More About Music History On This Day
16 Jan 1957
The Cavern Club opened in Liverpool, England. It became the home of many Liverpool bands including The Beatles who appeared at the club 292 times. Over the years a wide variety of popular acts appeared at the club, including The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Hollies, The Kinks, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Queen, The Who and John Lee Hooker.
16 Jan 1964
The Beatles played two shows at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, France, the first of an 18-night engagement. This first show was attended mostly by Paris' 'top society' members (all dressed in formal evening attire). The French press had little good to say about The Beatles in the next day's papers, but The Beatles didn't care, because they'd just received news that their single 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' had hit No.1 in the US, selling 10,000 copies an hour in New York City alone.
16 Jan 1970
Two days after it opened, the Bag One Gallery in London, England was raided by Scotland Yard. The police remove eight John Lennon lithographs under the Obscene Publications Act.
16 Jan 1973
Bruce Springsteen appeared at Villanova University, Philadelphia, to an audience of 25 people. Due to a strike at the time by Villanova's school newspaper The Villanovan, this concert went unadvertised, so this is probably the smallest crowd Bruce and The E Street Band have ever played in front of.
16 Jan 1977
David Soul one half of TV cop show Starsky & Hutch went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Don't Give Up On Us'. The track was also a No.1 in the US.
16 Jan 1980
Paul McCartney was jailed for nine days in Tokyo for marijuana possession after being found with 219g on his arrival at Narita Airport in Japan. McCartney said in 2004. “This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet, so I thought I’d take it with me.”
16 Jan 1982
Bucks Fizz were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their second No.1 'Land Of Make Believe'. The lyrics to the song were written by ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield.
16 Jan 1985
1985, David Bowie's schizophrenic half-brother Terry Burnes killed himself aged 47 after laying down on the railway lines at Coulsdon South station, London. He was killed instantly by a passing train. Bowie refers to his half-brother in the line ‘a crack in the sky and a hand pointing down at me’ in his song ‘Oh, You Pretty Things’.
16 Jan 1987
TV presenter Jools Holland was suspended from Channel 4's UK music show The Tube for 6 weeks, after using the phrase 'groovy fuckers' during a live trailer broadcast in children's hour.
16 Jan 1988
24 years after The Beatles first topped the chart, George Harrison went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Got My Mind Set On You' an old favorite of George's that was originally recorded by James Ray in 1962. In the UK, Harrison's version spent four weeks at No.2.
16 Jan 1988
Former Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle scored her first UK No.1 single with 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth.' The promotional video was directed by Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton and features an appearance of Carlisle's husband Morgan Mason.
16 Jan 1988
George Michael went to No.1 on the US album charts with his debut solo album 'Faith', which went on to sell over 8 million copies.
16 Jan 1988
Tina Turner gave herself a place in the record books when she performed in front of 182,000 people in Rio De Janeiro. The largest audience ever for a single artist.
16 Jan 1989
Michael Jackson played the first of five nights at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. These were the last shows on the singers Bad World Tour. Jackson donated more than $1m of the final concert's takings to an organisation fighting child cruelty.
16 Jan 1990
Ike Turner was convicted of driving under the influence of cocaine and being under the influence of cocaine and sentenced to a four year prison sentence in California.
16 Jan 1992
Eric Clapton recorded his unplugged session for MTV. The set which included his current hit single 'Tears in Heaven' and a reworked acoustic version of 'Layla', earned six Grammy Awards for the album including Record of the Year.
16 Jan 1996
Jamaican authorities opened fire on Jimmy Buffett's seaplane, mistaking it for a drug trafficker's plane. U2 singer Bono was also on the plane; neither singer was injured in the incident. The incident inspired Buffett to write a song called 'Jamaica Mistaica'.
