Make This A Birthday To Remember.......

[westgrandboulevard]

April 25th:

Remembering, on his Birthday:

Earl Bostic [Eugene Earl Bostic; 1913-1965; jazz and R&B alto saxophonist] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 25th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Linda Womack [formerly Cooke; now Zeriiya Zekkariyas; R&B, soul, funk and dance singer and songwriter; Womack & Womack] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 25th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Stu Cook [Stuart Alden Cook; bass guitarist, musician, songwriter and producer; Creedence Clearwater Revival] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 25th:

Remembering, on his Birthday:

Bob Russell [Sidney Keith Rosenthal; 1914-1970; songwriter, usually lyricist; 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 25th:

Remembering, on his Birthday:

Meadowlark Lemon [Meadow Lemon III; 1932-2015; basketball player, actor and Christian minister] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Quote for the Day:

"If you don't like my ocean. don't fish in my sea,
Stay out of my valley, and let my mountain be."

- Ma Rainey: -

Remembering, on her Birthday:

Gertrude 'Ma' Rainey [formerly Pridgett; 1886-1939; blues singer; 'Mother Of The Blues'] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

D.C. LaRue [David Charles L'Heureux; singer, songwriter and producer] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Giorgio Moroder [Giovanni Giorgio Moroder; euro disco and electronic composer, songwriter and record producer) -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Maurice Williams [doo-wop and R&B singer; Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs; 'Stay'] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Ms. Dynamite [Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley; R&B and hip hop rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Duane Eddy [instrumental rock guitarist; 'Rebel Rouser'; 'Because They're Young'] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Bobby Rydell [Robert Louis Ridarelli; rock and roll and traditional pop singer and actor; 'Wild One'; 'Volare'; 'Forget Him'] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Roger Taylor [Roger Andrew Taylor; pop rock, alternative rock and new wave drummer; Duran Duran] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins [Tionne Tenese Watkins; pop, R&B, hip hop and soul singer, songwriter. model, dancer, actress, author and executive producer; lead singer of TLC] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Carol Burnett [Carol Creighton Burnett; actress, comedian, singer and writer] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 26th:

Remembering, on his Birthday:

Preston Love [Preston Haynes Love; 1921-2004; jazz and R&B alto saxophonist, bandleader and songwriter] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 27th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Cornelius Grant [R&B and soul guitarist, composer and bandleader; musical director, guitar player and live show arranger for The Temptations; 1964-1982] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 27th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Ann Peebles [Ann Lee Peebles; blues, R&B and Memphis soul singer and songwriter] -

[144man]

April 23rd:

Remembering, on his Birthday:

William Shakespeare [1564-1616; poet, playwright and actor] -

Didn't Shakespeare die on his birthday [appropriately St George's Day]?

[westgrandboulevard]

April 27th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Herb Murrell [Herbert Lee Murrell; Philadelphia soul singer; founding member of The Stylistics] -

[westgrandboulevard]

Didn't Shakespeare die on his birthday [appropriately St George's Day]?

Although his actual Birthday is unknown, it is 'traditionally observed' on 23 April [it seems his baptism was 26 April] so yes, it could be said he died on his birthday. Or even birthed on his death day...rather like having your wake, and eat it too....

[moe]

Westgrand, didn't Bobby Rydell have a liver & kidney transplant?

[westgrandboulevard]

Yes Moe, he did - about ten years ago. it seems he recovered well, and returned to performing quite soon afterwards....

[westgrandboulevard]

April 27th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Mica Paris [Michelle Antoinette Wallen; soul, gospel, R&B and jazz singer, radio and television presenter and occasional actress] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 27th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Sheena Easton [Sheena Shirley Easton, formerly Orr; pop, dance, R&B and country singer, songwriter and actress] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 27th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Ace Frehley [Paul Daniel Frehley; musician and songwriter; original lead guitarist and co-founding member of Kiss] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 27th:

Remembering, on his Birthday:

Cuba Gooding, Sr; [1944-2017; soul and R&B singer; The Main Ingredient] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 27th:

Remembering, on his Birthday:

Casey Kasem [Kemal Amin Kasem; 1932-2014; disc jockey, music historian, radio personality and voice actor] -

[moe]

A LOT of drama surrounding Casey Kasem in his last years & death. His older children suing his [then] present wife for elder abusing, moving him out of state, etc.

