February 10th

 Musical birthdays today include Leontyne Price (99, jazz bassist Rufus Reid (82), French chansonnier Maxime Le Forestier (77), drummer and Elton John sideman Nigel Olsson (77), Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo (47), and Pierce the Veil lead singer Vic Fuentes (43). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for big band leader and drummer Chick Webb, born on this day in 1905... for harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler, born today in 1914... for Roberta Flack, who would have been 89 today... for pop & jazz singer Kenny Rankin, who would have been 85... for original Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, who would have been 64... for songwriter Billy Rose [best remembered for 'Me and My Shadow' and 'It's Only a Paper Moon'] who died on this date in 1966... for former Sweet lead singer Brian Connolly, who passed away in 1997... and for folk singer Dave van Ronk, who left us today in 2002. 

Also on February 10th: Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffman premieres in Paris (1893)... 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra becomes the first recording to be awarded a gold record (in fact just a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer by RCA as a publicity stunt.) The actual award recognized today as a Gold Record would not be initiated for another 16 years, when the Recording Industry Association of America borrowed and trademarked the idea. The first official Gold single was Perry Como's 'Catch a Falling Star', and the first Gold album the soundtrack to the musical Oklahoma (1942)... Frank Sinatra's album Come Fly with Me goes to № 1 in the US (1958)... Presenting Dionne Warwick, the singer's debut album, is released (1963)... Bob Marley marries fellow Jamaican singer Rita Anderson (1966)... The Beatles record the orchestral build-up for the middle and end of 'A Day in the Life.' At the group's request, the orchestra members wear full evening dress along with various novelty items ~ the first violinist wears a red clown's nose, while a cellist wears a fake gorilla's paw on his bow hand. Other musicians wear funny hats and false noses & glasses. The session is filmed for a possible Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band TV special, an idea which is ultimately abandoned. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Donovan and Mike Nesmith of The Monkees observe from the control booth (1967)... David Bowie kicks off the Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars tour at the Tolworth Toby Jug club in London (1972)... Elton John has his first UK № 1 album with Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player (1973)... Elvis Presley is sworn in as a deputy in the Memphis, TN police reserves (1976)... The Clash begin recording their debut album at CBS Studios in London. The album is completed in three weekend sessions at Studio 3 for a cost of $4,000, and is delivered to Columbia by the beginning of March (1977)... Van Halen's eponymous debut album is released (1978)... Rod Stewart has both the № 1 single and album in America, with 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy' and Blondes Have More Fun, respectively (1979)... On a special edition of Oprah, Michael Jackson gives his first televised interview in 14 years, live from his Neverland ranch. The broadcast is watched by an estimated 90 million viewers (1993)... During a gig by Blur at the Astoria in London, Spice Girls Ginger and Sporty join the band for a number, but are forcibly removed from the stage by security, who fail to recognize them (1997)... Police investigate Eminem for suspected drugs offences after he appears to consume Ecstasy on stage at a Manchester show, and encourages audience members to do the same (2001)... Kanye West's debut album College Dropout is released... Roger Daltrey is awarded the CBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace for services to the British music industry (2005)... Amy Winehouse accepts her 5 awards at this year's Grammys with a speech transmitted by satellite television, her US entry visa having been refused because of her numerous illegal substance abuse convictions. In addition to thanking the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the singer also pays tribute to her husband, 'Blake the Incarcerated', who is currently in custody waiting trial on charges of obstruction of justice and grievous bodily harm (2008). 

February 9th

Musical birthdays today include jazz double bassist Len Skeat (89), Shadows drummer Brian Bennett (86), Carole King (84), R&B singer Barbara Lewis (83), Flatlanders guitarist Joe Ely (79), former Frankie Goes to Hollywood lead singer Holly Johnson (66), country singer Travis Tritt (63), former Dive lead singer Krister Linder (56), and Asia guitarist Sam Coulson (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Alban Berg, born on this day in 1885... for Carmen Miranda, born in 1909... for Ernest Tubb, born in 1914... for Canadian country singer 'Stompin' Tom' O'Connors, who would have been 90 today... for R&B singer and Delfonics vocalist Major Harris, who would have been 79... for former Avenged Sevenfold drummer James 'The Rev' Sullivan, who would have been 45... for pop orchestra conductor Percy Faith, who died on this date in 1976... for Bill Haley, who passed away in 1981... for Buena Vista Social Club bassist Orlando 'Cachaito' Lopez, who died in 2010... and for Chick Corea, who left us five years ago today.  

Also on February 9th: Verdi's Falstaff has its world premiere at La Scala in Milan (1893)... The Beatles appear at the Cavern Club for the first time under their new name (1961)... Paul and Paula are at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Hey Paula' (1963)... The Beatles make their US live debut on CBS-TV's 'The Ed Sullivan Show'. They are seen by approximately 73 million people as they perform 5 songs, including their current № 1 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'. The show received over 50,000 requests for the 728 seats in the studio (1964)... The promotional film for the latest Beatles' single 'Penny Lane/'Strawberry Fields Forever' is shown on BBC-TV's 'Top of the Pops'. It is the first single by the Fab Four to fail to go № 1 in the UK since 1963, stalling at № 2 behind Engelbert Humperdinck's 'Please Release Me' (1967)... Hal Cone, former manager of the Monkees, is found guilty of theft, forgery, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy (1968)... Paul McCartney and his new band Wings play the first night of a UK college and university tour in Nottingham. The group arrive unannounced and ask the university's social secretary if she would like them to perform that evening. The band's intended first stop, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, was refused by local authorities, so they drove on to Nottingham. Pub rockers Brinsley Schwarz are the opening act (1972)... More than 10 years after the Concert for Bangladesh, George Harrison presents UNICEF with a cheque for $9 million (£5.3 million) (1982)... Madonna's Like a Virgin goes to № 1 on the US album chart (1985)... Nirvana set out on a short west coast tour opening for Dinosaur Jr. at the Pine Street Theater in Portland, OR (1990)... C&C Music Factory go to № 1 in the US with 'Gonna Make You Sweat' (1991)... Touring the Antipodes for the first and only time, Nirvana make their New Zealand debut at the Logan Campbell Centre in Auckland (1992)... Eminem reinforces security for his UK concert tour following threats from gay rights groups. Campaigners say the rapper is a homophobe who promotes prejudice through his hate-filled lyrics (2001)... Robert Plant takes home five prizes at this year's Grammys for his collaboration with Alison Krauss, including album of the year for Raising Sand, and record of the year for 'Please Read the Letter' (2009).. The White Stripes take on the US Air Force, complaining that one of the group's songs, 'Fell in Love with a Girl' was used in a recruitment advertisement for TV without their permission. In a statement on their website, the duo say that they are '...insulted, and object strongly to the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support' (2010). 

February 8th

 Musical birthdays today include film score composer John Williams (94), Tom Rush (85), former Grass Roots guitarist Creed Bratton (83), industrial music percussionist Stefan Weisser AKA Z'EV (75), Spock's Beard bassist Dave Meros (70), session bassist Stuart Hamm (66), Vince Neil (65), Daft Punk co-member Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (52), Indian pop singer Sophie Choudry (45), and Paramore bassist Jeremy Davis (41). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for producer Terry Melcher, who would have been 83 today... for Dan Seals [formerly half of England Dan & John Ford Coley), who would have been 78... for Max Yasgur, owner of the farm near Bethel, NY where the first Woodstock festival took place, who died on this date in 1973... for Del Shannon, who took his own life today in 1990 at the age of 55... for former Doobie Brothers drummer Keith Knudsen, who died in 2005... for ex-Soft Machine saxophonist Elton Dean, who passed away in 2006... for Argentine singer-songwriter Luis Spinetta, who died in 2012... and for Mary Wilson, who left us five years ago today at the age of 76. 

Also on February 8: Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov premieres at the Mavrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg (1874)... On their first full day in New York, The Beatles (minus George, who has a sore throat), go for a photo-opportunity walk around Central Park. Over 400 fans, mostly female, follow them and extra police are called in to control them. Later in the day, The Ronettes interview The Beatles for radio (1964)... The Band Of Joy, featuring John Bonham and Robert Plant, make their first London appearance, opening for Edwin Starr at the Marquee Club in London (1968)... Bob Dylan goes to № 1 on the US album charts with Blood on the Tracks. The Ohio Players are atop the singles chart with 'Fire' (1975)... David and Angie Bowie's divorce becomes final, with the singer retaining custody of their son Zowie (1980)... REM go into Bombay Studios in Smyrna, GA for their first ever recording session. Tracks completed included 'Gardening At Night', 'Radio Free Europe' and '(Don't Go Back To) Rockville' (1981)... Right Said Fred have the № 1 single in America with 'I'm Too Sexy' (1989)... Oasis are forced to cancel their first foreign tour after they are deported from Holland. The band were involved in a drunken brawl on a cross-channel ferry, resulting in members of the band being arrested and locked in the brig on the craft (1994)... Eminem makes his live debut in the UK with a concert at the Manchester Arena (2001)... The magazine Good Housekeeping publishes the results of its annual poll of the world's sexiest women. Musical finishers include Kylie Minogue, in first place among women in their 30s. Sade was voted No. 4 in the over 40s, with Madonna coming in at No. 7 and Jerry Hall at No. 8.  Sharon Osbourne was voted into 3rd place in the over 50's section (2004).

February 7th

 

Musical birthdays today include ex-Three Dog Night keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon (78), former Wings drummer Joe English (77), ex-Status Quo bassist Alan Lancaster (77), Garth Brooks (64), Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan (64), Godsmack frontman Sully Erna (58), electronic musician Amon Tobin (54), Babyshambles drummer Danny Goffey (52), Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland (51), and Blue Öyster Cult bassist Richie Castellano (46). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Dock Boggs, born on this day in 1898... for folk musician & NYC radio personality Oscar Brand, born in 1920... for Juliette Gréco, born in 1927... for jazz clarinetist Dave Shepherd, born in 1929... for saxophonist King Curtis, born in 1935... for former Kiss guitarist Mark St. John, who would have been 70.. for rapper James 'J Dilla' Yancey, who would have been 52... for piano company founder Henry E. Steinway, who died on this date in 1871... for Eddie 'Guitar Slim' Jones, who passed away in 1959... for original Foghat frontman Dave Peverett, who died in 2000... and for jazz singer Blossom Dearie, who left us today in 2009. 

Also on February 7th: Buddy Holly is buried in Lubbock, TX (1959)... Beatlemania arrives in America, as Pan Am flight 101 from London touches down at JFK carrying the Beatles (1964)... Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb return to the UK after 9 years of living in Australia (1967)... John Lennon is named by Rolling Stone as Man of the Year, and appears on the magazine's cover along with Yoko... The Who record 'Pinball Wizard' at Morgan Studios in London (1969)... Led Zeppelin II becomes the group's first UK № 1 album... In the US, one-hit wonders Shocking Blue top the singles chart with 'Venus' (1970)... Paul Simon has first solo № 1 single in the USA with '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' (1976)... Steven Stills becomes the first musician at the Record Plant in Los Angeles to record on digital equipment (1979)... Pink Floyd play the first of seven sold out nights at the L.A. Coliseum (1980)... Rush release the album Moving Pictures (1981)... State representative Billy Randall introduces a bill to make Little Richard's 'Tutti Frutti' Georgia's official rock song (1989)... At the age of 54, Debbie Harry becomes the oldest woman to sing on a UK № 1 single, as Blondie's 'Maria' goes to the top of the charts in Britain (1999)... Courtney Love arrives for a benefit concert at London's Old Vic Theatre dressed as Donald Duck. So attired, she joins Elton John on stage for a version of 'The Bitch Is Back' (2003)... Amy Winehouse is told that she cannot perform at this year's Grammy awards ceremony because her US visa application has been rejected by the embassy in London (2008).

February 6th

 

Musical birthdays today include Fabian (83), folk singer Bill Staines (79), Gong multi-instrumentalist Tim Blake (74), session drummer Simon Phillips (69), Axl Rose (64), Tragically Hip lead singer Gordon Downie (62), Rick Astley (60), and country singer Anita Cochran (59). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Claudio Arrau, born on this day in 1903... for former Marvelettes vocalist Georgeanna Tillman and New Orleans funk musician and producer Willie Tee, both of whom would have been 82... for Bob Marley, who would have been 81... for former Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward and Kate McGarrigle, both of whom would have been 80... for Natalie Cole, who would have been 75... for former Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton, who would have been 75... for film score composer Hugo Montenegro, who died on this date in 1981... for Hans Hölzel, AKA Falco, who was killed in a road accident today in 1998 at the age of 40... for Beach Boy Carl Wilson, who passed away on the same day... for Frankie Laine, who died in 2007... and for blues rock guitarist and Thin Lizzy member Gary Moore, who left us today in 2011. 

Also on February 6th: The first minstrel show in the United States, the Virginia Minstrels Review, opens at the Bowery Amphitheatre in NYC (1843)... Frank Sinatra makes his network radio debut, performing on the CBS program 'Your Hit Parade' (1943)... George Harrison joins The Quarrymen (1958)... The Rolling Stones' second album Rolling Stones No. 2 starts a three-week run at № 1 on the UK charts. The album follows its predecessor's tendency to feature primarily R&B covers. It does, however, contain three compositions from the still-developing Mick Jagger/Keith Richards songwriting team (1965)... The Byrds release their fourth studio album, Younger Than Yesterday... Pink Floyd are photographed for the weekly British girls magazine Jackie. The magazine was the best-selling teen publication in Britain for ten years. The best-ever selling issue was the 1972 special edition to coincide with the UK tour of David Cassidy (1967)... Led Zeppelin announce a small UK club tour which will see the group playing universities and small venues, with ticket prices at 12 shillings (60p). Zeppelin manager Peter Grant would later say “We decided to do the clubs and forget about the bread and the big concert halls” (1971)... The J Geils Band score their only № 1 US hit with 'Centerfold' (1982)... The mother and sister of Undertones lead singer Feargal Sharkey are kidnapped at gunpoint by Protestant militiamen in Londonderry, N. Ireland, and held for several hours before being released (1986)... Tiffany goes to № 1 on the US singles chart 'Could've Been' (1988)... Billy Idol is seriously injured when he runs a stop sign on his Harley-Davidson and crashes into a car (1990)... Ex-Jam members Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler reach an out of court settlement a high court with Paul Weller after suing him for more than £100,000, claiming they were owed royalties and group assets (1996)... Don Felder is fired from The Eagles (2001)... 50 Cent releases his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)... An exhibition of Kylie Minogue's stage costumes, awards and accessories is launched in central London. The display at the Victoria and Albert Museum shows her changing image from 1987 onwards, including the dungarees she wore as Charlene in the Australian soap Neighbours and the gold hot pants she wore in her Spinning Around video (2007).

February 5th

 

Musical birthdays today include songwriter & ex-Atlanta Rhythm Section guitarist J.R. Cobb (82), Al Kooper (82), musical theatre composer & director Elizabeth Swados (75), former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez (72), ex-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan (62), String Cheese Incident bassist Keith Moseley (62), Bobby Brown (57), country singer Sara Evans (55), and AFI drummer Adam Carson (51). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for country singer Claude King, born on this day in 1923... for blues rocker Alex Harvey, who would have been 88 today... for Barrett Strong and for Three Dog Night vocalist Cory Wells, both of whom would have been 85... for French chansonnier Daniel Balavoine, who would have been 74... for Bill Haley & His Comets saxophonist Rudy Pompilli, who died on this date in 1976... and for former Glenn Miller Orchestra trombonist Paul Tanner, who left us today in 2014.

Also on February 5th: Verdi's Otello premieres at La Scala (1887)... 5,000 fans are waiting to greet Bill Haley when he disembarks from the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth at Southampton. It is the first tour of Britain by an American rock artist (1957)... Ringo Starr plays his first live show with the Beatles, sitting in for an ailing Pete Best at a gig at the Cavern Club (1962)... Petula Clark has her second № 1 in the USA with 'My Love'... The Rolling Stones release their new single '19th Nervous Breakdown' (1966)... The Beatles film the promotional video for 'Penny Lane' around London's Royal Theatre, and walking up and down Angel Lane (1967)... The Move have their only UK № 1 single with 'Blackberry Way' (1969)... Mick Ronson makes his first appearance with David Bowie for an appearance on the John Peel Sunday Concert show on BBC radio (1970)... Black Sabbath begin recording what will be their third album, Master Of Reality, at Island Studios in London. The record is generally considered to be the first 'sludge metal' album ~ guitarist Tony Iommi, decided to tune his guitar down by three semi-tones, and Geezer Butler also down-tuned his bass to match Iommi. The result is a noticeably 'darker' sound that almost two decades later would prove hugely influential on grunge (1971)... The Bee Gees release Spirits Having Flown. The album will go on to sell more than twenty million copies worldwide (1979)... Toto go to the top of the US singles chart with 'Africa' (1983)... Courtney Love blames her bad language for the alleged air rage incident that led to her arrest at London's Heathrow Airport. As she leaves Heathrow's police station the singer says: "I cussed at a lady ~ my daughter always said I had a potty mouth." When asked what it was like inside the police station, the singer says: "It was fine. They were wonderful in there. It was like being on Prime Suspect” (2003)... Janet Jackson's right breast is now the most searched for image in Internet history (2004)... The Rolling Stones play three songs during the half-time show of the Super Bowl in Detroit. After the event, the Stones express their displeasure over having Mick Jagger's microphone turned down during the song 'Start Me Up'. The line 'You make a dead man come' was cut short, and a barnyard reference to 'cocks' in the new song 'Rough Justice' also disappeared (2006). 

 

February 4th

 Musical birthdays include former Animals drummer John Steel (85), ex-Fifth Dimension vocalist Florence LaRue (84), Alice Cooper (78), Kansas drummer Phil Ehart (75), former Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley (74), country singer Clint Black (64), Offspring lead guitarist Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman (63), Our Lady Peace bassist Duncan Coutts (57), Natalie Imbruglia (51), rapper Cameron 'Cam'ron' Giles (50), rapper Allen 'Matchstik' Forrest (45), and ex-Pussycat Dolls vocalist Kimberly Wyatt (44).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for songwriter Ray Evans [best remembered for 'Que Sera Sera' and 'Mona Lisa'], born on this day in 1915... for Karen Carpenter, who passed away today in 1983 at the age of 33... for Liberace, who died today in 1987... for R&B singer Gwen Guthrie, died in 1999... and for Maurice White, who left us today in 2017.

Also on February 4th: A well-to-do German music lover named Johann von Uffenbach on a visit to Venice hears Vivaldi play and commissions a series of Concerti Grossi (1715)... Claudio Arrau makes his Carnegie Hall debut (1924)... Bob Dylan and three travelling companions set out from NYC on a cross-country jaunt by car, intending to make it to San Francisco via New Orleans in 3 weeks (1964)... The Righteous Brothers are at № 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'' (1965)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience launch what is being billed as the '60 Cities in '60 Days' tour at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco... The Beatles record 'Across the Universe'. John and Paul decide the song needs some high harmonies, so they invite two 'Apple Scruffs' (female fans who hang around outside Abbey Road Studios) to come in and sing on the song. The two are Lizzie Bravo, a 16-year-old Brazilian living nearby and 17-year-old Londoner Gayleen Pease (1969)... John and Yoko donate their hair for an auction in aid of the Black Power movement (1970)... Fleetwood Mac release Rumours (1977)... The Bee Gees are at № 1 on the US singles chart with 'Stayin' Alive'. In Britain, Jamaican teenage one-hit wonders Althia & Donna hold the top spot with 'Up Town Ranking' (1978)... Former Milli-Vanilli member Rob Pilatus is hospitalized after a man hits him over the head with a baseball bat in Hollywood, CA. Pilatus was attempting to steal the man's car at the time of the attack (1996)... Courtney Love is arrested at Heathrow airport for 'endangering an aircraft' on a transatlantic flight. The singer is alleged to have hurled abuse at the cabin crew on the flight from Los Angeles, and also to have thrown bottles and in-flight meals after her nurse, who was in an economy seat, was barred from sitting next to her in the first class cabin (2003)... Bjorn Ulvaeus confirms that the members of Abba recently turned down a $1 billion offer by an American and British consortium to reform the group. "It is a hell of a lot of money to say no to, but we decided it wasn't for us," fellow member Benny Andersson told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet (2004)... A Razorlight gig in Lyon is halted mid-set because of an altercation between singer Johnny Borrell and bassist Carl Dalemo. The pair exchange insults before casting their instruments aside and coming to blows onstage. Borrell then storms off, leaving the French crowd amazed and unsure about what is going on (2007)... Robert Plant says he thinks Led Zeppelin cannot reunite for a full tour and album because the band feels incomplete without drummer John Bonham. During an interview on UK station Absolute Radio, Plant states, “The reason that it stopped was that we were incomplete, and we've been incomplete now for 29 years.” He admitted: ”I think the thing about it, really, is that to visit old ground is an incredibly delicate thing to do, considering the disappointment that could be there once you commit to that, and the comparisons to something that was basically fired by youth and a different kind of exuberance from now... It's very hard to go back and meet that head on and do it justice” (2009).

February 3rd

 

Musical birthdays today include Dave Davies (79), Melanie (79), Sonic Youth co-founder & guitarist Lee Ronaldo (70), Nurse with Wound leader Steven Stapleton (69), original Cure drummer Lol Tolhurst (67), Swirling Eddies bassist Tim Chandler (66), Ramón 'Daddy Yankee' Rodriguez (49), country singer-songwriter Jessica Harp (44), and rapper Sean Kingston (36).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Felix Mendelssohn, born on this day in 1809... for Irish crooner Val Doonican, born in 1927... for Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, who would have been 90... for producer and Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart, who would have been 83... for Temptations vocalist Dennis Edwards, who would have been 83... for singer-songwriter and producer John 'Johnny Cymbal' Blair, who would have been 81... for ex-new York Dolls bassist Arthur Kane, who would have been 77...  for Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson, who perished along with pilot Roger Peterson in the plane crash known as 'The Day the Music Died' on this date in 1959... for producer Joe Meek, who shot his landlady and then himself at his flat in London on this day in 1967. Meek produced The Tornadoes hit 'Telstar', the first № 1 in the US by a British group. Meek was interested in spirituality and often attended séances . At one such meeting in 1958, he was warned that Buddy Holly would die on February 3 of the following year. Meek tried his best to find Holly when he was in London to warn him but failed in his mission. 

Also on February 3^rd: At Abbey Road Studios, The Beatles begin working on their new single 'Lady Madonna'... Meanwhile, at Columbia Studios in NYC, Simon & Garfunkel and producer Roy Halee record and mix 'Mrs. Robinson' (1968)... Led Zeppelin II is the № 1 album in both the US and the UK (1970)... Elton John has his first American № 1 single with 'Crocodile Rock' (1973)... David Bowie opens the US leg of his 'Isolar 1976' tour in Seattle, WA, unveiling his new 'Thin White Duke' persona (1976)... Bob Dylan begins a 6-night residency at London's Hammersmith Odeon (1990)... Pearl Jam make their UK debut at the Esplanade Club in Southend-on-Sea, Essex before an audience of 300 (1992)... After a gig at London's Brixton Academy, the Ramones announce that they have played their last show in the UK after 22 years together (1996)... Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs settles a $3 million lawsuit filed by his former driver after an incident in 1999. Wardell Fenderson had driven Mr Combs and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez away from a New York nightclub where three people had been wounded in a shooting. Mr Fenderson said he was traumatized by having guns in the car and by being ordered to ignore police orders to stop, for which he was arrested (2004)... Former Dynasty star Heather Locklear files for divorce from Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora after 11 years of marriage (2006)... Wayne Fontana, of 'Game Of Love' fame, is arrested at his home in Glossop, Derbyshire and charged with arson with intent to endanger life. The 61 year-old, who was already set to appear in court in March on traffic offenses, is accused of pouring gasoline over a judge's car and setting it on fire. In November, he is sentenced to 11 months in jail, but is allowed to walk free from court immediately after already having served the equivalent of his term while held under the Mental Health Act (2007)... AC/DC singer Brian Johnson joins a growing group of critics of Bob Geldof and Bono over their very public charity work, saying they should stop lecturing audiences about it and instead do their good deeds in private. Johnson says "When I was a working man, I didn't want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa. I'm sorry mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done. It just makes me angry" (2010).

February 2nd

 

Musical birthdays today include Graham Nash (84), former Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay (78), Journey bassist Ross Valory (77), Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo (60), R&B singer Michelle Gayle (55), Shakira (49), hip-hop artist Mayer Hawthorne (47), rapper Radric 'Gucci Mane' Davis (46), Fightstar frontman Alex Westaway (43), and KPop rapper Pyo Ji-Hoon AKA P.O. (36).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for violinist Fritz Kreisler, born on this day in 1875... for Jascha Heifetz, born in 1901... for Broadway actress & singer Elaine Stritch, born in 1924... for Stan Getz, born in 1927... for Broadway actress & singer M'el Dowd, and for Buena Vista Social Club bassist Orlando 'Cachaito' López, both born in 1933... for Canadian singer-songwriter Gene MacLellan [best remembered for 'Put Your Hand in the Hand'], who would have been 87... for Eva Cassidy, who would have been 62... for composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, who died on this date in 1594... for Sid Vicious, who died of a drug overdose today in 1979... for Gene Kelly, who passed away in 1996... and for former Spinners vocalist Billy Henderson and folk singer Eric von Schmidt, both of whom left us today in 2007. 

Also on February 2nd: John Giola of NYC dances the Charleston continuously for 22 hours, 30 minutes (1926)... Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson appear at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. This was the last gig for all three acts (1959)... The Beatles played their first professionally organized gig outside of Liverpool at The Oasis Club, Manchester (1962)... The Rolling Stones release '19^thNervous Breakdown' (1966)... The Jimi Hendrix Experience play 'Purple Haze' live on Top of the Pops (1967)... Yoko Ono is granted a divorce from her husband Tony Cox, as well as custody of their daughter Kyoko (1969)... Keith Emerson receives second degree burns on his hands when his piano, rigged to explode as a stunt, detonates prematurely during an ELP concert in San Francisco (1973)... Barbra Streisand has the № 1 single in America with 'The Way We Were' (1974)... Genesis release A Trick Of The Tail, their seventh studio album and the first to feature drummer Phil Collins as full-time lead vocalist following the departure of original vocalist Peter Gabriel (1976)... Bad Manners singer Douglas 'Buster Bloodvessel' Trendle is told he is 'too fat' to survive an urgently needed operation. Buster collapsed on stage during a show in Italy but doctors felt that his huge 420 lb. frame might not make it through surgery (2001)... Russian girl duo Tatu start a four-week run at № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'All The Things She Said'. The song was a hit on the Russian charts three years earlier. Tatu are the first Russian act to score a UK № 1 (2003)... CBS apologizes for its broadcast of the American Super Bowl after one of Janet Jackson's breasts was left exposed when Justin Timberlake ripped her top. The pair were performing a half-time duet when the incident occurred. CBS quickly cut away from the scene but was still flooded with calls from angry viewers. Timberlake insists it was an accident, saying "I am sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the half-time performance of the Super Bowl” (2004).

