January 31

Births

1921: Mario Lanza (Italian Singer)

1946: Terry Kath (Guitar for Chicago)

1951: KC (Harry Wayne Casey) (Singer for KC and the Sunshine Band)

1951: Phil Manzanera (Guitar for Roxy Music)

1954: Adrian Vandenburg (Guitar for Whitesnake)

1956: Johnny Rotten (Johnny Lydon) (Singer for The Sex Pistols & Public Image Ltd.)

1961: Lloyd Cole (Singer / Songwriter)

1964: Jeff Hanneman (Guitar for Slayer)

1967: Chad Channing (Nirvana 1^st Drummer)

1981: Justin Timberlake (Singer in ‘N Sync & Solo)

Events

1959: Just three days before their death in a plane crash, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper play the Armory in Duluth, MN. In attendance: a seventeen-year-old Robert Zimmerman, who would be inspired to become a musician by this performance. We now know him as Bob Dylan.

1961: NBC airs the Bobby Darin And Friends television special, originally meant as a pilot for a weekly variety series.

1963: A seventeen-year-old Neil Young makes his stage debut at a country club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

1969: Bobby Darin walked off the set of the "Jackie Gleason Show" when he was not allowed to sing "Long Line Rider."

1970: In New Orleans, LA, the Greatful Dead were busted for possession of LSD and barbituates. The event was alleged to be the inspiration for the song "Truckin."

1970: The Jackson Five went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Want You Back'. The song was originally written for Gladys Knight & The Pips and was the first of four No.1's for the group.

1978: Greg Herbert, saxophone player with Blood Sweat & Tears, died of an accidental drug overdose in Amsterdam, Holland aged 30.

1979: Bo Diddley opens up for punk band The Clash at the beginning of their first US tour.

1988: Herb Alpert performs the national anthem at Superbowl XXII in San Diego, CA. (Chubby Checker performs at the halftime show.)

1985: Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty gives his first live performance in fourteen years at the Chaplin Stage in Hollywood, CA.

1998: The Bruce Springsteen "Come Together" benefit concert, organized for the family of a New Jersey police officer killed in the line of duty, turns into an impromptu E Street Band reunion that also features Southside Johnny and other Jersey musicians.

2001 - It was announced that Peter Criss was leaving KISS (again) and that he would be replaced by Eric Singer for the remainder of dates of the farewell tour. Criss' last show was on October 7, 2000.

2010: Beyoncé set a Grammy record for females when she won six. The six awards were Song Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Contemporary R&B Album.