TODAY IN HISTORY – JANUARY 17th
1927 - Born on this day, Eartha Kitt, US female singer, (1955 UK No.7 single 'Under The Bridges Of Paris,' 1989 UK No.32 single with Bronski Beat, 'Cha Cha Heels'). Kitt died from colon cancer on December 25 2008 at her Weston, Connecticut home at the age of 81.
1948 - Born this day, Mick Taylor, singer, musician, rhythm guitar, joined The Rolling Stones in 1969, left 12 December 1974. Also worked with Mike Oldfield, Bob Dylan, John Mayall, The Gods. 1971 US No.1 and UK No.2 single Brown Sugar.
1948 – Iconic Kiwi comedian/entertainer, Billy T James, was born this day as William James Taitoko in Cambridge, NZ. He won the NZ Entertainer of the Year in 1981 and Entertainer of the Decade in 1985. Famous for his quotes like, “I’m half Maori and half Scottish, one half of me wants to get pissed but the other doesn’t want to pay for it”. Died of a heart attack in 1991 aged 43.
1955 - Born this day, Steve Earle, US country singer, songwriter, musician, guitar, 1988 UK No.45 single Copperhead Road, Guitar Town, Exit O.
1956 - Born this day, Paul Young, singer, 1983 UK No.1 single Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Home, Come Back And Stay, Everything Must Change, Senza Una Donna (w/Zucchero), 1985 US No.1 single Everytime You Go Away, with the Streetband, 1978 UK No.18 single Toast, also with the Q-Tips, a soul covers band.
1959 - Born this day, Susanna Hoffs, guitar vocals, The Bangles, 1986 UK No.2 single with Prince song Manic Monday, 1986 US No.1 single Walk Like An Egyptian. LP: Rainy Day.
1967 - The Daily Mail ran the story about a local council survey finding 4,000 holes in the road in Lancashire inspiring John Lennon's contribution to The Beatles song 'A Day In The Life'.
1969 - Lady Samantha, one of the very first recordings by Reginald Kenneth Dwight (aka Elton John), was released in England on Philips Records. The song floundered, and then bombed. The rock group, Three Dog Night, however, thought Elton’s tune was nifty and recorded it for an album.
1969 - Led Zeppelin I, the band's debut album, was released in the US, coinciding with the band's first headlining US concert tour. It was to peak at No. 10 in the US chart, and at No. 6 in the UK. The RIAA in the US has now certified it as having sold over 10 million copies in the US alone.
1970 - The Doors played the first of four shows at the Felt Forum in New York City. The shows were recorded for the bands forthcoming 'Absolutely Live' album.
1971 - Born this day, Kid Rock [Robert James Ritchie], US singer, 2000 US No.2 album History Of Rock.
1972 - A section of Bellevue Boulevard in Memphis was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard. The remaining length of road kept its original name after protests from the Bellevue Baptist Church.
1974 - Dean Martin's son Dino Martin was arrested after attempting to sell two AK-47 machine guns to an undercover agent.
1976 - Barry Manilow scored his second US No.1 single with I Write The Songs. It was written by Beach Boy Bruce Johnson.
1981 - Motley Crue formed when bass guitarist Nikki Sixx left the band London and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist, guitarist Greg Leon, (who later left). Sixx and Lee then added guitarist Bob "Mick Mars" Deal. Vince Neil accepted an offer to join (after turning them down) in April of this year.
1984 - Born on this day, Calvin Harris, singer-songwriter and producer. Has written and produced records for Kylie Minogue and Dizzee Rascal. Had the 2009 UK No.1 single 'I'm Not Alone.'
1986 - Olivia Newton-John gave birth to daughter Chloe.
1987 - Kate Bush started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Whole Story'.
1994 - Donny Osmond took part in a charity boxing match held in Chicago against former Partridge Family member Danny Bonaduce, Donny lost 2-1.
1998 - The hit single Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden climbed into the No.1 spot on the US pop charts, and stayed there for 2 weeks.
1998 - All Saints scored their first UK No.1 single with Never Ever. The single spent a total of twenty-four weeks on the UK chart.
2003 - A long-lost recording featuring John Lennon and Mick Jagger was set to spark a bidding war at a London auction. The acetate record was recorded in 1974 with Jagger singing the blues song Too Many Cooks and Lennon playing guitar. The track had never been release because the two artists were both signed to different record companies.
2003 - Singer Lou Rawls was arrested at Albuquerque Airport, New Mexico after an incident with his companion, Nina Inman. Officers reported that she and Rawls had been talking about their relationship when the conversation escalated into a shoving match resulting in Rawls being booked on one count of battery on a household member.
2008 – The Police played their first concert in NZ for 27 years at Wellington’s Cake Tin Stadium as part of their 152 date Reunion Tour. OJ correctly guessed that the first song they would play was “Message in a Bottle” and so it proved to be. Stunning show in which they sung all their hits!! The sound and lighting were awesome!
