What Happened Today In Music

January 14th

1961 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley's 'GI Blues' started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK chart. Also on this day Elvis was promoted to Acting-Sergeant in the US Army, receiving a pay increase of $22.94 per month.

1963 - Charlie Watts

Charlie Watts made his live debut with The Rolling Stones at The Flamingo Jazz Club, Soho, London. Before joining the Stones, Watts played regularly with Blues Incorporated. 

1964 - The Beatles

The Beatles (minus Ringo Starr who was fog-bound in Liverpool) departed from Liverpool for Paris, France for an 18-day run at the Olympia Theatre. Arriving in Paris, John, Paul, and George were met by 60 fans. Ringo, accompanied by roadie Neil Aspinall, arrived the next day.

1966 - David Bowie

David Jones changed his name to David Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy Jones from The Monkees, just in time for the release of his single, 'Can't Help Thinking About Me'. He would later say that he chose "Bowie" because he liked that "big American bear-killin' knife."

1967 - The Human Be-In

Over 25,000 people attend The Human Be-In-A Gathering Of The Tribes at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The event was a forerunner of major, outdoor rock concerts and featured Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Big Brother And The Holding Company.

1970 - Diana Ross

Diana Ross made her last appearance with The Supremes at The Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas. During the show, Diana introduced her replacement, Jean Terrell, who would lead the group to seven more Top 40 hits, including the Top 10 entries 'Up The Ladder To The Roof' and 'Stoned Love' later in the year.

1977 - David Bowie

David Bowie released his eleventh studio album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno termed the "Berlin Trilogy". The track 'Sound and Vision' was released as a single and used by the BBC in the UK on trailers at the time, providing much needed exposure, as Bowie opted to do nothing to promote the single himself, and helped the song reach No.3 on the UK charts.

1978 - Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols played their last show at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco where Johnny Rotten yelled to the crowd at the outset, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated.” It was the last time the band played with bassist Sid Vicious.

1984 - Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Pipes Of Peace.' With this release McCartney made chart history by becoming the first artist to have a No.1 in a group, (The Beatles), in a duo, (with Stevie Wonder) in a trio, (with Wings) and as a solo artist.

1992 - Jerry Nolan

American rock drummer, Jerry Nolan from The New York Dolls died from a fatal stroke aged 45. The influential American band formed in 1972 and made just two albums, the 1973 New York Dolls and 1974 Too Much Too Soon. Nolan joined the New York Dolls in the autumn of 1972 to replace Billy Murcia, who had died of asphyxiation as a result of a failed attempt to revive him from a drug overdose while on tour in England, early in the band's career. Nolan left the Dolls together with Johnny Thunders in the spring of 1975. The two then placed a call to bassist Richard Hell, formerly of the Neon Boys and Television, to form The Heartbreakers.

1996 - Oasis

Oasis went to No.1 on the UK album chart with '(What's The Story) Morning Glory', the group's second UK No.1 spent a total of 145 week's on the chart.

2001 - Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez scored her first UK No.1 single with 'Love Don't Cost A Thing.' The track was taken from her album J.Lo.

2003 - Van Morrison

Linda Gail Lewis the sister of Jerry Lee Lewis, dropped a claim of sex discrimination against Van Morrison. Lewis had claimed that Morrison had 'publicly humiliated' her on stage and had tried to ruin her life by asking her for sex. She withdrew her claim after discussions with her lawyer. Morrison denied all the allegations.

2005 - Johnny Ramone

A $100,000 (£58,823) statue honouring the late punk guitarist Johnny Ramone was unveiled by his widow Linda at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Johnny died from prostate cancer in September 2004 at the age of 55. Hundreds turned out for the ceremony, including Tommy Ramone the only surviving band member. Dee Dee Ramone died of a drugs overdose in 2002 and Joey died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer.

2007 - Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse started a two week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Back To Black'. The album has sold over 3.58 million copies in the UK alone, becoming the UK's second best-selling album of the 21st century. Worldwide, the album has sold over 20 million copies.

2010 - U2

The BBC admitted coverage of the launch of U2's album No Line On The Horizon in 2009 went too far - giving "undue prominence" to the band. RadioCentre, the trade body for commercial radio companies, had made a formal complaint over the coverage saying the BBC had given U2 "the sort of publicity money can't buy".

2010 - Jimmy Page

Guitarist Jimmy Page was honoured with the United Nations' first ever Pathways To Peace Award. Pathways To Peace is an international peace building, educational and consulting organization which has consultative status with the United Nations.

