This Month in music history
January 1
• 1962: The Beatles perform their first record company audition for Decca Records and are not signed
January 2
• 1943: Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills and Nash is born
January 3
• 1946: John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin is born
• 1945: Steven Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash is born
January 4
• 1960: Michael Stipe of R.E.M. is born
January 5
• 1940: FM radio is unveiled to America’s Federal Communications Commission; within a year, clear and static-free FM radio is available to the public
• 1923: Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records, is born
January 6
• 1964: The Rolling Stones embark on their first headlining tour
• 1957: Elvis Presley makes his third and final appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show;” bowing to pressure from moralists, Sullivan orders that Presley only be filmed from the waist up to avoid broadcasting his now famous swivel hips dance style
• 1946: Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd is born Roger Barrett
• 1924: Earl Scruggs is born
January 7
• 1958: Gibson registers patent for the Flying V Model Electric Guitar
January 8
• 1991: Steve Clark of Def Leppard dies
• 1947: David Bowie is born David Robert Jones
• 1946: Robbie Krieger of The Doors is born
• 1935: Elvis Presley is born
January 9
• 1950: David Johansen of The New York Dolls is born
• 1944: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is born
• 1941: Joan Baez is born
January 10
• 1976: Blues legend Howlin’ Wolf dies at the age of 65
• 1953: Pat Benatar is born Patricia Andrzejewski
• 1948: Donald Fagen of Steely Dan is born
• 1945: Rod Stewart is born
• 1943: Jim Croce is born
January 11
• 1964: Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire becomes the first country album to top the U.S. pop album chart
• 1963: Whiskey A-Go-Go opens on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles
January 14
• 1970: Diana Ross plays her last show with The Supremes before embarking on a solo career
• 1968: LL Cool J is born James Todd Smith on Long Island
January 15
• 1967: The Rolling Stones appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and, at Sullivan’s request, change the lyrics from “Let’s spend the night together” to “Let’s spend some time together”
• 1949: Ronnie Van Zandt of Lynyrd Skynyrd is born Ronald Wayne Van Zandt
January 17
• 1955: Steve Earle is born
January 19
• 1981: Chris Wright, the chairman of the British Phonograph Industry, predicts the new cassette format will cause the death of vinyl
• 1943: Janis Lynn Joplin is born
January 20
• 1982: Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off of a live bat thrown at him during a performance
• 1950: Paul Stanley of Kiss is born
January 21
• 1941: Ritchie Havens is born
January 22
• 1960: Michael Hutchence of INXS is born
• 1931: Sam Cooke is born
January 23
• 1953: Robin Zander of Cheap Trick is born
• 1910: Django Reinhardt is born
January 24
• 1947: Warren Zevon is born
• 1941: Neil Diamond is born Noah Kaminski
January 26
• 1957: Eddie Van Halen is born
January 27
• 1984: Michael Jackson suffers second and third degree burns to his head and neck after his hair catches fire from sparks from pyrotechnic effects during the filming of a Pepsi commercial
January 29
• 1952: Tommy Ramone of The Ramones is born Thomas Erdelyi
January 30
• 1982: Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins dies
• 1969: The Beatles perform together for the last time atop the roof of Apple Records’ headquarters in London; authorities stop the performance 42 minutes into the set during “Get Back” because of noise complaints
January 31
• 1956: Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols is born Johnny Lydon
Compiled from the archives of Rock & Roll Library www.rocklibrary.com
