January 11

Births

1895: Laurens Hammond (Inventor of the Hammond organ)

1924: Slim Harpo (Blues Musician)

1942: Clarence Clemons (Sax for The E Street Band)

1946: Tony Kaye (Keyboards for Yes)

1946: Naomi Judd (Country Singer)

1948: Terry Williams (Drums for Dire Straits)

1952: Lee Ritenour (Jazz Guitarist)

1956: Robert Earl Keen (Country Singer / Songwriter)

1958: Vicki Peterson (Guitar & Vocals for The Bangles)

1968: Tom Dumont (Guitar for No Doubt)

1971: Mary J. Blige (R&B Singer)

1971: Tom Rowlands (Keyboards for The Chemical Brothers)

1981: Tom Meighan (Singer for Kasabian)

1997: Cody Simpson (Pop Singer)

Events

1963: The legendary rock club Whisky-a-Go-Go -- America's first real discotheque -- opens on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, CA. Johnny Rivers would record some of his biggest hits at "the Whiskey," while numerous acts, including the Doors, would get their start here.

1964: Billboard magazine publishes its first country and western album chart. At Number One: Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire album.

1967: The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded 'Purple Haze'. Jimi also signed to the new record label Track Records on this day.

1967: Johnny Cash and June Carter record "Jackson" at Nashville's Columbia Recording Studios.

1968: London's Daily Mirror reports that Jimi Hendrix has moved into the London townhouse where Handel is believed to have composed his famous "Water Music" and "Messiah" works. Jimi, for his part, says he "will not let the tradition down" and will also compose in the house.

1977: A London court finds Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones guilty of possession of cocaine and fines him $1,200. The drugs had been discovered in his car after a traffic accident.

1992: Paul Simon becomes the first international performer to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa since the lifting of the UN boycott. Simon had violated the UN ban by working with South African musicians years earlier.

1992: Nirvana appeared on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live performing two songs, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and 'Territorial Pissings’. Also on this day the group’s 'Nevermind' went to No.1 on the US album chart.

1996: In an ominous preview of his demise, Sonny Bono collides with another skier near Big Bear Lake, CA, causing a chin injury that would require eleven stitches.

2000: After serving half of his four-month sentence for possession of child pornography, Gary Glitter is released from a British jail.

2000: It was reported that Whitney Houston was under investigation after allegedly trying to smuggle 15.2 grams of Marijuana out of Hawaii. A security officer found the drug in the singer's handbag, Houston then walked away when he tried to detain her.

2003: Pete Townshend issued a public statement denying being a pedophile after his name was linked with a police Internet porn inquiry. But The Who guitarist did admit studying child pornography for research into a campaign against it.