This Day In Music History- Jan 27

Elmore James was born in Richland, MS. In 1918.

Nick Mason of Pink Floyd was born in 1945

In 1956, Elvis Presley's debut single for RCA, "Heartbreak Hotel," was released. The first of Presley's 17 Number One hits, it holds down the top spot for eight weeks. The song sold 300,000 copies the first week and would eventually sell over a million, becoming Elvis' first gold record.

In 1972, perhaps the world's greatest gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, died at age 60 in Evergreen Park, Ill.

The late David Seville ("Witch Doctor" and leader of the Chipmunks) was born in 1919.

Nedra Talley of the Ronettes ("Be My Baby") turns 62.

The Bee Gees made their first-ever appearance in the U.S. in 1968, at the Anaheim, California Convention Center (then head immediately back to England), after making $50,000.

Michael Jackson suffers scalp and neck burns when his hair catches fire during an accidental explosion on the set of a Pepsi commercial, shot in Los Angeles. Pepsi paid Jackson a $1.5 million settlement, which he then donated to the Brotman Memorial Hospital where he was treated. The commercial debuted on MTV on February 27, 1984 with the fire scene edited out.

"Peppermint Twist - Part I" by Joey Dee & the Starliters topped the charts in 1962 and stayed there for 3 weeks.

Bobby Bland was born in Rosemark, TN. in 1930.

Today in 1973, the song "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder topped the charts and stayed there for a week. (the song was Originally given to guitarist Jeff Beck but not immediately released, so Wonder cut his version).

In 2006, Gene McFadden, the R&B singer/songwriter who penned classics like The O'Jays' "Back Stabbers" and had a No. 1 hit as McFadden & Whitehead with "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," died of cancer complications. He was 56.

Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton was born in Eureka, CA. in 1958.

Margo Timmins, lead singer with the Cowboy Junkies, was born in Montreal in 1961.

Little Richard left Rock and Roll in 1958 and enrolled in bible school at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. Richard explained that while flying over the Philippines on tour, the wing of his plane caught fire and his prayers that the flames go out were answered, so he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to God.

Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was released in 1968. The release came 6 weeks after he was killed in a plane crash.

In 1971 David Bowie arrived for his first visit to the U.S. He did not perform, but received a lot of publicity for wearing dresses in Texas and Louisiana.

1967 General Motors begins offering an eight-track tape player as an option in their Buick line.

John Lennon writes, records and mixes "Instant Karma" during a nine hour session in 1970. Phil Spector produced the effort with George Harrison on guitar, Billy Preston on piano, Klaus Voormann on bass and Alan White on drums.

In 1972, the New Seekers received a gold record for "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing,” a song that received extensive air-play as the music for Coca-Cola commercials.