From the Desk of CLASSICKONG
Good morning, music lovers, and welcome to another trip through the records, musicians and moments that made music history.
Before we get rolling today, we want to welcome some new friends to the family.
“This Day in Music History” is now available on Spotify!
If you discovered us there, welcome aboard. We’re glad you’re here.
This daily trip through music history comes to you from WTSG Digital Broadcasting, where we believe great music has a story—and those stories are worth remembering.
Whether you’re listening through WTSG-DB or joining the KONG CREW through Spotify, grab a cup of coffee, turn it up and make yourself at home.
You’re one of us now. ❤️
And as always, before we spin the first record, CLASSICKONG sends a heartfelt thank-you to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces—past and present. Your service and sacrifice are never forgotten.
Now let’s get the band back together and see what happened on September 9.
1956 — Elvis Presley Takes Over American Television
On September 9, 1956, Elvis Presley made his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
And America was watching.
Approximately 60 million viewers tuned in. Interestingly, Ed Sullivan wasn’t even there. Sullivan was recovering from injuries suffered in an automobile accident, so British actor Charles Laughton hosted the program.
Elvis performed from CBS Television City in Hollywood, opening with “Don’t Be Cruel” and the soon-to-be-released “Love Me Tender.” Later he returned for “Ready Teddy” and “Hound Dog.”
But contrary to what we might assume today, this wasn’t America’s first encounter with those infamous Elvis hip movements.
The controversy was already underway.
His June 1956 performance of “Hound Dog” on The Milton Berle Show had generated considerable criticism over his movements. By the time Elvis reached Sullivan, millions of Americans weren’t simply tuning in to hear a singer.
They wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
And here’s a great piece of record-history trivia: when Elvis sang “Love Me Tender” that night, the single hadn’t even been released yet. RCA Victor wouldn’t issue it until September 28.
Millions of Americans therefore heard Elvis perform one of his future standards before they could walk into a record store and buy it.
Where to Find the Songs
“Don’t Be Cruel” / “Hound Dog” — RCA Victor single, 1956; both later appeared on Elvis’ Golden Records (1958, RCA Victor).
“Ready Teddy” — Elvis (1956, RCA Victor).
“Love Me Tender” — RCA Victor single, 1956; later included on Elvis’ Golden Records (1958, RCA Victor).
CLASSICKONG’S ELVIS MUST-HAVES
Elvis Presley — 1956, RCA Victor
Elvis — 1956, RCA Victor
Elvis’ Golden Records — 1958, RCA Victor
Elvis Is Back! — 1960, RCA Victor
From Elvis in Memphis — 1969, RCA Victor
Elvis had already caused a commotion before September 9.
But when tens of millions of people saw him on America’s biggest television variety show, the phenomenon moved to another level.
Popular culture was changing right in front of the television set.
1982 — Rush Sends Out Signals
Here’s one where careful music history matters.
Signals unquestionably arrived in September 1982, although sources differ on the precise release date, with September 9 frequently cited. Rush’s own archive lists only September 1982.
So we’re in the right historical window—and the album is much too important to ignore.
Following the enormous success of Moving Pictures, Rush could have simply tried to make another one.
They didn’t.
Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart pushed further into the technology-driven sound of the 1980s. Synthesizers, sequencers and electronic textures became increasingly prominent, while the compositions generally became shorter.
Signals — 1982, Anthem/Mercury
Track List
“Subdivisions”
“The Analog Kid”
“Chemistry”
“Digital Man”
“The Weapon”
“New World Man”
“Losing It”
“Countdown”
And “New World Man” comes with one of our favorite stories today.
Rush needed a shorter composition to even out the running time of the two sides of the cassette version.
So they wrote one.
“New World Man” became the last and quickest-composed song on Signals.
Think about that in 2026.
Today we have streaming and enormous amounts of digital storage. Most listeners never have to consider how many minutes will fit on one side of anything.
But vinyl records and cassettes had physical limitations. Those limitations could affect sequencing, song lengths and sometimes the creative decisions made in the studio.
Rush had a problem.
They wrote a song.
