January 18

Births

1941: David Ruffin (Singer for The Temptations)

1971: Jonathan Davis (Vocals for Korn)

1977: Richard Archer (lead singer of Hard-Fi)

1983: Samantha Mumba (Singer)

Events

1965: Paul Simon drops out of law school to pursue music full-time.

1968: At a White House luncheon to discuss the rise in urban crime, Eartha Kitt gets into a notorious spat with First Lady Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson, declaring, "Vietnam is the main reason we are having trouble with the youth of America. It is a war without explanation or reason." Although accounts of the entire argument differ, Kitt is subsequently blackballed in America.

1969: Former Beatle Pete Best wins his eight-million-dollar defamation suit against his former group (but settles for considerably less money in the judgment).

1973: Pink Floyd begin recording their legendary Dark Side of the Moon album.

1973: The Rolling Stones hold a benefit concert at the Los Angeles Forum for victims of the recent Nicaraguan earthquake, raising over $200,000 for the cause. (Lead singer Mick Jagger personally contributes an extra $150,000.)

1974: Free's Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke, Mott the Hoople's Mick Ralphs, and King Crimson's Boz Burrell unite to form the band Bad Company.

1975: Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago officially declares today Bobby Vinton Day.

1975: Barry Manilow scored his first US No.1 single when 'Mandy', (originally titled 'Brandy' when it was recorded in 1972 by Scott English), went to the top of the charts.

1977: President Jimmy Carter's Inaugural Concert takes place the night before the swearing-in, featuring performances by Linda Ronstadt and Aretha Franklin, among others. John Lennon and Paul Simon are among those spotted in the crowd.

1981: Wendy O. Williams of The Plasmatics was arrested on stage at Milwaukee and was charged with the offence of simulating sex with a sledgehammer. Williams later filed a multimillion dollar civil suit against the Milwaukee Police, claming they sexually assaulted and beat her during the arrest, but a jury rejected her claims.

1985: USA Today readers select Cleveland, OH, as their choice for the permanent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1987: Steve Winwood marries Eugenia Grafton.

1989: The Fourth Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include Dion, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder.

1995: The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia escapes unhurt when his rented BMW crashes into a guardrail near Mill Valley, California.

1996: Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson after less then two years of being married.

2004: Jennifer Lopez’s divorce from her second husband Cris Judd became final. Lopez and Judd married in 2001, after meeting when filming the video to ‘Love Don’t Cost A Thing’ but split the next year. He was expected to get a $15 million settlement from the divorce.