January 08 – Today in Music History Events

1930 Country musician Jack Greene, known for the 1966 hit “There Goes My Everything,” is born in Maryville, Tennessee. He died on March 14, 2013 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 83 in Nashville, Tennessee.[
1936 Jazz double-bass and cello player Eldee Young (Young/Holt Unlimited, The Ramsey Lewis Trio) is born Chicago, Illinois. Young died in Bangkok, Thailand, from a heart attack on the 12th February 2007
1937 Paul Revere born in Harvard, Nebraska. US Pianist/Organist with his band Paul Revere and the Raiders, (1971 US No.1 single ‘Indian Reservation’, plus 14 other US Top 30 hit singles. 
1938 Rory Storm (lead singer of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes) is born Alan Caldwell in Liverpool, England. He died on the 28 September 1972. 
1939 Lefty Baker ( lead guitar, banjo, vocals (1968–69) for Spanky & Our Gang) is born Eustace Britchforth in Roanoke, Virginia.
1942 Danny Williams born in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. South African born singer who was successful in the UK with (1961 UK No. 1 ‘Moon River’). died from cancer on December 6th, 2005.
1943 Country singer Leona Williams is born Leona Belle Helton in Vienna, Missouri. Wrote the Merle Haggard hits “Someday When Things Are Good” and “You Take Me For Granted.” 
1944 Mike McGear is born Peter Michael McCartney in Liverpool, England- UK Singer/Songwriter with the Scaffold, & step brother of Paul McCartney (1968 Christmas UK No.1 single ‘Lily The Pink’). 
1945 Dave Cousinsis born David Joseph Hindson in Hounslow, Middlesex, England. UK Singer/Songwriter/Musician with The Strawbs, (1973 UK No.2 single with ‘Part Of The Union’). 
1946 Andy Brown born in Birmingham, England. Drummer with The Fortunes, (1965 UK No.2 & US No.7 single ‘You’ve Got Your Troubles’). 
1948 Kenny Loggins born in Birmingham, Washington. US Singer/Songwriter, (one half of Loggins & Messina 1971-76), 1984 US No.1 & UK No. 6 single ‘Footlose’ from the film of the same name. 
1955 Rock Around The Clock’ by Bill Haley and his Comets, entered the UK chart for the first time. 
1956 Mitch Miller went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with ‘The Yellow Rose Of Texas’. Staying at the Top Spot for 6wks. 
1959 Kathy Valentine born in Austin, Texas. UK Bass Player who joined the The Go- Go’s in 1980. (1982 US No.2 single ‘We Got The Beat’, 1982 UK No.47 single ‘Our Lips Our Sealed’). 
1961 Country singer Johnny Tillotson was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Poetry In Motion.’ 
1962 Taja Sevelle, (real name Nancy Richardson), US singer, she started recording at age 15 in 1987. (1988 UK No.7 single ‘Love Is Contagious’). 
1964 Harmonica player Cyril Davies died of leukaemia died aged 32. Davies was a driving force in the early 60’s blues movement forming Blues Incorporated with Alexis Korner. 
1964 The Beatles recorded a seven-song appearance for the BBC Radio program Saturday Club. They played ‘All My Loving’, ‘Money’, ‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Johnny B. Goode’, and ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’. The show was broadcast on February 15, while the Beatles were in the US. 
1969 The Scaffold were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Lily The Pink. ‘ 
1970 Led Zeppelin kicked off an 8-date UK tour at Birmingham Town Hall. The set list included: I Can’t Quit You Baby, Dazed And Confused, Heartbreaker, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Thank You, Moby Dick, How Many More Times, Whole Lotta Loveand Communication Breakdown. 
1971 Black Sabbath released ‘Paranoid’ their second studio album in the US. The album features the band’s best-known signature songs, including the title track, ‘Iron Man’ and ‘War Pigs’. The album was originally titled War Pigs, but allegedly the record company changed it to Paranoid, fearing backlash from supporters of the ongoing Vietnam War. 
1973 Appearing live at Newcastle City Hall, England, David Bowie. 
1974 John Rich, bass, vocals, Lonestar, (2000 US No.1 & UK No. 21 single ‘Amazed’). 
1974 Carly Simon and James Taylor became parents when their daughter Sarah Maria was born. 
1974 Aerosmith played at the Michigan Theatre in Detroit, the first date on their 56 date North American Get Your Wings Tour. 
1977 Andy Gibb was at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I Just Want To Be Your Everything’ a song written by his Bee Gee brother Barry. 