Sometimes limitations don’t destroy creativity.
Sometimes they inspire it.
CLASSICKONG PLAYER PROFILE — RUSH
CLASS: Progressive Rock Power Trio
PLAYERS: Geddy Lee / Alex Lifeson / Neil Peart
CLASSIC WEAPONRY: Bass / Guitar / Drums / Synthesizers
SUPERPOWER: Making complicated music somehow sound completely natural
SIGNATURE ATTACK: Precision
KONG STATUS: LEGENDARY
CLASSICKONG’S RUSH MUST-HAVES
2112 — 1976, Anthem/Mercury
A Farewell to Kings — 1977, Anthem/Mercury
Hemispheres — 1978, Anthem/Mercury
Permanent Waves — 1980, Anthem/Mercury
Moving Pictures — 1981, Anthem/Mercury
Signals — 1982, Anthem/Mercury
Open the loadout screen. 🤘🦍
1941 — Otis Redding Is Born
Otis Redding was born September 9, 1941, in Dawson, Georgia.
And what a catalog he left behind.
“These Arms of Mine.”
“Mr. Pitiful.”
“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.”
“Respect.”
“Try a Little Tenderness.”
“Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song).”
“Tramp,” with Carla Thomas.
“I’ve Got Dreams to Remember.”
And, of course, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.”
Otis became one of the defining voices of Southern soul.
CLASSICKONG’S OTIS REDDING MUST-HAVES
Pain in My Heart — 1964, Volt/Atco
The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads — 1965, Volt/Atco
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul — 1965, Volt
The Soul Album — 1966, Volt
Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul — 1966, Volt
King & Queen with Carla Thomas — 1967, Stax
The Dock of the Bay — 1968, Volt
If you’re exploring Otis for the first time, Otis Blue belongs near the top of the stack.
But the Otis Redding story contains terrible heartbreak.
On December 10, 1967, only 26 years old, Redding died when the plane carrying him and members of his backing band, the Bar-Kays, crashed into Lake Monona near Madison, Wisconsin.
Four members of the Bar-Kays—Jimmie King, Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones and Carl Cunningham—also died.
Trumpeter Ben Cauley was the sole survivor of the crash itself. Bar-Kays bassist James Alexander had traveled separately.
And somehow, out of unimaginable loss, the Bar-Kays found the strength to rebuild.
The surviving members carried on, eventually backing Isaac Hayes and helping the Bar-Kays develop into an important funk band in their own right.
That deserves some roses too. ❤️
Then there is “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.”
Otis had been exploring a more reflective musical direction and recorded the song with Steve Cropper shortly before his death.
He never lived to see what it became.
Released posthumously, “Dock of the Bay” reached No. 1.
Knowing the story changes the way that record feels.
It’s more than another hit.
It’s a reflective piece of music history.
Happy birthday, Otis.
And thank you. ❤️
1945 — Doug Ingle Is Born: Open the Loadout Screen
Born September 9, 1945, Doug Ingle became the organist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter behind Iron Butterfly.
Ingle’s father was a church organist, giving young Doug an early introduction to keyboards.
Years later, those keyboards became part of one of the defining sounds of late-’60s heavy psychedelic rock.
And Doug gives us the perfect opportunity to introduce something new around here.
CLASSICKONG PLAYER PROFILE — DOUG INGLE
PLAYER: Doug Ingle
CLASS: Keyboardist / Vocalist / Songwriter
FACTION: Iron Butterfly
CLASSIC WEAPON: Vox Continental organ
SECONDARY WEAPONRY: Hammond organ / additional keyboards
SUPERPOWER: Psychedelic organ assault
SIGNATURE ATTACK: “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”
KONG STATUS: APPROVED
Although Ingle used Hammond equipment during his career, the classic organ associated with “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” is the Vox Continental.
Hence:
Classic Weapon. 😂🎹
CLASSICKONG’S IRON BUTTERFLY MUST-HAVES
Heavy — 1968, Atco
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida — 1968, Atco
Ball — 1969, Atco
Metamorphosis — 1970, Atco
And if you only choose one?
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.
