January 30th

Musical birthdays today include producer & songwriter Mitch Murray (74), Marty Balin (72), Phil Collins (63), American Music Club lead singer Mark Eitzel (55), Jody Watley (55), Orgy lead singer Jay Gordon (47), bassist Trevor Dunn (46), Puffy AmiYumi singer Yumi Yoshimura (39), and Marcus Mumford (27). 

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, who would have been 87 today... for former Small Face and Humble Pie guitarist Steve Marriott, who would have been 67... 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... and for Patty Andrews, who left us a 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 no. 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 12pm 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 No.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 no. 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 No.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 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).