Rock 'n' Roll History for
March 19


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1955 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
19 year old Ruby Murray has five records in the UK Top 20, including "Softly, Softly" at #2 and "Let Me Go, Lover" at #5.

1958 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
The duo of Tom And Jerry released their first single, "Our Song". The record will fail to crack the Billboard chart, but the pair would eventually find success recording under their real names, Simon and Garfunkel.

1962 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Columbia Records releases Bob Dylan's self-titled, debut album. The LP primarily consists of Folk standards, but also included two original compositions, "Talkin' New York" and "Song to Woody". The effort failed to chart in the United States, but reached #13 on the UK Top 75 Album Chart three years later, as Dylan's popularity grew.

1964 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
The Beatles are presented with an award for Show Business Personalities of 1963 by Prime Minister Harold Wilson at a Variety Club of Great Britain luncheon.

March 19
The Beatles' version of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #79. The song had been recorded on July 30th, 1963, for the band's second British LP, "With the Beatles", and featured George Harrison on vocals and guitar. This release became only a minor hit for the band, reaching #68 on the Hot 100 and #30 on the Cash Box Best Sellers chart.

1966 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Gary Leeds of The Walker Brothers is abducted by British students raising money for charity. He is later released unharmed.

1968 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
The Recording Industry Association of America awards Gold Records to two Dean Martin albums, "Welcome To My World" (Billboard #20) and "Houston" (Billboard #11).

1971 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Reprise Records releases Jethro Tull's fourth album, "Aqualung". It would go on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide, but spawned just one charting single in the US, "Hymn 43", which stalled at #91 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1974 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Jefferson Airplane reinvents itself as Jefferson Starship. The new line-up includes Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, drummer Johnny Barbata, David Freiberg, Peter Kaukonen, Cragi Chaquico and 56-year-old violinist, Papa John Creach.

1976 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Former Free guitarist, 26 year old Paul Kossoff, died of heart failure while on a flight across the US. He had been troubled with heart disease most of his life. Free is most often remembered for their 1973 hit, "All Right Now" (UK #2, US #4). Lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to form Bad Company with Free drummer Simon Kirke, Boz Burrell (from King Crimson) and Mick Ralphs (of Mott the Hoople).

March 19
The Doobie Brothers release the album "Takin' It to the Streets", which contains the title track (US #13) and "It Keeps You Runnin'" (US #37). The LP would reach #8 on the Billboard 200 and #42 on the UK Official Charts.

1980 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Elvis Presley's autopsy is subpoenaed in the "Dr. Nick" drug case. Dr. Nick is Dr. George Nichopoulous, Presley's personal physician, who will soon be found guilty of over-prescribing drugs to Presley and other clients, including Jerry Lee Lewis.

1982 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist, 25-year-old Randy Rhoads, was killed when the small plane he was riding in crashed into a house. The plane's pilot, Andrew Aycock and a female passenger, Rachel Youngblood, also died. It has often been written that the plane tried to buzz Osbourne's tour bus, but some of those closest to the band deny that story.

2007 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Luther Ingram suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 69. The Soul singer reached #3 on the Billboard Pop chart in 1972 with "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", and wrote the Staple Singers' 1971, US #12 hit, "Respect Yourself".

2012 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Madonna's new album, "MDNA" was leaked online nearly a week before its official release date. Her 12th studio record was due to hit store shelves on March 26th, but emerged on an illegal file-sharing website.

2015 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Kenny Loggins appeared on the TV talent show American Idol where he performed his 1984, US #1 hit, "Footloose".

March 19
Michael Brown, keyboardist for The Left Banke, died of heart failure at the age of 65. Brown co-wrote the band's 1966, #14 hit "Walk Away Renee" and composed the follow-up, "Pretty Ballerina", which rose to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2017 - ClassicBands.com

March 19
Kim Campbell, wife of Country music icon Glen Campbell, told the on-line news source The Tennessean that Glen's Alzheimer's disease had advanced to the point where he could no longer play guitar. He would pass away on August 8th, 2017 at the age of 81.



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