The full title track stretches beyond 17 minutes and became one of the defining recordings of the psychedelic era.
KONG APPROVED. 🤘🦍
1950 — John McFee Is Born: Inventory Full!
Born September 9, 1950, John McFee is best known to many listeners through the Doobie Brothers.
But calling McFee simply a guitarist doesn’t begin to cover it.
CLASSICKONG PLAYER PROFILE — JOHN McFEE
CLASS: Multi-Instrumentalist / Vocalist / Songwriter
FACTIONS: The Doobie Brothers / Clover / Southern Pacific
CLASSIC WEAPON: Guitar
SECONDARY WEAPONRY: Pedal steel / Dobro / fiddle / violin / mandolin / banjo / harmonica
SUPERPOWER: Apparently playing everything that isn’t nailed down
NOTABLE COLLABORATIONS: Elvis Costello / Van Morrison / Steve Miller / Boz Scaggs / Emmylou Harris and others
INVENTORY STATUS: OVERLOADED
KONG STATUS: APPROVED
One particularly cool credit: McFee played guitar and pedal steel on Elvis Costello’s My Aim Is True and played lead guitar on “Alison.”
McFee joined the Doobie Brothers in 1979, but my own Doobies story began before that.
Back in the 1970s, Dad and I walked into Karma Records on Evansville’s East Side, and he bought me my first Doobie Brothers album:
Best of the Doobies.
Released in 1976, the collection brought together songs including “China Grove,” “Long Train Runnin’,” “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “Listen to the Music,” “Black Water,” “Jesus Is Just Alright,” “South City Midnight Lady” and more.
I didn’t know it then, but Dad was passing something along.
More on that before we’re finished today.
CLASSICKONG’S DOOBIES MUST-HAVES
Toulouse Street — 1972, Warner Bros.
The Captain and Me — 1973, Warner Bros.
What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits — 1974, Warner Bros.
Takin’ It to the Streets — 1976, Warner Bros.
Best of the Doobies — 1976, Warner Bros.
Minute by Minute — 1978, Warner Bros.
One Step Closer — 1980, Warner Bros.
Happy birthday, John McFee.
And somebody get this man a bigger inventory. 😂🎸
1952 — Dave Stewart Is Born
Dave Stewart was born September 9, 1952.
Most listeners immediately associate him with Annie Lennox and Eurythmics—and understandably so.
But Stewart’s résumé stretches far beyond Eurythmics.
He’s a guitarist, keyboard player, songwriter and producer whose work has connected him with artists including Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin, Bryan Ferry, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Daryl Hall and many others.
Here’s one of our favorite rabbit-hole discoveries:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — “Don’t Come Around Here No More.”
Stewart co-wrote the song with Tom Petty and co-produced the recording with Petty and Jimmy Iovine.
That’s the kind of credit hiding in plain sight that makes digging through music history so much fun.
CLASSICKONG PLAYER PROFILE — DAVE STEWART
CLASS: Guitarist / Keyboardist / Songwriter / Producer
CLASSIC WEAPON: Guitar
SECONDARY WEAPONRY: Keyboards / Studio Console
SUPERPOWER: Showing up on records where you didn’t realize he was standing
SIGNATURE ALLIANCE: Annie Lennox / Eurythmics
SURPRISE ATTACK: “Don’t Come Around Here No More”
KONG STATUS: APPROVED
CLASSICKONG’S EURYTHMICS MUST-HAVES
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) — 1983, RCA
Touch — 1983, RCA
Be Yourself Tonight — 1985, RCA
Revenge — 1986, RCA
Dave Stewart is a great reminder that sometimes the musician standing behind the record is responsible for considerably more music than we realize.
Fleetwood Mac — Then Play On and a Date Worth Explaining
Several music-history references associate Fleetwood Mac’s Then Play On with September 9, 1969, while other sources give conflicting dates within September.
So we’ll handle this one the CLASSICKONG way:
The exact date is disputed, but we’re unquestionably in the right historical window.
And the album is worth remembering.
Then Play On — 1969, Reprise
It was Fleetwood Mac’s third studio album, their first with guitarist-songwriter Danny Kirwan, and their final album with founding guitarist Peter Green.
