APRIL 26, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
70 Years Ago Today In 1938 - Duane Eddy, guitarist and Capitol Records artist (album "His Twangy Guitar, and The Rebels"), is born in Corning, New York
1942 - Bobby Rydell, singer and Capitol Records artists (after leaving Cameo Records, until 1969, when he signed with Reprise), is born Robert Ridarelli in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1960 - Roger Taylor, drummer and percussionist for the Capitol Records bands Duran Duran and Arcadia, is born in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, West Midlands, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1952 - Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "Wheel Of Fortune", with Harold Mooney conducting the orchestra and "Angry" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart, and Ella Mae Morse's Capitol Records single "Blacksmith Blues", with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra and originally released as the flip side of a re-issue of Freddie Slack's "Cow Cow Boogie" and then with "Love Me Or Leave Me" on the flip side, is #3
1962 - Capitol Records records Judy Garland's live performance at Manhattan Center in New York City, New York. Selections from the concert will later be released by Capitol on the albums "Judy Garland, Live" and "Judy Garland: The One and Only". There's a great first hand account of the performance on Steve Jarret's site.
1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys single "Help Me Rhonda" with "Kiss Me Baby" on the flip side
1972 - Buck Owens records the track "Ain't It Amazing, Gracie" which Capitol Records will release as a single with "Good Old Days (Are Here Again)" on the flip side
1977 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Southern Nights", with "William Tell Overture" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
30 Years Ago Today In 1978 - Apple and Capitol Records artist Ringo Starr stars in his first TV special in the United States - an updated version of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1980 - Dottie West's United Artists Records single "A Lesson In Leavin'", with "Love's So Easy For Two" on the flip side, becomes her first solo single to reach #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1981 - Sheena Easton's EMI America Records single "Morning Train (Nine To Five)", with "Calm Before The Storm" on the flip side is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1984 - Count Basie (born William James Basie), composer, pianist, organist, bandleader, and Roulette Records artist, dies in Hollywood, Florida. Roulette's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1987 - Cutting Crew's Virgin Records America single "(I Just) Died In Your Arms", with "For the Longest Time" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, becoming the group and the label's first #1 single in the United States
1999 - Sinead O'Connor, former Chrysalis Records artist, is ordained as the first woman priest in the Latin Tridentine Church, a Roman Catholic splinter group, as Mother Bernadette Mary. She will next appear as a performer on this day in 2005 when she makes a live on-stage appearance at the fifth annual Jammy Awards in New York City, New York with the group Burning Spear.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1977 - The Studio 54 disco opens in New York City, New York and will close on the same date in 1980