November 4, 1994: Fred "Sonic" Smith, A Rock Icon, passes…

November 4, 1994: A Rock Icon passes…

R.I.P. Fred “Sonic” Smith

Frederick Dewey Smith 

(September 14, 1949 – November 4, 1994),

 known professionally as Fred "Sonic" Smith, 

was an American guitarist, best known as a member of the influential and political, Detroit rock band, the MC5...

 (That’s according to Wikipedia. Sonic was so much more than that!)

A LEGEND…

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Lawrence Welk: A Rocker?

February 13, 1961:

Lawrence Welk gave hope to Rock and Roll hating parents when his instrumental "Calcutta" went to the top of the Billboard chart for the first of a two week stay. Welk, who was then 57, became the oldest artist to have a number one Pop single in the US… 

That hope was diminished a tad when, riding high as a rocker, Welk started having Rock ‘n Roll as a regular part of his show…

      Ultimately having  this “attractive couple” doing this classic on his show

 (a decade later):

Might have hit #1 in ’61, but

Ya just didn’t get it,

did ya Lawrence!?!

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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

THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED…