What Happened Today In Music

January 10th

1953 - Jo Stafford

Jo Stafford was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'You Belong To Me'. Originally a singer with Tommy Dorsey until 1942, Stafford was the first female to have a No.1 on the UK singles Chart.

1956 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley made his first recordings for RCA Records at The Methodist television, radio & TV Studios in Nashville. 'Heartbreak Hotel' was one of the songs recorded during this session.

1957 - Tommy Steele

Tommy Steele and the Steelmen were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Singing The Blues'. Guy Mitchell had been at No.1 the previous week with his version and then returned to No.1 the following week.

1958 - Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Great Balls Of Fire'. Lewis was the only major white rock 'n' roll star to play piano rather than guitar.

1964 - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones recorded 'Not Fade Away' at Olympic Studios, London, England. The song which was first recorded by Buddy Holly and his band, the Crickets, became The Stones first US single.

1964 - The Beatles

The first US Beatles album, 'Introducing The Beatles', was released on Vee-Jay records. The album cover showed John, Paul and George with their now famous "mop top" haircuts, but Ringo had yet to convert. Vee-Jay would be forced to stop selling the disc by the end of the year because of legal complications, but by then over 1.3 million copies had been sold.

1965 - John Lennon

John Lennon appeared on the UK TV Peter Cook and Dudley Moore show, 'Not Only But Also.'

1976 - Howlin Wolf

Blues artist Howlin Wolf, (Chester Burnett), died in hospital of cancer aged 66. The guitarist, singer and harmonica player's well known songs included 'Smoke Stack Lightning', 'Little Red Rooster' and 'Spoonful.'

1976 - CW McCall

CW McCall went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Convoy', it made No.2 in the UK. CW McCall was in fact an advertising agent whose real name was Bill Fries.

1981 - John Lennon

John Lennon's Imagine started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart, 10 years after it was recorded. Lennon had two other songs in the Top 5 this week, 'Happy Christmas, (War Is Over') and '(Just Like) Starting Over.' 'Imagine' was voted by the viewers of BBC TV as the best lyrics of all time in a poll broadcast in Oct 1999. Also on this day John and Yoko's 'Double Fantasy' album started an eight-week run at No.1 on the US chart. 'Just Like Starting Over' was at No.1 on the US singles chart.

1984 - Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper became the first female recording artist since Bobbie Gentry in 1967 to be nominated for five Grammy Awards: Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female), Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

2001 - Bryan Gregory

American guitarist and songwriter and founder member of The Cramps Bryan Gregory died after suffering a heart attack aged 46 at Anaheim Memorial Medical Center, Anaheim, California. He appeared on The Cramps first two albums Gravest Hits and Songs the Lord Taught Us. He abruptly left the band in 1980, with a van full of most of the band's equipment; no police report or proof was established. After the Cramps, Gregory went on to play in Beast from 1980-1983.

2003 - The Beatles

A haul of 500 Beatles tapes known as the 'Get Back sessions' stolen in the 1970s were found after UK police cracked a major bootleg operation in London and Amsterdam. Five men were arrested.

2003 - Maurice Gibb

Bee Gee Maurice Gibb was fighting for his life after a heart attack following major stomach surgery. The 53 year-old singer had been rushed to hospital after collapsing at his Florida home.

2005 - Spencer Dryden

American drummer Spencer Dryden died from colon cancer at his home in California aged 66. Was the drummer for Jefferson Airplane, (replaced Skip Spence), New Riders of the Purple Sage and The Dinosaurs. Dryden was the Nephew of Charlie Chaplin.

2005 - Gene Simmons

A woman was suing Gene Simmons from Kiss for slander, alleging a documentary made her out to be a "sex-addicted nymphomaniac". Georgeann Walsh Ward, 53, of New York, said during a VH1 documentary her photo was flashed up as Simmons talked about his past sexual encounters. Ms Walsh Ward had dated Simmons for three years when he was a student. In the documentary, Simmons boasted of having sex with over 4,600 women.

