1933 - Songwriter producer  for Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly,  The Monkees and Cliff  Richard, Mike Stoller (Lieber & Stoller) is born on this day.

1941 - Ritchie Valens is born today.

1943 - US singer Mary Wells (”My Guy”) is born.

1945 - Magic Dick of the J Geils Band is born on this day.

1947 - “Overend” Watts of Mott the Hoople is born today.

1950 - Danny Kinwan of Fleetwood Mac (left the band in 1972) is born.

1950 - The great Stevie Wonder is born on this day.

1955 - Johnny Tillotson is the opening act for Elvis Presley.  He watches as fans tear Elvis’ shirt off his back.

1966 - Darius Rucker of Hootie & the Blowfish is born today.

1968 - The Beatles shock Britain when they refuse an invitation to play for the queen at the London Palladium.

1970 - The world premier of the Beatles’ movie ‘Let It Be” took place in New York City.

1971 - Stevie Wonder received all his childhood earnings on his 21st birthday. Despite earning over $30 million, he only received $1 million.

1971 - Grace Slick crashed her Mercedes into a wall in San Francisco near the Golden Gate Bridge and was hospitalized.

1975 - A radio station in Jacksonville, Florida gives away tickets to an Elvis Presley concert and knocks out the city’s phone service in doing so.

1977 - The Beatles ‘Live at the Hollywood Bowl’ lp is released. Producer Geroge Martin says it is a labor of love.

197 9 -Michael Madden of Maroon 5 is born on this day.

1985 - Bruce Springsteen marries Julianne Phillips of Lake Oswego, Oregon.   The Rev Little Richard officiates. Julianne filed for divorce in 1988.

2003 - Michael Jackson filed suit against Motown Records saying he hadn’t been paid royalties for the music he did with the Jackson 5 in the 60s and 70s.  He also said that his music had been used in ads without his permission.

2003 - Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong pleads guilty to selling drug paraphernalia over the internet.

2007 - Bo Diddley suffers a stroke and is hospitalized.

2008 - Flo and Eddie of the Turtles sue Capitol Records for allowing a hip-hop artist to sample one of their songs without compensation.

#1 Songs This Week:

1952 - Leroy Anderson: “Blue Tango”

1957 - Guy Mitchell: “Rock-a-Billy,” UK

1960 - Elvis Presley: “Stuck on You”

1965 - Roger Miller: “King of the Road”

1966 - Herman’s Hermits: “Mrs Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter”

1967 - The Monkees: ‘More of the Monkees,’ UK LP

1968 - Archie Bell & the Drells: “Tighten Up”

1973 - Stevie Wonder: “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”

1977 - Leo Sayer: “When I Need You”

1978 - Boney M: “Rivers of Babylon,” UK

1978 - Yvonne Elliman: “If I Can’t Have You”

1982 - Stevie Wonder & Paul McCartney: “Ebony & Ivory”

1985 - Simple  Minds: “Don’ You (Forget About Me)”

1988 - Fairground Attraction: “Perfect,” UK

1989 - Bon Jovi: “I’ll Be There For You”

1989 - Kylie Minogue: “Hand On Your Heart, ” UK

1990 - Madonna: “Vogue”

1993 - Janet Jackson: “That’s The Way Love Goes”

1995 - Various Artists: ‘Friday,’ LP

2007 - Maroon 5: “Makes Me Wonder”

2007 - Ne-Yo: ‘Because of You,’ LP

1931 - Country singer Faron Young is born on this day.

1943 - George Harrison is born today.  He was a member of the world’s most successful group, the Beatles,  and ofthe Traveling Wilburys. He was also a successful solo artist. George Harrison died of cancer in November, 29  2001.

1957 - Stewart Wood of the Bay City Rollers is born today.

1963 - Vee Jay Records releases the first US Beatles single - “Please Please Me/Ask Me Why.” Dick Biondi of WJS radio in Chicago becomes the first DJ in the US to play a Beatles song, the A side of the record.

1964 - Cassius Clay becomes the heavyweight champion of the world. Within a very short time, he releases a cover version of “Stand By Me.”

#1 Songs This Week:

1956 - Elvis Presley: “I Forgot to Remember To Forget”

1956 - Nelson Riddle: “Lisbon Antigua”

1965 - The Seekers: “I’ll Never Find Another You,” UK

1984 - Van Halen: “Jump”

1984 - Simple Minds: “Belfast Child,” UK

1995 -  Madonna: “Take A Bow”

2006 - Jack Johnson & Friends: Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies for the film ‘Curious George,’ LP

1927 - Johnny Ray (”Cry”)  is born.

1938 - Sale Mineo is born.

1943 - Jim Croce is born.

1945 - Rod Stewart is born.

