ON THIS DAY IN BLACK MUSIC HISTORY: OCTOBER 13

#1 R&B Song 1958:  “It’s All in the Game,” Tommy Edwards

Born:  Shirley Caesar, 1938; Dorothy Moore, 1947

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1951   John Lee Hooker scored on the R&B charts with his 78 “I’m in the Mood,” his sixth hit. In the next few years, it would sell more than one million copies, as would his first single, “Boogie Chillen.’ ‘

1956   The Heartbeats’ standard, “A Thousand Miles Away” (#5 R&B, #53 pop), was released. The group’s lead singer, James Sheppard, wrote the standard while lounging in his bathtub.

1956   The Chips’ “Rubber Biscuit” ($100), the Cleftones’ “String Around My Heart” ($40), and the Cadillacs’ “The Girl I Love” ($100) were all issued.

1957   Specialty Records, upon hearing of Little Richard’s plan to leave rock ‘n’ roll, scheduled a quick eight-song recording session before the rocker could enter a theological seminary.

1963   Brook Benton followed the Beatles on Sunday Night at the London Palladium, his British TV debut. In essence, The Beatles opened for him.

1977   Orlons member Shirley Brickley was shot to death by an intruder in her home in Philadelphia. The Orlons were one of the hottest dance music groups of the early ’60s, They formed as a group in high school in the late 1950s, and were known  as an all-girl quintet called Audrey and the Teenettes, before they became the Orlons.  Shirley was a member through all nine of their Top 100 hits. She was only thirty-two.

Shirley Brickley, far right.

Rosetta Hightower (lead, far left), Shirley Brickely (center), Marlena Davis (right), and Stephen Caldwell, when the group was known as Zip and the Zippers.

1979   Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” reached #1 pop and R&B. It was his first solo #1 in seven years and reached #3 in England and #2 in Germany.

1979   The Sugar Hill Gang charted R&B with “Rapper’s Delight,” reaching #4 and #36 pop. They became the first pop success on the rap scene with what turned out to be their biggest hit.

1990   Fifty-two years after his death, Robert Johnson finally made the charts. A meticulously and lovingly compiled collection of Jonson’s recordings titled The Complete Recordings started a thirty-one week run and earned platinum status despite only reaching #80 pop.