January 26th

Musical birthdays today include R&B singer Jean Knight (71), French chansonnier Michel Sardou (67), former Little River Band guitarist David Briggs (63),  ex-Big Star bassist Andy Hummel (63), Lucinda Williams (61), Eddie van Halen (59), Anita Baker (56), Counting Crows accordion player Charlie Gillingham (54), Cinderella lead singer Tom Keifer (53), Andrew Ridgeley (51), gospel singer Kirk Franklin (44), Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré (40), Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon (34), and conductor & violinist Gustavo Dudamel (33). 

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 69... 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 opera 'Cosi Fan Tutte' premieres in Vienna (1790)... 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  virtual pariah until World War II begins (1936)... Elvis has the no. 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)...  Pink Floyd play their first gig without Syd Barrett at Southampton University. 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 stores 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 no. 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)... Queen have their second UK No.1 with 'Innuendo'. At 6 minutes 30 seconds, it exceeds their epic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by 35 seconds and becomes the third longest British No.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).