Billboard magazine wrote that the song “What’d I Say’’ was "the strongest pop
record that the artist has done to date". Within weeks it topped out at number
one on Billboard’s R&B singles chart, number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and
it became Charles’ first gold record. It also became Atlantic Records’ best-
selling song at the time.

Aretha Franklin’s cover of Respect was a landmark for the feminist
movement, and is often considered as one of the best songs of the
R&B era, earning her two Grammy Awards in 1968 for "Best Rhythm
& Blues Recording" and "Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance,
Female", and was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 2002, the Library of Congress honored Franklin’s version by adding
it to the National Recording Registry. It was placed number five on
Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It
was also included in the list of Songs of the Century, by the Recording
Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Aretha Louise Franklin will be 75 in March.

John Lennon‘s voice was practically fried the night they recorded "Twist and
Shout." He had a bad cold and producer George Martin knew they didn’t have
much time to nail down the vocal. Lennon gargled milk and took a cough drop
before stepping into the booth and delivered his throat-shredding take on the
Isley Brothers’ classic. "That song nearly killed me," Lennon said. "My voice
wasn’t the same for a long time after; every time I swallowed, it was like
sandpaper. I was always bitterly ashamed of it, because I could sing better
than that, but now it doesn’t bother me." (Rolling Stone)

"Twist and Shout" was the only million-selling Beatles single that was a cover
record, and the only Beatles cover single to reach the Top 10 on a national
record chart. The song failed to hit #1 because the Beatles had another song
occupying the top spot, "Can’t Buy Me Love".

The single Long Tall Sally by Little Richard reached number one on the
Billboard rhythm and blues chart, staying at the top for six of 19 weeks,
while peaking at number six on the pop chart. It received the Cash Box
Triple Crown Award in 1956. It is #55 on Rolling Stone‘s list of The 500
Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song became one of Little Richards’ best-known hits and has
become a rock and roll standard covered by hundreds of artists,
including the Beatles and Elvis Presley.

Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman) turned 84 December 5.

              
               Martha Tilton (November 14, 1915 – December 8, 2006)

               Benny Goodman hired Martha Tilton as a vocalist with his band
               in August 1937. She was with Goodman in January 1938, when
               the band gave the first jazz performance at Carnegie Hall. She
               continued to appear as his star vocalist until the end of 1939.