More About Music History On This Day
6 Jan 1956
Elvis Presley performed in the gym at Randolph High School, Mississippi; this was the last time he ever appeared in a small auditorium.
6 Jan 1958
Gibson guitars launched it' 'Flying V' electric guitar. Guitarists who played a Flying V include, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.
6 Jan 1962
Elvis Presley had his third UK No.1 album with 'Blue Hawaii'; it spent a total of 18 weeks at the top of the charts.
6 Jan 1964
The first night of a 14 date UK tour 'Group Scene 1964', featuring The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, Marty Wilde, The Swinging Blue Jeans and Dave Berry and The Cruisers, played at the Granada Theatre, Harrow on The Hill, Middlesex.
6 Jan 1967
The Who played their first gig of this year when they appeared at Morecambe, Central Pier in England. The band played over 200 gigs in this year, including their first ever US tour.
6 Jan 1968
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour started an eight week run at No.1 on the US album chart, the group's 11th US chart topper.
6 Jan 1973
Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain', (with Mick Jagger on backing vocals), started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. In 2015, after keeping quiet for more than 40 years, Carly Simon admitted that 'You're So Vain' was about Warren Beatty, but only one verse of it. Simon said the other verses were about two other men.
6 Jan 1975
The mayor of Boston cancelled a Led Zeppelin concert after over 2,000 fans rioted trying to buy tickets. The fans caused an estimated $50,000 to $75,000 damage at Boston Garden. The gig during the bands North American tour was rescheduled for Feb 4th.
6 Jan 1975
Pink Floyd started sessions start at Abbey Road Studios London for their next album Wish You Were Here. Their ninth studio album was released on 12 September 1975 and features 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' a tribute to Syd Barrett whose mental breakdown had forced him to leave the group seven years earlier.
6 Jan 1977
EMI Records dropped The Sex Pistols giving the band $68,000 to release them from their contract.
6 Jan 1979
The Village People scored their only UK No.1 single with 'Y.M.C.A.' At its peak the single was selling over 150,000 copies a day. In the gay culture from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the YMCA's reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot.
6 Jan 1980
Georgeanna Tillman singer with Motown girl group The Marvelettes died from lupus and sickle cell anemia aged 35. The Marvelettes scored the 1961 US No.1 single 'Please Mr Postman'. In 1963 Tillman was diagnosed with lupus, she also had been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia during childhood.
6 Jan 1987
Eric Clapton started what became an annual event by playing six shows at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
6 Jan 1990
Phil Collins started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with '...But Seriously', his fourth solo studio album. The album was a huge commercial success worldwide, reaching No. 1 in the UK and the US for 15 and 4 non-consecutive weeks, respectively. It was the best selling album of 1990 in the UK, the lead single 'Another Day in Paradise' won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
6 Jan 1993
It was reported that David Bowie had lost over $4.25 million in unpaid royalties to an Italian Mafia-linked bootleg fraud.
6 Jan 1997
Two bronze busts worth $50,000 were stolen from a garden at George Harrison's estate in Henley-on- Thames, Oxfordshire. Thieves had climbed a 10- foot-wall and cut the figures of two monks from their stone plinths.
6 Jan 2001
Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour won the right to his dot com name. Dave took legal action in his battle to reclaim davidgilmour.com from Andrew Herman who had registered the URL and was selling Pink Floyd merchandise through the site.
6 Jan 2005
US CD sales rose for the first time in four years. The CD format accounted for 98% of the 666 million albums sold, according to research company Nielsen Soundscan. A total of 140 million digital tracks were legally downloaded during 2004, equivalent to 14 million albums. R&B star Usher was the biggest-selling artist with his album 'Confessions' selling eight million copies. Other top sellers of the year were Norah Jones, Eminem and country stars Kenny Chesney and Gretchen Wilson. The UK recorded a record year for album sales in 2004, with 237 million sold The Scissor Sisters proved the most popular album of the year, followed by Keane and Maroon 5.
6 Jan 2006
A collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia bought by a council worker who embezzled nearly $600,000 was set to be sold to compensate the local authority. Julie Wall, 46, from Rippon Drive in Sleaford, was jailed for three years for the offence last October. The collection - which included rare recordings and foreign pressings of Elvis songs, was to be auctioned off by a High Court receiver to provide compensation.
6 Jan 2006
American soul, jazz, singer Lou Rawls died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The 72-year-old, Grammy-winning artist had been battling lung cancer. Rawls who released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, had the 1976 US No.2 and UK No.10 single 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine'.
6 Jan 2006
Guitarist, trumpeter and drummer Alex St. Claire died. Member of The Omens, The Solid Senders and an original member of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band and Frank Zappa.
6 Jan 2006
Ms Dynamite was charged with assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct. The singer allegedly punched a female officer in the face, bruising her nose, while in custody. She had been arrested after allegedly kicking the door to the Paragon Lounge night-club in London and was said to have been abusive towards officers who questioned her.
6 Jan 2007
US country-rock steel guitar player 'Sneaky' Pete Kleinow, died aged 72. He was one of the original members of the Flying Burrito Brothers with the Byrds' Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons. Also worked with John Lennon and Joni Mitchell.
6 Jan 2017
Norway announced that it would become the first country in the world to gradually stop using the FM radio network. The move, which aimed to ditch the analogue platform in favour of a digital one called Digital Audio Broadcasting, would bring a clearer sound to the nation's five million people.
6 Jan 2020
Martin Griffin former drummer of Hawkwind and spin-off project Hawklords, died following a short illness age 69. Between 1978 and 1982 Griffin drummed on albums such as Sonic Attack, Church of Hawkwind and Choose your Masques. During the seventies he ran Roche recording studios in Cornwall, recording many upcoming artists including Elvis Costello, ABC and Secret Affair.
