Dino, Desi and Billy perform on "Where The Action Is".
Renown British Record Producer Joe Meek murders his landlady Violet Shenton and then kills himself.
Meek wrote and produced the first record to reach the #1 Spot on The American Pop Charts by a British Act, "Telstar" by The Tornados. He also produced the #4 British Invasion Hit "Have I The Right" for The Honeycombs.
He was considered to be an innovative producer who regular experimented in the studio. (In fact, in 2009, The Music Producers Guild created The Joe Meek Award For Innovation in Production as a tribute to Meek's "pioneering spirit". Britain's New Musical Express named him "The Greatest Producer Of All Time" in 2014, referring to him as "a complete trailblazer, attempting endless new ideas in his search for the perfect sound.")
Over the course of his career, Meek worked with artists as diverse as Shirley Bassey, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, The Pete Best Four, Petula Clark, Lonnie Donegan, Billy Fury, Tom Jones, Sounds Incorporated, Tommy Steele and Gene Vincent.
He reportedly once passed on the opportunity to work with The Beatles, referring to them as "just another bunch of noise, copying other people's music." It is said that he also took a pass on both David Bowie and Rod Stewart, noting "nothing particularly fascinating" about either of them.
Today he is revered by some at the Phil Spector level. (Maybe it's that whole playing with guns thing!) He also seemed to have a fascination with the dead ... and often set up recording devices in the graveyard, trying to capture the spirits of the dearly departed on tape.
Motown Records releases "Jimmy Mack" as a single by Martha and the Vandellas. It will eventually peak at #6 on the National Charts.
Eight years ago today Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash that later came to be known as "the day the music died", thanks to Don McLean's epic #1 Hit "American Pie". Forgotten Hits subscribers received a special Buddy Holly Tribute email commemorating this event. (Not a subscriber? Drop us an email at forgottenhits@aol.com and ask us to put you on the list!)
