TODAY IN HISTORY – JANUARY 26th
1953 - Born on this day, Lucinda Williams, rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter who wrote 'Passionate Kisses' the Grammy winning song made famous by the 1993 single version by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
1956 - Buddy Holly had his first of three 1956 recording sessions for Decca Records and producer, Owen Bradley, in Nashville. Nothing much came out of those sessions. He formed the group, The Three Tunes (changed later to The Crickets), and went on to find fame and fortune when he hooked up with producer Norman Petty in New Mexico. Holly died in a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa, on 3 February 1959 (“the day the music died”). He was 22. Holly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
1957 - Born on this day, Eddie Van Halen, Dutch guitarist with Van Halen who had the 1984 US No.1 & UK No. 7 single 'Jump'. His guitar solo in the track 'Eruption' was voted No.2 on Guitar World magazine's readers poll of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.
1961 - Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Are You Lonesome Tonight'. The singers sixth UK No.1. The single included a spoken passage loosely based on Shakespeare.
1963 - Born this day, Andrew Ridgeley, musician, guitar, singer, Wham!, with George Michael, 1984 UK No.1 single Wake Me Up Before You Go Go plus 10 other UK top 20 hit singles.
1964 - The British Invasion begins in America as I Want To Hold Your Hand by the Beatles goes to No.1.
1965 - During a Rolling Stones tour of Australia and New Zealand, guitarist Keith Richards had his shirt torn off after 50 fans invaded the stage during the gig at The Town Hall in Brisbane.
1965 - 'Downtown' by Petula Clark was at No. 1 on the US singles chart. A young Jimmy Page had played as a session guitarist on the track, giving him his first US No.1 hit, (and a No. 2 hit in the UK).
1970 - John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed his new single Instant Karma, all in one day.
1973 - Sweet were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Blockbuster'. The glam rockers only UK No.1 of 15 Top 40 hits.
1974 - Mud were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman song 'Tiger Feet', the group's first of three UK No.1's.
1974 - Ringo Starr went to No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of the Johnny Burnette 1960 hit 'Your Sixteen', a No.3 hit in the UK.
1977 - Peter Green ex of Fleetwood Mac, was committed to a mental hospital following an incident when he threatened accountant Clifford Adams with an air rifle when he was trying to deliver a £30,000 royalty cheque.
1977 - Two months after meeting Ginger Alden, Elvis proposed to her at Graceland and put an 11.5-carat engagement rock on her finger.
1986 - Allen Collins, guitarist from Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed his car, paralysing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend Debra Jean Watts. Collins had survived a plane crash in 1977 that killed two other band members.
1988 - The hit musical from London, The Phantom of The Opera, set a Broadway record in advance sales of over $12 million before its grand opening on Broadway on this date. Phantom took in a record-setting amount of $920,272 in seventeen hours when tickets went on sale the previous November.
1991 - German duo Enigma went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their album MCMXC featuring the UK No.1 single Sadness Part 1.
1991 - Queen had their second UK No.1 with 'Innuendo'. At 6 minutes 30 seconds, it exceeded their epic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by 35 seconds and became the third longest UK No.1 song of all time, behind The Beatles' 'Hey Jude' and Simple Minds' 'Belfast Child' (subsequently the 9 minutes 38 seconds 'All Around The World' by Oasis took over the top slot and demoted Innuendo to fourth place). For 'Innuendo's' flamenco guitar solo, Brian May was joined by Yes guitarist Steve Howe.
2003 - Billy Joel was airlifted to hospital after his car smashed into a tree. The singer lost control of his Mercedes S500 and skidded for 100 yards before crashing. The accident happened in The Hamptons near New York.
2003 - Justin Timberlake went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut solo album 'Justified', which went on to spend over a year on the UK chart.
2004 - John Lydon was one of ten contestants to take part in the latest I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here UK TV show set in the Australian outback. The former Sex Pistols singer was seen by 11 million viewers on the first night covered in bird seed being pecked by giant ostriches. Lydon who was paid £25,000 ($42,500) to appear in the show, but walked off the jungle set after four days.