This isn’t the Buckingham-Nicks Fleetwood Mac that millions of people discovered later.
This is the blues-rooted Mac beginning to stretch beyond the boundaries of the British blues boom.
Standouts include “Rattlesnake Shake,” “Searching for Madge” and “Coming Your Way.” Later expanded editions also bring important singles from the era such as “Oh Well” into the picture.
CLASSICKONG’S EARLY-MAC MUST-HAVES
Fleetwood Mac — 1968, Blue Horizon
Mr. Wonderful — 1968, Blue Horizon
Then Play On — 1969, Reprise
Kiln House — 1970, Reprise
Future Games — 1971, Reprise
Bare Trees — 1972, Reprise
If your Fleetwood Mac collection begins with Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, keep digging backward.
There’s another great band waiting for you.
1957 — Duke Ellington and Ellington Indigos
September 9, 1957 was one of the recording-session dates associated with Ellington Indigos.
And sometimes there isn’t much more that needs saying.
It’s Duke Ellington.
LEGEND. ❤️🎹
The album finds Duke and his orchestra exploring ballads, atmosphere and color—a reminder that power in music doesn’t always require volume or speed.
Sometimes the right chord, the right arrangement and the right amount of space can say everything.
CLASSICKONG PLAYER PROFILE — DUKE ELLINGTON
CLASS: Pianist / Composer / Arranger / Bandleader
CLASSIC WEAPON: Piano
SECONDARY WEAPONRY: Orchestra
SUPERPOWER: Composition and orchestration
SIGNATURE ATTACK: Making an entire ensemble sound like one unmistakable voice
THREAT LEVEL: LEGENDARY
KONG STATUS: IMMORTAL ❤️
CLASSICKONG’S DUKE MUST-HAVES
Ellington at Newport — 1956, Columbia
Such Sweet Thunder — 1957, Columbia
Ellington Indigos — 1958, Columbia
CLASSICKONG’S LATE-NIGHT LISTENING
Ellington Indigos.
Turn down the lights.
Put away the phone.
Let Duke handle the rest. ❤️🎹
Jazz Birthdays — Elvin Jones and George Mraz
Two outstanding jazz musicians share September 9 birthdays.
Drummer Elvin Jones, born in 1927, helped drive John Coltrane’s classic quartet with one of the most powerful and distinctive rhythmic approaches in jazz history.
We’ve talked about Elvin recently, so rather than repeat his story:
Happy birthday, Elvin—and respect from one drummer to another. 🥁❤️
Also born September 9, in 1944, was Czech-born bassist George Mraz.
Mraz built an extraordinary résumé that included work with Oscar Peterson, Stan Getz, Tommy Flanagan, Joe Henderson and many others.
He’s another example of a musician whose name casual listeners might not immediately recognize, but whose playing can be found alongside some of the greatest names in jazz.
That’s exactly why we dig.
1996 — Remembering Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe died September 9, 1996, at age 84.
Calling Monroe influential almost understates the case.
He’s known as the Father of Bluegrass Music.
With his mandolin, high-lonesome vocal sound and the Blue Grass Boys, Monroe helped take older Appalachian, country and blues influences and shape them into a musical form that became distinctly identifiable as bluegrass.
His influence stretched far beyond the genre, reaching musicians ranging from Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers to George Jones and Jerry Garcia.
CLASSICKONG PLAYER PROFILE — BILL MONROE
CLASS: Singer / Songwriter / Bandleader / Mandolinist
FACTION: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys
CLASSIC WEAPON: Mandolin
SUPERPOWER: Helping create an entire musical genre
SIGNATURE ATTACK: The high-lonesome sound
TITLE UNLOCKED: Father of Bluegrass
KONG STATUS: LEGENDARY
CLASSICKONG’S BILL MONROE ESSENTIALS
“Blue Moon of Kentucky”
“Uncle Pen”
“Kentucky Waltz”
“Raw Hide”
“Muleskinner Blues”
Bill Monroe’s most historically important work comes from an era when singles were central to country music, so rather than forcing his legacy into a modern album-only format, start with those cornerstone recordings and follow the trail from there.
