Born:   Benjamin “Bullmoose” Jackson, 1919; Charles Mingus, 1922; Mel Carter, 1939

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1959   Jackie Wilson appeared in the Alan Freed film, Go, Johnny, Go!, singing “You Better Know It.” The movie premiered across the  nation today. Also performing in the popular teen flick were Chuck Berry, the Flamingos, Harvey Fuqua (of Harvey & the Moonglows), and the Cadillacs.

1960   Marv Johnson, Ray Charles, Betty Carter, Tarheel Slim, and Little Ann performed at the Apollo Theater.

1964   Little Anthony & the Imperials recorded “I’m on the Outside Looking In” (#15 pop), their first hit in almost five years.

1972   Michael Jackson peaked at #2 pop and R&B with “Rockin’ Robin.” The song was a hit for Bobby Day & the Satellites in 1958 and coincidentally also reached #2. The song that kept Jackson out of #1 was Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”

1973   Tina Turner began filming for the motion picture Tommy in her role as the Acid Queen. The former Annie Mae Bullock began singing at night with husband Ike while working in a hospital by day. Ike renamed her Tina because she reminded him of the star of the TV series Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.

1994   Brian McKnight and Chaka Khan sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water” at New York’s Paramount Theater for the seventh annual Essence Awards.

1996   Ex-New Edition member Bobby Brown was unable to recite the alphabet today. This would normally have not been a big deal except Brown was in the middle of a sobriety test at the time and was subsequently booked for driving under the influence in Atlanta. To add to his chagrin, the woman in his car when he was pulled over was not his wife, Whitney Houston. No wonder he was laughing during his wedding vows. (See July 18.)