February 1st

 

Musical birthdays today bluegrass multi-instrumentalist Del McCoury (87), soul singer Chris Clark (80), Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell (76), slide guitarist Sonny Landreth (75), ex-Black Flag bassist Chuck Dukowski (72), X co-lead singer Exene Cervenka (70), Lisa Marie Presley (57), Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson (57), former Offspring drummer Ron Welty (55), rapper Antwan 'Big Boi' Patten (51), MGMT frontman Andrew VanWyngarden (43), Laura Marling (36), and Harry Styles (32). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for composer Victor Herbert, born on this day in 1859... for Kingston Trio member Bob Shane, born today in 1934... for Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show vocalist Ray Sawyer and Don Everly, both of whom would have been 89... for jazz pianist Joe Sample and French singer Claude François, both of whom would have been 87... for Rick James, who would have been 76... for former Warrant frontman Jani Lane, who would have been 61... for Beatles music publisher Dick James, who died on this date in 1986... for former Manic Street Preachers guitarist Ritchey Edwards, who disappeared on this day in 1995, and was legally presumed dead in 2008... for composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who died in 2007... for Cecil Womack, who passed away in 2013... and for Temptations vocalist Dennis Edwards, who died in 2018... and for drummer Sam Lay, who left us three years ago today.  

Also on February 1st: Puccini's La Boheme has its world premiere in Turin (1896)... RCA releases the first 45 RPM discs (1949)... Neil Young plays his first professional gig at a country club in Winnipeg (1963)... The Beatles' 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' hits № 1 in the US (1964)... James Brown records 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' at the Arthur Smith Studios in Charlotte, NC (1965)... At Abbey Road studios, The Beatles start work on the song 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. It isn't until recording is complete that Paul McCartney has the idea to make the song the thematic pivot for their forthcoming album... Pink Floyd spend the day recording parts for the Syd Barrett songs 'Arnold Layne' and 'Candy and a Current Bun' at Sound Techniques Studios, Chelsea, London. The Floyd also turn professional on this day after signing a deal with EMI Records (1967)... The Who kick off their third US tour with a show at the San Jose, CA Civic Auditorium (1968)... The Doors release Morrison Hotel (1970)... Neil Young releases Harvest (1972)... Diana Ross marries Norwegian shipping magnate Arne Naess in Geneva, with Stevie Wonder leading the band (1986)... Green Day release the album Dookie, which will go on to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide (1994)... Blur have the № 1  single in the UK with 'Beetlebum'... Boy George is beaten up by two bouncers outside the Ministry of Sound in London after he tries to jump the queue (1997)... NASA announces that 'Across the Universe' is to become the first song ever to be beamed directly into space. The track will be transmitted through the Deep Space Network ~ a network of antennas ~ on the 40th anniversary of the Beatles recording of the song, being aimed at the North Star, Polaris, 431 light-years from Earth. In a message to NASA, Sir Paul McCartney calls the project an 'amazing feat.' 'Well done, NASA,' he adds, 'Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul'.

January 31st

 

Musical birthdays today include composer Philip Glass (89), blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite (82), KC and the Sunshine Band lead singer Harry Casey (75), Roxy Music lead guitarist Phil Manzanera (75), former Whitesnake lead guitarist Adrian Vandenberg (72), John Lydon AKA Johnny Rotten (70), Lloyd Cole (65), original Nirvana drummer Chad Channing (58), The Cure drummer Jason Cooper (59), Justin Timberlake (45), Greek pop singer Elena Paparizou (44), and Marcus Mumford (39).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Franz Schubert, born on this day in 1797... for song & dance man Eddie Cantor, born in 1892... for folklorist & ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, born in 1915... for Mario Lanza and Carol Channing, both born in 1921... for Chuck 'King of the Stroll' Willis, born in 1928... for former Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who would have been 62... for Edwin Howard Armstrong, the inventor of FM radio, who died on this date in 1954... for blues harmonica player Slim Harpo, who passed away in 1970... and for former Buffalo Springfield drummer Dewey Martin, who died in 2009... and for King Crimson and Asia lead singer and bassist John Wetton, who left us today in 2018.

Also on January 31st: RCA engineers demonstrate the first programmable sound synthesizer... Decca Records announces that Bill Haley & His Comets' 'Rock around the Clock' has sold over one million copies in the UK, mostly on 10" 78 RPMs (1957)... The Beatles spend a second day at Knole Park, Sevenoaks, Kent to complete filming for the 'Strawberry Fields Forever' promotional video. The film is shot in colour, for the benefit of the US market, since British television is still broadcasting only in black and white. Taking time out from filming, John Lennon buys a 1843 poster from an antiques shop in Surrey which provides him with many of the lyrics for song 'Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite' (1967)... Led Zeppelin play the first of two nights at the Fillmore East in NYC during the band's first North American tour. Porter's Popular Preachers open the night, then Zeppelin take the stage. Legend has it that the English new arrivals' show was so powerful and received such an enthusiastic audience reception that headliners Iron Butterfly refused to follow them (1969)... The Jackson 5 go to the top of the US singles chart with 'I Want You Back'. The song, originally written for Gladys Knight & The Pips, is the first of four stateside № 1s for the group (1970)... Winners in a readers poll for UK Music weekly Sounds include: Best album of 1975: 'A Night At The Opera', by Queen; best single: 'Bohemian Rhapsody'; best band: Queen; musician of the year: Mike Oldfield; female singer of the year: Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span; best new band: Rainbow; biggest bore of the year: The Bay City Rollers (1976)... Blondie have the № 1 single in America with 'The Tide Is High' (1981)... Paul Simon's Graceland is the № 1 album in the UK ~ the record spends a total of 101 weeks on the chart (1987)... The Strokes make their UK debut playing the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth (2000)... More than 35 years after his death, Jim Morrison is enlisted to help fight global warming. A spokesman for the Global Cool Campaign announces that 'Woman in the Window', a previously unreleased poem written and recorded by The Doors frontman shortly before he died in 1971, is being set to music and used to publicize the issue (2007).

