May 14: Bo Diddley to Frank Sinatra, some cool stuff...

May 14, 1955:

 Bo Diddley's tune "Bo Diddley" debuts on the US R&B chart, where it will stay for 18 weeks, climbing to #1...

 The song will become his most successful record and introduces what will be known as the Bo Diddley beat…

May 14, 1966:  

The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" enters the Billboard Hot 100 for the ninth time…But, who wrote the tune and recorded it first?

http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2013/04/april-11-1935-richard-berry-originator.html

The Kingsmen cover  only stayed on the charts for two weeks, going to #97. When it was first released in 1963, it made it to #2…

May 14, 1968: The Rascals record "People Got To Be Free", a song written by the group because of the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. It will become their fourth and final million-selling single…

https://youtu.be/sastKEBZhXY

May 14, 1983: Spandau Ballet topped the UK album chart with their third studio LP, "True". The title track spent four weeks at #1 on the UK singles charts, and went to #4 in America. Badazz  jam…

https://youtu.be/ldXgK71pgxs

MAY 14, 1988: Frank Sinatra died at the age of 82 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills. He had his first hit in 1940 and went on to have over 30 US and 40 UK Top 40 singles…

Cool, Frank, R.I.P. Man…

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…

April 11, 1935: RICHARD BERRY (The originator of Louie Louie) hits the planet!!!

 April 11, 1935 - Richard Berry

 (Composer of "Louie, Louie")

—Hits the planet!

('Louie Louie' was ranked at #55 on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time")

It is unknown exactly how many versions of "Louie Louie" have been recorded, but it is believed to be over 1,500 (according to LouieLouie.net.), surpassing "Yesterday" by The Beatles as most recorded rock song ever…

April 11th, Richard Berry's birthdate, is celebrated as International Louie Louie Day and is listed by Chase's Calendar of Events, the National Special Events Registry and other sources. Support for International Louie Louie Day and other "Louie Louie"-related observances is provided by the Louie Louie Advocacy and Music Appreciation Society (LLAMAS) and "Louie Louie" fans worldwide...

 Other "Louie Louie"-related events in April include the release of Richard Berry's original version (1957), the Kingsmen and Raiders  recording sessions (1963)…

 "Louie Louie Day" declarations by the mayor of Seattle and the State of Washington (1985) and the State of Oregon (1986), and the resolution of the court case awarding rights to the Kingsmen (1998) for their recordings including their version of "Louie Louie'"…

In the mid eighties Berry was living on welfare at his mother's house in South Central L.A.. Drinks company California Cooler wanted to use "Louie Louie" in a commercial, but discovered they needed Berry's signature to use it...

They asked the Artists' Rights society to locate him, and a lawyer visited Berry. The lawyer mentioned the possibility of Berry taking action to gain the rights to his song. The publishers settled out of court, making Berry a millionaire…

In February 1996, Berry performed for the final time, reuniting with the Pharaohs and the Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach, California…

 His health declined shortly after this, and he died of heart failure in 1997…

R.I.P. Richard Berry

The Godfather of Garage Bands

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