#1 R&B Song 1977: “Serpentine Fire,” Earth, Wind & Fire
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1949 John Lee Hooker (one of my favourites!) charted with “Crawlin’ King Snake,” an eventual #6 R&B hit and a staple of white electric blues bands of the ’60s.
1955 The Robins charted with “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” (#10 R&B), their last single before half the act separated to fom the Coasters. The single also managed to reach #79 pop, but while the Coasters became rock ‘n’ roll legends, the Robins never had another chart 45.
1966 Ray Charles was given a five-year suspended sentence, a $10,000 fine and four years probation for possession of heroin. Charles would eventually go cold turkey during a ninety-two hour stay in a California hospital.
1976 Seven gunmen charged into Bob Marley’s house in Kingston, Jamaica. Though he was wounded, he survived the ordeal and promptly moved to Miami, Florida.
1977 Twenty-nine-year-old Patti Austin’s debut album, Havana Candy, charted reaching #116. Goddaughter of jazz great Dinah Washington, Austin had been performing since she took the stage at the Apollo Theater at the age of four.
1988 Choreographer-turned-singer Paula Abdul charted with “Straight Up,” a dance tune that zoomed to the top spot, becoming the first of her six #1s in less than three years.
1992 Stevie Wonder received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters at their seventh annual Salute to the American Songwriter in Los Angeles.
1995 B.B. King was honored at the annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.
1998 Performing a benefit on the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, B.B. King raised more than $450,000 for American troops overseas.
Ann
