<![CDATA[ON THIS DAY IN BLACK MUSIC HISTORY: MARCH 8]]>

<![CDATA[ON THIS DAY IN BLACK MUSIC HISTORY: MARCH 8]]>#1 R&B Song 1969: “Give It Up Or Turn It Loose,” James Brown

Born: Roxanne Shante (Lolita Gooden), 1970

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1969 The Fifth Dimension’s “Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine [The Flesh Failures]”charted, becoming the group’s #1 hit. (“Aquarius. . . .one of my all-time favourite Fifth Dimension songs:)

When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius!
Aquarius!

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind’s true liberation
Aquarius!
Aquarius!

[instrumental and tempo shift]

Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in

[continue to end with concurrent scat]

Oh, let it shine, c’mon
Now everybody just sing along
Let the sun shine in
Open up your heart and let it shine on in
When you are lonely, let it shine on
Got to open up your heart and let it shine on in
And when you feel like you’ve been mistreated
And your friends turn away
Just open your heart, and shine it on in

[FADE]

1970 Diana Ross made her solo debut, after leaving the Supremes, in Joe Lewis Arena in Detroit.

1975 The Temptations charted with “Shakey Ground,” eventually reaching #1 R&B. It was their fourteenth and last chart topper.

1985 Whitney Houston’s self-titled album reached #1 on the pop charts and stayed there for fourteen weeks. The album sold more than twelve million records worldwide, establishing her as a premier artist of the times though it took the album twelve months to climb to the top.

1993 Prince performed at the Sunrise Music Theater in Sunrise, FL. It was his frst North American tour in five years.

1996 Tina Turner, known for her legs that go on forever, was named the Hanes spokeswoman/model.

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