ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC

January 1st

1953 - Hank Williams

American singer-songwriter and musician singer Hank Williams died of a heart attack brought on by a lethal cocktail of pills and alcohol aged 29. Williams is regarded as one of the most important country music artists of all time. I consider him more important than that as the 'country' label limits him and I consider him the father of the pop song in many ways, his song structure and brevity making for the hit single more than almost anybody else. 35 of these singles (five released posthumously) were placed in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, 11 of which ranked at No.1, including 'Cold, Cold Heart,' 'Hey, Good Lookin', 'I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive,' 'Jambalaya' and 'Your Cheatin' Heart.' During his last years Williams's consumption of alcohol, morphine and painkillers severely compromised his professional life. His work is still covered today from Dr John to the Carpenters, from Norah Jones, Leon Redbone to The Fess [Professor Longhair] to pretty much every folk club and country music club still going. 

1956 - Bill Haley

Bill Haley's 'Rock Around the Clock' went to No.1 on the UK singles chart for the second time. The single is often cited as the biggest-selling vinyl rock and roll single of all time with sales over 25m. We had it on 78 and played it on a wind up record player!

1957 - Cool For Cats

BBC Television aired its new rock & roll show 'Cool For Cats' for the first time. With a miniscule budget, the program was forced to rely on artists miming and the talents of a resident dance group (led by Douglas Squires). Ker Robertson, the first host, was succeeded after a few weeks by Kent Walton, later better known for his ITV wrestling commentaries

1959 - Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash played a free concert (how were they going to pay!?) for the inmates of San Quentin Prison, California. One of the audience members was 19 year-old Merle Haggard, who was in the midst of a 15 year sentence (he served three years) for grand theft auto and armed robbery.

1962 - The Beatles

The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records in West Hampstead, London. A&R boss at Decca Dick Rowe turned them down in what is considered one of the biggest mistakes in music industry history, Decca decided to reject the band, selecting instead Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.

1964 - It's Number One, It's Top of The Pops

The first edition of the BBC TV show Top Of The Pops was transmitted from an old church hall in Manchester, England. Acts miming to their latest releases included The Rolling Stones, (I Wanna Be Your Man), The Dave Clark Five, (Glad All Over), The Hollies, (Stay), and The Swinging Blue Jeans, (Hippy Hippy Shake). The first song played was Dusty Springfield's 'I Only Want To Be With You'. Also featured on disc and film, The Beatles (I Want to Hold Your Hand), Freddie & the Dreamers, Cliff Richard and the Shadows and Gene Pitney. Unfortunately it was presented by one of the first ever DJs and serial sex offender the incontinently promiscuous paedophile, Jimmy Savile who never got to face his crimes in his lifetime

1966 - Simon and Garfunkel

Simon and Garfunkel started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Sounds Of Silence', a No.13 hit in the UK.

1967 - The Doors

The Doors made their first live television appearance lip-synching their first single 'Break on Through' on Shebang, KTLA-TV Channel 5 in Los Angeles. The single peaked No. 126 on the US chart mainly due to lack of airplay after censors objected to the drug use implied by the line "she gets high", which is repeated in the middle section of the song. Although actually edited for public sue and radio play as 'she get . . . . . . ' which just made us wonder even more what did she get Jim!?

1968 - Billboard

Billboard magazine reported that for the first time albums had outsold singles in the US with album sales reaching over 192 million units.

1969 - Marmalade

Marmalade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of The Beatles song 'Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da', which features on The White Album.


1977 - Genesis

Genesis played the first of three nights at the new-look Rainbow Theatre, London, tickets cost £2.50 ($4.25). The theatre had been completely renovated at a cost of £80,000 ($136,000).

1977 - Clash

The Clash played the opening night at punk's first real venue, The Roxy Club in London.

1982 - Abba

ABBA made their final live appearance as a group when they played in Stockholm, Sweden.

1984 - Alexis Korner

Alexis Korner died of lung cancer aged 55. Know as "the Founding Father of British Blues", he was a major force behind the UK early 60s R&B scene. Formed Blues Incorporated; members at various times included Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Long John Baldry, Graham Bond and Charlie Watts. Had hits with CCS, including a version of Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' which was used as the theme for BBC's Top Of The Pops for several years. He became a radio presenter in the Seventies. 

Line up here: 
Alexis Korner, Peter Thorup – vocals
Alan Parker – guitar
Spike Heatley, Herbie Flowers – bass
Barry Morgan, Tony Carr – drums
Bill Le Sage, Jim Lawless – percussion
John Cameron – piano, conductor, arranger, liner notes
Bob Efford, Danny Moss, Harold McNair, Ron Ross, Tony Coe – saxophone
Greg Bowen, Harold Beckett, Henry Lowther, Kenny Wheeler, Les Condon, Tony Fisher – trumpet
Bill Geldard, Brian Perrin, Don Lusher, John Marshall – trombone

Note his fellow guitarist here . . . . . . . Mod and reborn rocker blues artist Stevie Marriott!