1953 - Born on this day, Lucinda Williams, rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter who wrote 'Passionate Kisses' the Grammy winning song made famous by the 1993 single version by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
1956 - Buddy Holly had his first of three 1956 recording sessions for Decca Records and producer, Owen Bradley, in Nashville. Nothing much came out of those sessions. He formed the group, The Three Tunes (changed later to The Crickets), and went on to find fame and fortune when he hooked up with producer Norman Petty in New Mexico. Holly died in a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa, on 3 February 1959 (“the day the music died”). He was 22. Holly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
1957 - Born on this day, Eddie Van Halen, Dutch guitarist with Van Halen who had the 1984 US No.1 & UK No. 7 single 'Jump'. His guitar solo in the track 'Eruption' was voted No.2 on Guitar World magazine's readers poll of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.
1961 - Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Are You Lonesome Tonight'. The singers sixth UK No.1. The single included a spoken passage loosely based on Shakespeare.
1963 - Born this day, Andrew Ridgeley, musician, guitar, singer, Wham!, with George Michael, 1984 UK No.1 single Wake Me Up Before You Go Go plus 10 other UK top 20 hit singles.
1964 - The British Invasion begins in America as I Want To Hold Your Hand by the Beatles goes to No.1.
1965 - During a Rolling Stones tour of Australia and New Zealand, guitarist Keith Richards had his shirt torn off after 50 fans invaded the stage during the gig at The Town Hall in Brisbane.
1965 - 'Downtown' by Petula Clark was at No. 1 on the US singles chart. A young Jimmy Page had played as a session guitarist on the track, giving him his first US No.1 hit, (and a No. 2 hit in the UK).
1970 - John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed his new single Instant Karma, all in one day.
1973 - Sweet were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Blockbuster'. The glam rockers only UK No.1 of 15 Top 40 hits.
1974 - Mud were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman song 'Tiger Feet', the group's first of three UK No.1's.
1974 - Ringo Starr went to No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of the Johnny Burnette 1960 hit 'Your Sixteen', a No.3 hit in the UK.
1977 - Peter Green ex of Fleetwood Mac, was committed to a mental hospital following an incident when he threatened accountant Clifford Adams with an air rifle when he was trying to deliver a £30,000 royalty cheque.
1977 - Two months after meeting Ginger Alden, Elvis proposed to her at Graceland and put an 11.5-carat engagement rock on her finger.
1986 - Allen Collins, guitarist from Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed his car, paralysing him from the waist down and killing his girlfriend Debra Jean Watts. Collins had survived a plane crash in 1977 that killed two other band members.
1988 - The hit musical from London, The Phantom of The Opera, set a Broadway record in advance sales of over $12 million before its grand opening on Broadway on this date. Phantom took in a record-setting amount of $920,272 in seventeen hours when tickets went on sale the previous November.
1991 - German duo Enigma went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their album MCMXC featuring the UK No.1 single Sadness Part 1.
1991 - Queen had their second UK No.1 with 'Innuendo'. At 6 minutes 30 seconds, it exceeded their epic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by 35 seconds and became the third longest UK No.1 song of all time, behind The Beatles' 'Hey Jude' and Simple Minds' 'Belfast Child' (subsequently the 9 minutes 38 seconds 'All Around The World' by Oasis took over the top slot and demoted Innuendo to fourth place). For 'Innuendo's' flamenco guitar solo, Brian May was joined by Yes guitarist Steve Howe.
2003 - Billy Joel was airlifted to hospital after his car smashed into a tree. The singer lost control of his Mercedes S500 and skidded for 100 yards before crashing. The accident happened in The Hamptons near New York.
2003 - Justin Timberlake went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut solo album 'Justified', which went on to spend over a year on the UK chart.
2004 - John Lydon was one of ten contestants to take part in the latest I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here UK TV show set in the Australian outback. The former Sex Pistols singer was seen by 11 million viewers on the first night covered in bird seed being pecked by giant ostriches. Lydon who was paid £25,000 ($42,500) to appear in the show, but walked off the jungle set after four days.