Some musicians make great records.
A very small number help create a musical language.
Bill Monroe was one of them.
Roses for Bill Monroe today. ❤️
National Teddy Bear Day
September 9 is National Teddy Bear Day.
After Elvis shaking up America, Rush balancing cassette sides, psychedelic organs, overloaded musical inventories and CLASSICKONG opening the weapons locker, perhaps we need something peaceful. 😂
Find that old teddy bear you couldn’t sleep without when you were little—or give one to a child who could use a new friend.
Sometimes the simplest things carry the longest memories. ❤️
Final Spin
Maybe Jake and Elwood Blues had it right after all.
The black-suited, sunglass-wearing brothers played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in The Blues Brothers were on a mission from God—and part of that mission involved getting the band back together.
Maybe, in our own little way, that’s what we’re doing here too.
Not necessarily getting the musicians themselves back together. Time doesn’t always give us that choice.
Some of the people we’ve talked about today are gone. Bands changed. Record stores disappeared. Radio changed. Vinyl gave way to cassettes, CDs, downloads and streaming. Even the way we discover music has changed.
But the songs are still here.
Elvis shook up a generation.
Otis Redding gave soul music part of its heart.
The Bar-Kays found the courage to carry on after unimaginable loss.
Duke Ellington left behind a musical language that still speaks to us.
Rush kept moving forward instead of simply repeating what had already worked—and even turned the limitations of a cassette into another song.
Bill Monroe helped build a musical tradition that generations of musicians carried forward.
And somewhere along the way, Dad and I walked into Karma Records on Evansville’s East Side, and he bought me a copy of Best of the Doobies.
I couldn’t have known it then, but Dad was passing something along.
And maybe that’s the moral of today’s stories:
Music survives because somebody cares enough to pass it along.
A musician gives it to an audience.
A father gives it to his son.
One generation gives it to the next.
Eventually that kid grows up and finds himself sitting behind a microphone, telling somebody else why those records mattered.
It’s easy to tear people down.
It’s easy to criticize somebody publicly, point out their faults or spend our time talking about everything we think they got wrong.
That’s not what we’re interested in doing here.
When we talk about these artists, we’d rather give them their roses.
Through their music and their songs, they’ve made our lives better. They’ve given us something to celebrate, something to think about, something to remember and, sometimes, something that helps us understand our own lives a little better.
For that, we thank them.
And we appreciate them.
That’s what we’re doing here—getting the band back together, one story, one record and one listener at a time.
And now, with some new friends joining us on Spotify, that circle just got a little bigger.
Give the artists their roses. Tell their stories. Play their records.
Because great music deserves to be remembered.
And as long as somebody cares enough to keep passing it along…
it will be.
Listen to Today’s Broadcast
Want to hear the spoken-word edition of today’s journey through music history?
Listen to today’s broadcast right here at WTSG Digital Broadcasting, or find This Day in Music History from WTSG Digital Broadcasting on Spotify.
And podcast listeners, when you hear us mention a CLASSICKONG Player Profile, be sure to visit the written edition at WTSG-DB.
That’s where we’ll open the complete loadout screen—with Classic Weapons, secondary weaponry, musical superpowers, collaborations, essential listening and more.
Some musicians need more inventory slots than others. 😂🎮
Join the KONG CREW
Thanks for spending part of your day with us.
While you’re here, stop by the WTSG-DB Guestbook and say hello. Tell us what you’re listening to, share a music memory, or let us know which artist deserves some roses.
Great Music. Great Radio. Great Community.
WTSG Digital Broadcasting.
References
Elvis Presley Official Site — Elvis Discography
The Ed Sullivan Show — Elvis Presley
Rush — Signals
Otis Redding Official Website — Albums and Biography
Rhino Records — Iron Butterfly
The Doobie Brothers — Official Discography and Band History
Songwriters Hall of Fame — Dave Stewart
Rhino Records — Fleetwood Mac, Then Play On
Smithsonian / National Museum of American History — Jazz History
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — Bill Monroe
