This Date In Music History-January 20

Birthdays:

Paul Stanley- KISS (1952)

Ian Hill- Judas Priest (1952)

Eric Stewart- Mindbenders (1945)

Rick Evans- Zager and Evans (1943)

Slim Whitman was born in 1924.

Songwriter Lee Pockriss ("Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” "Johnny Angel” and many others) turns 81.


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1942, Billy Powell, vocals, The O'Jays (died on May 26, 1982).

Ron Townson of the 5th Dimension was born in 1933 (died on August 3, 2001).

Lead Belly was born in Mooringsport, LA in 1889 (died December 6, 1949).

Alan Freed, who many credit with coining the term "Rock and Roll,” died in 1965 at the age of 43. Freed was a Cleveland disc jockey who started promoting dances that featured the top artists of the day, including, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. After moving to New York and appearing in some teen movies, he was caught up in the payola scandal of 1959 for accepting money for playing certain records on his radio show. Before his death, he was virtually broke and fighting charges of tax evasion. It was a sad end for one of Rock and Roll's most important pioneers.


History:

In 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis was booked to play the Grand Ole Opry on the condition that he would stick to Country and Western tunes only. Jerry did just that for a while, but eventually broke into his old Rock hits from the 50's, while swearing up a storm. He proclaimed, "I am the rock and rollin', country and western, rhythm and blues singin' motherf***er."

"Get A Job" by The Silhouettes was released in 1958. The song would climb to #1 in the US and is considered to be a Rock and Roll classic, although the Philadelphia quartet who sang it never had another Top 40 hit.

In 1965, the Byrds covered Bob Dylan’s "Mr. Tambourine Man." However, only group leader/guitarist Jim McGuinn was allowed to play on the track. CBS Records decided to use Hollywood session musicians rather than the group.

"Meet the Beatles" was released in the US in 1964.

In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat thrown onstage by a fan in Des Moines, Iowa. He was taken to hospital to undergo a rabies injection.

Today in 1968, the song "Judy in Disguise (with Glasses)" by John Fred & His Playboy Band topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

In 1969, Elvis Presley recorded "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds" It was the first time he had recorded in Memphis since 1956.

In 1970, Creedence Clearwater Revival hits #2 with "Travelin' Band" and "Lookin' Out My Back Door," and #4 with "Up Around the Bend.” The group never had a #1 hit.

In 1988, The Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Drifters, Bob Dylan, Berry Gordy, Jr., Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Les Paul and the Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during ceremonies at New York's Waldorf Astoria. During the Beach Boys acceptance speech, vocalist Mike Love insulted just about everybody in the music business, including Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger. "I don’t have much to say ‘cause I’m the quiet Beatle," dead panned George Harrison in his speech.

In 1990, Michael Bolton started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart with 'How Am I Supposed To Live Without You', the singers first #1 and the first #1 single of the 90's in the US.

The Rolling Stones appearred on the season premiere of ABC’s pop music show Shindig in 1965. They bring Blues great Howlin’ Wolf along as special guest.

In 1958, KWK, a radio station in St. Louis, wraps up their "Record Breaking Week". After the station manager Robert Convey decided rock 'n' roll should be banned from their airwaves, DJs were allowed to play every rock record in their library once on air and then smash it to pieces. Convey describes the stunt as "a simple weeding out of undesirable music."

In 1968, having been in seclusion since his 1966 motorcycle accident, Bob Dylan tried to build bridges with the folk community he left behind by "going electric". He and the Band performed at a Carnegie Hall tribute to Woody Guthrie, sharing a bill with Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Odetta and Ramblin' Jack Elliott.