TODAY IN HISTORY – JANUARY 13th
1961 - Born this day, [Graham] Suggs McPherson, singer, TV presenter, Madness, 1982 UK No.1 single House Of Fun and over 20 other UK top 40 singles. As solo, 1995 UK No.7 single with cover of The Beatles I'm Only Sleeping).
1962 - Singer Chubby Checker set a record, literally, with the hit, The Twist. The song reached the number one position in the US for an unprecedented second time in two years. The Twist was also number one on 26 September 1960. It became the only record in American chart history to top the charts on two separate occasions.
1962 - Cliff Richard scored his second UK No.1 album with 'The Young Ones', which spent six weeks at the top of the charts.
1965 - The first day of recording sessions for Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home album were held at Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios in New York City. Dylan recorded 'Subterranean Homesick Blues', and 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue'.
1967 - The Rolling Stones appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show singing Let's spend the night together. They were forced to change the words to Let's spend some time together.
1968 - Johnny Cash played a show, which was recorded, for his forthcoming live album at Folsom Prison, near Sacramento, California in front of 2,000 inmates. When released, the lead single, 'Folsom Prison Blues' (an update of his 1956 hit) became one of the most famous recordings of his career.
1969 - Elvis Presley began a ten day recording session that would produce his final US number one record, 'Suspicious Minds'. The tracks were laid down at American Sound Studios in Memphis and marked the first time Presley had recorded in his hometown since his Sun Records days in 1956.
1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono cut their hair and donated it to a charity auction.
1970 - Steel Mill, (featuring Bruce Springsteen) played at The Matrix in San Francisco, California. Boz Scaggs was the scheduled headliner but he cancelled at that last minute due to illness. Rock critic Philip Elwood, who turned up intending to review Scaggs ended up writing a highly favorable review of Steel Mill for The San Francisco Examiner.
1973 - Eric Clapton made his stage comeback at the Rainbow Theatre, London, with Pete Townsend and friends.
1976 – Born this day, Bic Runga. NZ singer/songwriter.
1978 - With a budget of only £1,500 borrowed from Stewart Copeland's brother Miles Copeland III, The Police started recording their debut album at Surrey Sound Studios, Surrey, England with producer Nigel Gray. The album 'Outlandos d'Amour' which was released in November of this year featured the hits 'So Lonely', 'Roxanne' and 'Can't Stand Losing You'.
1979 - Died this day, soul singer Donny Hathaway, after falling from the 15th floor of a New York hotel room (ruled a suicide though evidence suggests it was accidental).
1984 - BBC Radio 1 announced a ban on Relax, by Frankie Goes To Hollywood after DJ Mike read called it 'obscene', a BBC-TV ban also followed. The song went on become a No.1 and spent a total of 48 weeks on the UK chart.
1990 - New Kids On The Block had their second and last No.1 UK single with 'Hangin' Tough.' They had a further 7 Top 10 hits by the end of 1991. They broke up after that, but set the scene for numerous boy bands throughout the 90s.
1999 - Steps were at No.1 o the UK singles chart with 'Heartbeat / Tragedy.' The five-piece pop dance outfit were put together by producer Pete Waterman. Tragedy was a hit for The Bee Gees in 1979.
2003 - Diana Ross appeared in a US court charged with driving while twice over the drink driving limit. Police in Tucson reported that Miss Ross could not walk in a straight line, touch her nose or count to 30 after she had been stopped for swerving across the road.
2003 - Pete Townshend was arrested on suspicion of child porn offences. Police officers impounded seven computers from his £15m home in Richmond, South West London.
2010 - Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass died at the age of 59 following a difficult recovery from colon cancer surgery. Pendergrass enjoyed early success with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, whose hits included If You Don't Know Me By Now, before going solo in 1976. He was the first black male singer to record five consecutive multi-platinum albums in the US.
1961 - Born this day, [Graham] Suggs McPherson, singer, TV presenter, Madness, 1982 UK No.1 single House Of Fun and over 20 other UK top 40 singles. As solo, 1995 UK No.7 single with cover of The Beatles I'm Only Sleeping).
1962 - Singer Chubby Checker set a record, literally, with the hit, The Twist. The song reached the number one position in the US for an unprecedented second time in two years. The Twist was also number one on 26 September 1960. It became the only record in American chart history to top the charts on two separate occasions.
1962 - Cliff Richard scored his second UK No.1 album with 'The Young Ones', which spent six weeks at the top of the charts.
1965 - The first day of recording sessions for Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home album were held at Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios in New York City. Dylan recorded 'Subterranean Homesick Blues', and 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue'.
1967 - The Rolling Stones appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show singing Let's spend the night together. They were forced to change the words to Let's spend some time together.
1968 - Johnny Cash played a show, which was recorded, for his forthcoming live album at Folsom Prison, near Sacramento, California in front of 2,000 inmates. When released, the lead single, 'Folsom Prison Blues' (an update of his 1956 hit) became one of the most famous recordings of his career.
1969 - Elvis Presley began a ten day recording session that would produce his final US number one record, 'Suspicious Minds'. The tracks were laid down at American Sound Studios in Memphis and marked the first time Presley had recorded in his hometown since his Sun Records days in 1956.
1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono cut their hair and donated it to a charity auction.
1970 - Steel Mill, (featuring Bruce Springsteen) played at The Matrix in San Francisco, California. Boz Scaggs was the scheduled headliner but he cancelled at that last minute due to illness. Rock critic Philip Elwood, who turned up intending to review Scaggs ended up writing a highly favorable review of Steel Mill for The San Francisco Examiner.
1973 - Eric Clapton made his stage comeback at the Rainbow Theatre, London, with Pete Townsend and friends.
1976 – Born this day, Bic Runga. NZ singer/songwriter.
1978 - With a budget of only £1,500 borrowed from Stewart Copeland's brother Miles Copeland III, The Police started recording their debut album at Surrey Sound Studios, Surrey, England with producer Nigel Gray. The album 'Outlandos d'Amour' which was released in November of this year featured the hits 'So Lonely', 'Roxanne' and 'Can't Stand Losing You'.
1979 - Died this day, soul singer Donny Hathaway, after falling from the 15th floor of a New York hotel room (ruled a suicide though evidence suggests it was accidental).
1984 - BBC Radio 1 announced a ban on Relax, by Frankie Goes To Hollywood after DJ Mike read called it 'obscene', a BBC-TV ban also followed. The song went on become a No.1 and spent a total of 48 weeks on the UK chart.
1990 - New Kids On The Block had their second and last No.1 UK single with 'Hangin' Tough.' They had a further 7 Top 10 hits by the end of 1991. They broke up after that, but set the scene for numerous boy bands throughout the 90s.
1999 - Steps were at No.1 o the UK singles chart with 'Heartbeat / Tragedy.' The five-piece pop dance outfit were put together by producer Pete Waterman. Tragedy was a hit for The Bee Gees in 1979.
2003 - Diana Ross appeared in a US court charged with driving while twice over the drink driving limit. Police in Tucson reported that Miss Ross could not walk in a straight line, touch her nose or count to 30 after she had been stopped for swerving across the road.
2003 - Pete Townshend was arrested on suspicion of child porn offences. Police officers impounded seven computers from his £15m home in Richmond, South West London.
2010 - Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass died at the age of 59 following a difficult recovery from colon cancer surgery. Pendergrass enjoyed early success with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, whose hits included If You Don't Know Me By Now, before going solo in 1976. He was the first black male singer to record five consecutive multi-platinum albums in the US.