 

January 30th

 Musical birthdays today include producer & songwriter Mitch Murray (86), Phil Collins (75), American Music Club lead singer Mark Eitzel (67), Jody Watley (67), Orgy lead singer Jay Gordon (59), bassist Trevor Dunn (58), Puffy AmiYumi singer Yumi Yoshimura (51), and Marcus Mumford (39). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for choral composer Thomas Tallis, born on this day in 1505... for conductor Walter Damrosch, born today in 1862... for trumpeter Roy 'Little Jazz' Eldridge, born in 1911... for jazz double bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, born in 1928... for Jefferson Airplane lead guitarist Marty Balin, who would have been 84... for former Small Faces and Humble Pie guitarist Steve Marriott, who would have been 79... for composer Francis Poulenc, who died on this date in 1963... for New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair, who died in 1980... for Lightnin' Hopkins, who passed away in 1982... for Patty Andrews, who died in 2013... and for Marianne Faithfull, who left us one year ago today.  

Also on January 30th: The first Hallé concert is given in Manchester, England, marking the official founding of the Hallé Orchestra as a full-time professional orchestra (1858)... Elvis begins recording what will be his first album for RCA at their NYC studios (1956)... The Shirelles become the first girl group to have the № 1 song on the US chart when 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow?' reaches the top (1961)... The Velvet Underground release White Light/White Heat (1968)... The Beatles [with Billy Preston], play their lunchtime rooftop gig on top of the Apple building on Savile Row in London. It will be the last time all four members of the group perform together live. They play ‘Get Back’, ‘Don’t Let Me Down’, ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’, ‘The One After 909’ and ‘Dig A Pony’. Traffic is brought to a standstill as crowds of people gather below and watch from windows in nearby buildings. The performance itself begins just after 12 PM on a bitterly cold day and lasts for 42 minutes. John Lennon ends the show [at the behest of police constables] by saying “I’d like to say ‘Thank you’ on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition” (1969)... Carole King's Tapestry album is released. It will become the longest charting album by a female solo artist and go on to sell 24 million copies worldwide (1971)... Paul McCartney writes and records his protest song 'Give Ireland Back To The Irish' within 24 hours of Bloody Sunday, when 13 Catholics were killed by British paratroopers (1972)... After recently changing their name from Wicked Lester, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss make their first appearance as Kiss at the Popcorn Club in Queens, NYC (1973)... The Bee Gees begin recording 'Jive Talkin', which will become their second US chart topper and a № 5 UK hit. Barry Gibb's inspiration for the song came when his wife commented on the sound their car made while crossing a bridge over Biscayne Bay into Miami. She noted, "It's our drive talking" (1975)... Hall & Oates have their fourth US № 1 with 'I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)'... Paul McCartney is the guest on BBC radio's Desert Island Discs. His selections Elvis' 'Heartbreak Hotel', Chuck Berry's 'Sweet Little Sixteen', John Lennon's 'Beautiful Boy 'and Little Richards 'Tutti Frutti' (1982)... Tiffany is at № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Think We're Alone Now' (1988)... Unhappy with the re-issue of the band's early single 'Sally Cinnaman' The Stone Roses trash the offices of their former record company Revolver FM and throw red paint over cars in the parking lot. The band are arrested and charged with criminal damage (1990)... Touring Australia and New Zealand for the first and only time, Nirvana appear at the Barton Theater in Adelaide (1992)... In an NME readers poll, the winner of 'The pop personality that you would like as your doctor' is singer Natalie Imbruglia (1999)... Neil Young is named the Musicares person of the year for his 'influential artistic accomplishments and philanthropic work'. A lineup of artists including Elton John, Norah Jones, James Taylor, Elvis Costello, John Fogarty, Dave Matthews and Sheryl Crowe perform his songs as he is honoured by the US Recording Academy at the Los Angeles Convention Center (2011)... Mick Jagger is named the most stylish rock star of all time by lifestyle website Complex. Jagger leads their top 50 list ahead of Prince, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Sid Vicious and Keith Richards. Complex states 'Even today, he wears silk scarves and suits with more rakish appeal than most men – and he’s pushing 70' (2013).

January 29th

 

Musical birthdays today include classical pianist Malcom Binns (90), original Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham (82), soul singer Bettye LaVette (80), Grand Funk Railroad lead singer Max Carl (76), Tangerine Dream keyboardist Peter Baumann (73), Los Lobos drummer Louie Pérez (73), Dictators lead singer Richard Manitoba (72), former Aztec Camera frontman Roddy Frame (62), singer-songwriter Chris Castle (50), and blues guitarist Jonny Lang (45) Shoutout to the Great Beyond for jazz guitarist Franco Cerri, born on this day in 1925... for French chansonnier Sacha Distel, born in 1934... for Motown session bassist James Jamerson, who would have been 89... for jazz pianist Bobby Scott, who would have been 89... for Uriah Heep lead singer David Byron, who would have been 79... for Tommy Ramone, who would have been 74... for Jimmy Durante, who died on this date in 1980... for bluesman Willie Dixon, who passed away in 1992... for singer-songwriter John Martyn, who died in 2009... for jazz cornetist and composer Butch Morris, died in 2013... and for original Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine, who left us three years ago today.

