ON THIS DAY IN BLACK MUSIC HISTORY: DECEMBER 27

#1 R&B Song 1952:   “I Don’t Know,” Willie Mabon & His Combo

 

Born:  John “Buddy” Bailey (the Clovers), 1931

 

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1964   The Supremes made their TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.

 

1966   Ike & Tina Turner peformed at the Galaxy in Los Angeles as part of a weeklong engagement.

 

1969   B.B. King charted with “The Thrill Is Gone,” his biggest pop hit, reaching #15 (#3 R&B).  The song was originally done in 1951 by Roy Hawkins. In answering a question about the similarity of many ’50s blues songs, King said, “I don’t think anybody steals anything; all of us borrow.”

 

 

1975   The Staple Singers reached #1 pop and R&B with “Let’s Do It Again,” having just signed to former Impression Curtis Mayfield’s Custom label.

 

 

1986   Jackie Wilson’s debut hit of 1958, “Reet Petite,” reentered England’s charts twenty-nine years after first appearing and two years after Wilson’s death. Today it reached #1 for four weeks, selling more than 700,000 singles.

 

 

1994   Babyface made his concert debut when he began a five-week tour with Boyz II Men at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN.