January 26, 1955: Number ONE R&B tune in the country…

"Sincerely"   is a popular song written by Harvey Fuqua and Alan Freed and published in 1954….





It was originally recorded by The Moonglows, who scored a #1 single on the Billboard R&B Juke Box chart and #20 on the Billboard Top 100 charts…




The original Moonglows disbanded in 1958, and Fuqua put together a new group called Harvey And The Moonglows that included a young Marvin Gaye. Featuring Fuqua on lead, 'Ten Commandments Of Love' (number 9 R&B/number 22 pop, 1958) was the last of the group's major hits...

 In 1960 Fuqua disbanded this group and he and Gaye went to Detroit to work in the city's burgeoning music industry...

 Fuqua worked with Berry Gordy's sister, Gwen Gordy, on the Anna label and Gaye joined Berry Gordy's Motown Records operation. Fuqua carved out a very successful career as a producer and record executive, working with Motown artists in the 60s…

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January 22, 1968: R ‘n B Is ROCKIN’ in the EVOLUTION of ROCK ‘n ROLL…

January 22, 1968: R ‘n B  Is ROCKIN’

in the EVOLUTION of ROCK ‘n ROLL…

A little band outta Houston, Texas,

Archie Bell & the Drells,

hit #1 with "Tighten Up"…

Bad Ass Johnnie Taylor hits # 5

 with "Who's Makin Love"…

James Brown hits # 6

 with "I Got The Feelin'"

AND  #10 with

 "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud"

 Sly & the Family Stone
 (Outta Denton, Texas and San Francisco, CA)

 hit #8 with "Dance to the Music"

Not a bad day in the R’nB side of the EVOLUTION of ROCK ‘n ROLL…

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January 16, 2007: Pookie Hudson, the lead singer and songwriter for the Doo Wop group, The Spaniels, died of complications from cancer of the thymus at the age of 72…

Dig this: Pookie and the Imperials with Sammy Strain doing the high work. Pookie had left the Spaniels during this period and Billy Taylor of the Castelles was brought in to do the lead of the group to rave reviews. When Pookie came back several years later he so liked Billy Taylor's voice that he kept Billy in the Spaniels…

One of my favorite Spaniels tunes wasn’t a ballad at all:
 Great Googley Moo...

 (co-penned by Pookie)…

R.I.P. Pookie

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December 8th in the Evolution of Rock 'n Roll: The Best of Times and the Worst of Times, too...

December 8^th Birthdays in the Evolution of Rock ‘n Roll…

Jerry Butler (The Ice Man):

According to Wikipedia: 

Jerry Butler (born Jerry Butler Jr.; December 8, 1939, Sunflower, Mississippi)   is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the famed R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a 1991 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Butler is also an American politician. He serves as a Commissioner for Cook County, Illinois, having first been elected in 1985. As a member of this 17-member county board, he chairs the Health and Hospitals Committee, and serves as Vice Chair of the Construction Committee…

Jim Morrison (The Lizard King):

A member of the “27 Forever Club”

James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was a singer and songwriter best remembered as the lead vocalist of the Doors…

Gregory LeNoir "Gregg" Allman (born December 8, 1947) is an American rock and blues singer-songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band…

December 8^th in the Evolution of Rock ‘n Roll: Some of the best of times but definitely one of the worst of times, too…

R.I.P. Brother John Lennon…

 John Ono Lennon, MBE, born John Winston Lennon; Born October 9, 1940 

and murdered on December 8, 1980...

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