2023 Jeff Beck dies at 78 after coming down with bacterial meningitis.
2019 In light of the Surviving R. Kelly miniseries, Lady Gaga pulls her 2013 R. Kelly collaboration, "Do What U Want," from streaming services and issues a statement supporting his accusers.
2018 Motörhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clark dies of complications from pneumonia at age 67.
2017 Buddy Greco dies in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 90. Greco was a jazz singer who recorded several hit songs across all genres, his most popular being a cover of "The Lady is a Tramp." He also palled around with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and was considered one of the Rat Pack's "mascots."
2011 Margaret Whiting, a popular singer who duetted with Johnny Mercer on the seasonal favorite "Baby It's Cold Outside," dies at age 86.
2009 Fergie marries actor Josh Duhamel in Malibu, California. They split up eight years later.
2008 Panic! At The Disco announce they will be dropping their "!" with the release of their next album, Pretty. Odd.
2003 British and Dutch police recover 500 Beatles master tapes missing since they were stolen from Abbey Road studios about 30 years earlier.
1999 The Sopranos debuts on HBO. Bruce Springsteen's guitarist, Steven Van Zandt, plays Silvio Dante, a character he modeled on his relationship with Bruce: Unlike most of Tony Soprano's inner circle, Silvio doesn't want to be the boss.
1997 James Brown gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1995 Rory Gallagher plays his last concert, in the Netherlands. Five months later he dies of complications from a liver transplant.
1985 Chris Isaak releases his debut album, Silvertone. The LP is named after his three-piece backup band.
1979 Richard Carpenter of the Carpenters enters the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, to treat an addiction to quaaludes. He takes a year off after his treatment.
1979 Chris Smith, the half of Kris Kross known as "Daddy Mac," is born in Atlanta. The duo has a #1 hit in 1992 with "Jump."
1964 Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies is born in Winnipeg, Canada. His super-deep voice powers their big hit, "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm."
2016 Justin Bieber claims the top three spots on the UK singles chart, making him the first artist to do so. The songs: #1: "Love Yourself" #2: "Sorry" #3: "What Do You Mean?"
2006 The High School Musical soundtrack is released. It sells 6000 copies its first week, but after the movie airs on January 20, it does a lot better, eventually selling over 4 million, making it the #1 album of 2006.
1976 C.W. McCall's "Convoy" hits #1 in the US amid fascination with trucker culture and CB radios.
1969 Frustrated by a film crew recording the Let It Be sessions and plans his bandmates are making for a concert he wants no part of, George Harrison quits The Beatles, writing in his diary: "Got up. Went to Twickenham. Rehearsed until lunchtime. Left The Beatles. Went home." He is lured back a few days later with assurances that the concert would be cancelled and his wishes respected.
1953 Pat Benatar is born Patricia Andrzejewski in Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York. Classically trained as a vocalist, she uses her exceptional range to soar into the choruses of hits like "Love Is A Battlefield" and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." A fixture on MTV, she becomes one of the biggest stars of the '80s.
1949 The vinyl record format war heats up as RCA introduces the 45-RPM, 7-inch record. It eventually replaces the 78-RPM record for "singles" - one song on each side. The format takes off in the early years of the rock era.
1945 Rod Stewart is born in London, England. He joins the Jeff Beck Group from 1967-69 and Faces from 1969-75, but makes his biggest impact as a solo artist.
1943 Jim Croce is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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