January 25

Births

1938: Etta James (Jazz & R&B Singer)

1956: Andy Cox (Guitar for The English beat)

1981: Alicia Keys (R&B Singer / Songwriter)

Events

1858 - Mendelssohn’s "Wedding March" was presented for the first time, as the daughter of Queen Victoria married the Crown Prince of Prussia.

1958: Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" enters the UK pop charts at Number One, the first single to ever do so in the country.

1967: Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick and Paul Kantner become the proud parents of a baby girl they name "God." (Her name is later changed to "China.")

1978: Joy Division made their live debut when they played Pips in Manchester, England.

1980: Paul McCartney is released from a Tokyo jail after nine days. He had been incarcerated after Japanese customs officials found half a pound of marijuana in his luggage. McCartney flies to Amsterdam to meet with his family.

1984: John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, donates $375,000 to Liverpool's Strawberry Field, an orphanage which served as the inspiration for the Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever."

1989: Madonna started divorce proceedings for the second time from Sean Penn at Los Angeles County Court and moved into a new three-bedroom house in Hollywood Hills.

1991: Paul McCartney appears on MTV's Unplugged.

2003: Billy Joel escapes relatively unharmed when he totals his Mercedes on a highway in his native Long Island, NY.

January 24

Births

1936: Doug Kershaw (Country Artist)

1941: Aaron Neville (Singer in The Neville Brothers & Solo)

1941: Neil Diamond (Pop Singer)

1947: Warren Zevon (Singer / Songwriter)

1949: John Belushi (Actor & Jake Blues from The Blues Brothers)

1953: Nigel Glockler (Drummer for Saxon)

1958: Jools Holland (Keyboards for Squeeze)

1967: John Myung (Bass for Dream Theater)

Events

1957: Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" enters the UK charts at Number One, the first single to ever do so.

1962: The Beatles sign their first and only management contract with Brian Epstein at the manager's offices at 12 Whitechapel St. in Liverpool. Epstein is to receive a full one-quarter of the band's earnings, yet to prove his worth, he does not sign the contract until the following October.

1962: Today, at the very height of the dance craze, four of Billboard's Top Ten albums belong to Chubby Checker: For Twisters Only, Let's Twist Again, Your Twist Party, and Bobby Rydell / Chubby Checker.

1969: Jethro Tull play their first American show, opening for Blood, Sweat and Tears at New York's Fillmore East.

1970: Dr. Robert Moog unveils the "minimoog" synthesizer, one of the first portable synth keyboards, at a price of $2,000. The American Federation of Musicians at first opposes the instrument, fearing its "realistic" settings will put horn and string sections out of work. The minimoog becomes the first synth to go on tour with rock bands.

1979: The Clash released their first single in the US, 'I Fought The Law' (written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly's Crickets).

1980: Pink Floyd advertise their upcoming four-city world tour to promote their album The Wall with a special billboard on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip that was gradually covered up each day with a brick until an entire wall was built over it.

1981: Singer Steve Tyler of Aerosmith was hospitalized after being involved in a crash on his motorcycle.

1982: Diana Ross sings the US National Anthem at Superbowl XVI in Pontiac, MI.

2005: Country-pop singer Lynn Anderson is arrested for stealing a Harry Potter DVD from a supermarket in Taos, NM, and then, allegedly, punching the arresting officer in the stomach.

January 23

Births:

1910: Django Reinhardt (Jazz Guitarist)

1948: Anita Pointer (R&B Singer in The Pointer Sisters)

1950: Danny Federici (Organ and Keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band)

1953: Robin Zander (Vocals & Rhythm Guitar for Cheap Trick)

1975: Nick Harmer (Bass Guitar for Death Cab for Cutie)

Events:

1956: Rock 'n' Roll fans in Cleveland aged under 18 were banned from dancing in public (unless accompanied by an adult), after Ohio Police introduced a law dating back to 1931.

