She was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948.

The Grammy-winning singer had numerous hits in both the 1970s and 1980s, including “Last Dance,” “She Works Hard for the Money” and “Bad Girls.”

It is being reported that she was recording an Album while also being treated for breast cancer.

When I was a teen, in the early 70s, American Bandstand was on Saturday. It along with the baseball game of the week was a Saturday staple.

Before Dick Clark started the Rockin’ New Year in 1972 it was Guy Lombardi who was on TV bringing in the New Year. That was fine, a favorite of the older generation, but Clark helped make it a Rocking New Year for our generation.

In the later 70s we remember him not only from Bandstand, but from the Pyramid, beginning at $10,000 and moving upward from there. He became a daily member of the family.

Is there anyone in the United States who don’t know or hasn’t been touched by Dick Clark? Probably not. The word legend is to often used, but when looking back on the life and career of Dick Clark, one can’t help but to use the word. He was a legend who lead a legendary life.

May he always be remembered.

Now at the age of 70 she has release her memoir. In a few weeks on April 24, 2012 she releases an album of demos she recorded in the 60s.

Not sure where this video originally appeared, but it’s a nice version of one of the best songs from her great LP Tapestry.

After the 60′s band The Zombies broke up, Rod Argent went on to lead a group that also had his name Argent. This Video is of a 1974 performance of their 1973 hit Hold Your Head Up.

May he rest in peace.

I think we all can feel just like his closing line of the show, “as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!”

During the last days of 1971 and into 1972 everyone was listening to and trying to determine what the lyrics meant in Don McLean’s American Pie. Other than alluding to the deaths of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens on February 3, 1959, a day many have called the ‘Day the Music Died’ there could be many different meanings to parts of the song. McLean has said that he wrote it to be vague. And vague it is, but a very enjoyable vague that brings back memories to anyone who grew up during the 1960′s,

The single was released in November of 1971. Originally it was released as a edited version of the 8+ minutes song, then it was decided to split the songs into 2 parts. Many radio stations did play the entire song in an era when songs usually lasted 3 1/2 minutes. It quickly went to Number 1 reaching the top spot shortly after the New Year on January 15, spending 4 weeks there.

January 15, 22, 29 & February 5 – “American Pie”; Don McLean

February 12 – “Let’s Stay Together”; Al Green

February 19 & 26, March 4, 11 – “Without You”; Nilsson

March 18 – “Heart of Gold”; Neil Young

March 25, April 1 & 8 – “A Horse With No Name”; America

April 15, 22, 29, & May 6, 13, 20 – “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”; Roberta Flack

May 27 – “Oh Girl”; The Chi-Lites

June 3 – “I’ll Take You There”; The Staple Singers

June 10, 17, 24 – “The Candy Man”; Sammy Davis Jr.

July 1 – “Song Sung Blue”; Neil Diamond

July 8, 15, & 22 – “Lean on Me”; Bill Withers

July 29, August 5, 12, & 19 – “Alone Again (Naturally)”;Gilbert O’Sullivan

August 26 – “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”; Looking Glass

September 2 & 9 – “Alone Again (Naturally)”; Gilbert O’Sullivan

September 16 – “Black and White”; Three Dog Night

September 23, 30 & October 7 – “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me”; Mac Davis

October 14 – “Ben”; Michael Jackson

October 21 & 2 – “My Ding-a-Ling”; Chuck Berry

November 4, 11, 18, & 25 – “I Can See Clearly Now”; Johnny Nash

December 2 – “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”; The Temptations

December 9 – “I Am Woman”; Helen Reddy

December 16, 23 & 30 – “Me and Mrs. Jones”; Billy Paul

Nick Ashford has pass away after a battling throat cancer. He was 70.

The songwriting team of Ashford and Simpson are Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. They meet in 1963 and recorded as a duo before writing songs together. In 1966 shortly before joining Motown Records they had their first chart song, “Let’s Go Get Stoned” by Ray Charles.

It was at Motown that many of their most known songs were recorded, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and many others.

In 1974 the two were married and shortly afterwards recorded a string of hits, although their most popular “Solid” wasn’t recorded until 1984.

They are one of the biggest composers of the soundtrack of the 1970s and their songs will be long remembered.

Thank You Nick Ashford and my you rest in peace.

In 1976 dance music, Disco music, was moving toward big popularity. Memphis Disc Jockey Rick Dees came up with a crazy parody on the craze featuring the Disco Duck.

Dees has said that the song was completed in a day, but took months until someone would join with him to record it. It was a minor hit in the south east by Fretone it was a national and international release by RSO Records, The song reached the top spot and remained a Top 10 hit for over 2 months in the fall of 1976.

Although the voice of Disco Duck sounds similar to Disney’s Donald Duck it was not recorded as sometimes noted by the voice of Donald, Clarence Nash. It was done by Ken Pruitt.

The song may have been a hit, but Dees didn’t quit his day job as a Memphis DJ. And he still is a DJ today although not in memphis, but in LA. He was in KIIS-AM/FM until relplaced by Ryan Seacrest in 2004 and is currently heard on KHHT, “Hot 92.3″.

The song was rarely played on the radio stations of Memphis. Dees station forbid him to play it or to even mention the song on his program. Other stations in Memphis refused to play it since it could have been seen as promoting the competition.

Peter Pan Records, the children record company, began in 1977 releasing a series of records using Irwin the Disco Duck as the DJ introducing The Wibble Wabble Singers and Orchestra version’s of popular songs. After the Disco Era ended Irwin was renamed Irwin the Dynamic Duck.