Legend: BTD – Born Today OTD – On This Day
| Date | Artist/Group | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTD Jan15,1893 | Ivor Novello | #BTD Jan15,1893 #IvorNovello (David Ivor Davies) RIP songwriter, actor most popular UK entertainers of the 20th century. 1st big hit 1914 "Keep the Home Fires Burning"; dominated musical theatre from 1930s-1950s. The annual UK music awards are named after him @BASCA_uk @TheIvors | |
| BTD Jan15,1929 | Lord Woodbine | #BTD Jan15,1929 #LordWoodbine (Harold Philips) RIP a promoter of The Silver Beetles & occasionally known as Woodbine's Boys in their teen years. Considered a musical mentor of the #Beatles. His calypso band, Lord Woodbine and his Trinidadians were one of the 1st to tour England | |
| BTD Jan15,1929 | Martin Luther King Jr | #BTD Jan15,1929 #MartinLutherKing Jr (Michael King Jr) RIP Baptist minister, became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement. Using nonviolence and civil disobedience based on his #Christian beliefs | |
| BTD Jan15,1942 | Sonny Bivins | #BTD Jan15,1942 #SonnyBivins (Edward Bivins Jr) RIP singer, baritone The #Manhattans 1976 US #1 & UK #4 single "Kiss And Say Goodbye", +2 US and 32 R&B Top40 singles. Bivins sang on every Manhattans hit & wrote many of their top songs. He led the group until his death Dec3,2014 | |
| BTD Jan15,1946 | Bobby Bloom | #BTD Jan15,1946 #BobbyBloom singer, songwriter RIP 1970 US #8 & UK #3 "Montego Bay" Apparently shot himself while cleaning his gun on Feb28,1974 and died from his injuries at the age of 28 | |
| BTD Jan15,1947 | Pete Waterman | #BTD Jan15,1947 #PeteWaterman producer, songwriter, radio, club DJ. Part of the songwriting & record producing trio consisting of #MikeStock, #MattAitken, and #PeteWaterman. Stock, Aitken, Waterman produced 18 US & UK #1s, +over 100 Top40 singles #HBday @PeteWatermanOBE | |
| BTD Jan15,1948 | Ronnie Van Zant | #BTD Jan15,1948 #RonnieVanZant RIP lead singer, primary lyricist, a founding member of the Southern rock band #LynyrdSkynyrd 1974 US #8 "Sweet Home Alabama", 1974 US #19 & UK #21 "Freebird" @Skynyrd Ronnie died in plane crash between shows on Oct20,1977 | |
| BTD Jan15,1951 | Biff Byford | #BTD Jan15,1951 #BiffByford (Peter Byford) lead singer #Saxon (originally called Son of a Bitch) 1980 UK #5 album 'Wheels Of Steel' and in many other bands #HBday @biff_byford | |
| BTD Jan15,1952 | Melvyn Gale | #BTD Jan15,1952 #MelvynGale cellist, pianist #ELO #ElectricLightOrchestra (from 1975 replacing Mike Edwards until 1979 when #JeffLynne removed the string players) 1979 US #4 & UK #3 "Don't Bring Me Down", +13 US & 14 UK Top40 singles while a part of ELO | |
| BTD Jan15,1961 | Damian O'Neill | #BTD Jan15,1961 #DamianONeill (Stephen Damian O'Neill) lead guitarist in the pop-punk band The #Undertones (joined 1976 following the departure of his older brother, Vincent) 1980 UK #9 "My Perfect Cousin", +6 UK Top40 singles @TheUndertones_ | |
| OTD Jan15,1949 | Dinah Shore | #OTD Jan15,1949 #DinahShore and Her #HappyValley Boys are at #1 on the US Top40 Singles chart with a cover of "Buttons And Bows" written by #JayLivingston with lyrics by #RayEvans for the #BobHope #JaneRussell film "The Paleface"; won @TheAcademy Award for Best Original Song | |
| OTD Jan15,1955 | Bob Neal | #OTD Jan15,1955 Earliest known signed letter from #BobNeal as #ElvisPresley's manager. "... This kid is terrific, and I think he's going to be one of the greatest new stars -- in all fields ..." | |
| OTD Jan15,1961 | Bert Kaempfert | #OTD Jan15,1961 #BertKaempfert began a 3wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot 100 singles chart with "Wonderland By Night" written by Klaus Günter Neumann. Side Note: He produced the #Beatles 1st recording session with #TonySheridan working on the single "My Bonnie" | |
| OTD Jan15,1961 | Supremes | #OTD Jan15,1961 The #Supremes sign a contract with @motown Records. Becoming one of the of the most successful groups of all time with 31 US Top40 singles; 36 R&B Top40s with 8 #1s and 30 UK Top40s with 1 #1 | |
| OTD Jan15,1964 | Capitol records, Vee Jay records | #OTD Jan15,1964 #Capitol Records files a lawsuit against #VeeJay records & is granted a temporary injunction restraining Vee Jay Records Inc from manufacturing, selling, distributing of or advertising the sale of recordings by the vocal group commonly referred to as The #Beatles | |
| OTD Jan15,1964 | Beatles | #OTD Jan15,1964 The #Beatles are at the Cinema Cyrano, Versailles, France. Concert considered a warm-up for the 3wk gig at the Olympia Theatre in Paris | |
| OTD Jan15,1965 | Who | #OTD Jan15,1965 The #Who releases their 1st single "I Can't Explain" in the UK with #JimmyPage is on 12 string guitar & the #IvyLeague on back vocals. The song would enter the UK singles charts on Feb18 at #45 and peak at #8 on Apr15 @TheWho @JimmyPage | |