1969: Elvis Presley records "Suspicious Minds" at the American Studios in Memphis.

1977: Singer Patti Smith broke her vertebra when she fell off the stage at a gig in Tampa, Florida.

1978: Terry Kath, guitarist with Chicago accidentally shot himself dead while cleaning (with what he believed) was an unloaded gun. Kath's last words were "Don't worry it's not loaded" as he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He was killed instantly at 32 years old.

1979: Beach Boy Brian Wilson and his wife Marilyn were divorced.

1986: Ray Charles was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the first induction dinner, held in New York City.

1990: Allen Collins, guitarist from Lynyrd Skynyrd, died of pneumonia after being ill for several months. Collins who was one of the founding members also co-wrote most of the band's songs (including Free Bird), with late front man Ronnie Van Zant. He survived a plane crash in 1977 that killed two other band members. Collins was behind the wheel in a car accident in 1986 that killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down. He later pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter as well as driving under the influence of alcohol.

2003: R. Kelly was arrested on new child pornography charges. The singer was detained in Miami after police said digital sex pictures were discovered at his home in Florida last June. The singer was already facing 21 charges relating to producing child pornography and appearing in a video having sex with an underage girl. He was charged with a further 12 counts of possession of child pornography.

January 22

Births

1931: Sam Cooke (R&B Singer)

1946: Malcolm Mclaren (Manager of Sex Pistols & Bow Wow Wow)

1949: Steve Perry (Singer for Journey)

1960: Michael Hutchence (Singer for INXS)

1965: DJ Jazzy Jeff

1965: Steven Adler (Drummer for Guns ‘N’ Roses)

1981: Willa Ford (Pop Singer)

1981: Ben Moody (Lead Guitar for Evanescence)

Events

1955: Porter Wagoner makes his Grand Ole Opry debut.

1959: In his New York City apartment, Buddy Holly sits alone with an acoustic guitar and records what would be his last songs -- "Peggy Sue Got Married," "Crying, Waiting, Hoping," "That's What They Say," "What to Do," "Learning the Game" and "That Makes it Tough." After his tragic death, these recordings would be overdubbed to become the Holly songs we know today.

1966: After a rare four-inch snowfall in Memphis, Elvis Presley and members of his "Memphis Mafia" build a snowman in front of Graceland (and have a snowball fight as well).

1966: The Beach Boys went into the studio to record 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', which would be the opening track on their forthcoming album 'Pet Sounds.'

1967: Breaking with a British television tradition, the Rolling Stones refuse to appear on the revolving stage during the finale of ITV's Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

1969: The Beatles' George Harrison, meeting Billy Preston at the Apple offices, persuades him to join the Get Back sessions (later released as Let It Be).

1971: The Joe Cocker film Mad Dogs and Englishmen, featuring performances by Cocker, Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, and others, premieres in London.

1972: David Bowie 'came out' as bisexual during an interview in the British music weekly Melody Maker.

1981: The John Lennon obituary issue of Rolling Stone is published, featuring a naked photo of John embracing a fully-clothed Yoko Ono. The photo was taken hours before his death.

1984: Barry Manilow sings the national anthem at Superbowl XVIII in Tampa, FL.

1983: The new 24-hour music video network MTV started broadcasting to the West Coast of America after being picked up by Group W Cable, Los Angeles.

1989: KISS' Gene Simmons and Playboy Playmate Shannon Tweed become the proud parents of son Nicholas.

1998: Toni Braxton filed for Chapter 7 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles, listing liabilities of more than $1 million.

2001: Chubby Checker guest stars on Fox's Ally McBeal.

2004: Ryan Adams broke a wrist after falling during a gig at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool. Adam's fell from the stage and suffered a fractured wrist. A fan said, 'One minute he was on the stage and the next he had disappeared. He went down with a thud and we couldn't believe he was trying to continue singing'.

