ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

21st January
1965 - Roy Orbison

Over 3,000 screaming fans met The Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison at Sydney Airport when they arrived for a 16 date tour of Australia and New Zealand.

1966 - George Harrison

George Harrison married Patti Boyd at Leatherhead Register Office in Surrey with Paul McCartney as Best man. George had first met Patti on the set of The Beatles movie 'A Hard Day's Night'. She left Harrison in the mid-'70s and started an affair with Harrison's friend Eric Clapton, who wrote the song "Layla" about her. The two married in May 1979, but split in 1988.

1968 - Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix recorded his version of the Bob Dylan song 'All Along the Watchtower' at Olympic Studios in London. Rolling Stone Brian Jones (percussion) and Dave Mason from Traffic (twelve-string guitar) both played on the session. The track was released in the US as a single in 1968, peaking at No.20.


1972 - Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd appeared at The Guildhall, Portsmouth, England. This was the first time that they were able to perform the whole of what became the The Dark Side of The Moon album in its entirety, the previous night's performance in Brighton having been halted for technical reasons.



1978 - John Travolta

The soundtrack album 'Saturday Night Fever' started a 24 week run at No.1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.

1982 - B.B. King

B.B. King donated his entire record collection of over 20,000 discs to Mississippi University's centre for the Study of Southern Culture.

1984 - Jackie Wilson

Soul singer Jackie Wilson died aged 49. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage while singing 'Lonely Teardrops', and had remained in a coma until his death 8 years later. His 1957 single 'Reet Petite' became a posthumous No.1 when re-issued in 1987 due in part to a new animated video made for the song, featuring a clay model of Wilson. Van Morrison wrote 'Jackie Wilson Said' which was covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners.



1987 - Aretha Franklin

Keith Richards inducted Aretha Franklin at the second annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Awards, held in New York City. Keith later took part in a jam with Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley,  Roy Orbison, Sting, and Daryl Hall.


1992 - Billy Idol

Billy Idol pleaded guilty to assault and battery charges after an incident outside a West Hollywood restaurant. He was fined $2,700 (£1,588) and ordered to appear in a series of anti-drug commercials.

1997 - 'Colonel' Tom Parker

'Colonel' Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager and agent died of a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 87. Born Andreas van Kuijk, a Dutch immigrant who changed his name as soon as he arrived in the US, Parker never applied for a green card and feared deportation his entire life. Hence why he never left the country which probably resulted in Elvis' lack of young and why he never played the UK. He briefly managed country singers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.

1997 - Irwin Levine

American songwriter Irwin Levine died of kidney failure aged 58. He co-wrote, 'Knock Three Times' and 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon' both US & UK No.1's for Tony Orlando and Dawn in the early Seventies.

2002 - Peggy Lee

American singer and actress Peggy Lee died of complications from diabetes and a heart attack at the age of 81. 1958 US No. 8 & UK No.5 single 'Fever.' Lee worked with Benny Goodman, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones and was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning Best Contemporary Vocal Performance for her 1969 hit 'Is That All There Is?'

2003 - David Palmer

David Palmer, former keyboard player for Jethro Tull changed his name to Dee Palmer after a successful sex change operation. Palmer was the keyboard player for Jethro Tull between 1969 and 1980. He played on all the Tull classics including 'Thick As A Brick' and 'Aqualung.'

'David' and Ian

2004 - Mariah Carey

As the third season of American Idol was aired on US TV a memo was leaked showing a list of songs banned from being performed at this year's auditions that included, Elton John's 'Candle In The Wind' and 'Fallin' by Alicia Keys. Also all songs by Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, No Doubt, Tom Petty, Korn and Linkin Park were not allowed after concerns over the cost of securing rights for the song's use, (or the composers not wanting their song's to be performed on the show).

2007 - Mika

Mika scored his debut UK number one hit single with 'Grace Kelly', which went on to be became the third biggest-selling single in the UK in 2007. Amy Winehouse kept her place at the top of the UK album chart with 'Back to Black'.


2012 - Adele

Adele was at No.1 on the US album chart with her second studio album 21. The album which yielded five hit singles including the lead single 'Rolling in the Deep', has now sold over 26.4 million copies worldwide.

BIRTHDAYS

1976 - Emma Bunton

English singer, songwriter, actress, and radio and television presenter Emma Bunton, (Baby Spice in The Spice Girls) who scored the 1996 UK No.1 & 1997 US No.1 single 'Wannabe'. She had the 2001 UK No.1 solo single 'What Took You So Long'.

1966 - Wendy James

Wendy James, singer with English group Transvision Vamp who had the 1989 UK No.3 single 'Baby I Don't Care'.

1950 - Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean, singer, (1988 US No.1 & UK No.3 single 'Get Out Of My Dreams Get Into My Car'). Seemingly one of the nicest people in pop

1942 - Martin Sharp

Australian artist, cartoonist, songwriter and film-maker Martin Sharp - Australia's foremost pop artist. His psychedelic posters of Bob Dylan, Donovan and others, rank as classics of the genre. Martin co-wrote one of Cream's best known songs, ‘Tales of Brave Ulysses’, created the cover art for Cream's Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire albums, and in the 1970s became a champion of singer Tiny Tim. Sharp died from emphysema on 1 Dec 2013 aged 71. I loved Sharp's work as I have said previously and had several of his posters some of which I still have . . . . 

1941 - Richie Havens

Richie Havens, folk singer, (1971 US No.16 single with his version of George Harrison's 'Here Comes The Sun', appeared at Woodstock, Newport, and Isle Of Wight festivals). Havens died of a heart attack at home in Jersey City, New Jersey aged 72 on 22nd April 2013. This man, this voice made us all sit up and say what the, who the, how the . . . . . I DIG this! Freedom is right mahn!

1938 - DJ Wolfman Jack

DJ Wolfman Jack. Master of ceremonies for the rock 'n' roll generation of the '60s on radio, and later on television during the '70s. Died of a heart attack 1 July 1995.



with eternal thanks to On This Day In Music