By John Jackson
Alan Freed was born Albert James Freed today (December 15, 1921,) near Johnstown, PA. In 1933 the Freed family moved to Salem, Ohio. In high school, Freed formed a band know as The Sultans of Swing, in which he played trombone. In 1942, Freed landed his first broadcasting job, at WKST (New Castle, PA). He took a sportscasting position at WKBN (Youngstown, OH) the following year.
R&B singer Jesse Belvin was born today (December 15th, 1932) in San Antonio Texas.
Although Belvin’s name may not be a household one now, he was the author of some of the most famous pop songs in music history.
In addition to co-authoring and singing the American classic “Goodnight My Love,” Jesse Belvin was also the author of The Penguins’ 1955 hit “Earth Angel.”
Police launched an investigation into the death of R&B singer Jesse Belvin, who died today (February 6, 1960) in a car crash in New Hope, Arkansas.
Jesse Belvin was at the height of his career, after writing several hit tunes, including The Penguins’ smash “Earth Angel,” as well as his own chart topper, “Goodnight My Love.”
According to original reports, Belvin, Jackie Wilson and Arthur Prysock left a Little Rock, Arkansas segregated dance, when a “white group appeared late” at the hall for their “dance session.”
The “hall” was The Robinson Auditorium. The singers were there to perform two sets – one for a black crowd and one for a white audience.
Wilson allegedly refused to do the white only set in protest to segregation.
After arguing with promoters, he was allegedly “ordered out of town at gunpoint,” the Los Angeles Sentinel reported.
It has since been revealed that all three singers actually fled the dance hall, after they were threatened by a white mob for attempting to perform for an integrated crowd.
Police confirmed that the tires on Wilson’s 1960 Cadillac and Prysock’s 1959 Lincoln Continental were slashed.
Belvin’s 1959 Cadillac was parked next to the other superstar’s luxury vehicles, leading police said the back wheels had “obviously” been tampered with, leading them to believe his tires were also slashed.