2006 - Elvis Presley

An Australian woman appeared in court charged with repeatedly stabbing her partner with a pair of scissors in the back, shoulder and thigh because he played Elvis Presley's song 'Burning Love' over and over again.

2008 - Rod Allen Bainbridge

Rod Allen Bainbridge, lead singer of The Fortunes, died aged 63 after battling liver cancer. The group's biggest hit was 'You've Got Your Troubles' which was a UK No.2 hit in 1965, also reaching No.7 seven in the US.

2008 - Radiohead

Radiohead topped the US album charts with the physical release of 'In Rainbows', originally sold via the internet for a price chosen by fans. The album sold 122,000 copies during its first week on release, giving the band a second US chart topper following 2000's 'Kid A', which sold an initial 207,000 copies.

2013 - Montreux Jazz Festival

Claude Nobs the founder and general manager of the Montreux Jazz Festival died aged 76. During a 1971 Frank Zappa concert, at the Montreux Casino the venue caught fire. Nobs saved several young people who had hidden in the casino, thinking they would be sheltered from the flames. This act earned him a mention (as Funky Claude in the line "Funky Claude was running in and out pulling kids out the ground") in the Deep Purple song Smoke on the Water, which is about the incident.

2016 - David Bowie

English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, painter, and actor David Bowie died from liver cancer at his New York home two days after releasing the album Blackstar on his 69th birthday. His first UK Top 40 single was the 1969 'Space Oddity' which became a UK No.1 in 1975, plus over 50 other UK Top 40 hits including five No.1's. Bowie has also scored two US No.1 singles, the 1975 'Fame' and 1983 'Let's Dance'. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million albums worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists.

2018 - Eddie Clarke

British guitarist Eddie Clarke, who was a member of heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead died in hospital, where he was being treated for pneumonia. He was 67 years old. Of Motörhead's classic lineup, which consisted of Lemmy, himself and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, he was the last surviving member.

2019 - Larry Cunningham

American singer Larry Cunningham died of a heart attack age 67. He is best known as a member of the R&B/soul group The Floaters who scored the 1977 US No.2 and UK No.1 hit ‘Float On.’ The song was adapted in the early 1990s to advertise Cadbury's Crème Eggs.

Born Today In Music

January 10th

1917 - Jerry Wexler

Jerry Wexler, producer and record company executive. Co-owner of Atlantic records, vice president at Warner Brothers, worked with Ray Charles, Phil Spector, Dr John, Dusty Springfield, Dire Straits, Bob Dylan. He died on Aug 15th 2008, aged 91.

1927 - Johnnie Ray

American singer, songwriter, and pianist and teen idol Johnnie Ray, who had the 1956 UK No.1 & US No.2 single, 'Just Walking In The Rain', plus over 20 Top 40 singles between 1952 & 60. Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor to what became rock and roll. He died of liver failure on 21st February 1990 age 63. 

1930 - Lyle Ritz

American jazz ukulele musician Lyle Ritz who as session musician on the bass guitar joined the Wrecking Crew a popular group of studio musicians in the Los Angeles recording industry. Ritz compiled over 5,000 recording credits including such notable tracks as Herb Alpert's 'A Taste of Honey', The Righteous Brothers' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'', and The Beach Boys'Good Vibrations.'

1935 - Ronnie Hawkins

Ronnie Hawkins, singer, (1959 US No.26 single 'Mary Lou', formed The Band, (then known as The Hawks).

1937 - Scott English

American songwriter Scott English best known as the co-writer of 'Brandy' which he wrote with Richard Kerr. This song became a No. 1 hit for Barry Manilow in 1974. He also wrote 'Bend Me, Shape Me', a hit US hit for The American Breed and a UK hit for Amen Corner. He died on 16 November 2018 age 81, due to complications of hip surgery.

