Sneak Preview: Our new issue honors the legacy of Whitney Houston - that voice, her chart feats, in-the-works projects, and those in the industry whom she touched.
We will always love you.
MPS
"You know, you think about it, it’s not always something you train to do. John [Lennon] and I weren’t trained at all, we just kind of figured it out and made it up ourselves. I think we did some pretty good stuff, considering."
"That track came out of a jam when my guitar was just making a sound that was thrilling to me. It started making the sound of a speed roadster, a night time dream that was sparkling in the piney woods."
– David Lynch on “Speed Roadster,” in a chat with Billboard about his debut album “Crazy Clown Time.”
Billboard’s first cover, ever, in honor of our 117th birthday today!
We’ve come a long, long way since 1984, when a yearly subscription to Billboard cost 99 cents. We used to cover advertising, then the “amusement business” (carnivals and circuses), then motion pictures, and finally, with the advent of the jukebox, the music industry. It wasn’t until 1940 that we launched our first chart, the 10-position “National List of Best Selling Retail Records.” Think we found our niche.
Huzzah!
Snuggled up among Billboard.com staffers is a face you may recognize: Kelly Rowland. Miss “Motivation” stopped by for one of our Live Q&As a couple months back…
This was my first day on the job. While Kelly made sweet sweet contact, I went the hover hands route, sadly.
Some of the first mentions of Elvis Presley in Billboard Magazine. At the top, from the Feb. 19, 1955 issue, a radio guy from Arkansas calls Elvis “just about the hottest thing around these parts. His style really pleases the teen-agers.” I also dredged up the review of his first single, “That’s All Right” / “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” from the Aug. 7, 1954 issue. I believe this was the first time he made it into the magazine. (I may be wrong; look for yourself here.)
Bonus: He whooped Faron Young!
