January 5th

 

Musical birthdays today include former Seekers bassist Athol Guy (83), jazz guitarist Louis Stewart (79), Blondie guitarist Chris Stein (73), producer & former Cure bassist Phil Thornalley (63), country singer Iris DeMent (62), ex-Soul Asylum drummer Grant Young (60), Marilyn Manson (54), and Angels & Airwaves bassist Matt Wachter (47). 

Shoutout to the Great Beyond for blueswoman Elizabeth Cotton, born on this day in 1893... for Sun Records founder & owner Sam Phillips, born 100 years ago today... for R&B singer Wilbert Harrison, born in 1929... for blues singer Jo Ann Kelly, who would have been 79... for former Beatles road manager Mal Evans, who was shot by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department today in 1976 at the age of 40. The police were summoned by Evans' girlfriend, who had come home to find him in a distraught state and holding a rifle. When Evans pointed the weapon at the police, they opened fire, killing him instantly...  for Charles Mingus, who left us in 1979... for Sonny Bono, killed in a skiing accident today in 1998... and for Ken Forssi, the original bassist for Love, who left us that same day. 

Also on January 5th: Charles Garnier's new opera house opens in Paris (1875)... Patsy Cline goes into the studio in Nashville to begin recording her debut album (1957)... Decca A&R man Dick Rowe calls Brian Epstein to tell him that the label has decided to turn down the Beatles for a recording contract. The manager will later quote Rowe as saying "Frankly, Mr. Epstein, we don't like your boys' sound. We think that groups of guitarists are on their way out" (1962)... Pink Floyd appear at The Marquee Club, in London. A review in Queen Magazine later says: 'The two guitarists looked moody, the drummer thrashed wildly about and the lights kept flashing. After about twenty minutes it became very boring, and after half an hour I left' ... At Abbey Road Studios, Paul records his vocal track for 'Penny Lane' (1967)... Jimi Hendrix is jailed for one day in Stockholm on charges of being drunk & disorderly after going berserk and destroying everything in his room at the Göteberg Hotel (1968)... Bruce Springsteen releases his debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Recorded in a single week, the album will sell fewer than 25,000 copies in the first year of its release. Both 'Blinded By The Light' and 'Spirit In The Night' are released as singles but neither makes a dent in the charts (1973)... Bob Dylan releases Desire (1976)... The Sex Pistols open their maiden US tour with a gig in Atlanta, GA before an estimated audience of 500 people (1978)... Prince makes his live debut at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis, MN  (1979)... Kenny Rogers becomes the last country singer to date to hit № 1 on the singles chart in Britain with 'Coward of the County' (1980)... Iron Maiden go to № 1 on the UK singles chart with 'Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter', even though the record sold only 42,000 copies in its first week of release, the lowest initial sales figure for a № 1 song since 1960 (1991)... Kirsty MacColl is laid to rest at a private funeral ceremony, ahead of a public memorial to pay tribute to her life. The singer songwriter was killed in a boating accident on the 18th of December (2001).