Classic Hits News March 8th

Here's what happened in the world of classic hits artist this week. Sorry it's mostly obits.

You might remember a time when the Billboard Top 40 Hits included hits from just about every genre.  Prior to the early to mid 70’s, it was not at all unusual for the Billboard Top 40 to contains hits from rock artist, to country and even some “easy listening” hits as well.

One of the big hits of that era was thing by Claude King called “Wolverton Mountain” and while it was decidedly country, it reached #6 on the charts.

King’s family has announced that he died at his home in Shreveport on March 7^th. King was 90 years old.

As we reported earlier in the week, Ten Years After leader, Alvin Lee, passed away following a routine surgical procedure. Lee was a standout performer at Woodstock and avery respected guitarist around the world. Here is our post from earlier this week -- HERE

And finally, an artist from Houston, Texas who scored his only hit with “The Birds and the Bees” back in 1965, Jewel Akens, passed away on march 1^st following back surgery. Akens was 79.

And on a bit happier note: Former Kiss drummer Peter Criss, himself a breast cancer survivor, will receive the Humanitarian of the Year award from the American Cancer Society March 9 in Freehold, New Jersey.

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