| OTD Jan15,1966 | Beatles | #OTD Jan15,1966 The #Beatles are still at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "We Can Work It Out" for the 2nd week in a row. Next week Jan22 The Beatles will fall to #2, but return to #1 on Jan29 for an additional 1 week at #1 for a total of 3wks at #1 on the charts | |
| OTD Jan15,1967 | Super Bowl I | #OTD Jan15,1967 #SuperBowl I (AFL–NFL Championship) in LA airs. #GreenBay @packers beat the #KansasCity @Chiefs 35-10. #CBS (rights to @NFL games) & #NBC (to #AFL games) pay $1M for the rights to each air the game. Chiefs owner #LamarHunt suggests name @SuperBowl but its not used | |
| OTD Jan15,1967 | Rolling Stones | #OTD Jan15,1967 The #RollingStones forced to change the lyrics of "Let’s Spend The Night Together" to Let’s Spend Some Time Together on The #EdSullivan Show. @MickJagger rolls his eyes while singing the changed lyrics, so Sullivan announces that The @RollingStones would be banned | |
| OTD Jan15,1968 | John Fred & his Playboy Band | #OTD Jan15,1968 #JohnFred & his Playboy Band reach Gold record status for "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)" The single is a play on the #Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" | |
| OTD Jan15,1968 | Monkees | #OTD Jan15,1968 The #Monkees TV series S2 E17 "The Monkees Watch Their Feet" (aka "Micky and the Outer Space Creatures") @TheMickyDolenz1 is abducted by aliens. A film report by the Dep. of UFO Information, shows the Monkees foiling an invasion from Planet Zlotnick @TheMonkees | |
| OTD Jan15,1969 | George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr | #OTD Jan15,1969 #GeorgeHarrison has a 5hr meeting with #JohnLennon, #PaulMcCartney and #RingoStarr; he makes it clear that he is fully prepared to quit The #Beatles for good. @GeorgeHarrison not happy with plans for live performances and the current "Let It Be" film project | |
| OTD Jan15,1969 | Marmalade | #OTD Jan15,1969 #Marmalade is back at #1 for an additional 2wks on the UK singles chart with a cover of "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" Marmalade spent 1wk at #1 on Jan1 for a total of 3wks at the top. Originally a #Beatles song written by #PaulMcCartney and credited to Lennon-McCartney | |
| OTD Jan15,1971 | George Harrison | #OTD Jan15,1971 #GeorgeHarrison releases the single "My Sweet Lord" in the UK on #AppleRecords on Jan24,1971. The single reaches #1 on the UK singles chart and stays at the Top of the Charts for 5wks. The song was a 4wk #1 in the US on Dec26,1970 | |
| OTD Jan15,1972 | Don Mclean | #OTD Jan15,1972 #DonMclean starts a 4wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 singles chart with "American Pie" written by Don McLean. The single is listed as the #5 song on the @RIAA project Songs of the Century @donmclean | |
| OTD Jan15,1972 | Led Zeppelin | #OTD Jan15,1972 #LedZeppelin single "Black Dog" moves into the Top40 on the @billboard Hot100 singles chart, from #42 to #33. The title is for a nameless Black Lab that wandered around @ledzeppelin studio | |
| OTD Jan15,1977 | ABBA | #OTD Jan15,1977 #ABBA scores their second UK #1 album when "Arrival" went to the top of the charts | |
| OTD Jan15,1977 | Leo Sayer | #OTD Jan15,1977 #LeoSayer is at to #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" written by #LeoSayer and #ViniPoncia. His 1st of 2 #1's in US | |
| OTD Jan15,1977 | Eagles | #OTD Jan15,1977 The #Eagles are at #1 on US album chart with "Hotel California" their 3rd US #1 LP. Eagles members: #DonFelder guitars, back vocals; #GlennFrey guitars, vocals, keyboards; #DonHenley drums, vocals; #RandyMeisner bass, vocals; #JoeWalsh guitars, keyboards, vocals | |
| OTD Jan15,1978 | Wings | #OTD Jan15,1978 #Wings with #PaulMcCartney are still at #1 on the UK singles chart with "Mull Of Kintyre" for the 8th week of a 9wk run at #1 | |
| OTD Jan15,1982 | Police | #OTD Jan15,1982 The #Police kick off their North American leg of 119-date "Ghost In The Machine" world tour at Boston Gardens @tdgarden | |
| OTD Jan15,1983 | Men A tWork | #OTD Jan15,1983 #MenAtWork starts a 3wk run at #1 on the @billboard Hot100 Singles Chart with "Down Under" written by #ColinHay and #RonStrykert. The single will fall to #2 on Feb5 but return to #1 for an additional 1wk on Feb12. Men At Work will spend a total of 4wks at #1 | |
| OTD Jan15,1989 | Roy Orbison | #OTD Jan15,1989 #RoyOrbison posthumously starts a 3wk run at #1 on the UK LP chart with "The Legendary Roy Orbison" a greatest hits album by Roy Orbison. Orbison died on Dec6,1988 | |
| OTD Jan15,1994 | Harry Nilsson | #OTD Jan15,1994 #HarryNilsson III RIP singer, songwriter dies of heart failure in his Agoura Hills, California home, at the age of 52. 1971 US & UK #1 "Without You", +7 US & 10 CAN Top40 singles & he wrote the Three Dog Night's single "One" and many other successful songs |