ON THIS DAY IN BLACK MUSIC HISTORY: NOVEMBER 29

#1 R&B Song 1980:   “Master Blaster (Jammin’), Stevie Wonder

 

Born:   Billy Strayhorn, 1915; John Wilson (Sly, Slick & Wicked), 1949

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1915   Big band composer/arranger supreme Billy Strayhorn was born. Strayhorn was behind-the-scenes glue to many a Duke Ellington hit, collaboarating on such classics as “Take The A Train,” “Johnny Come Lately,” and “Rain Check.” He was with Ellington for twenty-eight years.

 

1969   Jackie Wilson, Gary “U.S.” Bonds, and a slew of other rock ‘n’ roll stars from the ’50s and ’60s performed at Richard Nader’s second Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival concert at madison Square Garden in new York.

 

1969   B.B. King performed at the Boston garden in Boston, MA, as the opening act for the Rolling Stones on their current U.S. tour.

 

1969   The Sylvers charted with “Boogie Fever,” reaching #1 pop and R&B. It would become their biggest of thirteen R&B Top 100 singles in their thirteen-year career.

 

 

 

1996   James Ingram, Roberta Flack, Aaron Neville, and Peabo Bryson began their Colors of Christmas tour at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Cleawater, FL.

 

1997   When Whitney Houston was belatedly informed that the Washington, D.C., concert she was to appear at was actually a mass wedding for 25,000 couples of “Moonies,” she apparantly came down with flu-like syptoms that prevented her from performing. The show would have netted her a cool million.

 

From the book, “On This Day In Black Music History, by Jay Warner.