From the MCRFB music calendar:
Events on this date: MARCH 13
1956: The Elvis Presley album is released today. Self-titled, many musicologists would affirm this LP as the first-million seller in sales shortly after the album’s release.
1958: The Recording Industry Association of America launches its Gold Award Program to honor artists in outstanding sales. One-million units sold of a single 45 rpm record earned Gold status; in 1976, the Platinum Award was introduced for singles which moved two-million units. Today, the single award is given at the half-million (gold) and million (platinum) level of sales or downloads, with the same award qualifications for album-length or CD releases.
1959: On Friday the 13th, the Kingston Trio are nearly killed when their plane makes an emergency landing on a turkey farm in South Bend, Indiana.
1964: According to Billboard, over 60 percent of all US singles sold are Beatles records.
1965: The Kinks releases their single, “Tired Of Waiting For You” and Freddie and the Dreamers enters the charts with “I’m Telling You Now.”
1965: On this week’s Cash Box charts, the Beatles hold down the top four positions, with “Eight Days A Week” at No. 1. Meet The Beatles has become the all-time best selling album in the U.S., having sold 3.5 million copies already.
1965: Disgusted with the pop direction taken with the latest single, the Graham Gouldman-penned “For Your Love,” Eric Clapton quits the Yardbirds, eventually forming Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.
1975: George Jones and Tammy Wynette finally gets that D.I.V.O.R.C.E she had been singing about after six years of ill-wedded bliss.
1987: Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band are honored with their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1750 Vine Street.
And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day . . . . M A R C H 1 3
