Births
1937 Nancy Wilson, singer, ('1964 US No.11 single You Don't Know How Glad I Am').
1940 Barbara Ellis, The Fleetwoods, (1959 US No.1 & UK No.6 single 'Come Softly To Me').
1941 Buffy Sainte-Marie, Canadian singer, songwriter, (1971 UK No.7 single 'Soldier Blue', 1972 US No.38 single 'Mister Can't You See'). Wrote 'Up Where We Belong' the 1982 US No.1 & UK No.7 for Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.
1944 Lew Soloff, trumpet, Blood Sweat & Tears, (1969 US No.12 & UK No.35 single 'You've Made Me So Very Happy').
1945 Alan Hull, guitarist, singer, songwriter, Lindisfarne, (1972 UK No.3 single 'Lady Eleanor' and solo). Hull died of a heart attack on 17th November 1996.
1946 J Geils, guitarist, The J. Geils Band, (1982 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Centerfold', taken from the US No.1 1981 album 'Centerfold').
1950 Walter Becker, bass, guitar, vocals, 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.
1951 Randy California, guitar, vocals, Spirit, (1969 US No.25 single 'I Got A Line On You', 1981 UK No.40 album 'Potato Land'). Died on 2nd January 1997 when rescuing his 12 year-old son after he was sucked into a riptide in surf off Hawaii.
1954 Jon Brant, Cheap Trick, (1979 UK No.29 & US No.17 single 'I Want You To Want Me', 1988 US No.1 single 'The Flame').
1960 Mark Reilly, singer, Matt Bianco, (1988 UK No.11 single 'Don't Blame It On That Girl').
1960 Robert Boustead, King Kurt, (1983 UK '36 single 'Destination Zululand').
1967 Kurt Cobain, guitar, vocals, Nirvana, (1991 UK No.7 and 1992 US No.6 single 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', from the 1991 album 'Nevermind' which spent over two years on the UK chart and was a US No.1 album in 1992). Cobain committed suicide on April 5th 1994.
1972 Neil Primrose, drummer, Travis, (1999 UK No.1 album 'The Man Who', 1999 UK No.10 single 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me' plus over 10 other UK Top 40 singles).
1975 Brian Littrell, vocals, Backstreet Boys, (1997 US No.2 single 'Quit appearing Games With My Heart', 1999 UK No.1 single 'I Want It That Way').
1977 Edwin Graham, drums, The Darkness, (2003 UK No.2 single 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love', 2003 UK No.1 album 'Permission To Land').
1981 Edward Lay, drummer, Editors, (2007 UK No.1 album album 'An End Has A Start').
1985 Volkova Olegovna, singer, Tatu, (2003 UK No.1 single 'All The Things She Said').
1988 Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty), R&B singer, (2006 US & Australian No.1 and UK No.2 single 'SOS', 2006 US Top 10 album 'A Girl Like Me'. 2007 US, UK and Australian No.1 single 'Umbrella' featuring Jay-Z. 'Umbrella' became the longest runnning UK No.1 in the 21st Century.
Deaths
2001 UK singer Ronnie Hilton died aged 73. Hilton scored a total of 18 UK Top 40 hits during his career including the 1956 No.1 'No Other Love.'
2003 In West Warwick, RI, 99 people were killed when fire destroyed the nightclub The Station. The fire started with sparks from a pyrotechnic display being used by Great White. Ty Longley, guitarist for Great White, was one of the victims in the fire.
Events
1940 Larry Clinton and his orchestra recorded "Limehouse Blues".
1949 Ricky Nelson joined the cast of his parents' radio show.
1958 Appearing on the first date of a six day tour of Florida were Bill Haley and his Comets, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmie Rodgers, under the title 'The Big Gold Record Stars.'
1960 Jimi Hendrix made his stage debut when he played a show at a High School in Seattle.
1963 The Beatles drove through the night from Liverpool to London to appear on the live lunchtime BBC radio program "Parade of the Pops." Performing 'Love Me Do' and 'Please Please Me', the appearance lasted just over 4 minutes. They then drove another 180 mile trip back north for their performance that night at the Swimming Baths, Doncaster, Yorkshire.
1964 The Bachelors were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Diane.' This was the Irish trio's only UK No.1 from 16 other UK Top 40 hits.
1964 The Beach Boys recorded "Don't Worry Baby".
1965 Gary Lewis and the Playboys started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'This Diamond Ring.' Lewis is the son of actor Jerry Lewis.
1969 "Goodbye Cream" opened in Baltimore. The film was of Cream's November 26, 1968 farewell concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.
