On this day in music history…
In 1976, “Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band topped Billboard Hot 100. It stayed at number 1 for two weeks. The song came from the group’s self-titled debut album, which peaked at number 20 on the albums chart. “Afternoon Delight” would earn Starland Vocal Band the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement for Voices in 1977. That same year, they also won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
In 1984, former Derek & The Dominos drummer Jim Gordon was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison for murdering his mother a year earlier. Despite Gordon’s schizophrenia diagnosis after the murder, California law at the time didn’t allow him to pursue an insanity defense. Besides his work with Derek & The Dominos (which included a writing credit on “Layla”), Gordon was also a member of Traffic, and he was an in-demand session drummer. As a member of the Wrecking Crew, he played on numerous recordings by dozens of artists. In 2023, Gordon passed away in prison.
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