THE APEX BAR, OAKLAND AT SMITH, DETROIT...

John Lee Hooker came to work in Detroit in the 1940s and THE APEX was his  favorite "after work drinking spots"--The bartender there called the young John Lee "Boom Boom"

In 1957, on The Fourth of July, John Lee Hooker played the first night of four at his old watering hole...

Check it out on Tropical Jon... 

tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/07/on-july-4-1957-

john-lee-hooker-played.html

 Ann Arbor's Al Hill has been Bettye Lavette's musical director for ten years now. He also has a GREAT single out (Willie Mae). Check him out doing his tribute to The Motor City...   https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=283047045104029



(June 14, 1936 – July 1, 2005)

"Obie" Benson (real first name Renaldo) was born in The Motor City on June 14, 1936 and, along with his high school buddies Levi Stubbs,  Abdul (Duke) Fakir, and Lawrence Payton was a founding (and Lifetime) member of the group which became the legendary Motown act, THE FOUR TOPS...Read more about this Motown native on TropicalJon.com

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3497787434044545029&postID=5404325177773863013

With Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll" riding high on the Billboard R&B chart,

Bill Haley And His Comets enter Decca Records' New York studio to record the same number…

READ MORE ON: http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/06/june-7-1954-detroits-bill-haley-along.html

REMEMBER MARTHA JEAN? CHECK HER OUT ON-----> http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2011/10/evolution-of-rock-n-roll-martha-jean.html

MAY 25, 1968: MC5 AND THE STOOGES, along with "Label Mates" The Paul Butterfield Blues Band tear up THE GRANDE BALLROOM. 

Check it out on Tropical Jon... http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-25-1968-paul-butterfield-iggy.html

HEY--Our folks really weren't that square, afterall... May 13 ~ 24, 1942: Louis Prima TORE UP the Jefferson Beach Park Ballroom in The Motor City’s close suburb of St. Clair Shores, MI

http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/05/tropical-jons-evolution-of-rock-n-roll_23.html

May 11, 1959:

Dave "Baby" Cortez, a product of Detroit's Northwestern High School, reached the top spot on the Billboard chart with "The Happy Organ"….But that's just part of his story. Check it out on Tropical Jon's Evolution of Rock 'n Roll...

http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-11-1959-detroits-dave-baby-cortez.html

Born, raised and a lifetime resident of New Orleans, Fat's Domino chose a tribute to Detroit as his very first release on Imperial Records--That was in 1949...

CHECK OUT FATS  AND HIS  "DETROIT CITY BLUES"

ON TROPICAL JON...

http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-14-1955-fats-domino-releases-aint.html

April 5, 1984: Marvin Gaye's funeral takes place at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles..

.Check it out on Tropical Jon:

http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-5-1984-smokey-stevie-wonder.html

1971 at Detroit's Eastown, in my humble opinion,  was the height of LIVE, Incindiary ROCK 'n ROLL in the Motorcity--EVERYBODY WHO WAS ANYBODY PLAYED (and was seen at) THE EASTOWN! There are a lot of stories out there about the demise of this old venue, and a thousand (at least!) memories to go with each of them. As I recollect, the Johnny Winter (with Rick Derringer) shows, especially those with Humble Pie as the warm-up band, were always so packed that there should be about, let's see, a zillion or so memories associated with them--As I remember, a small part of a Humble Pie/Johnny Winter And show went like this... http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-27-28-1971-humble-pie-opens-for.html

 Michael goes from Superstar to Megastar after this performance! Check out his audition with Motown and the introduction of the "Moonwalk" and all that happened in between. Ya know what happened after...      http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/03/motown-25-part-4-this-is-jackson-5.html

PART 3: MOTOWN 25th ANNIVERSITY SPECIAL; Marvin & Tammi, Martha Reeves, Mary Wells, Jr. Walker, The Commodores,Jose Feliciano, Adam Ant, Lionel Richie, Dr. Johnny Fever & Venus Flytrap--AND A WHOLE LOT MORE!!!  http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/03/part-3-motown-25th-anniversity-special.html

MOTOWN 25, Part Two (OF SIX): The early songwriters, a bit about all that awesome choreography, a segment with Marvin Gaye and a whole lotta MOTOWN MUSIC…
http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/03/motown-25-part-two-early-songwriters.html

First of a Six Part series on Motown's 25th Anniversary Show, taped on March 25, 1983:
http://tropicaljon.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-25-1983-motown-tapes-all-star.html

TROPICAL JON'S EVOLUTION OF ROCK 'N ROLL: RUBY & THE ROMANTICS

Ruby & the Romantics, One Hit Wonder???



"Our Day Will Come," composed by Bob Hilliard and Mort Garson, was a #1 hit in 1963 for Ruby & the Romantics…



It sold over one million copies in the US, and peaked at #38 in the UK Singles Chart.

Billboard Hot 100 number one single
March 23, 1963 (one week)

Billboard Hot R&B Sides number-one single
March 23, 1963 - March 29, 1963 (two weeks) ...Read more----->