31 JANUARY
In Music History
1977 Claudine Longet is convicted of misdemeanor criminal negligence in relation to her shooting and killing Vladmir Sabich in March the previous year; she is given a slap on the wrist.
1976 The Ohio Players' "Love Rollercoaster" hits #1 in America. The scream in the instrumental section is rumored to be the sound of a woman being killed in the studio, an urban legend that persists for decades.
1972 Joan Baez's album Any Day Now is certified Gold.
1971 Mahalia Jackson's funeral is held at Chicago's Great Salem Baptist Church. Over 40,000 mourners attend the open-casket service, which features a closing version of "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" performed by Aretha Franklin. Famous mourners include Coretta Scott King, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Sammy Davis Jr.
1971 The Jackson 5 are given the key to their hometown of Gary, Indiana, by Mayor Robert Pastrick.
1970 In New Orleans, the Grateful Dead are arrested for possession of LSD and barbiturates, an incident which would inspire one of their most famous songs, "Truckin'." (Apparently the band had run afoul of mob interests in Texas, and the mob alerted the NOPD. This explains lines like "Houston, too close to New Orleans" and "Set up, like a bowling pin.")
1970 Slim Harpo, a blues singer who was an influence on The Rolling Stones and many other acts, dies at age 46.
1969 Bobby Darin walks off the set of The Jackie Gleason Show when he is not allowed to perform his song "Long Line Rider," which deals with prisoner abuse.
1969 Billy Preston signs with Apple Records.
1968 The American Breed's "Bend Me, Shape Me" is certified Gold.
1966 Al Doughty, bassist for the British alt rock band Jesus Jones, is born Alan Jaworski in Plymouth, Devon, England.
1966 At Western Recorders in Hollywood, Brian Wilson records "Caroline, No" without the other Beach Boys. The song appears on the group's Pet Sounds album, but the single is released under his name.
1964 Prolific music video director Sophie Muller is born in St Pancras, London, England. She'll get her start in the music biz directing several promos for the Eurythmics and their lead singer Annie Lennox before bringing her talent to a wide array of acts, including Sade, No Doubt, Gwen Stefani, Sarah McLachlan, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Birdy, Garbage, Radiohead, Kings of Leon, and many more.More
1963 Neil Young, 17, plays his first show, performing at a country club in Winnipeg.
1956 John Lydon is born in London. As Johnny Rotten, he fronts The Sex Pistols, a band that helps define British punk. When they break up in 1978 he forms Public Image Ltd., known for their songs "Rise" and "This Is Not a Love Song."
Beyonce, Taylor Swift Break Grammy Award Records
2010Taylor Swift and Beyoncé sweep the Grammy Awards with record-breaking wins. Earning Album of the Year for Fearless at age 19, Swift is the youngest artist to ever win the award. Beyoncé wins six out of ten nominations - including Song of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) " - giving her the most wins in one night of any female artist.
Read more31 JANUARY
Featured Events
2021 Capping a massive bender, Morgan Wallen yells the n-word at his (white) drinking buddy outside his home. It's caught on video, and when it's released two days later, Wallen is dropped from most radio stations and banished from playlists on major streaming services. The controversy earns him a surge in streams and sales, keeping his Dangerous: The Double Album, which debuted at #1 in America on January 23, at the top for a total of 10 weeks.
1993 With just 45 minutes to kickoff, Garth Brooks threatens to cancel his national anthem performance at Super Bowl XXVII when the NFL reneges on its promise to debut the video for his controversial protest anthem "We Shall Be Free."More
1985 John Fogerty plays his first live show in years, performing with Albert Lee and Booker T. Jones at the A&M Soundstage in Hollywood. It harkens a return for Fogerty, who two weeks earlier released Centerfield, his first album in 10 years.
1981 Justin Timberlake is born in Memphis, Tennessee. After doing time in The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, he makes his mark in the boy band 'N Sync before launching his solo career.
1970 The Jackson 5's debut single, "I Want You Back," hits #1 in America. It's the first of four consecutive chart toppers for the group, which is fronted by 11-year-old Michael Jackson.
1970 "Whole Lotta Love" reaches #4 in the US, the highest Led Zeppelin will ever chart on the Hot 100. Most of their songs, including "Stairway To Heaven," are not released as singles.
1967 While in Sevenoaks, Kent, England, John Lennon visits an antique shop and buys an 1843 circus poster that inspires The Beatles song "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite."
1959 17-year-old Bob Dylan (known as Robert Zimmerman) sees Buddy Holly perform at the Duluth Armory in Minnesota. Three days later, Holly dies in a plane crash.
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