January 8th

 Musical birthdays today include conductor Zdeněk Mácal (85), Dame Shirley Bassey (84), Doors guitarist Robby Krieger (75), former Hollies guitarist Terry Sylvester (74), classical pianist Vladimir Feltsman (69), Loverboy lead singer Mike Reno (66), Little River Band keyboardist Chris Marion (59), R. Kelly (54), Sean Paul (48), rapper DJ Clue? (46), former Rilo Kiley lead singer Jenny Lewis (45), and ex-Donnas drummer Torry Castellano (42). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for Chicago bluesman Tampa Red, born on this day in 1904... for operatic soprano Evelyn Lear, born in 1926... for jazz double-bassist Chuck Metcalf and concert promoter Bill Graham, both of whom would have been 90... for Elvis Presley, who would have been 86... for David Bowie, who would have been 74... for former Crowded House  drummer Paul Hester, who would have been 62... for former Mother Love Bone lead singer Andrew Wood, who would have been 54... for former Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark, who died of a drug overdose today in 1991 at the age of 30... and for composer Michael Tippett, who left us today in 1998. 

Also on January 9th: The Boston Academy of Music, the first institution of tertiary musical education in America, opens its doors (1833)... Bill Haley and His Comets land in Sydney to start Australia's first ever Rock 'n Roll tour (1957)... The Beatles hit № 1 on the US album chart with Rubber Soul, and have the top single with 'We Can Work It Out' as well (1966)... Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are both barred from the exclusive Crillen Hotel in Lima, Peru when they return from a night on the town wearing 'op art' pants and nothing else (1969)... The Canadian government names Rush the country's 'Official Ambassadors of Music' (1979)... A 29-cent U.S. postage stamp bearing the likeness of a '50s era Elvis Presley is issued at a post office near the King's Graceland mansion in Memphis, TN (1993)... A woman who claims that Axl Rose is communicating with her via telepathy is arrested for the second time for stalking the Guns N' Roses singer. Police detain Karen Jane McNeil after she is spotted loitering outside Rose's Los Angeles house (2001)... In a ceremony at a post office in Central London, Jimmy Page launches a new set of British stamps which feature 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 by Coldplay, Power, Corruption And Lies by New Order, Let It Bleed, London Calling, Screamadelica by Primal Scream, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars, and Parklife by Blur (2010).