16 Jan 2000
It was reported that Mick Jagger had lost the chance of a knighthood because of his errant ways, British Prime Minister Tony Blair having doubts about the message it would give about family values. This decision was changed and on 12 December 2003, Mick Jagger was made a Knight Bachelor by The Prince of Wales for services to music, as Sir Michael Jagger.
16 Jan 2000
American singer Will Jones died aged 71 from the effects of diabetes. He is best known as the bass vocalist for The Coasters and The Cadets. The Cadets' biggest hit was ‘Stranded In The Jungle’ and his bass vocals can be heard on The Coasters' hits ‘Yakety Yak’ and ‘Charlie Brown.’ He also sang lead on The Trammps' cover version of ‘Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart’.
16 Jan 2004
Michael Jackson appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to seven charges of child molestation. The singer who arrived 21 minutes late was told off by the Santa Barbara judge saying 'Mr Jackson, you have started out on the wrong foot here, it is an insult to the court.'
16 Jan 2005
The Killers started a two week run at No.1 on the UK charts with their debut album 'Hot Fuss.' The Las Vegas band also entered the UK singles chart at No.3 with 'Somebody Told Me'. Green Day were at No.1 on the US album chart with 'American Idiot.'
16 Jan 2005
Elvis Presley's single ‘One Night’ made chart history by becoming the 1,000th UK No.1. Elvis, who led last week's chart with ‘Jailhouse Rock’, had now scored more number one UK hits than any other artist with 20 No.1’s, beating The Beatles' 17 chart toppers.
16 Jan 2007
Bob Dylan and his brother bought Aultmore House a mansion in the Scottish Cairngorms National Park, near Nethybridge, Inverness-shire.
16 Jan 2007
James "Pookie" Hudson the lead singer of the fifties doo-wop group The Spaniels died. Their 1954 hit 'Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite' was featured in such films as Three Men and a Baby and American Graffiti. The Spaniels became one of the first artists to sign with Vee-Jay Records, the first large, independent Afro-American owned record label.
16 Jan 2008
Radiohead were forced to abandon an intimate gig at Rough Trade East records in London after police raised safety fears. The band moved the gig to a nearby club after over 1,500 fans turned up after the event was announced in the morning promising tickets to the first 200 fans.
16 Jan 2009
Boy George was sentenced to 15 months in prison after being convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort. The Culture Club frontman denied the charge at Snaresbrook crown court and claimed the victim, Norwegian Audun Carlsen, 29, had stolen photos from his laptop. The singer told police he invited Carlsen back to his home after a cocaine-fuelled pornographic photo shoot in January, 2007, because he suspected the Norwegian of stealing pictures from his computer. He admitted handcuffing Carlsen to a wall in April 2007 but said he did so in order to trace the missing property.
16 Jan 2013
It was announced that Joe Strummer was to have a city square named after him in Spain following a Facebook campaign. More than 2,000 residents of Granada, where The Clash frontman became a frequent visitor, signed a petition calling for him to be honoured. City hall officials agreed to the proposals and a square in the area was set to be renamed Plaza de Joe Strummer.
16 Jan 2019
American musician Lorna Doom died of cancer age 61. She was the bass guitarist for the punk rock band the Germs. Their music was influential to many later punk rock acts. Germs guitarist Pat Smear went on to achieve greater fame performing with Nirvana and Foo Fighters.
16 Jan 2021
American producer Phil Spector died in prison age 81. Known for his 'Spector Wall Of Sound’ he was a member of Teddy Bears, who had the 1958 US No.1 single 'To Know Him Is To Love Him'. He went on to produce many classic songs including; Ben E King, 'Spanish Harlem', The Crystals, 'Da Doo Ron Ron', The Ronettes, 'Baby I Love You', The Righteous Brothers, 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling', Ike and Tina Turner, 'River Deep, Mountain High'. He also produced albums for The Ramones, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Beatles, Cher and Harry Nilsson. The 2003 shooting of actress Lana Clarkson in his Alhambra, California home led to his 2009 conviction of murder in the second degree.
