This Date In Music History-January 27

Birthdays:

Bobby "Blue" Bland (1930)

British rock songwriter and singer Kevin Coyne (1944)

Nick Mason - drummer for Pink Floyd (1945)

Nedra Talley - Ronettes (1947)

Brian Downey - Thin Lizzy (1951)

Seth Justman - J. Geils Band (1951)

Richard Young - The Kentucky Headhunters (1955)

Margo Timmins - Cowboy Junkies (1959)

Gillian Gilbert - New Order (1961)

Mike Patton - Faith No More (1968)

Mark Trojanowski - Sister Hazel (1970)

Mark Owen - Take That (1974)


They Are Missed:

Born on this day in 1918, Elmore James, US blues guitarist, singer, wrote "Shake Your Money Maker," covered by Fleetwood Mac in 1968. Influenced Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Keith Richards. James died 24th May 1963.

Mahalia Jackson, who once remarked that she sang "because I was lonely," died in 1972. The gospel singer had been in ill-health ever since her heart attack in 1964. She was 60 years old.

Born today in 1919, David Seville, creator of The Chipmunks, (1958 #1 single "The Chipmunk Song") Seville died on January 16, 1972.

Gene McFadden, R&B vocalist and songwriter, best known as half of the Philly soul team McFadden & Whitehead, died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 56. The duo had the 1979 hit "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," which sold more than 8 million copies and was nominated for a Grammy Award.


History:

In 1956, Elvis Presley's single, "Heartbreak Hotel" was released by RCA Records, who had just purchased Presley's contract from Sun Records for $35,000. The song sold 300,000 copies in its first week and would eventually sell over a million, becoming Elvis' first Gold record.



Little Richard entered Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama in 1958. It's a school for blacks run by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Little Richard explained while flying over the Philippines on tour, the wing on his plane caught fire and his prayers that the flames go out were answered. As a result, he says he's giving up rock & roll so he can serve God. Amen...

Johnny Horton recorded "The Battle Of New Orleans" in 1959.

In 1961, Frank Sinatra played a benefit show at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Martin Luther King.

Joey and the Starlighters started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1962 with "Peppermint Twist, part 1."

In 1962, the Beatles appeared at Aintree Institute in Aintree, Liverpool. The group had played here many times before but this was their last performance at the venue. Brian Epstein became infuriated when the promoter paid The Beatles' fee (£15 pounds) with handfuls of loose change. Epstein took this as an insult to the group, and made sure that The Beatles never played for that promoter (Brian Kelly) again.

Also in 1962, Elvis Presley received his 29th gold record for "Can't Help falling in Love," just weeks after getting one for the soundtrack to his seventh movie, "Blue Hawaii."

In 1964, the Rolling Stones appear as judges on the British "rate-a-record" TV show "Juke Box Jury." Their somewhat impolite behavior on the set causes a furor in the British press.

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



The Bee Gees make their U.S. debut in 1968 with two concerts at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. They put $50,000 in their pockets and immediately head back to England without appearing elsewhere in the states.

David Bowie arrived in the US for the first time in 1971; he couldn't play live because of work permit restrictions, but attracted publicity when he wore a dress at a promotion event. That'll teach them!

The New Seekers received a gold record in 1972 for "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing." It's a tune that will be better remembered as the music for the Coca-Cola commercials.

Originally given to guitarist Jeff Beck but not immediately released, Stevie Wonder’s cut at his own song, “Superstition,” was a chart topper in 1973; his second #1 single in the US, 10 years after his first #1.

In 1976, a $2 million suit was brought against attorney Micahel Lippan by his former client, David Bowie. Bowie charged that Lippman took a 15-percent agent's fee instead of the customary ten percent and that he withheld $475,000 after being dismissed by Bowie.

Rod Stewart's album Blondes Have More Fun becomes number one on the Billboard chart in 1979. Sales of the album are spurred by the insipid single "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?," and the success representes a comeback for Stewart.

Madonna made her first appearance in the UK in 1984 when she appeared on C4 TV music program The Tube performing "Holiday." The show was broadcast live from the Hacienda Club in Manchester.

In 1984, Michael Jackson's hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi TV commercial.

In 1993, Warner Brothers announced it will release Ice-T from his recording contract. The company cites "creative differences" for the decision, which followed the previous year's controversy over Ice-T's "Cop Killer."

James Brown was charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful use of a firearm in 1998 after police were called to his South Carolina home. Brown later clamed the drugs were used to help his 'eyesight.' Um Ok....

Alan Jackson started a three week run at #1 on the US album chart in 2002 with ‘Drive.’

U2’s Bono joined British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in 2005 to address the issue of poverty in Africa. "(I) encourage people to do the right thing on the global stage," says Bono.

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen released “Working On A Dream,” his 16th studio album. Produced by longtime collaborator Brendan O'Brien, the set was recorded with the E Street Band during downtime on their tour. "All the songs were written quickly [and] we usually used one of our first few takes," says Springsteen. The album contains "The Last Carnival," a song that pays tribute to late E Street Band member Danny Federici. "It started out as a way of making sense of his passing," says Springsteen. "He was a part of that sound of the boardwalk the band grew up with."