ON THIS DAY IN BLACK MUSIC HISTORY: FEBRUARY 19

#1 R&B Song 1949:   “Boogie Chillen,” John Lee Hooker

 

Born:   William McClain (the Cleftones), 1938; William “Smokey” Robinson (the Miracles), 1940; Bobby Rogers (the Miracles), 1940

 

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1944   The Five Red Caps’ debut chart 78, “I Learned A Lesson I’ll Never Forget,” hit the R&B list reaching #3 and #14 pop.

 

1949   Blind vocalist Al Hibbler hit the R&B charts with “Lover, Come back To Me,” reaching #9.

 

1955   Etta James charted with “The Wallflower” (sometimes called “Roll With M Henry”), reaching #1 R&B for four weeks. The song was an answer record to Hank Ballard’s “Work With Me, Annie,” while Georgia Gibbs copied James’s version for a pop version called “Dance With Me, Henry.” James would go on to have thirty R&B hits with her last one being a cover of Big Brother and the Holding Company’s (a.k.a. Janis Joplin and band) “Piece of My Heart.”

 

 

1958   The Miracles’ first single, “Got A Job,” was issued on End Records. The song was an answer record to the Silhouettes’ #1 hit, “Get A Job.” Though the 45 did not chart, it was the start of the group’s monumental career, which included forty-six pop and forty-eight R&B hits through 1978. It was also lead singer Smokey Robinson’s eighteenth birthday.

 

1960   Dr Jive’s Rhythm & Blues Revue featuring the Flaminos, the Hollywood Flames, Barrett Strong, Johnny Nash, Nappy Brown, and Tiny Topsy took over the Apollo Theater in New York City for a raucous good-time show.

 

1960   Jimmy Jones, riding the charts with his new hit, “Handy Man,” performed at the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia.

 

1974   Al Green received the award for favourite Album Soul/R&B category at the Inaugural American Music Awards in Hollywood, CA.

 

1983   James Ingram and Patti Austin’s “Baby, Come to Me” reached #1 on the pop charts after taking eighteen weeks to get there.

 

1966   The Isley Brothers’ classic “This Old Heart Of Mine” charted, reaching #12 pop (#6 R&B). Ron Isley would remake the song in a duet with Rod Stewart twenty-four years later, rising to #10 pop.

 

1994   The Jackson clan came together for the much-publicized Jackson Family Honors show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Michael Jackson appeared but did not sing, much to the consternation of many paying customers. Dionne Warwick took time out from her Psychic Friends Network (where she was reportedly making seven figures a year) to appear with the flock.