Also on January 29th: John Gay's The Beggar's Opera premieres at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in London (1728)... Mozart's opera Ideomeneo premieres in Munich with the composer himself conducting the orchestra (1781)... BBC radio airs a new program 'Desert Island Discs', presented by Roy Plomley ~ the show, which is still running, is the oldest in the history of British radio (1942)... Bob Dylan meets his idol Woody Guthrie again when the 'This Land Is Your Land' author is on weekend release from Greystone hospital staying with friends in Montclair, NJ. Guthrie is in good enough form to scrawl the message ‘I ain't dead yet’ on a card which he gives to his young admirer (1961)... The Beatles spend the day at Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris for their only studio recording session for EMI held outside the UK. They record new German language vocals for ‘She Loves You’, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ and ‘Can't Buy Me Love’, after EMI's West German branch persuaded Brian Epstein that they would be unable to sell large quantities of records in their country unless they were recorded in the local language. A translator is there to coach John, Paul, and George, although their acquaintance with German from their Hamburg days makes things much easier (1964)...The Mantra Rock Dance, a fundraiser concert for the International Society of Krishna Consciousness, takes place at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. On the bill are Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead and Moby Grape, with Alan Ginsberg reading (1967)... Jimi Hendrix and The Who appear on a double bill at The Saville Theatre in London. 20 year-old future Queen guitarist Brian May is in the audience... The day after being bailed out of jail in Las Vegas following his arrest for public drunkenness, Jim Morrison is hauled in again by local law enforcement after a scuffle with security following the Doors' show at the Pussy Cat A Go Go Club. The rambunctious singer taunts a bouncer in the parking lot by pretending to smoke a joint, resulting in a fight. The police arrest Morrison and charge him with vagrancy, public drunkenness, and failure to possess sufficient identification (1968)... Fleetwood Mac have their only UK № 1 single with the instrumental 'Albatross', which was composed by guitarist Peter Green. The tune is the only Fleetwood Mac composition with the distinction of having inspired a Beatles song, 'Sun King' from Abbey Road (1969)... The triple album The Concert For Bangladesh goes to № 1 on both the UK and US album charts (1972)... The Buzzcocks issue their debut release, the EP ' Spiral Scratch'. It is also the first punk record ever to be self-released (1977)... In San Diego, CA, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer kills two people and wounds nine others when she fires from her house at the entrance to Grover Cleveland Elementary School across the street. Spencer used the .22-caliber rifle her father had given her for Christmas. When asked why she did it, she answered 'I don't like Mondays.' Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats go on to write and record a song based on the phrase (1979)... Flying his own jet back from the French Riviera, Gary Numan makes a forced landing at an RAF base outside Southampton after running low on fuel (1982)... Men At Work go to № 1 on the British and American singles and album charts simultaneously with 'The Land Down Under' and Business As Usual. The last artist to achieve this was Rod Stewart in 1971 (1983)... La Fenice, the opera house of Venice, is destroyed by fire (1996)... A New York based data company issues a chart listing sales of posthumous albums. The idea came about after several DJs said they wanted to be able to distinguish between proper recordings when the artists were alive and compilations released after their deaths. SoundScan CEO Mike Shallet said the only problem would be what to call such a chart. The Top 5 had The Doors at № 5, Eva Cassidy at 4, Jimi Hendrix at 3, Bob Marley at 2 and 2Pac at № 1 (2001)... Arctic Monkeys go to № 1 on the UK album chart with their debut Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not. The Sheffield-based band's album becomes the fastest-selling debut in chart history after shifting more than 360,000 copies in its first week of release. The album's title was taken from a line from the novel Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe (2006)... Former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson makes the largest ever leap to number one in US chart history, rising 96 places in one week. Her single, 'My Life Would Suck Without You' rose from 97 to the top of the Billboard chart after selling 280,000 downloads in its first week of release (2009).

January 28th

 Musical birthdays today include bluesman Cash McCall (85), Pretty Things founder Dick Taylor (83), Soft Machine lead singer Robert Wyatt (81), jazz drummer Bob Moses, and ex-Throbbing Gristle synthesist Chris Carter (73), former Alarm guitarist Dave Sharp (67), ex-Anthrax lead guitarist Dan Spitz (63), rapper William 'Rakim' Griffin (58), Sarah McLachlan (58), Cypress Hill DJ & producer Lawrence 'DJ Muggs' Muggerud (58), Anthony Hamilton (55), rapper and Triple C's founder Rick Ross (50), ex-Fear Factory bassist Matt DeVries (49), ex-'N Sync baritone Joey Fatone (48), Nick Carter (46), and J. Cole (41). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for classical pianist Arthur Rubinstein, born on this day in 1887... for British jazz impresario Ronnie Scott, born in 1928... for jazz clarinetist Acker Bilk, born in 1929... for early British rocker Billy Fury, who died on this date in 1983... for Barclay James Harvest drummer Mel Pritchard, who died in 2004... for ex-Traffic drummer Jim Capaldi, who passed away in 2005... for Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell, who died in 2009... and for Jefferson Airplane guitarist Paul Kantner, who left us today in 2016.

Also on January 28th: Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore and Bill Black), makes his first US national television appearance on the Dorsey Brothers' 'Stage Show'. It is the first of his six appearances on the show, and the first of eight performances of his that will be recorded and broadcast from CBS in NYC (1956)... The Moody Blues have their only № 1 single in the UK with 'Go Now!'... The Who make their first appearance on the UK TV show 'Ready Steady Go!' To project the desired image, the hand-picked audience consists only of teens dressed in the current Mod fashion (1965)... Jim Morrison is charged with public drunkenness after getting into a scuffle with a security guard at a Las Vegas adult cinema (1968)... Pink Floyd's 10th studio album Animals enters the UK charts at № 1. The sleeve concept was designed by Roger Waters, who lived at the time near Clapham Common, and regularly drove past Battersea Power Station. A view of the imposing but disused former power station building was chosen for the cover image, complete with a massive inflatable pig suspended between two of the towers (1977)... Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is the № 1 album on both sides of the Atlantic (1978)... Frankie Goes To Hollywood starts a five-week run at № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Relax!' BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read expresses on air his distaste for both the record's suggestive sleeve and its lyrics, and announces his refusal to play the record, not knowing that the BBC has already decided that the song is not to be played on the network anyway... Backstage after a Mötley Crüe show in Buffalo, NY, Tommy Lee finds out that his girlfriend has posed for the current issue of Penthouse magazine without his knowledge after a fan passes him a copy of the publication. Tommy knocks the fan unconscious with one punch, but MC manager Doug Thaler later convinces the man not to press charges (1984)... The USA for Africa super-session organized by Quincy Jones records 'We Are the World' (1985)... Eleven years after its original release, The Sex Pistols album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols goes Gold in the US with sales over 500,000 (1988)... Paula Abdul starts a 10-week run at № 1 on the US album chart with Forever Your Girl'. Abdul's record spent sixty-four consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 before hitting number one, setting a record for the longest time taken by an album to reach the top spot (1990)... Paul and Linda McCartney attend the premiere of Wayne's World II in London. The couple then go on to the Hard Rock Cafe, where Mike Myers presents them with a cheque for £25,000 made out to the LIPA [the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts] (1994)... Lou Reed releases his Edgar Allan Poe concept album The Raven (2003)... Elvis fans express their anger at plans to cut up a rare tape of the King's early songs and sell the snippets at auction. The tape, which features a recording made by Presley during the early 1950s, is now too fragile to play. US firm Master Tape Collection said the tape would be cut into two-inch snippets and sold for $460 each (2004).

January 27th

 

Musical birthdays today include Nick Mason (82), Ronettes vocalist Nedra Talley (80), Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey (75), J. Geils Band keyboardist Seth Justman (75), Iron Maiden guitarist Janick Gers (69), New Order keyboardist Gillian Gilbert (65), Cowboy Junkies lead singer Margo Timmins (65), rapper Adrian 'Tricky' Thaws (58), ex-Faith No More lead singer Mike Patton (58), Take That vocalist Mark Owen (54), and country singer Katy Rose (38). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born on this day in 1756... for composer Édouard Lalo, born in 1823... for Broadway composer Jerome Kern, born in 1885... for trumpeter Oran 'Hot Lips' Page, born in 1908... for Elmore James, born today in 1919... for Bobby 'Blue' Bland, born in 1930... for jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, who would have been 85... for singer-songwriter Kate Wolf, who would have been 84... for Giuseppi Verdi, who died on this date in 1901... for Mahalia Jackson, who passed away in 1972... for singer-songwriter Gene McFadden, who died in 2006... and for Ohio Players lead guitarist Leroy 'Sugarfoot' Bonner, who left us today in 2013. 