1989 - Nirvana

Nirvana signed a one-year recording contract with Sub Pop records. The Seattle based label began not as a record label but as a fanzine (called Subterranean Pop), in the early 80s, also signed Soundgarden and Mudhoney.

1990 - Led Zeppelin

New American radio station WKRL in Florida played the Led Zeppelin track 'Stairway To Heaven' for 24 hours, as a prelude to an all Zeppelin format.

more on the story here . . . . .

1997 - Townes Van Zandt

American singer songwriter Townes Van Zandt died age 52. His music has been covered by such notable and varied musicians as Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Cowboy Junkies, Andrew Bird, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard covered his song 'Pancho and Lefty', scoring a No.1 hit on the Billboard country music charts.




2002 - Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton married 25-year old Melia McEnery the mother of his baby daughter at a secret ceremony at the 15th Century St Mary Magdalen Church in Ripley, Surrey, England where Eric was born. They have three daughters Julie, Ella Mae and Rosie

2008 - Music Downloads

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) reported that the number of music downloads sold in the UK in the final week of 2007 was double the total of 12 months earlier. In total there were 2.95 million downloads in seven days, the highest ever recorded for any weekly period. And when the whole of the year was taken into account, 77.5 million downloads were sold in the UK in 2007.

2009 - Duffy

According to official UK sales figures Duffy's debut album Rockferry came top of the year-end chart, with 1.685 million copies sold.

2011 - Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry cut short a concert at Congress Theater, Chicago, Illinois after collapsing on stage an hour into the show. Berry slumped over a keyboard and did not move for a couple of minutes before being helped off stage, he returned 15 minutes later only to be forced off again almost immediately. The 84 year-old later re-emerged on stage but told fans he had no strength to continue performing.

2013 - Patti Page

Patti Page, one of the most popular artists of the 1950s, died at the age of 85. She recorded four US No.1 hits, including 'Tennessee Waltz' and the novelty record '(How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window'. Page recorded her first hit single, 'Confess' in 1947. Because of a strike, background singers were not available to provide harmony vocals for the song, so instead, Page decided to overdub her own, thus, Page became the first pop artist to overdub her vocals on a song.

2013 - Ultravox

Ultravox's 1981 hit 'Vienna' was voted the UK's favourite number two single. The song topped a poll by BBC Radio 2 and the Official Charts Company to find the greatest track to miss out on the number one spot. Vienna was held off by novelty track 'Shaddup You Face' by Joe Dolce. 'Fairytale of New York' by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl was voted into second place. Other songs to feature included The Beatles 'Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever', The Who's 'My Generation' and Don McLean's 'American Pie'.

2019 - Pegi Young 

American singer, songwriter Pegi Young died of cancer age 66. She first met future husband Neil Young in 1974 when she was working as a waitress at a diner near his ranch, a story he tells in the 1992 song ‘Unknown Legend’. They married in August 1978 and had two children. Her debut as a singer came in 1983 when she was a member of The Pinkettes, the backing vocalists on her husband's rockabilly Shocking Pinks tour. She released her debut solo album in 2007.

Neil Young pays tribute to Peggy - NME

BIRTHDAYS

1950 - Morgan Fisher

English musician Morgan Fisher, keyboards from Mott The Hoople, 1972 UK No.3 & US No.37 single 'All The Young Dudes', a song David Bowie offered the band on hearing they were about to split up.

1942 - Joe McDonald

Joe McDonald, vocals, Country Joe and the Fish, 1968 US hit 'I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die.' was an American psychedelic rock band formed in Berkeley, California, in 1965. The band was among the influential groups in the San Francisco music scene during the mid- to late 1960s. Much of the band's music was written by founding members Country Joe McDonald and Barry "The Fish" Melton, with lyrics pointedly addressing issues of importance to the counterculture, such as anti-war protests, free love, and recreational drug use.
I loved Country Joe and his Fixin to Die Rag was probably the first song Learned to play on the guitar (sort of!) and me and [legendary drummer!] Johnny Marter used to play it in the park 'til our fingers bled . . . . . . . The Fish I had been turned on to by Grammar school boy and must extraordinaire Alan Bateman. So much so that I followed them until seeing 'Quiet Days in Clichy at Artschool (filth!) as it explores the early work of Henry Miller who's entire oeuvre I went on to read . . . . . . . .
Let's hear it for the Fish!