#1 R&B Song 1947: “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens,” Louis Jordan
Born: Bluesman Clarence “Pinetop” Smith, 1904; bluesman Slim Harpo (James Moore), 1924; Janice Pought (the Bobbettes), 1944; Mary J. Blige, 1971
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?1956 The Robins first session as the Coasters included “Down In Mexico” (#8 R&B) and “Brazil.”
1964 The Sapphires, a Philadelphia-based R&B trio led by Carol Jackson, charted en route to their biggest hit, “Who Do You Love” (#25).
1966 Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles began a tour of England, starting at the Cromwellian Club in London.
1986 The R&B/funk band Zapp entered the R&B hit list with “Computer Love part 1,” reaching #8, with Roger Troutman using a Sonovox Talk Box, to give their music that unique ethereal other-world sound.
The four Troutman brothers (Roger, Tony, Larry and Lester) would do it all over again eight years later when, with the added vocals of Charlie Wilson (Gap Band) and Shirley Murdock, they did a new version of “Computer Love,” which reached #65. In a bizarre circumstance, Roger died in 1999 when he was shot by brother Larry, who in turn killed himself in a murder-suicide. Larry was fifty-four, while Roger was forty-seven.
1992 Boyz II Men won the Best New Artist category at the NAACP twenty-fourth annual Image Awards at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, while Patti LaBelle was named Entertainer of the Year and the O’Jays won the trophy for Outstanding Vocal Group. Also inducted into the Image Hall of Fame were the Temptations.
1996 Michael Jackson’s album HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I was certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to be six times platinum.