The Cavern Club opened in Liverpool, England. It became the home of many Liverpool bands including The Beatles who appeared at the club 292 times. Over the years a wide variety of popular acts appeared at the club, including The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Hollies, The Kinks, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Queen, The Who and John Lee Hooker.
16 Jan 1964
The Beatles played two shows at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, France, the first of an 18-night engagement. This first show was attended mostly by Paris' 'top society' members (all dressed in formal evening attire). The French press had little good to say about The Beatles in the next day's papers, but The Beatles didn't care, because they'd just received news that their single 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' had hit No.1 in the US, selling 10,000 copies an hour in New York City alone.
16 Jan 1970
Two days after it opened, the Bag One Gallery in London, England was raided by Scotland Yard. The police remove eight John Lennon lithographs under the Obscene Publications Act.
16 Jan 1973
Bruce Springsteen appeared at Villanova University, Philadelphia, to an audience of 25 people. Due to a strike at the time by Villanova's school newspaper The Villanovan, this concert went unadvertised, so this is probably the smallest crowd Bruce and The E Street Band have ever played in front of.
16 Jan 1977
David Soul one half of TV cop show Starsky & Hutch went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Don't Give Up On Us'. The track was also a No.1 in the US.
16 Jan 1980
Paul McCartney was jailed for nine days in Tokyo for marijuana possession after being found with 219g on his arrival at Narita Airport in Japan. McCartney said in 2004. “This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet, so I thought I’d take it with me.”
16 Jan 1982
Bucks Fizz were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their second No.1 'Land Of Make Believe'. The lyrics to the song were written by ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield.
16 Jan 1985
1985, David Bowie's schizophrenic half-brother Terry Burnes killed himself aged 47 after laying down on the railway lines at Coulsdon South station, London. He was killed instantly by a passing train. Bowie refers to his half-brother in the line ‘a crack in the sky and a hand pointing down at me’ in his song ‘Oh, You Pretty Things’.
16 Jan 1987
TV presenter Jools Holland was suspended from Channel 4's UK music show The Tube for 6 weeks, after using the phrase 'groovy fuckers' during a live trailer broadcast in children's hour.
16 Jan 1988
24 years after The Beatles first topped the chart, George Harrison went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Got My Mind Set On You' an old favorite of George's that was originally recorded by James Ray in 1962. In the UK, Harrison's version spent four weeks at No.2.
16 Jan 1988
Former Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle scored her first UK No.1 single with 'Heaven Is A Place On Earth.' The promotional video was directed by Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton and features an appearance of Carlisle's husband Morgan Mason.
16 Jan 1988
George Michael went to No.1 on the US album charts with his debut solo album 'Faith', which went on to sell over 8 million copies.
16 Jan 1988
Tina Turner gave herself a place in the record books when she performed in front of 182,000 people in Rio De Janeiro. The largest audience ever for a single artist.
16 Jan 1989
Michael Jackson played the first of five nights at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. These were the last shows on the singers Bad World Tour. Jackson donated more than $1m of the final concert's takings to an organisation fighting child cruelty.
16 Jan 1990
Ike Turner was convicted of driving under the influence of cocaine and being under the influence of cocaine and sentenced to a four year prison sentence in California.
16 Jan 1992
Eric Clapton recorded his unplugged session for MTV. The set which included his current hit single 'Tears in Heaven' and a reworked acoustic version of 'Layla', earned six Grammy Awards for the album including Record of the Year.
16 Jan 1996
Jamaican authorities opened fire on Jimmy Buffett's seaplane, mistaking it for a drug trafficker's plane. U2 singer Bono was also on the plane; neither singer was injured in the incident. The incident inspired Buffett to write a song called 'Jamaica Mistaica'.
