January 15

Births

1909: Gene Krupa (Jazz Drummer & Band Leader)

1929: Earl Hooker (Blues Guitarist)

1929: Dr. Martin Luther King

1941: Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) (Singer / Songwriter)

1949: Ronnie Van Zant (Lead Singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd)

1951: Charo (Flamenco Guitarist)

1952: Boris Blank (Yello)

1953: Duke Erikson (Bass for Garbage)

1959: Peter Trewavas (Bass for Marillion)

1965: Adam Jones (Guitar for Tool)

1965: Lisa Lisa (Lisa Velez) (Vocals for Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam)

1981: Howie Day (Singer / Songwriter)

Events

1955: Billboard magazine reports that "music with an R&B beat is not longer regarded as a passing phase by major recording firms," citing the recent success of white pop covers of R&B hits.

1961: The Supremes sign with Motown Records.

1967: Ed Sullivan refuses to let the Rolling Stones sing their big hit "Let’s Spend the Night Together" on his CBS show of the same name unless they change the title and lyrics to "Let's Spend Some Time Together." The band does as it's told, but lead singer Mick Jagger mocks the censorship by making faces at the camera while he sings the cleaned-up line.

1969: George Harrison had a five-hour meeting with John, Paul and Ringo where he made it clear that he was fully prepared to quit The Beatles for good. Harrison wasn’t happy with plans for live performances and the Let It Be film project.

1974: The Fifties-nostalgia sitcom Happy Days premieres on ABC.

1982: Harry Casey (the KC in KC and the Sunshine Band) is partially paralyzed in a Miami car crash. His recovery takes the better part of a year.

1992: The Seventh Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T. and the MGs, Johnny Cash, The Isley Brothers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sam and Dave, and The Yardbirds.

1994: Singer / Songwriter Harry Nilsson died in his sleep of heart failure after spending the previous day in the recording studio.

1998: James Brown is admitted to a South Carolina hospital for addiction to painkillers.

2002: 1980's British pop legend Adam Ant was admitted to a mental ward 24 hours after being charged by police with pulling a gun on staff in a London pub.

2003: In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lou Rawls is arrested on one count of battery against his girlfriend.

2010: Charlie Daniels suffers a mild stroke while snowmobiling in Colorado.