1948 - Donald Fagan of Steely Dan is born.

1952 - Pat Benatar is born.

1956 - Elvis Presley starts his first recording session for RCA.

1958 - Shawn Colvin is born.

1997 - James Brown gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2000 - Melissa Etheridge ends speculation about the paternity of the children the rock star shares with partner Julie Cypher, when she announces that David Crosby is the children’s father.

2003 - British and Dutch police recover 500 Beatles master tapes stolen in the seventies.

#1 Songs This Week:

1958 - Jerry Lee Lewis: “Great Balls of Fire,” UK

1976 - CW McCoy: “Convoy.”

1981 - John Lennon: “Imagine.”

1981 - The Bangles: “Walk Like an Egyptian.”

1936 - Eldee Young of the Ramsey Lewis Trio is born. 

1942 - Paul Revere of the Raiders is born.

1942 - Danny Williams (”White on White”) is born.

1946 - Jan Wemmer, published of the “Rolling Stone,” is born.

1948 - Kenny Loggins (”Footloose”) is born.

1956 - Production begins on the movie ‘Rock Around the Clock’ with Bill Haley.

1959 - Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go’s is born.

1963 - Bobby Vee records “Charms.”

1963 - Gary “U.S.” Bonds sues Chubby Checker, claiming “Dancing Party” sounds too much like “Quarter To Three.” The suit is settled out of court.

1974 - Carly Simon and James Taylor become parents of daughter, Sarah.

1994 - Nirvana plays the Seattle Arena.  It is the band’s last US show.

1998 - Nashville producer Owen Bradley dies at 82.  He was known as the architect of the Nashville Sound.

2000 - Bob McFadden (”The Mummy”) dies of ALS.

#1 Songs This Week:

1962 - Chubby Checker: “The Twist,” for the second time.  It is the only song to do that by the same artist.

1964 - Bobby Vinton: “There! I’ve Said It Again”

1965 - Beatles: “I Feel Fine”/”She’s A Woman”

1969 - Marvin Gaye: “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”

1972 - Don McLean: “American Pie”

1989 - Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan: “Especially for You”

I am really dating myself here, but some of the fondest memories of my teenage years come from the beach music hot spot of Myrtle Beach, SC, home state to Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs and the Beach Music Hall of Fame.

Think body surfing, burning your feet on the white sand beaches, listening to the Drifters, the Platters, the Embers, the Impressions and my favorite - Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs.  We sang, played and shagged our way through high school and the early years of college.  

The groups were ever-present at the clubs that “required” you to be 18 for entry.  There were open-air dance halls off the boardwalk where we could dance the night away while splashing down the Pabst Blue Ribbon. 

Everyone has heard of “Stay,” the #1 hit of 1960, but do you know that he wrote and performed “Little Darlin,” “May I,” ”Dearest Baby” and another of my favorites “Shoop Shoop?”  All these songs are classic R&B oldies that crossed over into the pop charts.  These songs along with Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs are part of what has helped round out pop/rock music history.

The group performed under many names before their current name stuck in 1959.  They recorded the Williams’ written “Little Darlin” as the Gladiolas on the Excelo label.  The song hit #50 but a Canadian group, the Diamonds, picked the song up and their version hit #2 in 1957.  It was then the group changed their name to the Excellos after their label.

As the Zodiacs, Maurice wrote the shortest song ever to hit the #1 spot on the charts - “Stay.”  It is said was a  teenager who was very unhappy with his girfriend’s curfew!  The song stuck and has played a vital part in forming our pop culture.  There were a number of artists that had hits with this historic little song: the Hollies, the 4 Seasons and Jackson Browne. Then it sold another 15 million copies re-emerging as a hit from the movie “Dirty Dancing.” 

Maurice Williams has been dazzling R&B fans and beach music lovers for five decades now. And it’s time to say thanks – at the 50th Anniversary Celebration to honor Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs on November 22 at the Charleston Music Hall, at 37 John Street in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Maurice Williams 50th anniversary tribute and concert are being presented by the nonprofit Beach Music & Shag Preservation Society of South Carolina. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. General tickets are $50. VIP tickets, which include a CD, photo of Maurice, meet and greet after the show, autographs and special seating are $75. For seating charts, log onto www.charlestonmusichall.com. For tickets, visit www.etix.com. The Best Western Downtown, always a supporter of beach music, is providing rooms at a special rate for this event.

Maurice is an inductee of the South Carolina Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, and the Beach Music Hall of Fame in Myrtle Beach.  I will forever remember his live performances and dancing the shag for hours.  Thank you, Maurice for the contributions you have made to my life.

Do you have a favorite Doo Wop song or group?  What about that song that sparks specials memories?  Let’s hear what you think….