January 21

Births

1938: Wolfman Jack (DJ)

1941: Richie Havens (Folk Singer)

1942: Mac Davis (Singer / Songwriter)

1942: Edwin Starr (R&B Singer)

1950: Billy Ocean (R&B Singer)

1965: Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) (DJ for RUN-DMC)

1965: Cordell Crockett (Bass for Ugly Kid Joe)

1972: Cat Power (Chan Marshall)

1973: Chris Kilmore (DJ for Incubus)

1976: Baby Spice (Emma Bunton) (Singer in The Spice Girls)

Events

1957: An unknown singer named Patsy Cline wins on CBS' Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program with a rendition of the song "Walking After Midnight."

1965: The Animals are forced to cancel a show at New York City's famous Apollo Theater after US Immigration officials force the group to leave the country.

1966: The Beatles' George Harrison marries Patricia Anne Boyd at the Esher Register Office, Surrey, England. Fellow Beatle Paul McCartney and Manager Brian Epstein are in attendance. Pattie, a fashion model, had been Harrison's girlfriend since they met on the set of A Hard Day's Night two years earlier. Eventually, Boyd would begin an affair with Harrison's best friend, Eric Clapton, for whom the guitarist would write the classic "Layla."

1968: Jimi Hendrix recorded his version of the Bob Dylan song 'All Along the Watchtower' at Olympic Studios in London. Rolling Stone Brian Jones and Dave Mason from Traffic both played on the session. The track was released in the US as a single in 1968, peaking at #20.

1970: ABC gives the "summer replacement" Johnny Cash Show a permanent home on the prime time schedule.

1974: Governor of Georgia (and future President) Jimmy Carter invites Bob Dylan to a party at the Governor's Mansion at the insistence of his son Chip. Afterwards, Carter declared that "He (Dylan) never initiates conversation, but he'll answer a question if you ask him."

1978: The soundtrack album 'Saturday Night Fever' started a 24 week run at No.1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.

1982: B.B. King donates his entire record collection to the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture. The 20,000-record collection includes 7,000 discs King aired as a disc jockey at Memphis' WDIA in the Fifties.

1984, Soul singer Jackie Wilson died aged 49. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage while singing 'Lonely Teardrops', and had remained in a coma until his death 8 years later.

1987: The Second Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include The Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, B. B. King, Clyde McPhatter, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Smokey Robinson, Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, and Jackie Wilson.

1990: MTV's "Unplugged" made its debut with Squeeze as the first performers.

1996: Wynonna Judd marries Arch Kelley at the Christ Church in Nashville, then holds the reception at her mother's Trilogy restaurant.

1998: James Brown is released from a South Carolina hospital after undergoing treatment for an addiction to painkillers.

2002: Peggy Lee died of complications from diabetes and a heart attack at age 81.

2003: David Palmer, former keyboard player for Jethro Tull changed his name to Dee Palmer after a successful sex change operation.

January 20

Births

1888: Leadbelly (Blues Musician)

1922: Ray Anthony (Big Band Leader)

1951: Ian Hill (Bass for Judas Priest)

1952: Paul Stanley (Vocals & Guitar for KISS)

1955: Michael Anthony (Bass for Van Halen)

1965: John Michael Montgomery (Country Artist)

1965: Greg Kriesel (Bass for The Offspring)

1966: Tracii Guns (Guitar for L.A. Guns & Guns N’ Roses first Guitarist)

1971: ?uestlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) (Drummer for The Roots)

1979: Rob Bourdon (Drummer for Linkin Park)

1980: Matthew Tuck (Lead Vocals & Rhythm Guitar for Bullet For My Valentine)

Events

1958: Elvis Presley receives his draft notice in Memphis, TN. It allows a sixty-day deferment for the King to finish his film King Creole.

1964: The Beatles album “Meet The Beatles” is released in the US.  The whole album was 27:00 minutes long.

