Today in Oldies Music History: February 5

Births

1929: Hal Blaine
1930: Don Goldie
1933: Claude King
1941: Barrett Strong
1942: Cory Wells (Three Dog Night)
1943: Chuck Winfield (Blood, Sweat and Tears)
1944: J.R. Cobb (Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section), Al Kooper (The Blues Project, Blood, Sweat and Tears)
1948: Alan Barrows (The Folksmen), Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)
1949: Nigel Olsson (The Elton John Band)

Deaths

none

Events

1931: Eddie Cantor makes his debut radio appearance, singing on Rudy Vallee’s Fleischmann Hour.
1955: New York City's WNEW-AM announces the winners of its annual music popularity poll: Perry Como (Male Singer), Patti Page (Female Singer), the Crew-Cuts (Vocal Group), and Ray Anthony (Orchestra).
1957: Bill Haley arrives in London for his first British tour, the first by any American rock star. 5,000 screaming fans greet him at the Heathrow Airport.
1967: The British tabloid News of the World, owned by Rupert Murdoch, publishes an article called "Pop Stars and Drugs -- Facts that Will Shock You." In it, everyone from the Moody Blues to Pete Townshend is labeled as an LSD user. The tabloid is slapped with a defamation lawsuit that very day by the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, whom the article alleges to be hooked on Benzedrine and hashish; apparently the reporter in question had overheard the Stones' Brian Jones admitting to these things and mistook him for Jagger. The suit ignites a feud between the tabloid and the band that would lead directly to Stones' guitarist Keith Richard's infamous drug bust five days later.
1998: Elton John and Stevie Wonder perform at the White House for US President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Releases

1961: Mary Wells, "Bye Bye Baby"
1961: Gene Pitney, "Love My Life Away"
1972: Paul Simon, "Mother and Child Reunion"
1972: Neil Young, "Heart Of Gold"

Recording

1976: Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, "Tuxedo Junction"
1976: Elvis Presley: "For the Heart," "Hurt," "Danny Boy"

Certifications

1968: The Beatles' album Yellow Submarine is certified gold
1973: Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" is certified gold
1979: The Pointer Sisters' "Fire" is certified gold

Charts

1955: The Fontaine Sisters' "Hearts of Stone" hits #1
1966: SSgt Barry Sadler's "The Ballad of the Green Berets" enters the pop charts
1966: The Marketts' "Batman Theme" enters the pop charts
1966: Petula Clark's "My Love" hits #1
1977: Mary MacGregor's "Torn Between Two Lovers" hits #1