one of the original founding members of the 10,000 Maniacs.
10,000 Maniacs "Like the Weather"
April 9, 1977
ABBA scores their first #1 hit in the U.S. with "Dancing Queen".
Fun Fact: The song was also #1 in 13 other countries.
April 8, 1984
Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend is born.
Fun Fact: Before making it big, Ezra spent a year as an eighth-grade English teacher.
Vampire Weekend "Harmony Hall"
April 7, 2017
Pearl Jam is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Fun Fact: The band was first named Mookie Baylock after the basketball player who played for the New Jersey Nets at the time.
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Pearl Jam Mookie Baylock The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio
April 3, 1869
Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor
is premiered at Copenhagen's Casino Theater.
Fun Fact: Grieg was a Norwegian Composer and the founder
of the Norwegian nationalist school of music.
Copenhagen's Casino Theater
Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor played by Julia Fischer
April 2, 2006
Gnarls Barkley's song, "Crazy" becomes the first single in the UK
to be #1 based solely on download sales.
Fun Fact: Gnarls Barkley is made up of singer Cee-Lo Green (left)
and producer Danger Mouse (right).
Cee-Lo Green's real name is Thomas Callaway and Danger Mouse is Brian Burton.
April 1, 2008
YouTube plays a trick on its users by "rickrolling" some of its video links to lead to
Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" video.
Fun Fact: This song also appeared in the movies Happy Feet Two (2011),
The Angry Birds Movie (2016) and The Lego Batman Movie (2017).
"Never Gonna Give You Up" Video
March 31, 1972
The band America's self-titled debut album hits #1 in America.
Fun Fact: America did the soundtrack to Rankin Bass's 1982 animated movie The Last Unicorn.
March 30, 1974
John Denver's "Sunshine on My Shoulders" is #1 in the U.S.
Fun Fact: John Denver's real name was Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.
He changed his name to honor his love of Colorado and so that
he had an easy name for fans to remember.
"Pac-Man Fever", a song about the arcade game, breaks into the top 10.
It's the only song about a video game to do so.
Fun fact: The song contains sound effects of the game which were actually recorded from the video game at a local deli. Rumor has it that if you listen closely you can hear someone ordering a sandwich!
"Sunshine on My Shoulders" Video
March 27, 1982
March 26, 1968
Alternative rock guitarist James Iha of The Smashing Pumpkins
is born in Chicago, Illinois.
Fun Fact: Iha and lead singer, Billy Corgan, met in a used record store when Corgan worked. They then formed the band in 1988.
Smashing Pumpkins "1979" Video
March 25, 2007
Elton John set the record for the most performances at New York's Madison Square Garden when he performs there for the 60th time, on his 60th birthday.
Fun Fact: At the age of 11, he won a piano scholarship
to the Royal Academy of Music.
Please share your thoughts, questions, and wonderings on this google doc!
March 24, 1975
Rush is named Most Promising Group at the Juno Awards. They fulfill that promise, winning Group Of The Year in 1978 and 1979.
Fun Fact: One of their most popular and well-known songs, "Tom Sawyer", is loosely based on author Mark Twain's character in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" published in 1876.
Please share your thoughts, questions, and wonderings on this google doc!