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Today in Music History: Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" -

Today in Music History: Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes"

Carl Perkins' career never recovered after his car accident Today in Music History.
Carl Perkins' career never recovered after his car accident Today in Music History.Wikimedia Commons

November 19, 2021

History Highlight:

Today in 1955, Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" at Sun Studio in Memphis. Perkins' original version of the song was on the Cashbox Best Selling Singles list for 16 weeks and spent two weeks in the number two position. The rock 'n' roll classic would go on to be covered by many other artists, most notably Elvis Presley.

Also, Today In:

1966 - The Supremes had their seventh No. 1 single, "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, the single is a return to rhythm and blues as compared to the Supremes' previous single, "You Can't Hurry Love." The song's signature guitar part originated from a Morse code-like radio signal heard by Lamont Dozier, who collaborated with Brian and Eddie Holland to integrate the idea into the recording.

1971 - To mark his 25th anniversary in show business, blues great B.B. King kicked off a European tour in London.

1979 - After serving a four-month term for income-tax evasion, Chuck Berry was released from prison.

1983 - Tina Turner made the charts for the first time in a decade with her rendition of "Let's Stay Together."

1988 - Bon Jovi started a two week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with the lead single from the band's album New Jersey, "Bad Medicine," the group's third U.S. No. 1 to that date.

1990 - The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences stripped the 1989 Best New Artist Grammy from Milli Vanilli because Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan didn't actually sing on their debut album Girl You Know It's True. It was the first time a Grammy was ever been revoked.

1994 - Crosby Stills & Nash member David Crosby had a successful liver transplant operation in Los Angeles.

2002 - Eminem went No. 1 on the Hot 100 for the first time when "Lose Yourself" from his movie 8 Mile topped the chart.

2007 - Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow died of an accidental cocaine overdose at his home in Las Vegas. He was 52 years old.

2007 - Queen guitarist Brian May was named Chancellor of Liverpool's John Moores University.

2017 - Country star Mel Tillis died of respiratory failure at 85.

Birthdays:

Joe Hunter was born on this day in 1927. He was a veteran session musician as one of the Funk Brothers who helped craft the distinctive Motown sound.

Matt Sorum, drummer for The Cult, Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver, is 61.

Jason Pierce of Spiritualized is 56.

Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Tony Rich is 50.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.