Today in Music History - May 14
Today in Music History for May 14:
In 1936, singer Bobby Darin, whose real name was Walden Robert Cassotto, was born in New York City. Darin's big break came in 1958 when he wrote and recorded "Splish Splash," which reached No. 3 on the U.S. charts and sold a million copies. His other hits included "Queen of the Hop" and "Mack the Knife." At the beginning of the '60s, he made the transition from teen idol to a more mature star who performed in Vegas nightclubs. He died on Dec. 20, 1973, after heart surgery.
In 1943, Jack Bruce, one of the most influential bass guitarists in rock, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland. His bass playing and tenor vocals with the group "Cream" in the 1960s were a great influence on the heavy metal groups that followed. He formed "Cream" with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker in 1966, and they virtually invented the hard-rock trio style, before breaking up in '68. Bruce later played in a variety of styles with several groups such as "West, Bruce and Laing," "Jack Bruce and Friends," "BLT" and "Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band."