1927 - Born on this day, Eartha Kitt, US female singer, (1955 UK No.7 single 'Under The Bridges Of Paris,' 1989 UK No.32 single with Bronski Beat, 'Cha Cha Heels'). Kitt died from colon cancer on December 25 2008 at her Weston, Connecticut home at the age of 81.
1948 - Born this day, Mick Taylor, singer, musician, rhythm guitar, joined The Rolling Stones in 1969, left 12 December 1974. Also worked with Mike Oldfield, Bob Dylan, John Mayall, The Gods. 1971 US No.1 and UK No.2 single Brown Sugar.
1948 – Iconic Kiwi comedian/entertainer, Billy T James, was born this day as William James Taitoko in Cambridge, NZ. He won the NZ Entertainer of the Year in 1981 and Entertainer of the Decade in 1985. Famous for his quotes like, “I’m half Maori and half Scottish, one half of me wants to get pissed but the other doesn’t want to pay for it”. Died of a heart attack in 1991 aged 43.
1955 - Born this day, Steve Earle, US country singer, songwriter, musician, guitar, 1988 UK No.45 single Copperhead Road, Guitar Town, Exit O.
1956 - Born this day, Paul Young, singer, 1983 UK No.1 single Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Home, Come Back And Stay, Everything Must Change, Senza Una Donna (w/Zucchero), 1985 US No.1 single Everytime You Go Away, with the Streetband, 1978 UK No.18 single Toast, also with the Q-Tips, a soul covers band.
1959 - Born this day, Susanna Hoffs, guitar vocals, The Bangles, 1986 UK No.2 single with Prince song Manic Monday, 1986 US No.1 single Walk Like An Egyptian. LP: Rainy Day.
1967 - The Daily Mail ran the story about a local council survey finding 4,000 holes in the road in Lancashire inspiring John Lennon's contribution to The Beatles song 'A Day In The Life'.
1969 - Lady Samantha, one of the very first recordings by Reginald Kenneth Dwight (aka Elton John), was released in England on Philips Records. The song floundered, and then bombed. The rock group, Three Dog Night, however, thought Elton’s tune was nifty and recorded it for an album.
1969 - Led Zeppelin I, the band's debut album, was released in the US, coinciding with the band's first headlining US concert tour. It was to peak at No. 10 in the US chart, and at No. 6 in the UK. The RIAA in the US has now certified it as having sold over 10 million copies in the US alone.
1970 - The Doors played the first of four shows at the Felt Forum in New York City. The shows were recorded for the bands forthcoming 'Absolutely Live' album.
1971 - Born this day, Kid Rock [Robert James Ritchie], US singer, 2000 US No.2 album History Of Rock.
1972 - A section of Bellevue Boulevard in Memphis was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard. The remaining length of road kept its original name after protests from the Bellevue Baptist Church.
1974 - Dean Martin's son Dino Martin was arrested after attempting to sell two AK-47 machine guns to an undercover agent.
1976 - Barry Manilow scored his second US No.1 single with I Write The Songs. It was written by Beach Boy Bruce Johnson.
1981 - Motley Crue formed when bass guitarist Nikki Sixx left the band London and began rehearsing with drummer Tommy Lee and vocalist, guitarist Greg Leon, (who later left). Sixx and Lee then added guitarist Bob "Mick Mars" Deal. Vince Neil accepted an offer to join (after turning them down) in April of this year.
1984 - Born on this day, Calvin Harris, singer-songwriter and producer. Has written and produced records for Kylie Minogue and Dizzee Rascal. Had the 2009 UK No.1 single 'I'm Not Alone.'
1986 - Olivia Newton-John gave birth to daughter Chloe.
1987 - Kate Bush started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Whole Story'.
1994 - Donny Osmond took part in a charity boxing match held in Chicago against former Partridge Family member Danny Bonaduce, Donny lost 2-1.
1998 - The hit single Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden climbed into the No.1 spot on the US pop charts, and stayed there for 2 weeks.
1998 - All Saints scored their first UK No.1 single with Never Ever. The single spent a total of twenty-four weeks on the UK chart.
2003 - A long-lost recording featuring John Lennon and Mick Jagger was set to spark a bidding war at a London auction. The acetate record was recorded in 1974 with Jagger singing the blues song Too Many Cooks and Lennon playing guitar. The track had never been release because the two artists were both signed to different record companies.
2003 - Singer Lou Rawls was arrested at Albuquerque Airport, New Mexico after an incident with his companion, Nina Inman. Officers reported that she and Rawls had been talking about their relationship when the conversation escalated into a shoving match resulting in Rawls being booked on one count of battery on a household member.
2008 – The Police played their first concert in NZ for 27 years at Wellington’s Cake Tin Stadium as part of their 152 date Reunion Tour. OJ correctly guessed that the first song they would play was “Message in a Bottle” and so it proved to be. Stunning show in which they sung all their hits!! The sound and lighting were awesome!