What Happened Today In Music

January 9th

1955 - Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Mambo Italiano' the singers second No.1. The song was banned by all ABC owned stations in the US because it "did not reach standards of good taste".

1963 - Charlie Watts

Drummer Charlie Watts joined The Rolling Stones after leaving Blues Incorporated and his job working as a graphic designer.

1965 - The Beatles

The Beatles started a nine week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Beatles 65', the group's fourth No.1. Beatles '65 includes eight of the fourteen songs from Beatles for Sale and also includes 'I'll Be Back' from A Hard Day's Night and the single 'I Feel Fine'/'She's a Woman'.

1970 - Led Zeppelin

During a UK tour Led Zeppelin appeared at The Royal Albert Hall, London, the night of Jimmy Page's 26th birthday. (John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck were all in the audience). The two and a quarter hour set was recorded and filmed but shelved for several decades, eventually seeing a release on a 2003 official DVD.

1973 - Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger was refused a Japanese visa on an account of a 1969 drug conviction causing The Rolling Stones to cancel a forthcoming tour.

1976 - Queen

Queen were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The single enjoyed a nine week run on the chart selling more than a million copies by the end of the month. It reached No.1 again in 1991 for five weeks following Mercury's death, eventually becoming the UK's third best selling single of all time.

1981 - Terry Hall

Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers from The Specials were both fined £400 ($680) after being found guilty of using threatening words during a gig in Cambridge, England.

1988 - Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston scored her sixth consecutive No.1 in the US with 'So Emotional'. The song became her sixth consecutive No.1 in the US.

1997 - David Bowie

David Bowie performed his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, New York with guests Frank Black, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Dave Grohl, Lou Reed, Billy Corgan and Placebo. Proceeds from the concert went to the Save The Children fund.

2000 - Jennifer Lopez

The chauffeur who drove Puff Daddy and his girlfriend Jennifer Lopez from a night-club after a shooting was reported to be co-operating with prosecutors. Puff Daddy faced up to 15 years in jail for allegedly pulling a gun in a New York club.

2002 - David McWilliams

Irish singer, songwriter David McWilliams died of a heart attack at his home in Ballycastle, County Antrim aged of 56. Released over 10 solo albums and wrote 'The Days Of Pearly Spencer,' 1992 UK No.4 for Marc Almond.

2003 - Elvis Presley

A grand piano once owned by Elvis Presley was sold for $685,000 (£425,711). Music producer Robert Johnson and partner Larry Moss sold the piano to the chairman of the Blue Moon Group, Michael Muzio who was planning to take the piano on a casino-sponsored promotional tour. He was then planning for the piano to be shown at the proposed rock museum at Walt Disney World.

2005 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Jailhouse Rock.' The single sold just 21,262 copies to reach No.1, the lowest sales ever for a UK chart topper since data began in 1969. The single was released to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his birth, a previous Elvis chart topper was re-released each week.

2008 - Spice Girls

Spice Girl Victoria Beckham was named the worst dressed celebrity in an annual list of fashion disasters. Fashion critic Richard Blackwell, who had compiled the poll every year since 1960, said Beckham stepped out in "one skinny-mini monstrosity after another". Amy Winehouse's trademark beehive and tattoos helped earn her second place in the list.

2009 - Dave Dee

Dave Dee died at the age of 65, following a three-year battle with cancer. The UK singer had eight top 10 hits, with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich including a UK number one single in 1968 with 'The Legend of Xanadu', in which Dee famously cracked a whip. The singer, whose real name was David Harman, was originally a police officer and as a police cadet was called to the scene of the car crash that killed Eddie Cochrane during a UK tour in 1960.

2014 - The 10 Greatest Double Albums of All Time

Rolling Stone magazine published their Readers Poll: The 10 Greatest Double Albums of All Time. The top 5 were: 5. Led Zeppelin - Bruce Springsteen - The River, 3. The Rolling Stones- Exile On Main Street, 2. Pink Floyd - The Wall, and winning the poll was The Beatles - The White Album.

2015 - Darren Partington

Darren Partington, a member of 1980s and '90s acid house pioneers 808 State, was jailed for 18 months for dealing heroin and crack cocaine. The court was told how Partington was pressured into dealing drugs after getting into debt with his own dealer.