1969 The X-rated film "Candy" premiered. It was Ringo Starr's first non-musical role in a film.
1970 John Lennon's "Instant Karma" was released in the U.S.
1970 The single 'Instant Karma' by The Plastic Ono Band was released in the US. John Lennon had written, recorded and mixed the track all in one day on the 22nd January 1970.
1971 Appearing at Kingston Poly, London were Yes, supported by Queen. Tickets cost 50p ($0.85c).
1971 The soundtrack to 'Jesus Christ Superstar' went to No.1 on the US album chart. The album peaked at No.6 on the UK chart.
1972 Chicory Tip were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Son Of My Father.'
1972 During a tour of Australia Led Zeppelin appeared at the Kooyong Tennis Courts, Melbourne in Australia.
1974 Cher filed for separation from husband Sonny Bono. She filed for divorce not long afterwards. They had been married for 10 years.
1976 KISS placed their footprints on the sidewalk outside the Grauman Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
1976 Appearing at the College Of Art, High Wycombe, Screaming Lord Sutch supported by The *** Pistols.
1976 Marc Bolan played at Bournemouth Winter Gardens, England.
1977 Winners at this years Grammy Awards included Stevie Wonder for Best album with 'Songs In The Key Of Life', and Best Vocal performance for 'I Wish.' Best album went to Chicago for 'Chicago X' and Best new artist went to the Starland Vocal Band.
1978 Abba were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Take A Chance On Me', the groups seventh number 1.
1982 Pat Benatar married her guitarist and producer Neil Giraldo on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
1985 Touring the UK The Bangles played at The Marquee in London, tickets cost L3.
1988 The all girl group Expose went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Seasons Change', not a hit in the UK.
1988 Kylie Minogue was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Should Be So Lucky.' Minogue had become a household name playing Charlene Ramsey in Australian soap Neighbours. After every major UK record company turned down the track, producer Pete Waterman released the single on his PWL label. Kylie has gone on to score another 25 top 30 hit singles.
1991 Bob Dylan was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the 33rd annual Grammy' Awards.
1992 Paula Abdul and actor Emilio Estevez announced their engagement.
1993 Buddy Holly and the Crickets went to No.1 on the UK album chart with the 'Words of Love' compilation album.
1993 Dinosaur Jr kicked off a 7-date UK tour at Glasgow Barrowlands.
1994 Tori Amos went to No.1 on the UK album chart with her second solo album 'Under The Pink.'
1996 Rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg and a bodyguard were found not guilty of first-degree murder. The jury was deadlocked on voluntary manslaughter charges resulting in a mistrial.
1997 Ben and Jerry's introduced a their ice cream Phish Food. It was named after the rock group Phish.
1998 The first of two concerts honoring the late Nicolette Larson was held.
2000 ABC-TV aired the "Little Richard" TV movie.
2000 All Saints started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Pure Shores'. The group's fourth UK No. 1.
2001 Two estate agents were committed to trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court accused of stealing nude photographs of Patsy Kensit, (the ex wife of Liam Gallagher of Oasis), from the couple's home.
2002 Winners at this year's Brit Awards included, Robbie Williams for Best Male act, Dido won Best Female act, Travis won Best British group, S Club 7 Best single for 'Don't Stop Movin' The Strokes won best international newcomer, Best International Female was Kylie Minogue, International Group went to Destiny's Child and Sting won Outstanding Contribution To Music.
2002 In Los Angeles, CA, a jury awarded a woman $40,000 for wrongful termination from James Brown's company in 1999. The woman had also claimed that she had been sexually harassed.
2004 Brian Wilson kicked off an 11-date UK tour at London's Royal Festival Hall. The shows saw Wilson performing the full suite of songs from his unreleased masterpiece 'Smile' Wilson's 'teenage symphony to God.
2005 Scissor Sisters went to No.1 on the US album chart with their debut and self-titled album, also a No.1 in the UK.
2008 Winners at this year's Brit Awards in London, included Take That who won the trophies for best British live act and British single, The Arctic Monkeys won best British group and album - both for the second year in a row and Foo Fighters won best international group and album. Kate Nash won best British female and Mark Ronson was named best British male. Kylie Minogue won best international female and Mika was named best British breakthrough act. Sir Paul McCartney performed a medley of hits, including Live and Let Die, Hey Jude and Lady Madonna after he was honoured with an outstanding contribution award. The show was presented by Sharon Osbourne.
2008 Pink split from her husband Carey Hart following two years of marriage. The Grammy award winning-singer had met Hart, a motocross racing driver, in Las Vegas and proposed to him in 2005.
