On October 14, 1969, Diana Ross And The Supremes released the single “Someday We’ll Be Together,” the last Supremes song featuring Ross. Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong did not sing on the record. Motown producer and co-writer of the song Johnny Bristol had been preparing the tune for Jr. Walker & The All-Stars. Berry Gordy thought it would be a perfect first solo single for Diana Ross. Unable to get the vocal performance he desired from Ross, Bristol decided to try harmonizing with her. On the first take, the engineer recorded Ross’s vocal and Bristol’s ad-libs. Because they liked the way it sounded, Bristol’s ad-libs and words of encouragement to Ross were left on the version that was released.
Notable:
How do those instant Halloween stores pop up so quickly? The seasonal retailer Spirit Halloween offers costumes, decorations, and all things Halloween. It’s business model relies on space – lots of it. They often occupy abandoned buildings, reviving otherwise empty spaces during the Halloween season.Despite its limited operation from August to November, Spirit Halloween has become synonymous with the fall season. With over 1,400 locations in the US and Canada, it’s a seasonal giant. (NPR)
Your Social Security raise won’t be a big one next year. The 2024 COLA is set at 3.2%, a significant drop from the 8.7% increase in 2023, reflecting lower inflation. The average monthly retirement benefit will rise by $59, and the average disability benefit will increase to $1,537. This adjustment also applies to veterans’ benefits and retirement pay. The COLA is determined based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the third quarter. While lower than recent years, this increase can still help retirees’ purchasing power if inflation remains moderate. (AARP)
You won’t need those Covid vax cards anymore to get a booster. Major pharmacy chains like CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Walmart have switched to digital records accessible in-store or online. If you’ve misplaced your card, your state health department can provide a digital or paper copy. This shift streamlines the process, ensuring easy access to updated vaccines and vaccination history. (AARP)
Today in History:
1926 – Alan Alexander Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh” was published in London, England. The bear was named after Winnie, short for Winnipeg, a pet bear cub given to the London Zoo by a Canadian soldier.
1943 – The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) finalized the sale of the NBC Blue radio network to Edward J. Noble for $8 million. The network soon was renamed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).
1947- Pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier as he flew his Bell X-1 rocket plane over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California.
1954 – Cecil B. DeMille began filming “The Ten Commandments” In Egypt and with a cast of 25,000.
1955 – Buddy Holly’s Breakthrough Show: Buddy Holly, along with Larry Welborn and Bob Montgomery, opened a show for Bill Haley And His Comets in Lubbock, Texas. This performance caught the attention of talent agent Eddie Crandell, who would go on to arrange Holly’s first demo.
1957 – “Wake Up Little Susie” Climbs the Charts: The Everly Brothers’ hit song “Wake Up Little Susie” reached the top of the Billboard singles chart, despite being banned by some US radio stations for its suggestive lyrics. The legendary guitarist Chet Atkins accompanied the Everlys on this track.
1961 – “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” opens on Broadway. The original Broadway production starred Robert Morse, Rudy Valee, Virginia Martin, and Charles Nelson Reilly, enjoying 1417 performances at New York’s 46th St. Theater.
1964 – the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent resistance to racial prejudice in America, the youngest person to receive the award.
1966 – Grace Slick made her first stage appearance with Jefferson Airplane in San Francisco at their Fillmore Auditorium concert
1967 – Beatles Lose Top Spot: After fifteen consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart, The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was dethroned by Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode To Billie Joe.”
1967 – The Who released the single, “I Can See for Miles,” their biggest North American hit. From “The Who Sell Out” album, instrumental tracks for were recorded in London, vocals and overdubbing were done in New York at Talentmasters Studios. The U.S. Decca single has an overdubbed second bass line.
1968 – The crew of Apollo 7 performed the first live TV broadcast by U.S. astronauts in orbit.
1969 – Diana Ross and The Supremes: Motown Records released “Someday We’ll Be Together” by Diana Ross And The Supremes. Interestingly, the recording only featured Diana Ross, marking the end of an era for the group.
1971 – Lawsuit Over Creedence Clearwater Revival Song: Arco Industries filed a $500,000 lawsuit against John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival, alleging that his song “Travelin’ Band” borrowed substantial material from Little Richard’s “Good Golly, Miss Molly.”
1972 – Michael Jackson’s Chart-Topping Hit: 13-year-old Michael Jackson’s song “Ben” reached the number one spot on Billboard’s Pop chart. It was his third hit in a year.
1977 – Linda Ronstadt at the World Series: Linda Ronstadt sang the US National Anthem at Dodger Stadium to open the third game of the World Series against the Yankees.
1996 – Madonna’s Daughter: Madonna gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, with her personal trainer, Carlos Leon.
2009 – ASCAP Awards: Paul McCartney was named Songwriter of The Year at the 29th Annual ASCAP Awards in London, England, alongside other winners like Phil Collins.
2014 – Neil Young on The Colbert Report: Neil Young appeared on US TV’s The Colbert Report to discuss environmental issues and express his views on US President Barack Obama.
2015 – Don Henley Tops the Charts: The Eagles’ Don Henley topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with his solo album “Cass County.”
2018 – Steppenwolf’s Final Show: Steppenwolf played their final show in Baxter Springs, Kansas. This announcement was officially made on November 22, 2019, by band leader John Kay, confirming that none of the musicians from that performance were part of the group’s hit-making line-up.
Singles Released Today:
1966 – The Easybeats, “Friday On My Mind”
1966 – The Monkees, “The Last Train To Clarksville”
1969 – Diana Ross & The Supremes • “Someday We’ll Be Together”
1969 – B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”
1974 – Jethro Tull, “Bungle In The Jungle”
1974 – J. Geils Band, “Must Of Got Lost”
1975 – Kiss, “Rock And Roll All Nite” [Live]
1977 – Queen, “We Are The Champions” “We Will Rock You”
Today’s Birthdays:
1890 – Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th US President & WWII General. (d. 1969)
1907 – Allan Jones, Actor and singer (A Day at the Races, Showboat), born in Old Forge, Pennsylvania (d. 1992)
1907 – Pert Kelton, Actress (Cavalcade of Stars, The Music Man), born in Great Falls, Montana (d. 1968)
1926 – Bill Justis (“Raunchy”) (d. 1982)
1927 – Roger Moore, British actor, (“The Saint” James Bond), London, United Kingdom. (d. 2017)
1930 – Robert Parker (“Barefootin'”) (d. 2020)
1939 – Ralph Lauren (age 84), Fashion designer (Chaps, Polo Ralph Lauren), born in The Bronx, New York.
1940 – Cliff Richard (age 83) (“We Don’t Talk Anymore”)
1946 – Justin Hayward (age 77) – guitar / vocals for the Moody Blues (“Nights in White Satin”)
1946 – Dan McCafferty (age 77) – lead vocalist for Nazareth (“Love Hurts”)
1948 – Ivory Tilmon (age 75) – guitar and vocals for The Detroit Emeralds (“You Want It, You Got It”)
1952 – Harry Anderson, Comic, magician, and actor (Night Court – “Judge Harry Stone”; Dave’s World), born in Newport, Rhode Island (d. 2018)
