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1990Elton John can't find a facility in Los Angeles that will treat both his bulimia and drug and alcohol addictions, so he checks into the Parkside Lutheran Hospital in Chicago for rehab. He stays for six weeks, then takes a year off from touring and recording.
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1974Cass Elliot (of The Mamas & The Papas) dies of a heart attack (not from choking on a ham sandwich) in London, England at age 32.
1966A US magazine targeted to teenagers called Datebook causes an uproar when they reprint some of John Lennon's interview from four months earlier in the London Evening Standard where Lennon said, "We're more popular than Jesus now." The American media jumps on the quote and turns it into a major story.
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2011Gene McDaniels, known for singing the 1961 hit "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" and writing Roberta Flack's 1974 hit "Feel Like Makin' Love," dies at age 76 at his home in Maine.
2011At a Dallas concert, Kings Of Leonfrontman Caleb Followill leaves the stage after complaining about the heat. He never returns, and the band cancels the rest of their tour. The incident is officially blamed on "dehydration," but Caleb's brother (and bass player) Jared later Tweets: "There are problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade."
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1999Anita Carter (of The Carter Family) dies at age 66 after years of drug treatment for rheumatoid arthritis irreparably damages her liver, kidneys, and pancreas.
1995Les Elgart, swing jazz bandleader and trumpeter who performed the American Bandstand theme "Bandstand Boogie," dies of heart failure shortly before his 78th birthday.
1993Eddie Guzman (drummer for Rare Earth) dies from complications of diabetes at age 49.
1988Pete Drake, Nashville record producer and session guitarist who played with the likes of Bob Dylan, Don Gibson, and Marty Robbins, dies of emphysema at age 55. Known for the 1964 hit "Forever" with his groundbreaking use of a talk box for the pedal steel guitar.
1987Michigan governor James Blanchard declares today "Four Tops Day" in honor of the Motown legends.
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The Grease Soundtrack Slides In At #1
1978
The Grease soundtrack hits #1 in the US, thanks to the hits "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights."
The 1978 movie musical Grease, adapted from the Broadway smash of the decade, will be the top-grossing film of the year, but the public falls in love with the soundtrack months before the movie is even released. Tracks like "Grease," performed by Frankie Valli, and "You're The One That I Want," an upbeat duet between John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, both peak at #1 on the pop chart and boost anticipation for the film's release. Soon after, the singles "Summer Nights" and "Hopelessly Devoted To You" land in the Top 10 and, two months after Grease hits theaters, the soundtrack shoots to #1 on the albums chart.
Despite being an American film about American teens rebelling against American culture of the 1950s, the album is also a huge success in the UK, where it peaks at #1. Except for "Greased Lightnin'" trailing at #11, all of the singles peak in the Top 10 on the UK pop chart, with "You're the One That I Want" dominating the #1 spot for a record-breaking nine weeks.
Back in the US, the soundtrack is the second-best-selling album of the year, rivaled only by the soundtrack from another Travolta film: Saturday Night Fever. Newton-John's ballad "Hopelessly Devoted To You" earns the film an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
Despite being an American film about American teens rebelling against American culture of the 1950s, the album is also a huge success in the UK, where it peaks at #1. Except for "Greased Lightnin'" trailing at #11, all of the singles peak in the Top 10 on the UK pop chart, with "You're the One That I Want" dominating the #1 spot for a record-breaking nine weeks.
Back in the US, the soundtrack is the second-best-selling album of the year, rivaled only by the soundtrack from another Travolta film: Saturday Night Fever. Newton-John's ballad "Hopelessly Devoted To You" earns the film an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
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