2012 - Robbie France

English drummer, producer, journalist, music educator, and broadcaster Robbie France died aged 52. Born in Sheffield, England, France moved to Australia where he formed the jazz-fusion group, Carnival. He also worked with Stevie Wright of the Easybeats, Marty Rhone, Tim Gaze, and other major Australian artists as well as Skunk Anansie and Diamond Head in the UK. He amassed over 1,000 television, radio, and advertising credits, including eight documentaries and four film scores, including Band on the Run, one of the most successful surfing films ever made.

2014 - Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber was questioned by police over the egging of his neighbour's house in Calabasas, California. Bieber spoke to police in relation to the incident, which saw him accused of throwing eggs at his neighbour's house while his neighbour and neighbour's daughter were on the balcony filming him. Billboard reports that a dozen vehicles arrived on Bieber's property with a search warrant, looking for evidence that Bieber was involved in the incident. Det. Dave Thompson commented: "We collected evidence related to that crime. Mr. Bieber was present and cooperative. He was not arrested."

2014 - Kanye West

Police in Los Angeles were investigating an alleged battery incident involving rapper Kanye West after West punched a man who had targeted racist comments at his partner Kim Kardashian.

Born Today In Music

January 14th

1936 - Clarence Carter

Clarence Carter, blind US singer, guitarist, (1970 US No.4 & UK No.2 single 'Patches').

1937 - Billie Jo Spears

Billie Jo Spears, US female singer, who had the 1975 UK No.6 single 'Blanket On The Ground'. One of Spears's first singles was 'Harper Valley PTA', but her single release was beaten off the presses by Jeannie C. Riley's version which became a monster crossover hit, while Spears's failed to chart. Spears died on Dec 14th 2011.

1938 - Allan Toussaint

Allen Toussaint, US singer, songwriter, producer, worked with Paul Simon, Joe Cocker, The Band, Lee Dorsey, Neville Brothers. Toussaint died after appearing in concert in Madrid on 10th Nov 2015. He was 77.

1944 - Linda Jones

Linda Jones, US soul singer. She died on 14th March 1972 aged 26, after collapsing into a diabetic coma following a performance at Harlem's Apollo Theatre in New York. Jones had the 1967 US No.21 single 'Hypnotized.'

1948 - Tim Harris

Tim Harris, drummer from British soul band The Foundations who scored the 1967 UK No.1 single 'Baby Now That I've Found You' and the 1969 US No.3 single 'Build Me Up A Buttercup'. The group was the first multi-racial group to have a No.1 hit in the UK in the 1960s.

1956 - Bob Bradbury

Bob Bradbury, Hello, (1974 UK No.6 single 'Tell Him').

1959 - Chas Smash

Chas Smash, horns, from English ska band Madness. They have had 15 singles reach the UK top ten, hits include 'One Step Beyond', 'Baggy Trousers', 'Our House' and 'It Must Be Love'.

1962 - Patricia Morrison

Patricia Morrison, from English gothic rock band, The Sisters Of Mercy who scored the 1992 UK No.3 single 'Temple Of Love'.

1967 - Zakk Wylde

Zakk Wylde, Ozzy Osbourne Band, between the studio albums of 'The Ultimate Sin' and 'No Rest for the Wicked' and NRFTW had the track 'Miracle Man' as a single.

1968 - LL Cool J

American rapper, actor, author and entrepreneur LL Cool J, (1995 US No.3 single 'Hey Lover', 1997 UK No.1 single 'Ain't Nobody' and 2000 US No.1 album 'G.O.A.T.). LL Cool J is also known as one of the forefathers of pop rap.

1969 - Dave Grohl

American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer Dave Grohl. At the age of seventeen, Grohl joined Scream, he was the longest serving drummer with Nirvana and the frontman and founder of the Foo Fighters and is the drummer and co-founder of the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. In 2012, Grohl was estimated to be the third wealthiest drummer in the world, behind Ringo Starr and Phil Collins, with a fortune of $260 million.

1974 - Denise Van Outen

Denise Van Outen, actress / singer, (2002 UK No. 23 single with Andy Williams, 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'). The song set a new record of the biggest age gap of a duo to have a hit: 45 years.

1982 - Kings Of Leon

Caleb Followill, lead singer, rhythm guitarist, from American rock band Kings of Leon who had the 2007 UK No.1 album Because Of The Times, and the 2008 UK No.1 single ‘Sex on Fire’. The band has sold over 21 million albums worldwide and 38 million singles.

1989 - Frankie Sandford

Frankie Sandford, best known for being a member of girl group The Saturdays who scored the 2013 UK No.1 hit single 'What About Us' featuring Sean Paul.