Elvis Presley performed in the gym at Randolph High School, Mississippi; this was the last time he ever appeared in a small auditorium.
6 Jan 1958
Gibson guitars launched it' 'Flying V' electric guitar. Guitarists who played a Flying V include, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.
6 Jan 1962
Elvis Presley had his third UK No.1 album with 'Blue Hawaii'; it spent a total of 18 weeks at the top of the charts.
6 Jan 1964
The first night of a 14 date UK tour 'Group Scene 1964', featuring The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, Marty Wilde, The Swinging Blue Jeans and Dave Berry and The Cruisers, played at the Granada Theatre, Harrow on The Hill, Middlesex.
6 Jan 1967
The Who played their first gig of this year when they appeared at Morecambe, Central Pier in England. The band played over 200 gigs in this year, including their first ever US tour.
6 Jan 1968
The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour started an eight week run at No.1 on the US album chart, the group's 11th US chart topper.
6 Jan 1973
Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain', (with Mick Jagger on backing vocals), started a three-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. In 2015, after keeping quiet for more than 40 years, Carly Simon admitted that 'You're So Vain' was about Warren Beatty, but only one verse of it. Simon said the other verses were about two other men.
6 Jan 1975
The mayor of Boston cancelled a Led Zeppelin concert after over 2,000 fans rioted trying to buy tickets. The fans caused an estimated $50,000 to $75,000 damage at Boston Garden. The gig during the bands North American tour was rescheduled for Feb 4th.
6 Jan 1975
Pink Floyd started sessions start at Abbey Road Studios London for their next album Wish You Were Here. Their ninth studio album was released on 12 September 1975 and features 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' a tribute to Syd Barrett whose mental breakdown had forced him to leave the group seven years earlier.
6 Jan 1977
EMI Records dropped The Sex Pistols giving the band $68,000 to release them from their contract.
6 Jan 1979
The Village People scored their only UK No.1 single with 'Y.M.C.A.' At its peak the single was selling over 150,000 copies a day. In the gay culture from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the YMCA's reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot.
6 Jan 1980
Georgeanna Tillman singer with Motown girl group The Marvelettes died from lupus and sickle cell anemia aged 35. The Marvelettes scored the 1961 US No.1 single 'Please Mr Postman'. In 1963 Tillman was diagnosed with lupus, she also had been diagnosed with sickle cell anemia during childhood.
6 Jan 1987
Eric Clapton started what became an annual event by playing six shows at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
6 Jan 1990
Phil Collins started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with '...But Seriously', his fourth solo studio album. The album was a huge commercial success worldwide, reaching No. 1 in the UK and the US for 15 and 4 non-consecutive weeks, respectively. It was the best selling album of 1990 in the UK, the lead single 'Another Day in Paradise' won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
6 Jan 1993
It was reported that David Bowie had lost over $4.25 million in unpaid royalties to an Italian Mafia-linked bootleg fraud.
6 Jan 1997
Two bronze busts worth $50,000 were stolen from a garden at George Harrison's estate in Henley-on- Thames, Oxfordshire. Thieves had climbed a 10- foot-wall and cut the figures of two monks from their stone plinths.
6 Jan 2001
Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour won the right to his dot com name. Dave took legal action in his battle to reclaim davidgilmour.com from Andrew Herman who had registered the URL and was selling Pink Floyd merchandise through the site.
6 Jan 2005
US CD sales rose for the first time in four years. The CD format accounted for 98% of the 666 million albums sold, according to research company Nielsen Soundscan. A total of 140 million digital tracks were legally downloaded during 2004, equivalent to 14 million albums. R&B star Usher was the biggest-selling artist with his album 'Confessions' selling eight million copies. Other top sellers of the year were Norah Jones, Eminem and country stars Kenny Chesney and Gretchen Wilson. The UK recorded a record year for album sales in 2004, with 237 million sold The Scissor Sisters proved the most popular album of the year, followed by Keane and Maroon 5.
6 Jan 2006
A collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia bought by a council worker who embezzled nearly $600,000 was set to be sold to compensate the local authority. Julie Wall, 46, from Rippon Drive in Sleaford, was jailed for three years for the offence last October. The collection - which included rare recordings and foreign pressings of Elvis songs, was to be auctioned off by a High Court receiver to provide compensation.
6 Jan 2006
American soul, jazz, singer Lou Rawls died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The 72-year-old, Grammy-winning artist had been battling lung cancer. Rawls who released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, had the 1976 US No.2 and UK No.10 single 'You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine'.
6 Jan 2006
Guitarist, trumpeter and drummer Alex St. Claire died. Member of The Omens, The Solid Senders and an original member of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band and Frank Zappa.
6 Jan 2006
Ms Dynamite was charged with assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct. The singer allegedly punched a female officer in the face, bruising her nose, while in custody. She had been arrested after allegedly kicking the door to the Paragon Lounge night-club in London and was said to have been abusive towards officers who questioned her.
6 Jan 2007
US country-rock steel guitar player 'Sneaky' Pete Kleinow, died aged 72. He was one of the original members of the Flying Burrito Brothers with the Byrds' Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons. Also worked with John Lennon and Joni Mitchell.
6 Jan 2017
Norway announced that it would become the first country in the world to gradually stop using the FM radio network. The move, which aimed to ditch the analogue platform in favour of a digital one called Digital Audio Broadcasting, would bring a clearer sound to the nation's five million people.
6 Jan 2020
Martin Griffin former drummer of Hawkwind and spin-off project Hawklords, died following a short illness age 69. Between 1978 and 1982 Griffin drummed on albums such as Sonic Attack, Church of Hawkwind and Choose your Masques. During the seventies he ran Roche recording studios in Cornwall, recording many upcoming artists including Elvis Costello, ABC and Secret Affair.
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