What Happened Today In Music

January 6th

1956 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley performed in the gym at Randolph High School, Mississippi; this was the last time he ever appeared in a small auditorium.

1958 - Flying V

Gibson guitars launched it' 'Flying V' electric guitar. Guitarists who played a Flying V include, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.

1962 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley had his third UK No.1 album with 'Blue Hawaii'; it spent a total of 18 weeks at the top of the charts.

1964 - Marty Wilde

The first night of a 14 date UK tour 'Group Scene 1964', featuring The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, Marty Wilde, The Swinging Blue Jeans and Dave Berry and The Cruisers, played at the Granada Theatre, Harrow on The Hill, Middlesex.

1967 - The Who

The Who played their first gig of this year when they appeared at Morecambe, Central Pier in England. The band played over 200 gigs in this year, including their first ever US tour. 

1968 - The Beatles

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour started an eight week run at No.1 on the US album chart, the group's 11th US chart topper.

1973 - Carly Simon

Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain', (with Mick Jagger on backing vocals), started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. In 2015, after keeping quiet for more than 40 years, Carly Simon admitted that 'You're So Vain' was about Warren Beatty, but only one verse of it. Simon said the other verses were about two other men.

1975 - Led Zeppelin

The mayor of Boston cancelled a Led Zeppelin concert after over 2,000 fans rioted trying to buy tickets. The fans caused an estimated $50,000 to $75,000 damage at Boston Garden. The gig during the bands North American tour was rescheduled for Feb 4th.

1975 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd started sessions start at Abbey Road Studios London for their next album Wish You Were Here. Their ninth studio album was released on 12 September 1975 and features 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' a tribute to Syd Barrett whose mental breakdown had forced him to leave the group seven years earlier.

1977 - Sex Pistols

EMI Records dropped The Sex Pistols giving the band £40,000 ($68,000) to release them from their contract.

1979 - Village People

The Village People scored their only UK No.1 single with 'Y.M.C.A.' At its peak the single was selling over 150,000 copies a day. In the gay culture from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the YMCA's reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot.

1980 - Georgeanna Tillman

Georgeanna Tillman singer with Motown girl group The Marvelettes died from lupus and sickle cell anemia aged 35. The Marvelettes scored the 1961 US No.1 single 'Please Mr Postman'. In 1963 Tillman was diagnosed with lupus, she also had been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia during childhood.

1987 - Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton started what became an annual event by playing six shows at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

1990 - Phil Collins

Phil Collins started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with '...But Seriously', his fourth solo studio album. The album was a huge commercial success worldwide, reaching No. 1 in the UK and the US for 15 and 4 non-consecutive weeks, respectively. It was the best selling album of 1990 in the UK, the lead single 'Another Day in Paradise' won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

1993 - David Bowie

It was reported that David Bowie had lost over £2.5 million ($4.25 million) in unpaid royalties to an Italian Mafia-linked bootleg fraud.

1997 - George Harrison

Two bronze busts worth £50,000 were stolen from a garden at George Harrison's estate in Henley-on- Thames, Oxfordshire. Thieves had climbed a 10- foot-wall and cut the figures of two monks from their stone plinths.

2001 - David Gilmour

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour won the right to his dot com name. Dave took legal action in his battle to reclaim davidgilmour.com from Andrew Herman who had registered the URL and was selling Pink Floyd merchandise through the site.

2005 - Usher

US CD sales rose for the first time in four years. The CD format accounted for 98% of the 666 million albums sold, according to research company Nielsen Soundscan. A total of 140 million digital tracks were legally downloaded during 2004, equivalent to 14 million albums. R&B star Usher was the biggest-selling artist with his album 'Confessions' selling eight million copies. Other top sellers of the year were Norah Jones, Eminem and country stars Kenny Chesney and Gretchen Wilson. The UK recorded a record year for album sales in 2004, with 237 million sold The Scissor Sisters proved the most popular album of the year, followed by Keane and Maroon 5.

2006 - Elvis Presley

A collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia bought by a council worker who embezzled nearly £600,000 was set to be sold to compensate the local authority. Julie Wall, 46, from Rippon Drive in Sleaford, was jailed for three years for the offence last October. The collection - which included rare recordings and foreign pressings of Elvis songs, was to be auctioned off by a High Court receiver to provide compensation.

2006 - Lou Rawls

American soul, jazz, singer Lou Rawls died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The 72-year-old, Grammy-winning artist had been battling lung cancer. Rawls who released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, had the 1976 US No.2 and UK No.10 single 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine'.

2006 - Alex St. Claire

Guitarist, trumpeter and drummer Alex St. Claire died. Member of The Omens, The Solid Senders and an original member of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band and Frank Zappa.

2006 - Ms Dynamite

Ms Dynamite was charged with assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct. The singer allegedly punched a female officer in the face, bruising her nose, while in custody. She had been arrested after allegedly kicking the door to the Paragon Lounge night-club in London and was said to have been abusive towards officers who questioned her.

2007 - Pete Kleinow

US country-rock steel guitar player 'Sneaky' Pete Kleinow, died aged 72. He was one of the original members of the Flying Burrito Brothers with the Byrds' Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons. Also worked with John Lennon and Joni Mitchell.