[westgrandboulevard]

Indeed, Moe...and a settlement was reached five years later...although not, it seemed, to the satisfaction of his daughter, Kerri....

[moe]

Well, no........the stepmother took Casey to Norway to bury him. Kerri said her father wanted to be buried in California. Such drama:[[

[moe]

And Sheena Easton was one of the "Bond Singers." I wouldn't think "For Yours Eyes Only" was the best selling Bond song of all time, but it's up there.

Also she starred on the TV Show "Miami Vice" as the girl who [I believe] marries Don Johnson & gets killed.

[westgrandboulevard]

Sheena Easton got lucky with her start here in the UK on the first music reality programme, then got lucky with a couple of hits, for 'Modern Girl' and '9 to 5' - retitled 'Morning Train [Nine To Five]' for US market - and got lucky to land that Bond theme. Ask most people who sang it, they'd recognise the song but probably couldn't tell you who sang it....

She's been married four times...and divorced four times....

[moe]

That's a few times. I have to wonder what was the most successful Bond Song in terms of how many were sold?

[westgrandboulevard]

It would seem between 'Writing's On The Wall' [Sam Smith], and ' No Time To Die' [Billie Eilish], helped greatly by streams....

[moe]

I would've thought "Live & Let Die" by Wings to be most sold.
Most successful? That's hard...maybe Adele
Most identifiable? Goldfinger by Dame Shirley Bassey

[westgrandboulevard]

Depends how you're differentiating between 'most sold' and 'most successful'....

'Live And Let Die' has been considerably outsold by other Bond themes.

Adele is very close to Sam Smith and Billie Eilish. She had #2 on chart, but stayed on UK chart for nearly twice as long as Sam S, which was the first Bond theme ever to reach UK # 1 ['View To A Kill' was # 1 on Cashbox, but not Billboard] - and followed by Billie E as the second Bond theme to do so.

Shirley B 'Goldfinger' and 'Diamonds Are Forever' are very distinctive recordings, but didn't universally translate into big sales - 'Goldfinger' was the more successful, especially in US, but missed the Top 20 here in the UK. And can you even remember Shirley's third Bond theme 'Moonraker' - ?

[moe]

Funny you would ask me about her third Bond song, Westgrand. My husband tried to stump me on this very question. But, yes I do remember it. I've been wanting to know which Bond theme sold the most records/stream? Are you saying that these later ones [[Sam S & Billie E) have outsold them all?

[westgrandboulevard]

'Moonraker' theme was a total sales flop, probably because not only was it hurriedly recorded, but also not promoted.

Yes, it would seem that the latest three are the biggest sellers of all Bond themes, based on chart sales, including streams - and with consideration being given not only to position on the chart, but also number of weeks on chart.

I guess we can only assume that total sales to date of recordings and streams of all the older themes have also been included...but difficult to be sure about that...

[moe]

OK. Because he wanted to know that, too. And I didn't have the answer.
But, I have somewhat of an answer

[westgrandboulevard]

I think the ease of accessibility to music via streams very much encourages a far greater volume of sales, at least when first made available.

And perhaps quicker response via internet following publicity in media, than depending on sales following plays on radio and TV, as with the older Bond themes.

But whether the songwriters benefit in proportion, might be another matter.....

[moe]

I'm thinking if any it's miniscule

[westgrandboulevard]

What would be the point of an artist being creative in composition or performance, and then seeing their work at the top of a chart representing sales of great, sometimes huge numbers.....when they make very little from the popularity of their work...?

[moe]

Good question. Birthdays today??

[westgrandboulevard]

Not so many people from the music industry celebrating Birthdays today....but still some notables....coming up shortly.......

[westgrandboulevard]

April 28th:

Quote for the Day:

"When you've got that performing bug, there's no way that you can tear it out, it's there.

When you go out on stage and that first wave of applause comes, you just go "Wow".

- Ann-Margret: -

Happy Birthday, to:

Ann-Margret [Ann-Margret Olsson; actress, singer and dancer] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 28th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Too Short [Todd Anthony Shaw; hip hop rapper and record producer] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 28th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Steve Khan [Steven Harris Cahn; jazz guitarist and producer] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 28th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Willie Colon [William Anthony Colon Roman; salsa musician and social activist] -

[westgrandboulevard]

April 28th:

Happy Birthday, to:

Penelope Cruz [Penelope Cruz Sanchez; actress and model] -