January 24th

Musical birthdays today include fiddler Doug Kershaw (81), country singer Ray Stevens (77), Neil Diamond (76), Aaron Neville (76), singer-songwriter Michael Des Barres (69), ex-Squeeze keyboardist & TV presenter Jools Holland (59), Sun Kil Moon frontman Mark Kozelek (50), Dream Theater bassist John Myung (50), Beth Hart (45), Diane Birch (34), and former Sugababe Jade Ewen (29).

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for castrato singer Carlo Broschi AKA Farinelli, born on this day in 1705... for pianist and composer Muzio Clementi, born in 1752... for New Orleans R&B pianist Isidore 'Tuts' Washington, born in 1907... for jazz pianist Joe Albany, born in 1924... for R&B and gospel singer Ann Cole, who would have been 83... for countertenor Klaus Nomi, who would have been 73... for former Limelites lead singer James Sheppard, found murdered in his car on the Long Island Expressway in 1970 ~ Sheppard had been beaten and robbed... and for operatic soprano June Bronhill, who left us today in 2005. 

Also on January 24th: Mussorgsky's opera Boris Gudunov premieres in St. Petersburg (1874)... Elvis is at the top of the UK singles chart with 'Jailhouse Rock'. It is the first single ever to enter the chart at № 1... The Quarrymen make their first and only appearance at the Cavern Club under their current name. When they return to play the establishment in 1961, they will be known as The Beatles (1958)... Bob Dylan arrives in NYC for the first time accompanied by a friend from Minneapolis named Fred Underhill. They head immediately for the Cafe Wha in Greenwich Village, where it is a hootenany night ~ Dylan plays two songs (1961)... Brian Epstein signs a management deal with The Beatles. Epstein is to receive 25 per cent of the band's gross earnings, the normal management deal at the time being 10 per cent (1962)... The Doors appear at Madison Square Garden. They receive over $50,000 for the gig, making them one of the highest paid acts this year... New Jersey state prosecutors issue a warning to US record dealers that they will be charged with distributing pornography if they are caught selling the John Lennon / Yoko Ono LP Two Virgins. The front cover of the album showed the pair frontally nude, while the back cover shows them from behind (1969)... Led Zeppelin appear at Leeds University. After the show, Zeppelin have a meeting with fine arts lecturer Zacron to discuss their ideas for the album sleeve of the band's next album, Led Zeppelin III. Zacron, born Richard Drew, studied at the Kingston College of Art with members of the Yardbirds (1970)... Michael Jackson's debut solo album Got to Be There is released on Motown Records (1972)... Bob Dylan hits № 1 on the US album chart with Desire, which will occupy the top spot for the next 6 weeks. Tops on the singles chart is Diana Ross with 'Theme from Mahogany' (1976)...  Workers at EMI's record pressing plant refuse to press copies of The Buzzcocks' forthcoming single 'What Do I Get' because of the title on the B-side 'Oh Shit' (1978)... The Clash release their first US single, their cover of 'I Fought the Law'... Brian Wilson and his wife Marilyn are divorced after 15 years of marriage (1979)...  A billboard is erected on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood to promote Pink Floyd's new album The Wall. A blank wall is pasted up, and each day a brick is removed to slowly reveal the inside spread and title of the album (1980)... Nirvana play their first ever show in Australia at the Phoenician Club in Sydney. Opening for them are local heroes Tumbleweed and The Meanies (1992)... Oasis go to № 1 in the UK with 'All Around The World'. It sets a record for longest running-time for a British chart-topper with a total duration of 9 minutes 38 seconds. It was one of the first songs to be written by Noel Gallagher, with the band rehearsing it as early as 1992 (1998)... Country singer Lynn Anderson is arrested for shoplifting after being caught stealing a Harry Potter DVD from a Santa Fe, NM supermarket and punching a police officer during her arrest. The 57 year-old had the 1970 Top 5 hit 'Rose Garden' (2005).