Eagle Classic Hitstory August 2 on birminghamseagle.com

On This Day in Eagle Classic Hitstory...

August 2

1943
Garth Hudson, organ and sax player for The Band, is born in London, Ontario.
The Band "The Genetic Method/Chest Fever"

1956
In an article called "Elvis Presley...He can't be...But He Is," Look magazine reports Presley records have grossed over $6 million and the singer receives over 3,000 fan letters a week.

1960
No. 1 Hit: "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," Brian Hyland. The song is a true story inspired by songwriter Paul Vance's two-year-old daughter.

1961
The Beatles begin their engagement as regular headliners at Liverpool's Cavern Club, where they'll perform about 300 times in the next two years.

1963
Eric Clapton quits the band The Roosters, to form Casey Jones and the Engineers.

1964
The Kinks open for the Beatles at the Gaumont Cinema in England.

1969
Bob Dylan shows up unexpectedly to his 10-year high school reunion in Hibbing, Minnesota. He and his wife leave early when a drunk tried to pick a fight with him.

1971
No. 1 Hit: "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," The Bee Gees. The song is the first of nine No. 1 singles for the Gibb brothers.

1972
Brian Cole, an original member of the Association, dies of a herion overdose. He played bass on the hits "Windy", "Cherish," and "Never My Love."
The Association "Never My Love"

1974
Funeral services were held in Hollywood for Mama Cass Elliot. Among those in attendance were John and Michelle Phiilips, Lou Adler and Sonny Bono. Cass Elliot's body was cremated and her ashes were buried in Maryland.
Mama Cass "Make Your Own Kind of Music"

1975
"One Of These Nights" by the Eagles hits #1 on the pop chart, while Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Saturday Night Special" peaks at #27.
Lynyrd Skynyrd "Saturday Night Special"

1981
No. 1 Hit: "Jessie's Girl," Rick Springfield. The song wins Springfield a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Rick Springfield "Jessie's Girl"

1982
Veteran Latin folk-pop singer Jose Feliciano weds Susan Omillian in California.

1987
Billy Joel plays a concert in Leningrad. Audience members carry Joel out on their shoulders at the end.

1991
Rick James is arrested in Los Angeles and charged with the sex torture of a 24-year-old woman.

1997
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, critic of Nigeria's military regime and a pop superstar who fused rock with African rhythms into a blend known as "Afrobeat" dies of AIDS.

2000
Gilles Thibault, who co-penned the hit "Comme D'Habitude," which Paul Anka adapted to English as "My Way," dies in Paris of unknown causes. He is 72.

2001
Country artist Clint Black hosts the third annual Family Television Awards ceremony at the Beverly (Hills, Calif.) Hilton Hotel.

2001
Ron Townson, centerpiece singer for the Grammy-winning pop group the 5th dimension, dies at his home in Las Vegas. The 68-year-old singer suffers renal failure as a result of a four-year battle with kidney disease.

2002
A van driven by blues guitarist Poppa Chubby (Ted Horowitz) overturns, injuring Horowitz and two band members, keyboard player Dave Keyes and drummer Rod Gross.

August 2 Birthdays