16 Jan 2000
It was reported that Mick Jagger had lost the chance of a knighthood because of his errant ways, British Prime Minister Tony Blair having doubts about the message it would give about family values. This decision was changed and on 12 December 2003, Mick Jagger was made a Knight Bachelor by The Prince of Wales for services to music, as Sir Michael Jagger.
16 Jan 2000
American singer Will Jones died aged 71 from the effects of diabetes. He is best known as the bass vocalist for The Coasters and The Cadets. The Cadets' biggest hit was ‘Stranded In The Jungle’ and his bass vocals can be heard on The Coasters' hits ‘Yakety Yak’ and ‘Charlie Brown.’ He also sang lead on The Trammps' cover version of ‘Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart’.
16 Jan 2004
Michael Jackson appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to seven charges of child molestation. The singer who arrived 21 minutes late was told off by the Santa Barbara judge saying 'Mr Jackson, you have started out on the wrong foot here, it is an insult to the court.'
16 Jan 2005
The Killers started a two week run at No.1 on the UK charts with their debut album 'Hot Fuss.' The Las Vegas band also entered the UK singles chart at No.3 with 'Somebody Told Me'. Green Day were at No.1 on the US album chart with 'American Idiot.'
16 Jan 2005
Elvis Presley's single ‘One Night’ made chart history by becoming the 1,000th UK No.1. Elvis, who led last week's chart with ‘Jailhouse Rock’, had now scored more number one UK hits than any other artist with 20 No.1’s, beating The Beatles' 17 chart toppers.
16 Jan 2007
Bob Dylan and his brother bought Aultmore House a mansion in the Scottish Cairngorms National Park, near Nethybridge, Inverness-shire.
16 Jan 2007
James "Pookie" Hudson the lead singer of the fifties doo-wop group The Spaniels died. Their 1954 hit 'Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite' was featured in such films as Three Men and a Baby and American Graffiti. The Spaniels became one of the first artists to sign with Vee-Jay Records, the first large, independent Afro-American owned record label.
16 Jan 2008
Radiohead were forced to abandon an intimate gig at Rough Trade East records in London after police raised safety fears. The band moved the gig to a nearby club after over 1,500 fans turned up after the event was announced in the morning promising tickets to the first 200 fans.
16 Jan 2009
Boy George was sentenced to 15 months in prison after being convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort. The Culture Club frontman denied the charge at Snaresbrook crown court and claimed the victim, Norwegian Audun Carlsen, 29, had stolen photos from his laptop. The singer told police he invited Carlsen back to his home after a cocaine-fuelled pornographic photo shoot in January, 2007, because he suspected the Norwegian of stealing pictures from his computer. He admitted handcuffing Carlsen to a wall in April 2007 but said he did so in order to trace the missing property.
16 Jan 2013
It was announced that Joe Strummer was to have a city square named after him in Spain following a Facebook campaign. More than 2,000 residents of Granada, where The Clash frontman became a frequent visitor, signed a petition calling for him to be honoured. City hall officials agreed to the proposals and a square in the area was set to be renamed Plaza de Joe Strummer.
16 Jan 2019
American musician Lorna Doom died of cancer age 61. She was the bass guitarist for the punk rock band the Germs. Their music was influential to many later punk rock acts. Germs guitarist Pat Smear went on to achieve greater fame performing with Nirvana and Foo Fighters.
16 Jan 2021
American producer Phil Spector died in prison age 81. Known for his 'Spector Wall Of Sound’ he was a member of Teddy Bears, who had the 1958 US No.1 single 'To Know Him Is To Love Him'. He went on to produce many classic songs including; Ben E King, 'Spanish Harlem', The Crystals, 'Da Doo Ron Ron', The Ronettes, 'Baby I Love You', The Righteous Brothers, 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling', Ike and Tina Turner, 'River Deep, Mountain High'. He also produced albums for The Ramones, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Beatles, Cher and Harry Nilsson. The 2003 shooting of actress Lana Clarkson in his Alhambra, California home led to his 2009 conviction of murder in the second degree.
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