The Big Bopper (born Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. in Texas)
(October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959)

Richardson was a DJ, singer, and songwriter who recorded "Chantilly Lace"
and wrote "White Lightning" and "Running Bear." He died in a plane crash
in Clear Lake, Iowa, along with rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and
pilot Roger Peterson.

The Beatles song “Yesterday” voted the No. 1 pop song of all time
by MTV and Rolling Stone magazine the following year. In 1997,
the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Broadcast
Music Incorporated (BMI) asserts that it was performed over seven
million times in the 20th century alone.  

“Yesterday”, featuring a string quartet, was the group’s first recorded
use of classical music elements and their first recording that involved
only a single band member, Paul McCartney with his acoustic guitar.

Sir James Paul McCartney turned 73 on June 18.

The song “ I Second That Emotion” peaked for three weeks at #4 on the
Billboard pop singles chart in December 1967. It became the Miracles
highest charting popular single since "Shop Around". The song also
topped the Billboard Black Singles Chart and was a million-selling hit
for The Miracles, their sixth overall.

William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. turned 75 in February.

"Street Survivors" was the fifth studio album released by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Three
days later vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines
(Steve’s sister) and road manager Dean Kilpatrick were killed when their plane
crashed in Gillsburg, MS. The other four members of the band were seriously
injured in the crash, but survived. The album was an instant success, achieving
gold certification just ten days after its release. It would later go double platinum.

The most familiar and successful version of "For Once in My Life" is the up
tempo arrangement by Stevie Wonder. It was a top-three hit in the U.S.

Stevie Wonder (Stevland Hardaway Judkins) turned 65 in May.