MAY 11

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1904 - Surrealist artist Salvador Dali is born Salvador Felip Jacint Dalí Domènech in the town of Figueres, in Catalonia, Spain. Dali will paint the cover art for Jackie Gleason's Capitol album "Jackie Gleason Presents Lonesome Echo" and a photo of him shaking hands with Gleason is on the back cover.
1911 - Phil Silvers, actor, comedian and guest vocalist on Johnny Mercer's first big hit on Capitol Records "Strip Polka", is born Philip Silversmith in Brooklyn, New York. Mercer would later write the Broadway musical "Top Banana" for Silvers and Capitol would release it's soundtrack.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1950 - Mel Blanc records the tracks "I'm Glad That I'm Bugs Bunny" and "Daffy Duck's Rhapsody" for the Capitol Records children's EP "Bugs Bunny Sings". The sessions were produced by Alan Livingston who also wrote the songs with Warren Foster, Mike Maltese, and Billy May. May also arranged and conducted the session with additional uncredited vocals provided by June Foray and Tom Reddy
1953 - Bobby Hackett on coronet, during two session held on the same day in New York City, recorded tracks that would appear on his album "SOFT LIGHTS AND BOBBY HACKETT". With Lou Stein (piano), Billy Bauer (guitar), Arnold Fishkind (bass), Denzil Best (drums), and a string quintet (four violas and one cello) recorded "That Old Black Magic", "The Song Is You", "You Turned The Tables On Me" and "Someday You'll Be Sorry" during the first session and "Easy To Love", Soft Lights And Sweet Music", "I Cried For You (Now It's Your Turn To Cry Over Me)" and "Bobby's Blues" during the second session.
1959 - Judy Garland opened on Broadway at the Metropolitan Opera House for a series of 7 concerts, ending May 17, 1959.
1960 - Gene Vincent, at EMI's Abbey Road Studios, records "Pistol Packin' Mama" using an arrangement that he had worked on with Eddie Cochran, with whom he had planned to record the song before Cochran's death in a car crash in England. Backing was provided by The Beat Boys featuring Georgie Fame, who was also touring with Gene, on piano. "Pistol Packin' Mama" would be Vincent's biggest UK hit, peaking at No. 15. At the same session Gene also recorded the ballad, "Weeping Willow" with the Norrie Paramor Orchestra.
1964 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' single "I Get Around", with "Don't Worry Baby" on the flip side
1964 - The Beatles mono EP "Four By The Beatles" is released in the U.S. with the tracks "Roll Over Beethoven" and "This Boy" on the A side and "All My Loving" and "Please Mr. Postman" on the B side
1965 - Masters for "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" and "Bad Boy", are sent by The Beatles, via air mail, to Capitol Records and the shooting of `Help!' resumes in Cliveden House, Buckinghamshire.
1968 - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Mal Evans, Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinal arrive in New York to promote Apple Corps.
1970 - The Beatles' single "Long And Winding Road", with "For You Blue" on the flip side, is released
1970 – The Chairmen of the Board's "Gimme Just a Little More Time" on Invictus Records, distributed by Capitol Records, is certified gold by the RIAA
1973 - Helen Reddy performs live at the Palldium, London, England from May 11-13. The performances are recorded and will be released by Capitol Records on the album "Live In London"
1979 - The Beatles' album "Hey Jude" is released in the U.K.
1988 - Capitol exec, Lynn Shults, goes to the Bluebird Cafe to hear Garth Brooks perform in front of a live audience. After the show Shultz does a handshake deal signing Brooks to Capitol Records
2001 - Paul McCartney's TV special "Wingspan" has it's world debut on ABC.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1812 - The Waltz is introduced into English ballrooms
1888 - Songwriter Irving Berlin is born in Israel Isidore Beilin somewhere in Russia/Beylorussia
1941 - Eric Burdon, lead singer of the Animals, is born Eric Victor Burdon in Walker-on-Tyne, Northumberland, England
1943 - Les Chadwick, bassist for the group Gerry and the Pacemakers, is born John Leslie Chadwick in Liverpool, England
1957 - The Everly Brothers, Phil and Don, make their first TV appearance when they perform on the world-famous "Grand Ole Opry" in Nashville, Tennessee. Phil would release solo recordings in 1982 and 1983 on Capitol Records in Europe.
1965 - The musical "Flora, the Red Menace", featuring a score by composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, opens on Broadway with 19 year old Lisa Minnelli in her first starring role, a role that will also make her the youngest woman ever to win a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1970 – The triple album soundtrack to "Woodstock" is released. It will be certified gold in just two weeks.
1979 - Country legend Lester Flatt, best remembered for his recordings with partner Earl Scruggs of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "The Theme To The Beverly Hillbillies", dies in Nashville, Tennessee at age 64
1981 - Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley dies at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami, Florida of cancer at age36
1981 - "All Those Years Ago", George Harrison's tribute single to John Lennon with help from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, is released in the U.S. with "Writings On The Wall" on the flip side