Brooklyn Music Milestones – June 2010

1964: Barbra Streisand makes the Top 10 for the first time with People, one of her show-stopping numbers from the Broadway musical Funny Girl. The song would earn Streisand her third Grammy award, having previous earned two for her debut album the year before.

1967: Thirty years after his death, George Gershwin is still a hitmaker as The Happenings’ rendition of his and brother Ira’s I Got Rhythm reaches number three on the pop charts. The record was produced by the Gershwins’ fellow Brooklynites Mitch Margo, Phil Margo and Hank Medress, collectively known as The Tokens.

1969: Midnight Cowboy gallops into movie theaters and soon “everybody’s talking” about Bushwick native Harry Nilsson. His version of Fred Neil’s Everybody’s Talkin’ on the film’s soundtrack propels Nilsson from cult figure to pop star. The iconic song would eventually become a top 10 hit and director John Schlesinger would later comment that no one could imagine Midnight Cowboy now without it.

1971: After writing dozens of hits for other artists, Carole King’s own It’s Too Late, the first single off her landmark Tapestry album, begins a five-week run at number one on the charts. The song would go on to win the Grammy Award for “Record of the Year.”

1980: After a four-year absence from the charts, Neil Sedaka cracks the top 20 with Should’ve Never Let You Go,a duet with his daughter Dara.


1996: Busta Rhymes’ debut single, Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check, is still riding high on the charts after peaking at number eight in late April. Fellow Brooklyn rapper Rampage guests on the song.  

2009: Flatbush native Bruce Sudano, husband of Donna Summer and successful musician in his own right (Alive ‘n Kicking, Brooklyn Dreams) is enjoying a nine-week ride at the top of the adult contemporary charts with It’s Her Wedding Day, written for his and Summer’s daughter Amanda Grace.