February 17, 1962 Gene Chandler had the top tune on the Billboard Pop chart with "Duke Of Earl", the first of his six US chart hits. The song would be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002, and was chosen by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. | Johnny Rock and Roll Radio

The song "Duke of Earl" originated from a vocal warm-up exercise performed by Gene Chandler's (born Eugene Dixon) vocal group, the Dukays The song was released under his new name at the end of 1961 on Vee-Jay Records, quickly rising to number one on both the pop and R&B charts in early 1962, selling over a million copies | Mark Hall