1980 Hugh Cornwall of The Stranglers was found guilty of possession of heroin, cocaine and cannabis. He was fined £300 ($510) and sentenced to three months in Pentonville prison. 
1980 Larry Williams – US Rock’n’Roller, who died of a gunshot wound. Born 10th May, 1935. 
1980 Pink Floyd released Another Brick In The Wall, (Part 2) in the US. The single peaked at No.1 on both the US and UK charts, giving Pink Floyd their first and only #1 hit single. The single went to #1 in many other countries, including Australia, Germany and Italy. 
1981 The Police played the first night of a North American tour at The University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada during their Zenyatta Mondatta World Tour. 
1982 Singles reviewed in this weeks Smash Hits included Haircut 100, ‘Love Plus One’, XTC ‘Senses Working Overtime’ and Robert Palmer ‘Some Guys Have All The Luck’. OMD had the front cover plus interviews with Adam Ant, Squeeze and Dollar. 
1989 Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Stock, Aitken & Waterman produced ‘Especially For You’. 
1989 Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Especially For You.’ 
1990 Appearing at Wembley Arena, London, Chris Rea on his ‘Road To Hell tour’. 
1993 R.E.M. played a Greenpeace Benefit show at the 40 watt Club, Athens, Georgia, for 500 people. The show was recorded on a solar powered mobile recording studio. 
1994 Oasis started recording their debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’, at Monrow studios in South Wales. When released in August 1994, it became the fastest selling debut album of all time in the UK, (being surpassed in 2006 by Arctic Monkeys debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not). The album went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide. 
1998 Savage Garden made No.1 on the US Singles chart with ‘Truly Madly Deeply’. 
2003 The Beatles Book Monthly closed down after 40 years. Author Sean O’Mahony who set up the magazine in 1963 said there was nothing more to say as the number of things the former Beatles were doing gets less and less as the years go on. 
2004 Drummer John Guerin died of pneumonia aged 64. Worked with Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Linda Rondstadt, Gram Parsons, Todd Rundgren. He also played on the original title tune for the television series Hawaii Five-O. 
2006 Gary Glitter was formally charged with committing obscene acts with two girls aged 11 and 12 in Vietnam, the prosecutor in the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau said the charges would carry prison terms of three to seven years. Glitter, (Paul Gadd), had been held since November as he tried to flee the country over child sex allegations. 
2006 Pink married her motocross racer boyfriend Carey Hart on a beach in Costa Rica. More than 100 people attended the singer’s big day, including Lisa-Marie Presley. Pink proposed to him during one of his races in Mammoth Lakes, California, by holding up a sign that read “Will you marry me?” Hart pulled out of the race to say yes. 
2006 Mary J. Blige was at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘The Breakthrough’ the R&B singer’s third US No.1 album. 
2009 At the 35th Annual People’s Choice Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Carrie Underwood is the night’s big winner, taking home the Favorite Female Singer, Country Song (“Last Name”) and Favorite Star Under 35 Awards. Rascal Flatts also picks up an award for Favorite Group. 
2010 According to Nielsen SoundScan’s final 2009 figures, Michael Jackson was the best selling artist of the year, moving 8,286,000 units. Forty years after their break-up, The Beatles were still the best selling group, thanks to their remastered catalog which sold 3,282,000 copies. Digital downloads however, were a different story. Lady Gaga was the queen of the downloads, selling 15,297,000 digital tracks. The Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift all finished in the vicinity of 12 million digital units. 
1903 The Copyright Office receives copies of Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer.” 
1935 Elvis Aaron Presley, The King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll, born in Tupelo, Mississippi. died 16/8/77. (First No.1 1956 US No.1 & UK No.2 single ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, first UK No.1 single 1957 ‘All Shook Up’, over 100 UK Top 40 singles from 1956-2002). 
1937 Dame Shirley Bassey born in Cardiff, Wales. Welsh Singer. (First charted in the UK in 1957, 1970 UK No.4 single with cover of The Beatles George Harrison song ‘Something’ also James Bond theme ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Diamonds are Forever’). 
1941 Little Anthony (Anthony Gourdine) born iun Brooklyn, New York. US Singer with Little Anthony and The Imperials, (1958 US No.4 single ‘Tears On My Pillow’) the song gave Kylie Minogue a UK No.1 in 1990. 
1942 John Petersen born in Rudyard, Michigan. Drummer with The Beau Brummels, (1965 US No.8 single, ‘Just A Little’). 
1943 Lee Jackson born in Newcastle upon Tyne. UK Bass Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter with The Nice, (1968 UK No.21 single ‘America’). 
