October 23rd
October 23
2010: Neil Young hosts his 24th annual Bridge School Benefit concert. Among the performers are a reunited version of Buffalo Springfield, Pearl Jam and T-Bone Burnett’s Speaking Clock Revue featuring: Elton John, Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, Ralph Stanley, Neko Case & Jeff Bridges.
2001: Katy Perry releases a gospel album under her real name: Katy Hudson.
1980: Woman In Love by Barbra Streisand is #1.
1978: “Mother” Maybelle Carter dies. She was the matriarch of the singing Carter Family and pioneered the modern style of playing guitar.
1976: Chicago’s If You Leave Me Now is #1.
1973: Midnight Train To Georgia by Gladys Knight & the Pips is #1.
1965: The Byrds release Turn Turn Turn (To Everything There Is a Season).
1963: The Beatles record I Wanna Be Your Man. Lennon and McCartney wrote it for the Rolling Stones.
1961: Runaround Sue by Dion & The Belmonts hits #1
1959: Novelty singer and accordionist “Weird Al” Yankovic is born. His hit song parodies include Like a Surgeon (a parody of Madonna’s Like a Virgin) and Eat It (a parody of Michael Jackson’s Beat It). His 2014 hit album Mandatory Fun features the song Word Crimes. Here are links to the official music videos for Eat It: Video and Like A Surgeon: Video.
1950: Singer Al Jolson dies at age 64. He starred in The Jazz Singer in 1927, the first “talking picture”.
1940: Songwriter Ellie Greenwich is born. With Jeff Barry, she wrote many hits, including Leader of the Pack, Be My Baby and River Deep, Mountain High.
Songs of The Day:
If You Leave Me Now (Chicago); River Deep Mountain High (Ike & Tina Turner); Midnight Train To Georgia (Gladys Knight & The Pips); Turn Turn Turn (Byrds); I Wanna Be Your Man (Beatles); Eat It (Weird Al Yankovic); Runaround Sue (Dion & The Belmonts); Woman In Love (Barbra Streisand); Word Crimes (Weird Al Yankovic)