The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com
MAR 17: On this day in 1956, Elvis bought Graceland. He bought it for $102,500. At the time of purchase it was 10,000 square feet and was expanded to 17,552 square feet before Elvis moved in. Originally the building was a place of worship and used by the Graceland Christian Church. ⛪️
MAR 18: On this day in 1986, Heart went to #1 with “These Dreams”. It was their first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.🎶 The song was written by Bernie Taupin and Martin Page. It had been offered to Stevie Nicks who passed on the song. Heart had previously recorded their own material, but they were impressed by “These Dreams” and agreed to use it on their upcoming album. Good call!💿
MAR 19: Today in 1982, Randy Rhoads was killed in a plane crash. Rhoads, the group's make-up artist Rachel Youngblood, and the tour bus driver Andrew Aycock perished in the crash. After traveling by bus all night, the band stopped near an airstrip. The bus driver, Aycock, talked the keyboardist into taking a spin in a '55 Beechcraft Bonanza. Their flight was successful, so Aycock took Rhoads and Youngblood up in the air. They attempted to buzz the tour bus and clipped it with the left wing. The plane spiraled and crashed into a nearby house. All three bodies were burned beyond recognition.😢
MAR 20: Today in 1974, Cher was at #1 with “Dark Lady”. It was her third trip to #1 and Cher would wait 25 years before going to #1 for the fourth time. The song was written by Johnny Durrill of The Ventures. The dark lady in the song is a gypsy fortune teller.
MAR 21: Happy 70th Birthday to Eddie Money! 🎤🎂 The singer-songwriter was at one time a NYPD recruit but his love of music sent him to CA in quest of a career. He became a regular on the club scene and landed a recording deal with Columbia. Money had a string of hits in the late 70s and in the 1980s. He continues to tour often and has been on reality television with his family.
MAR 22: On this day in 1975, Led Zeppelin were at #1 with the album Physical Graffiti. It would stay at the top of the album charts for six weeks. The album shipped a million copies on its first day of release - no other album in Atlantic’s history had done that! It has been certified 16 times Platinum by the RIAA.💿
MAR 23: Happy Birthday to Ric Ocasek! 🎂🎸The singer-songwriter, producer, and musician is best known for his work with The Cars. Ocasek began his musical career in Ohio in the mid-1960s. He and Benjamin Orr were in various bands in the Columbus and Ann Arbor, Michigan areas before moving to Boston. In 1976, Ocasek, Orr, Greg Hawkes, Elliot Easton, and David Robertson became The Cars. During his time with The Cars, Ocasek played rhythm guitar and sang lead on most of their songs. A role that he may not be as well-known for but very successful at is as a producer. He has produced albums for Weezer, No Doubt, Bad Religion, The Wannadies, and many others.
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