1943 Marcus Hutson born in St Louis, Missouri. US Vocalist with The Whispers, (1980 UK No.2 & US No.19 single ‘And The Beat Goes On’). Died in 2000
1945 Terry Sylvester – UK Guitarist/Singer/Songwriter with The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Hollies, (joined in 1969). 1972 US No.2 single ‘Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress’, 1988 UK No.1 single ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’, first released in 1969. 
1946 Robert Krieger – US Guitarist/Songwriter with The Doors, (1967 US No.1 & UK No.49 single ‘Light My Fire’ and 1971 single ‘Riders On The Storm’). 
1947 David Bowie (David Jones) born in London, England. First UK Top 40 single, 1969 ‘Space Oddity’ also UK No.1 in 1975 and over 50 UK Top 40 hits including 5 No.1’s, 2 US No.1’s, 1975 ‘Fame’, 1983 ‘Lets Dance’. Plus two albums with Tin Machine 1991 & 1992. On 10 January 2016, two days after his 69th birthday and the release of the album Blackstar, Bowie died from liver cancer in his New York City apartmen
1948 Mel Pritchard born in Oldham, England. UK Drummer with Barclay James Harvest, 8 UK Top 40 albums from 1974-87. 
1948 Paul King, Mungo Jerry, (1970 UK No.1 & US No.3 single ‘In The Summertime’). 
1955 Mike Reno – Canadian Vocalist with Loverboy. 
1957 Bill Haley & His Comets started the first ever ‘rock & roll tour’ of Australia, playing two sold out nights in Sydney. 
1958 The Everly Brothers kicked off a 17 date North American tour at the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Also on the bill, Buddy Holly, The Rays, Royal Teens, Shepherd Sisters, Paul Anka, Margie Rayburn and
Danny & The Juniors. 
1959 Paul Hester born in Melbourne, Victoria. Drummer with Crowded House, (1992 UK No.7 single ‘Weather With You’). Died 26th March 2005 aged 46, after he “attempted suicide” and died from strangulation after being found hanged in a park in Melbourne. 
1960 Harry Gifford dies at his London home, aged 82. He co-wrote “When I’m Cleaning Windows” with Fred Cliffe & George Formby. 
1963 The Beatles appeared live on Scottish TV’s Round Up, transmitted live from The Theatre Royal, Glasgow. They mimed to ‘Please Please Me.’ 
1964 I Want To Hold Your Hand is released in America and soon becomes the first The Beatles song to catch on in The States. 
1966 The Beatles started a six week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Rubber Soul’ the group’s seventh US chart topper, which went on to spend 56 weeks on the chart. The group also started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘We Can Work It Out’ the group’s 11th US No.1 single. 
1966 Andrew Patrick Wood, American musician best known as the lead singer for grunge bands Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone, cited as “founding fathers” of the Seattle’s grunge movement. Wood died on March 19th 1990. 
1969 R Kelly (Roibert S Kelly) born in Chicago, IIIinois. US Musician/Singer/Writer/Producer, (1994 US No.1 single ‘Bump N’ Grind’, 1997 UK No.1 single ‘I Believe I Can Fly’). 
1960 Jeff Abercrombie, bassist with American band Fuel. 
1969 Mike Jagger and Keith Richards were both barred from an exclusive hotel for wearing “op art” pants and nothing else. They were both asked to leave the Hotel Crillen in Lima, Peru after refusing to change clothes. 
1971 Karen Poole born in Chadwell Heath, Essex. Vocalist with Alisha’s Attic, (1996 UK No.14 ‘I Am I Feel’). Daughter of 60’s musician Brian Poole. 
1972 The New Seekers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing, (in Perfect Harmony’). The song started as a Coca Cola TV ad. It originally included the line, ‘I’d like to buy the world a Coke.’ 
1973 Sean Paul (Sean Paul Henriques) born in Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaican Singer, (2003 US No.1 & UK No.4 single ‘Get Busy’). 
1974 Kiss sign their first recording deal, with Casablanca Records. 
1975 Stove King, Mansun, (1996 UK No.15 single ‘Wide Open Space’). 
1977 Queen went to No.1 on the UK album chart with ‘Day At The Races.’ 
1977 Taking time out from their group 5th Dimension Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘You Don’t Have To Be A Star’, a No.7 hit in the UK. 