1939 - Scott McKenzie

Scott McKenzie, (1967 UK No.1 & US No.4 single 'San Francisco, Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair'. McKenzie also auditioned for The Monkees.) McKenzie died on August 18, 2012 aged 73.

1943 - Jim Croce

Jim Croce, US singer/songwriter who had a 1973 US No.1 single with 'Time In A Bottle'. He was killed in a plane crash on the way to a concert on September 20th 1973.

1945 - Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart, singer, songwriter, The Hoochie Coochie Men, Steampacket, Shotgun Express, Jeff Beck Group, the Faces (UK No.6 & US No.17 single 'Stay With Me'). Solo, (1971 UK & US No.1 single 'Maggie May', plus five other UK No.1's & over 35 Top 40 hits). His 1971 debut album 'Every Picture Tell's A Story' was the first album ever to simultaneously be No.1 in the UK & US.

1946 - Aynsley Dunbar

Aynsley Dunbar, drums, Journey, (1982 US No.2 single 'Open Arms'), Whitesnake, (1987 US No.1 & UK No.9 single 'Here I Go Again').

1946 - Bob Lang

Bob Lang, Mindbenders, (1965 US No.1 single 'Game Of Love', 1966 UK No.2 single 'Groovy Kind Of Love').

1948 - Fayette Pinkney

American singer Fayette Pinkney from The Three Degrees. Their 1974 single 'When Will I See You Again', which was a huge international success topping the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 2 on the US chart. Pinkney died on 27 June 2009 of acute respiratory failure after a short and sudden illness at the age of 61.

1948 - Donald Fagen

Donald Fagen, vocals, keyboards, Steely Dan, (1973 US No.11 single 'Reeling In The Years' and nine other US Top 30 hits). Steely Dan's 'Two Against Nature' won a Grammy in 2001 for Album of the year. He has also released four albums as a solo artist and in 2001 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1953 - Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar, singer, and four-time Grammy winner, (1985 US No.5 and UK No.17 single 'Love Is A Battlefield' plus 10 other US Top 40 singles).

1955 - Luci Martin

Luci Martin, vocals, Chic, (1978 US No.1 & UK No.7 single 'Le Freak').

1955 - Michael Schenker

German rock guitarist, Michael Schenker. Nicknamed the "Blonde Bomber", he first rose to fame as an early member of Scorpions, then achieved fame in the mid-1970s as the lead guitar player for UFO. Since leaving UFO in 1978, he has been leading the Michael Schenker Group.

1958 - Shawn Colvin

Shawn Colvin, Singer songwriter, (1995 UK No.40 single with Mary Chapin Carpenter, 'One Cool Remove').

1964 - Brad Roberts

Brad Roberts, vocals, guitar, with Canadian rock band Crash Test Dummies best known internationally for their 1993 single 'Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm'.

1965 - Nathan Moore

Nathan Moore, vocals, Brother Beyond, (1988 UK No.2 single 'The Harder I Try').

1973 - Aerlee Taree

Aerlee Taree, from American alternative hip hop group who scored the 1992 UK No.2 and US No. 8 single 'People Everyday'. The group won two Grammy Awards in 1993 for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance and were also named Band of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.

1978 - Matt Roberts

Matt Roberts, guitarist, with American rock band 3 Doors Down who had the 2003 US No.4 single When I'm Gone', and the 2005 US No.1 album Seventeen Days. Roberts died on 20 Aug 2016 at the age of 38 from a prescription drug overdose.

1979 - Chris Smith

Chris Smith, Kris Kross, (1992 US No.1 & UK No.2 single 'Jump'). The duo of Chris Smith and Chris Kelly were 12 and 13 when they recorded the song.

1981 - Nasri

Nasri (Nasri Tony Atweh), Canadian singer, songwriter with Magic! who scored the US & UK No.1 and international hit single 'Rude'. He and songwriter Adam Messinger have produced a string of hits for Justin Bieber, Shakira, Pitbull, and Chris Brown.