ON THIS DAY IN BLACK MUSIC HISTORY: MARCH 25

#1 R&B Song 1944:   “Cow Cow Boogie,” the Ink Spots & Ella Fitzgerald

 

Born:   Aretha Franklin, 1942

 

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1956   The Diablos appeared at Cleveland’s Circle Theater.

 

1956   An all-star gospel show featuring the Soul Stirrers, Swan Silvertones, Swanee Quintet, the Holy Spiritualaires, the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and the Jewel Gospel Singers brought 7,000 fans to the Coliseum in Durham, NC.

 

1960   Jazzman Horace Silver and Art Blakely performed along with Ray Charles and Dinah Washington at the Opera House in Chicago. Down the road, the Spaniels, Harvey (of the Moonglows), Etta James, Jerry Butler, Big Maybelle, and Wade Lemons were bringing down the house at the Regal Theater.

 

1967   Aretha Franklin’s album I Never Loved A Man (The Way That I Love You) reached #2, garnering “Lady Soul” her first gold album.

 

 

1967   One of the finest soul/doo-wop singles of the ’60s, “Get Yourself  Together,” by the Caesars, charted, but the under-promoted 45 only reached #48 R&B.

 

1983   The Jackson 5 reunited, including Jermaine and Michael, for the anniversary show 25 Years of Motown at Los Angeles’s Civic Center.

 

1985   Prince’s Purple Rain soundtrack won the Oscar for Best Original Score at the annual Academy Awards show, and Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Loved You” was honored as Best Song. Wonder dedicated the award to Nelson Mandela.

 

1992   The National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters gave Michael Jackson a Lifetime Achievement Award in Washington, DC.

 

1993   Bobby Womack performed a duet with Lulu on the British TV show Top of the Pops.