Pick a Day

30 JANUARY

In Music History

1980 New Orleans bluesman Professor Longhair dies of a heart attack at age 61.

1979 Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand's duet "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" becomes the first 12-inch single certified Gold by the RIAA.

1978 Journey release Infinity, their fourth album but first with lead singer Steve Perry. With the singles "Wheel In The Sky" and "Lights," it takes the band away from their progressive rock sound and squarely into pop, where they thrive for the next 10 years.

1971 Neil Young performs "The Needle and the Damage Done" at UCLA's Royce Hall. The song is recorded and released on the Harvest album a year later.

1968 Bobby Goldsboro records "Honey," a song written by Bobby Russell. It becomes one of the biggest hits of 1968, spending five weeks at #1 in the US.

1968 Cilla Black's BBC show Cilla debuts, adding another Britgirl to the UK television lineup. Unlike the shows of Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, and Lulu, Cilla has longevity, lasting until 1976. This series makes her one of the most popular television personalities in the UK until her death in 2015.

1961 The Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" hits #1 in America. It's the first big hit for the songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King.

1961 Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller announce that they are forming their own independent production company.

1959 Jody Watley is born in Chicago, Illinois.

1956 Elvis Presley records "Blue Suede Shoes," "My Baby Left Me," "One-Sided Love Affair," and "So Glad You're Mine."

1956 Billy Lee Riley records "Red Hot."

1952 Steve Bartek (lead guitarist for Oingo Boingo) is born in Garfield Heights, Ohio.

1951 Marv Ross (guitarist for Quarterflash) is born in Oregon.

1951 Phil Collins is born in Chiswick, London, England. Before embarking on a solo career in 1980, he is the drummer and lead singer for Genesis.

1949 William King (multi-instrumentalist for Commodores) is born in Birmingham, Alabama.