2016 - Lemmy

Stars paid tribute to Motorhead frontman Lemmy at his funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery. Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Slash from Guns N' Roses, Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich from Metallica, Judas Priest singer Rob Halford and Anthrax frontman Scott Ian. all spoke at the service. Lemmy's bass guitar was plugged in to a stack of amplifiers and the volume turned up, with the congregation applauding as feedback from the speakers filled the chapel.

Born Today In Music

January 9th

1920 - Clive Dunn

Clive Dunn, singer, actor in UK TV's 'Dads Army' 1971 UK No.1 single 'Granddad'. Died on 6 November 2012.

1941 - Joan Baez

American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and activist Joan Baez. She scored the 1971 US No.3 & UK No.6 single 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' and was one of the first major artists to record the songs of Bob Dylan in the early 1960s. Baez also performed three songs at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

1943 - Scott Engel

Scott Walker (born Noel Scott Engel), singer with The Walker Brothers best known for their 1966 UK No.1 & US No.13 single 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore'. Walker began a solo career with 1967's Scott, moving toward an increasingly challenging baroque pop style on late '60s albums such as Scott 3 (1969) and Scott 4 (1969). As a record producer or guest performer, he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper and Bat for Lashes. Walker died on 25 March 2019 age 76. 

1943 - Kenneth Kelley

Kenneth Kelley, vocals, The Manhattans, (1976 US No.1 & UK No.4 single 'Kiss And Say Goodbye').

1943 - Dick Yount

Dick Yount, guitar, vocals, Harper's Bizarre, (1967 US No. 13 & UK No.34 single 'The 59th Street Bridge Song, Feelin' Groovy').

1944 - Jimmy Page

Jimmy Page guitarist and producer, member of the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin. The bands fourth album released in 1971 featuring the rock classic Stairway To Heaven has sold over 37 million copies. Formed The Honeydrippers, (with Robert Plant, Jeff Beck& Nile Rodgers) who had the 1984 US No.3 single Sea Of Love. As a session guitarist in the 60s Page played on Here Comes The Night by Them, Shout by Lulu and The Who's 'Can't Explain'.

1948 - Tim Hart

Tim Hart, guitarist and singer with English folk rock band Steeleye Span who formed in 1969. They had the 1975 UK No.5 single 'All Around My Hat' and a hit with 'Gaudete'. Hart died on 24 Dec 2009.

1948 - Bill Cowsill

Bill Cowsill, from American singing group The Cowsills, who had the 1967 US No.2 single 'The Rain, The Park & Other Things', and the 1969 US No.2 single the theme from 'Hair'. TV's Partridge Family was based on The Cowsills family. He died on 18 February 2006. 

1950 - David Johansen

David Johansen, vocals, The New York Dolls, 1973 album 'New York Dolls'. Now a solo artist and actor. Played Buster Poindexter in Saturday Night Live House band.

1951 - Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle, singer, songwriter, (1977 US No.2 & UK No.5 single 'Don't It Make Your Brown Eyes Blue').

1963 - Eric Erlandson

Eric Erlandson, guitarist with American alternative rock band Hole. The band has been noted for being one of the most commercially successful female-fronted rock bands of all time.

1963 - Eric Erlandson

American guitarist Eric Erlandson known as founding member, songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole. He has also had several musical side projects, including Rodney & the Tube Tops, which he formed with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.

1964 - Phil Hartnoll

Phil Hartnoll, from English electronic dance music duo Orbital, who had the 1996 UK No.11 single 'The Box'. The band's name is taken from Greater London's orbital motorway, the M25.

1965 - Haddaway

Haddaway, singer, (1993 UK No.2 'What Is Love').

1967 - Dave Matthews

South African-born American singer-songwriter, Dave Matthews who had the 1998 US No.1 album 'Before These Crowded Streets' and the 2001 US No.1 album 'Everyday'. Dave Matthews Band are the first group to have six consecutive studio albums debut at the top of the US charts.

1967 - Steve Harwell

Steve Harwell, American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist for the band Smash Mouth.

1978 - A.J McLean

A.J McLean, vocals, Backstreet Boys, (1997 US No.2 single 'Quit Playing Games With My Heart', 1999 UK No.1 single 'I Want It That Way').

1987 - Paolo Nutini

Paolo Nutini, Scottish singer, songwriter, (2006 UK No.3 album 'These Streets', 2009 UK No.1 album 'Sunny Side Up').