#1 Song 1959: “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” the Platters
Born: Edward “Sonny” Stitt, 1924; Wilbert “Red” Prysock, 1926; Clarence Quick (the Dell-Vikings), 1937
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1951 B.B.King reached #1 R&B with his 78, “3 O’Clock Blues.” It was his eighth single release and first charter. Born Riley King, he got his nickname when he was a deejay on WDIA in Memphis: When the station’s publicist called him the Beale Street Blues Boy, which later became justBlues Boy and later still, B.B. Playing piano on the record was the an who discovered him: Ike Turner.
1956 The Coasters signed to Atco Records and went on to have nineteen hits in fifteen years.
1956 The Soul Stirrers featuring Sam Cooke (formerly of the Highway Q.C.’s) recorded what would become their biggest gospel single, “Touch the Hem of His Garment.”
1963 Bobby “Blue” Bland hit the R&B chart with both sides of his newest release. “Call On Me,” would eeventually reach #6 (#22 pop) while the B-side, “That’s The Way Love Is” made it to #1 for two weeks (#33 pop). Over the previous five years, Bland and his band played more than three hundred shows a year.
1994 “To think, I’ve been doing this for thirty fucking years,” Diana Ross reflected while performing at MIDEM ’94 in Cannes, France where she received the Commander in the Order of Arts andLetters award from the French Minister of Culture.
Ann
BEAUTIFUL, ALSO, ARE THE SOULS OF MY BLACK SISTERS 
Hello,; my namd is Sule Greg Wilson. I’m writing to officially inform you that Mars Hill College will be hosting “Strings, Rhythm and Song: African American Roots”. This music camp will take place from June 28-July 3, 2009. Faculty include Guy Davis, Dom Flemons, Cedric Watson, Justin Robinson, Reginald Robinson, myself and others.
The initial web page is up, with more to come: http://www.mhc.edu/AARoots. Classes in Piedmont and Creole fiddle, songster traditions, acoustic and electric blues, funk, jug band and Old Time, African and U.S. percussion, banjo, dulcimer, dance and ragtime and more are being offered.
I’m working to make this showcase of African American music a success. If you know of, or can suggest, people or organizations that should know about this camp, please drop me a line. I’m also trying to get snail mail addresses of organizations, schools, clubs and people to send brochures to. Please, where to?
Also, if you can spread the word amongst your friends, clients and constituents, it would be greatly appreciated.
SGW
PS: I am also looking for folks/businesses/organizations that are wiling to support/sponsor either the artists, or to offer scholarships to deserving youth. If you know of them, too, please let me know.
Tell me: where should ads for the camp be placed?
Remo, Gold Tone, Deering and Fender have come forth in support. We need more.
Thanks a lot.
Take care.
SGW