(Don, on right, with brother Phil) EverlyDon Everly with brother Phil doing Crying in the Rain, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin
Donnie Brooks doing his big hit, Mission Bell from Hollywood A Go Go, 1965. Brooks was a fixture at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasantono, CA where he headed up his cavalcade of oldies acts. He is much missed.
Gene Pitney is also missed and to think I never got to see him perform live. Every Little Breath I Take was as good as anything Gene ever did – and he did a lot of great ones, this under the exquisite direction of the one and only Phil Spector
Lots of big name birthdays in February… including Hall of famers Carole King, Don Everly of Everly Brothers and Gene Pitney plus notables Ral Donner (best Elvis soundalike but great in his own right), Bob shane (last surviving original) of Kingston Trio, heartthrob and underrated singer Fabian, top saxophonist King Curtis who played with so many and helped make Buddy Hollly’s True Love Ways one of the classic songs and Donnie Brooks, who was as great an emprasario as he was a singer (Mission Bell and Doll House). Here are a few samples (wish we could include them all…
FEBRUARY 1-17 BIRTHDAYS
01 – Don Everly, 1937; Bob Shane (The Kingston Trio), 1934;
02 – Graham Nash, 1942;
03 – Dave Davies (The Kinks), 1947; Eric Haydock (The Hollies), 1942; Dennis Edwards (The Temptations), 1943; ; Angelo D’Aleo (The Belmonts), 1940; Johnny Cymbal, 1945 (died 1993)
06 – Fabian Forte, 1943; Natalie Cole, 1950; Georgeanna Tillman (The Marvelettes), 1943 (died 1980); Bob Marley, 1945 (died 1981); Donnie Brooks, 1936 (died 2007)
07 – King Curtis, 1934 (died 1971);
09 – Carole King, 1942; Barry Mann, 1939; Brian Bennett (The Shadows), 1940; Barbara Lewis, 1943;
10 – Ral Donner, 1943 (died 1984)
12 – Ray Manzarek (The Doors), 1939
13 – Peter Tork (The Monkees), 1944
16 – Sonny Bono, 1935 (died 1998)
17 – Gene Pitney, 1941 (died 2006)
