August 7th

Musical birthdays today include: B.J. Thomas [of 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head' fame] (78), classical guitarist Sharon Isbin (64), Iron Maiden lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson (62), ex-Bananarama vocalist Jacquie O'Sullivan (60), bluegrass banjo player Alison Brown (58), Kristin Hersh [formerly of Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave] (54), Hatebreed lead singer Jamey Jasta (43), and violinist, producer & performance artist Anomie Bell (40).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Felice Bryant, best remembered as co-author of the Everly Brothers hits 'All I Have to Do Is Dream', 'Bye Bye Love' and 'Wake up, Little Susie' with her husband Boudleaux ~ she was born today in 1925... for founding member of The Platters Herb Reed, born n 1928... for jazz legend Roland Kirk, who would have been 84... for soul singer Esther Phillips [best remembered for her 1975 hit 'What a Difference a Day Makes'], who passed away today in 1984 aged 48... for classical and jazz harmonica player Larry Adler, who died on this day in 2001... and for Tennessee Two upright bassist and longtime Johnny Cash sideman Marshall Grant, who left us today in 2012. 

Also on August 7: Hank Williams makes his radio debut on 'Louisiana Hayride', broadcast from the Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, LA. He performs 'Move It on over' and 'I Want to Live and Love' (1948)... Johnny Cash marries Vivian Liberto in Memphis. Cash shortly thereafter abandons plans to become an appliance salesman, and instead forms a trio with Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant (1954)... Rock and roll is heard for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show as Bill Haley & His Comets perform 'Rock around the Clock' (1955)... The Quarrymen play their first gig at the Cavern Club, but without Paul McCartney, who is away at Boy Scout summer camp. The Cavern at the time is a jazz club that tolerates skiffle, but when John Lennon launches his bandmates into Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes, the manager sends a note to the stage ordering them to 'Knock off the bloody rock and roll!' (1957)... Ike & Tina Turner hit the Billboard Top 40 for the first time with 'Fool in Love' (1960)... Patsy Cline releases her final studio album, Sentimentally Yours (1962)... Herman's Hermits top the US singles charts with 'I'm Henry VIII I Am'. The single receives no release in Britain (1965)... The Goose Lake International Musical Festival opens in Leoni, MI. Over the next three days, some 200,000 fans will hear Jethro Tull, Mountain, Chicago, Bob Seger, John Sebastian, Iggy and the Stooges, the MC5, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Rod Stewart and Brownsville Station... Christine McVie officially joins Fleetwood Mac (1970)... Peter Wolf of the J Geils Band marries Faye Dunaway in Beverly Hills, CA (1974)... The Sex Pistols appear on the cover of Melody Maker for the first time (1976)... Dexy's Midnight Runners are at the top of the UK singles charts with Come on Eileen (1982)... Garth Brooks plays to the largest crowd to date to assemble for a musical event in New York's Central Park. Some 1,000,000 attend the live concert with an estimated 14.6 million also watching live on HBO (1997)... Elvis Presley's peacock jumpsuit sells for $300,000 at a Memphis auction, making it the highest price ever paid for a piece of Elvis memorabilia that went on the block. The white outfit with a plunging V-neck and high collar features  blue-and-gold peacock designs hand-embroidered on the front and back and along the trouser legs (2008).