#1 R&B Song 1962: “The Locomotion,” Little Eva
Born: Jazz man Wayne Shorter, 1933; Walter Williams (the O’Jays), 1942
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1956 The Five Keys’ “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” (#23 pop, #12 R&B), the Channels’ “The Closer You Are,” and the Duponts’ “Must Be Falling In Love” were released. The Duponts featured sixteen-year-old lead Little Anthony two years before he recorded with the Imperials.
1958 “Come Back, My Love” (#29 R&B, $20), Jerry Butler & the Impressions’ follow-up to their first hit, “For Your Precious Love,” was issued.
1962 The Crystals’ “He’s A Rebel” was released, eventually climbing to #1 pop and #2 R&B. Unbeknown to the group at the time, producer Phil Spector had lifted their vocals and replaced them with Darlene Love & the Blossoms, even though the Crystals got the credit.
1962 Gary “U.S.” Bonds’ “Copy Cat” charted (#92 pop), becoming his last Top 100 for almost twenty years. His career in the ’60s would likely have been extended had he not turned down the opportunity to record “If You Wanna Be Happy,” a song his labelmate Jimmy Soul took to #1.
1990 Public Enemy performed at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA, but they didn’t get to complete their set because a massive fight broke out in the audience.
1993 Snoopy Dog was arrested as an accessory to the murder of a gang member who was shot from Snoopy Dog’s jeep by his bodyguard. The rapper paid $1 million bail for his freedom.
1995 Stevie Wonder received a Braille-inscribed brass plaque from former Motown backup singer Elisheva Bat-Israel in the town of Dimona, Israel, along with a humanitarian award from the African community of Hebrew Israelites, the Falashas.
2001 Aaliyah (born Aaliyah Haughton) died when the plane she was in crashed in the Caribbean. The young singer/actress had already had sixteen pop chart singles including her #1, “Try Again,” in 2000. She was only twenty-two.