2017 - FM Radio

Norway announced that it would become the first country in the world to gradually stop using the FM radio network. The move, which aimed to ditch the analogue platform in favour of a digital one called Digital Audio Broadcasting, would bring a clearer sound to the nation's five million people.

2020 - Martin Griffin

Martin Griffin former drummer of Hawkwind and spin-off project Hawklords, died following a short illness age 69. Between 1978 and 1982 Griffin drummed on albums such as Sonic Attack, Church of Hawkwind and Choose your Masques. During the seventies he ran Roche recording studios in Cornwall, recording many upcoming artists including Elvis Costello, ABC and Secret Affair.

Born Today In Music

January 6th

1924 - Earl Scruggs

Earl Scruggs the American musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo-picking style (now called Scruggs style). Worked with Bill Monroe in the Blue Grass Boys. Scruggs scored the hit as Flatt and Scruggs with 'The Ballad of Jed Clampett' for the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies in 1962. Scruggs died from natural causes on March 28, 2012, in a Nashville hospital.

1929 - Wilbert Harrison

Wilbert Harrison, singer, 1959 US No.1 single 'Kansas City.' Wrote 'Let's Work Together' a hit for Canned Heat and Bryan Ferry. Died on October 26, 1994.

1935 - Nino Tempo

Nino Tempo, US singer, songwriter, Nino Tempo and April Stevens had the 1963 US No.1 'Deep Purple', a No.17 hit in the UK.

1937 - Doris Troy

American singer Doris Troy. She was a session singer with Dionne Warwick, sang on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and released an album on The Beatles Apple label. She had a 1964 UK No.37 single with 'Whatcha Gonna Do About It' and the 1963 US No. 10 hit 'Just One Look'. She sang back-up for many acts including The Rolling Stones, (‘You Can't Always Get What You Want’), Carly Simon's ('You're So Vain') and George Harrison, (‘My Sweet Lord’). Troy died on 16 February 2004.

1940 - Laudir de Oliveira

Brazilian musician and producer Laudir de Oliveira mostly renowned for his time as percussionist with the band Chicago. De Oliveira died of a heart attack on 17 September 2017 at the age of 77 while performing onstage in his native Rio de Janeiro.

1944 - Van McCoy

Van McCoy, singer and producer, who had a 1975 US No.1 and UK No.3 single with 'The Hustle'. He also produced Gladys Knightand Aretha Franklin. McCoy died on July 6th 1979 aged 38.

1946 - Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett guitarist, singer, songwriter with Pink Floyd. Barrett, who was a co-founding member, left Floyd in 1968. He released 2 solo albums before going into self-imposed seclusion for more than 30 years, enjoying life as an artist and a keen gardener. Pink Floyd wrote many tributes to him after he left, the best-known being Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Barrett died, aged 60, on 7th July 2006 from complications arising from diabetes.

1947 - Sandy Denny

Sandy Denny, UK folk singer and member of Fairport Convention. She died on April 21st 1978 after falling down the stairs at a friend's house. She sang on the Fairport Convention 1969 UK No.21 single 'Si Tu Dois Partir' and also worked as a solo artist. She is featured on the Led Zeppelin track 'Battle Of Evermore' on the bands fourth album.

1951 - Kim Wilson

American blues singer and harmonica player Kim Wilson best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for the Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s, 'Tuff Enuff' and 'Wrap It Up.' Wilson has also released a string of solo albums.

1953 - Malcolm Young

Malcolm Young, guitarist with Australian rock band,AC/DC who had the 1980 UK hit single 'Whole Lotta Rosie'. Their 1980 UK No.1 & US No.14 album Back In Black has sold over 49 million copies. Young died on 18 November 2017 age 64.

1959 - Kathy Sledge

Kathy Sledge, singer, Sister Sledge, (1979 US No.2 single 'We Are Family', 1985 UK No.1 'Frankie').

1960 - Muzz Skillings

Muzz Skillings, bass, Living Colour, (1991 UK No.12 single 'Love Rears Its Ugly Head').

1964 - Mark O'Toole

Mark O'Toole, bassist with Frankie Goes To Hollywood, the British band who formed in Liverpool and had the 1984 UK No.1 & US No.10 single 'Relax'. The single eventually sold 2 million copies in the UK alone, making it the seventh best-selling single in the UK Singles Chart's history. Their debut album, Welcome to the Pleasuredome, reached No.1 in the UK in 1984 with advanced sales of over one million.

1985 - Ben Haenow

Ben Haenow, British singer. He won the eleventh series of The X Factor in 2014. His debut single, a cover of OneRepublic's 'Something I Need', debuted at No.1 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the 2014 Christmas No.1.

1986 - Alex Turner

Alex Turner, guitar, vocals, with English rock band Arctic Monkeys who had the 2005, UK No.1 single ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’, and the 2006 UK No.1 album Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not. The band has won six Brit Awards – winning both Best British Group and Best British Album three times, and have been nominated for three Grammy Awards. Turner has also recorded with his side-project The Last Shadow Puppets.