#1 R&B Song 1972: “Me & Mrs. Jones,” Billy Paul
Born: Michael McCary (Boys II Men), 1972
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1931 The Mills Brothers recorded their second #1 pop hit, “Dinah,” and this time the lead singer was Bing Crosby.
1960 Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs performed their chart-topper “Stay” on American Bandstand
1966 The Jimi Hendrix Experience recording “Hey Joe” was issued in England on Polydor records. Decca Records had previously passed on the group.
1967 Gladys Knight & the Pips reached #2 pop and #1 R&B (for six weeks) with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” which would later become Marvin Gaye’s signature song. “Grapevine” also became the biggest hit of Knight’s sixty-eight R&B hits between 1961 and 1996.
1978 Originally a member of the Soul Satisfiers (1971), Gloria Gaynor attacked the singles survey with “I Will Survive,” a #1 anthem for women and the sixth of her seven hits between 1974 and 1979.
1994 Stevie Wonder performed in Accra, Ghana, at the Panafest concert. Trooper that he is, he did the show on a badly out-of-tune piano.
Ann
