Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for May 26th

A song that half of Zeppelin played on that wasn't a Zep classic -- A blues legend you really should know more about -- Two all-time great singers sharing a birthday...

5/26/1964 (56 years ago today) - Marianne Faithfull records the Jagger/Richards classic "As Tears Go By"; session musicians include Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones on bass...

5/26/1968 (52 years ago today) - Blues artist Little Willie John dies in prison after being convicted of manslaughter, though the case was under appeal -- He co-wrote and was the first to record "Fever", which became a smash hit for Peggy Lee in 1958; inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame back in 1996 -- Some of Willie's other stuff that you really ought to check out: "Need Your Love So Bad" (there's an absolutely stunning version by the Peter Green line-up of Fleetwood Mac), "Leave My Kitten Alone" (which has been done by The Beatles, Solomon Burke, and Sham The Sham & The Pharaohs), and a tribute album recorded by James Brown titled "Thinking About Little Willie John...And A Few Nice Things" (early in his career, James Brown was the opening act for many Little Willie John shows!)...

Happy Birthday Dept.:

Peggy Lee born this date 1920; worked with Benny Goodman, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney; nominated for 12 Grammys, won for her 1969 hit "Is That All There Is"; a sultry, sexy and utterly convincing vocalist, Peggy passed away January 21, 2002.

Drummer and singer for The Band, Levon Helm born this date 1943; started his own high school band The Jungle Bush Beaters at age 17 which led to The Hawks (who would become Bob Dylan's back-up band) and eventually morphing into The Band; that's Levon doing the lead vocals on "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Weight"; passed away from throat cancer, age 71, April 19, 2012.

Share your aches and pains with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"I light up when you call my name/'Cause I know you're gonna treat me right...", xoxo.