On this day in music history…
In 1970, Elvis Presley released “Kentucky Rain,” his first single of the ‘70s decade. The song peaked at number 16 on the singles chart. One of the song’s writers was Eddie Rabbitt, who would go on to release his debut album five years later.
In 1979, on a Monday, a shooter killed two people and injured nine more, eight of them students, in a shooting at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego. A reporter eventually managed to get the shooter on the phone while she was barricaded in her house. When she was asked to explain the reason for her actions, she responded, “I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.” As the incident was unfolding, Bob Geldof and Johnnie Fingers of The Boomtown Rats were at an Atlanta radio station for an interview, and Geldof saw the news, including the shooter’s quote, on a telex machine. Later that year, The Boomtown Rats released “I Don’t Like Mondays,” which was based on the tragedy at Cleveland Elementary.
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