Also on January 27th: Verdi's opera La battaglia di Legnano premieres at the Teatro Argentina in Rome (1849)... Elvis Presley's single 'Heartbreak Hotel' is released by RCA Records, who have just purchased the singer's contract from Sun Records for $35,000 (1956)... John Coltrane rejoins the Miles Davis group, making the trumpeter's ensemble a sextet... Little Richard enters the Oakwood Theological College in Huntsville, AL, where he will be ordained as a Seventh Day Adventist minister (1958)... Frank Sinatra plays a benefit concert for Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference at Carnegie Hall (1961)... The Beatles appear at the Aintree Institute in Liverpool. The group has played here many times before, but this will be their last performance at the venue. Brian Epstein becomes infuriated when promoter Brian Kelly pays the band's £15 fee with handfuls of loose change. Epstein takes this as an insult to the group, and resolves that The Beatles will never play for Kelly again (1962)... After another day of frustration in Columbia Studio A in NYC, Bob Dylan calls an indefinite halt to work on Blonde on Blonde. Producer Bob Johnston suggests moving the sessions to the CBS studios on Music Row in Nashville. Dylan entrusts Johnston with rounding up the musicians while he and the Hawks go back out on the road (1966)... The Bee Gees make their US live debut at the Civic Center in Anaheim, CA (1968)... David Bowie arrives in the US for the first time; he cannot play live because of unresolved work permit difficulties, but he does generate publicity when he wears a dress to a promotion event in Manhattan (1971)... 'Superstition', the lead single from Stevie Wonder's Talking Book album, gives the singer his second № 1 single in the US, 10 years after his first. Jeff Beck created the original drum beat while in the studio with Wonder. After writing the song, Wonder offered it to Beck to record, but at the insistence of Berry Gordy, Wonder himself recorded it first (1973)... The Clash sign with CBS Records in the UK for £100,000 (1977)... John Lennon's final album, a collaboration with Yoko Ono entitled Milk and Honey, is released... Madonna makes her first appearance in the UK on the Channel 4 music program The Tube performing 'Holiday'. The show is broadcast live from the Hacienda Club in Manchester (1984)... Oasis make their London live debut when they play at the King's Cross club 'Water Rats'. The gig is by invitation only (1994)... James Brown is charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a firearm after police are called to his South Carolina home. Brown later claims that he is using the cannabis to improve his eyesight (1998).

 

January 26th

 Musical birthdays today include R&B singer Jean Knight (83), French chansonnier Michel Sardou (79), former Little River Band guitarist David Briggs (75),  ex-Big Star bassist Andy Hummel (75), Lucinda Williams (73), Anita Baker (68), Counting Crows accordionist Charlie Gillingham (66), Cinderella lead singer Tom Keifer (65), Andrew Ridgeley (64), gospel singer Kirk Franklin (56), Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré (52), Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon (46), and conductor & violinist Gustavo Dudamel (44). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Maria von Trapp, born on this day in 1905... for jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, born in 1908... for record producer Eddie Barclay, born in 1921... for cellist Jacqueline du Pré, who would have been 80... for Eddie van Halen, who would have been 70... for musicologist and American folk song collector John Lomax, who died on this date in 1948... and for former Marvelette Gladys Horton, and country singer Charlie Louvin, both of whom left us today in 2011. 

Also on January 26th: Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte premieres in Vienna (1790)... The Hurtig & Seamon's New Burlesque Theater, having changed its name to the Apollo, reopens on 125th St. in NYC and admits black patrons for the first time (1934)... Josef Stalin and the Politburo attend a performance of Shostakovich's new opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District at the Bolshoi Theatre. Stalin's displeasure at the music leads to a wave of condemnation in the Soviet press that makes the composer a virtual pariah until World War II begins (1936)... Elvis has the № 1 single in Britain with 'Are You Lonesome Tonight' (1961)... During the Rolling Stones' tour of Australia, Keith Richards has his shirt torn off after 50 fans invade the stage during the gig at The Town Hall in Brisbane (1964)... Bob Dylan, Al Kooper and Dylan's personal assistant Victor Maimudes appear on the early morning show on radio station WBAI in NYC. Both Dylan and DJ Bob Fass sound extremely stoned. The two-hour phone-in becomes a series of hilarious verbal confrontations with the star. When one caller says that he is hungry, Dylan retorts "Tell me, are you as hungry as a man in drag?" After the show, Dylan decides to cancel what was to have been the last of four days of recording sessions at Columbia Studios, which have yielded very little useable material (1966)... At Southampton University, Pink Floyd play their first gig without Syd Barrett. The opening act is Tyrannosaurus Rex, (later to shorten their  name to T Rex) featuring Marc Bolan and percussionist Steve Peregrine Took (1968)... John Lennon writes, records and mixes his new single 'Instant Karma' all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded at Abbey Road Studios and arriving in shops only ten days later... Simon & Garfunkel's final studio album Bridge over Troubled Water is released (1970)... Elvis plays the first night of a 31-date run at the Las Vegas Hilton. The King plays an 8:30 and a midnight show on most days (1971)... Sean 'Puffy' Combs' father Melvin is shot dead in his car in Manhattan at the age of 33. The future music industry mogul is 2 at the time (1972)... Ringo Starr is at № 1 in the USA with his version of the Johnny Burnette oldie 'You're 16' (1974)... The David Bowie documentary 'Cracked Actor' is shown on British TV for the first time (1975)... Original Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green is committed to a mental hospital after threatening his accountant with an air rifle when he was trying to deliver a £30,000 royalty cheque to him (1977)... Prince makes his US TV debut on American Bandstand (1980)... Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera', now the longest-running musical in Broadway history, opens at the Majestic Theater (1988)... Queen have their second UK № 1 with 'Innuendo'. At 6 minutes 30 seconds, it exceeds their epic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by 35 seconds and becomes the third longest British № 1 song of all time, behind 'Hey Jude' and Simple Minds' 'Belfast Child'. [Subsequently the 9 minutes 38 seconds long 'All Around The World' by Oasis will take over the top slot,demoting 'Innuendo' to fourth place]. For 'Innuendo's' flamenco guitar solo, Brian May is joined by Yes guitarist Steve Howe (1991)... Billy Joel is airlifted to hospital after his car smashes into a tree. The singer lost control of his Mercedes S500 in the Hamptons and skidded for 100 yards before crashing. (2003)... John Lydon is one of ten contestants to take part in the latest I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! TV show set in the Australian outback. The former Sex Pistols singer is seen by 11 million viewers on the first night covered in bird seed being pecked by giant ostriches. Lydon, who was paid £25,000 ($42,500) to appear in the show, will walk off the set after four days (2004).