1979 Canadian rock band Rush were named the country’s official Ambassadors Of Music by the Canadian government. 
1981 Linda Ronstadt makes her Broadway debut alongside Rex Smith and Kevin Kline in the revival of The Pirates of Penzance, which runs for 787 performances. 
1982 Olivia Newton John was at No.1 on the US Singles Chart with ‘Physical’. 
1989 Richard Marx married actress and singer Cynthia Rhodes. 
1991 Steve Clark guitarist with Def Leppard, was found dead at his Chelsea flat by his girlfriend, after a night of heavy alcohol consumption combined with prescription drugs. The autopsy revealed he had died from an overdose of codeine and had Valium, morphine and a blood alcohol level of .30, three times the British legal driving limit. In 2007 Clark was ranked No.11 on Classic Rock Magazine’s “100 Wildest Guitar Heroes”. 
1993 Elvis Presley became the first rock ‘n’ roll artist to be honoured by the US Postal Service when they issued a commemorative stamp. 
1994 Chaka Demus and Pliers were at No.1 in the UK with ‘Twist And Shout.’ 
1994 Jamaican reggae/rap (ragga) duo Chaka Demus and Pliers were at No.1 in the UK with their version of ‘Twist And Shout.’ The song was originally recorded (and produced by Phil Spector) by the Top Notes in 1961 and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was also covered by The Beatles on their first album Please Please Me. 
1996 A Los Angeles court found Robert Hoskins guilty of five counts of stalking, assault and making terrorist threats to Madonna. Hoskins had twice scaled the walls of the singer’s estate and had threatened to slash her throat from ear to ear. 
2000 Christina Aguilera started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘What A Girl Wants.’ She ended Santana’s 12- week run at No.1 with ‘Smooth.’ 
2000 It was reported that police foiled a £1 million ($1.7million) kidnap plot to snatch Victoria Beckham and her baby son. The plot was uncovered after a tip off to the police. The gang had planned to kidnap the pair when husband David was away playing football. 
2001 A woman who believed that Axl Rose communicated with her via telepathy was arrested for stalking the Guns N’ Roses singer for a second time. Police detained Karen Jane McNeil after she was spotted loitering outside his house. 
2001 Gwenyth Paltrow & Huey Lewis went to No.1 on the Australian Singles Chart with ‘Cruisin’ staying at the top spot for 2wks. 
2004 The estate of George Harrison started a $10 million (£5.8 million) legal action against Dr Gilbert Lederman of Staten Island University Hospital, claiming the doctor coerced Harrison to sign souvenirs. The main allegations of the legal action was that Dr Lederman got an extremely sick Harrison to sign his son’s guitar and autographs for his two daughters. 
2006 The Strokes went to No.1 on the UK chart with ‘First Impressions Of Earth’ the bands third album and first No.1. 
2010 Jimmy Page launched a new set of stamps in the UK which featured classic album covers from the last 40 years including Led Zeppelin IV, Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, The Division Bell by Pink Floyd, A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Coldplay, Power, Corruption And Lies, New Order, Let It Bleed, The Rolling Stones, London Calling, The Clash, Screamadelica, Primal Scream, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, David Bowie and Parklife by Blur. 
2012 Rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s FBI file is released. The report details nine arrests for the rapper, and says of his group Wu-Tang Clan is “heavily involved in the sale of drugs, illegal guns, weapons possession, murder, carjacking and other types of violent crime.” 
2014 It was reported that vinyl record sales had increased 32% in 2013, while CD sales declined 14.5% in the last last year, vinyl sales grew 32% from 4.5 million units sold in 2012 to 6 million sold in 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan. 
2015 US Singer Curtis Lee died from cancer in Yuma, Arizona, aged 75.
2016 David Bowie released his twenty-fifth and final studio album Blackstar, coinciding with his 69th birthday and two days before his death. It became his first and only album to reach No.1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the US. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, the album won awards for Best Alternative Music Album; Best Engineered Album; Best Recording Package, and the title single won Best Rock Performance, and Best Rock Song. The album was also awarded the British Album of the Year award at the 2017 Brit Awards. 
2016 American R&B and soul singer Otis Clay died aged 73. Clay who started in gospel music scored R&B hits in the late 60s and 70s. He recorded the original version of ‘The Only Way Is Up’ in 1980 which later became a chart-topping single for Yazz and the Plastic Population. 
2017 Northern Indian-born British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Sarstedt died at the age of 75. He was best known for the single ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?’ which topped the UK Singles Chart in 1969 (and 14 other countries), and won an Ivor Novello Award.