Born:   Narada Michael Walden, 1952

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1949   “Trouble Blues” by Charles Brown charted on its way to #1 R&B for an amazing fifteen weeks. It became the fifth biggest R&B hit of all time. The recording spent twenty-seven weeks on the charts. Charles Brown (September 13, 1922 January 21, 1999), was born in Texas City, Texas. Charles Brown was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s. Brown originally sang with Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers and was married to vocalist Mabel Scott.

1949   The Orioles’ “Tell Me So” hopped onto the R&B charts, reaching #1. The Orioles charted eleven times between 1948 and 1953 with such standards as “Lonely Christmas,” “It’s Too Soon to Know,” and “Crying in the Chapel.”

(Not all the original members, but, Diz Russell is lead-singing.)

(Sonny Til singing lead in the Orioles. Label: Jubilee 5017. Year: 1949.)

1954   The Royals’ single, “Work With Me, Annie” was issued, beginning the era of the “answer record.” It became so popular (#22 pop, #1 R&B), that the group renamed themselves Hank Ballard & the Midnighters to avoid confusion with the “5” Royales.

1955   Al Hibbler charted with the inspirational recording, “Unchained Melody” from the motion picture Unchained. The record reached #1 R&B and #3 pop and was the definitive version of this oft-recorded song until the Righteous Brothers’ blue-eyed soul version in 1965.

1988   Whitney Houston topped the pop charts with “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” while setting a record for most consecutive #1 singles. It was her seventh, beating out both the Bee Gees and the Beatles, who each had six in a row.

1990   A cappella specialists Take 6—along with Stevie Wonder, Patti Austin, Phoebe Snow, and James Taylor—performed at New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall fundraiser for Special Olympics Africa.

1995   Little Richard performed at the opening of Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Amusement Park in Pigeon Falls, TN.

1997   The Four Tops received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.