Monthly Archives: October 2021

Johnny Cash had several hits on the Sun label such as “I Walk the Line,” “Ballad of a Teenage Queen,” “Cry, Cry, Cry,” “Big River,” “Get Rhythm,” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” Many were number one on the national Country charts … Continue reading →

Jack Scott was one of the biggest stars of the early Rock and Roll era. His first hit was a 2-sided success with “Leroy” reaching # 11 and “My True Love” hitting #3 on the national charts in 1958. A … Continue reading →

James Brown’s first hit was “Please Please Please.” It has become a Rhythm & Blues classic and recognized as the signature song for James Brown and The Famous Flames. Reportedly, the song came about because James Brown’s friend, Little Richard,had … Continue reading →

Johnny Burnette wrote hits for Ricky Nelson like “It’s Late,” “Waitin’ in School,” and “Believe What You Say” before his name would join Ricky Nelson on the Billboard Hot 100. Burnette’s first hit “Dreamin’” came in 1960. In 1961 he … Continue reading →

One-hit-wonders made up a major portion of the hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Such is the case for a blue-eyed soul group out of Detroit known as the Shades of Blue. They reached #2 in 1966 with a song … Continue reading →

Following good success with top-20 hits like “Just Keep it Up” and “Hey Little Girl(in the High School Sweater),” Delectus Clark, better known as Dee Clark, had his biggest hit with “Raindrops,” climbing all the way to #2 on the … Continue reading →

The Supremes were not overnight sensations. On their first recordings it was Florence Ballard and not Diana Ross who sang lead. Things were going so poorly that Ross took a job in a Detroit department store. But when she was … Continue reading →

In 1968 Capitol Records released “Lady Madonna,” their last 45 with the Beatles. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Paul McCartney said he wrote the song as a boogie woogie blues song ala Fats Domino. Ironically, Fats … Continue reading →

At the age of 13, Thelonious Monk had won so many amateur award contests at the famed Apollo Theater that he was asked to stop entering the competitions. One of the architects of what is known as Be-Bop, Monk is … Continue reading →

Ronnie Self is probably best known for the hits he wrote for Brenda Lee including “I’m Sorry” and “Sweet Nothin’s.” In 1957, over the objections of Columbia Records big-wig Mitch Miller, Ronnie Self was signed to the label. He was … Continue reading →