This last week in Rock History, we saw a LOT of accolades in music:
Elvis Presley’s Suspicious Minds hits #1 in 1968 and it would be his 18th and final #1 hit.
Roy Orbison would receive a gold record for “Oh Pretty Woman” in 1969.
Nick Gilder would solidify himself as a one hit wonder when “Hot Child in the City” would hit #1
In 1982, Men at Work’s “Who Can It Be Now” would hit #1
Prince released his fifth album, 1999 in 1982. It would be a breakthrough, selling well over 5 million copies worldwide, thanks to “Little Red Corvette” and the title track.
In 1983, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton would hit #1 with the Bee Gee’s written “Islands in the Stream,” giving both of them their 2nd #1 hit on the chart.
‘Ice Ice Baby’ by Vanilla Ice became the first hip-hop single to each #1 on the charts in 1991.
Some other accolades occurred as well:
In 1978, KISS would star in the TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park which would bomb initially due to bad acting and horrible script, but gained a cult following in the years to follow.
Michael Jackson would patent his innovative Smooth Criminal shoes in 1993.
Pop-Up Video premiered in 1996 on VH1
Paul McCartney and his second wife, model/activist Heather Mills, would welcome daughter Beatrice Milly McCartney in 2003.
You can’t have Rock history without a little controversy:
In 1996, Axl Rose would announce that Slash was no longer a member of Guns N’ Roses. Slash would go on to form Slash’s Snakepit and Velvet Revolver, while Axl kept GnR going with a variety of new faces.
Michael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray was released from prison, two years after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2013.
And we lost 3 greats:
Robert Goulet died in 2007 due to complications from pulmonary fibrosis.
In 2013, Lou Reed died of liver disease.
Jerry Lee Lewis died peacefully in his home in Mississippi in 2022