1965: The Rolling Stones and the Kinks both make their debut on ABC's Shindig! along with guests Dave Clark Five, Petula Clark, Bobby Vee, Bobby Sherman and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

1968: In his first public appearance since his motorcycle accident two years earlier, Bob Dylan joins Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Odetta, Richie Havens, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and the Band at a Carnegie Hall tribute concert for Woody Guthrie.

1971: Diana Ross marries Bob Silberstein.

1973: Following his newfound success as a country and western artist, Jerry Lee Lewis finally takes the stage at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry. Although officials instruct him to play only country and to keep his comments clean, Lewis eventually breaks both rules, playing his classic rock and roll hits and declaring himself "the rock & rollin', country and western, rhythm and blues singin' motherf-----."

1974: After only five months of recovery from a near-fatal car crash, Stevie Wonder returns to performance with a show at London's Rainbow Theatre.

1982: Ozzy Osborne bit the head off of a bat in Des Moines, IA, and was hospitalized to undertake a series of rabies shots.

1988: The Third Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Drifters, Bob Dylan, and The Supremes. Beach Boy Mike Love raises eyebrows with his acceptance speech, which methodically insults most of the honorees (among others).

1999: Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots), while on probation for a 1997 heroin case, was arrested for failing to provide a urine sample to his live-in drug treatment center.

January 19

Births

1939: Phil Everly (Singer in The Everly Brothers)

1943: Janis Joplin (Singer)

1945: Rod Evans (Original Singer for Deep Purple)

1946: Dolly Parton (Country Singer)

1949: Robert Palmer (Singer)

1951: Dewey Bunnell (Vocals & Guitar for America)

1959: Jeff Pilson (Bass for Dokken, Dio and Foreigner)

1963: Caron Wheeler (Vocals for Soul II Soul)

1971: John Wozniak (Vocals & Guitar for Marcy Playground)

Events

1957: Pat Boone performs at the inaugural ball for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

1957: Johnny Cash makes his first national television appearance on CBS' Jackie Gleason Show.

1959: Arbitron ratings reveal that ABC's American Bandstand is now the nation's most popular daytime show.

1967: Lesley Gore appears on an episode of ABC's Batman series, playing Catwoman's sidekick, Pussycat. Gore also sings "California Nights," her recent single, on the show.

1971: Prosecutors at Charles Manson's murder trial play a recording of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter," in deference to the rumor that Manson saw the band's "White Album" as a blueprint for violent revolution.

1974: Two Miami shows featuring Bob Dylan and the Band prove so popular that they cause a nine-mile-long traffic jam. Many ticket holders only get to see half of the show(s).

1976: Rock promoter Bill Sargent offers thirty million dollars to the members of the Beatles to reunite (and is shocked when they decline).

1977: Charlie Daniels and the Marshall Tucker Band perform for President Jimmy Carter's inauguration ceremonies.

1978: Johnny Rotten was fired from The Sex Pistols for 'not being weird enough anymore.'

1980: Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' started a 15-week run at #1 on the US album chart. The group’s third US #1, it went on to sell over 23 million copies in the US alone. 'The Wall' is still the third largest grossing album in the US, behind Michael Jackson’s 'Thriller' and Eagles’ 'Greatest Hits'.

1993: The US Supreme Court rules that Tom Waits can keep all of the $2.5 million awarded him by a lower court. Waits had sued Frito-Lay for using a soundalike of him in a 1988 snack commercial.

1993: Fleetwood Mac reunites to perform for President William Jefferson Clinton's inauguration ceremonies. (Clinton had used the band's 1977 hit "Don't Stop" as his campaign theme song.)

1994: The Ninth Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include The Animals, The Band, Duane Eddy, The Grateful Dead, Elton John, John Lennon, Bob Marley, and Rod Stewart.

1997: Madonna won the Best Actress award for her role in Evita at the Golden Globe Awards.

1999: Bizzy Bone (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) went on trial in Columbus, Ohio, on charges that he dragged a student barber down a flight of stairs.

2006: Soul singer, Wilson Pickett died in hospital near his Ashburn, Virginia home of a heart attack aged 64.