January 18th – 24th – This Week in Rock
Trivia Answer:
Elvis’ single “jailhouse rock” becomes the first to enter the UK charts at number one – January 24,1957.
BORN THIS WEEK IN ROCK
Luther Dickinson – January 18,1973 (lead guitarist, and singer of The North Mississippi All-stars)
Phil Everly – January 19, 1939 (vocals & guitar, The Everly Brothers)
Janis Joplin – January 19, 1943 (vocals, Big Brother & the Holding Company)
Rod Evans – January 19, 1947 (singer, Deep Purple)
Dewey Bunnell – January 19, 1952 (singer/guitarist, America)
Lead Belly – January 20, 1988 (blues musician)
Paul Stanley – January 20, 1952 (rhythm guitar, co-lead vocals, KISS)
Edwin Starr – January 21, 1942 (Soul singer)
Richie Havens – January 21, 1941 (Rock singer)
Mac Davis January 21, 1942 (Singer – Songwriter)
“Blind” Willie Johnson – January 22, 1897 (Blues Musician & Slide guitarist)
Steve Perry – January 22, 1949 (singer, Journey)
Orianthi – January 22, 1985 (rock guitarist)
Sam Cooke – January 22, 1931 (Soul Singer-Songwriter)
Steven Adler – January 22, 1965 (drums, Guns N’ Roses)
Robin Zander – January 23, 1953 (singer, Cheap Trick)
Cyril Davies – January 23, 1932 (Blues Vocalist & Harmonica Player)
Django Reinhardt – January 23, 1910 (Gypsy jazz guitarist)
Ray Stevens – January 24, 1939 (Singer, songwriter)
John Belushi – January 24,1949 (Saturday Night Live, The Blues Brothers)
Beth Hart – January 24, 1972 (Soul blues singer)
Neil Diamond – January 24, 1941 (Singer, songwriter)
DIED THIS WEEK IN ROCK
Dallas Taylor – January 18, 2015 (drummer, Crosby, Stills, and Nash)
Glenn Frey – January 18, 2016 (Founder and singer, Eagles)
Carl Perkins – January 19, 1998 (rockabilly singer-songwriter)
Wilson Pickett – January 19, 2006 (R&B singer-songwriter)
Denny Doherty – January 19, 2007 (vocals, The Mamas, and the Papas)
Steve Knight – January 19, 2013 (keyboards, Mountain)
Alan Freed – January 20, 1965 (DJ & rock promoter)
Etta James – January 20, 2012 (Blues vocalist)
Jackie Wilson – January 21, 1984 (Soul Singer)
Lamar Williams – January 21, 1983 (bass, The Allman Brothers Band)
Charles Brown – January 21, 1999 (Blues vocalist and pianist)
Peter Overend Watts – January 22, 2017 (bassist, Mott The Hoople)
Bobby Freeman – January 23, 2017 (Soul Singer)
Terry Kath – January 23, 1978 (Chicago, vocals & guitar)
Allen Collins – January 23, 1990 (guitarist/songwriter, Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Jimmy Bain – January 23, 2016 (Bass Guitarist, Dio /Rainbow)
Butch Trucks January 24, 2017 (drummer, Allman Brothers)
MUSIC RELEASES AND TOP OF THE CHARTS…
The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand” enters the pop charts on January 18, 1964.
“Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles enters the top charts – January 18, 1969.
Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” hits #1 on January 19, 1980
Bob Dylan releases “Blood on the Tracks” – January 20, 1975
Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” hits #1 on January 22, 1966
Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” reaches number 1 in America – January 22, 1977
Sting releases his third studio album – January 22, 1991.
Don MacLean’s album American Pie hits #1 on January 22, 1972
Bob Dylan’s “Desire” hits #1 – January 24, 1976
THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY:
New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House holds its first jazz concert on January 18, 1944, featuring Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge, and Jack Teagarden. This is significant as it shows how far jazz had traveled in becoming the extremely respected genre that it is today by crashing into the world of “serious” music like opera.
Pink Floyd begins recording their legendary Dark Side of the Moon album on January 18, 1973. Dark Side would become one of the most critically and commercially successful albums ever. Its music is timelessly beautiful, emotional, and haunting. More than almost any other album, it works perfectly as one cohesive, thematic work of art. Even the Beatles, though they tried, had never been able to perfect the idea of “the concept album” in the way that Pink Floyd did with albums like Dark Side, Animals, The Wall, and Wish You Were Here. If we were to pick a top 10 rock records ever list, Dark Side would surely be on it.
The band Bad Company is formed, featuring Paul Rodgers on vocals – January 18, 1974.
Fleetwood Mac reunites to perform for President William Jefferson Clinton’s inauguration ceremonies on January 19, 1993. Clinton had used the band’s 1977 hit “Don’t Stop” as his campaign theme song. Hey, if it takes The President of the United States to revive Fleetwood Mac, we’re good with that.
The Ninth Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are held in New York City. Inductees include The Animals, The Band, Duane Eddy, The Grateful Dead, Elton John, John Lennon, Bob Marley, and Rod Stewart. And Axl Rose performs “Come Together” at the ceremony with Bruce Springsteen. This is Axl’s last public appearance until 1998. January 19, 1994.
Radio station KWK in St. Louis, MO, finishes its “Record Breaking Week” of weeding out rock and roll records from its playlist. Records are spun once, then broken on air on January 20, 1958.
George Harrison and Pattie Boyd get married in Surrey, England on January 21, 1966. Paul McCartney is the best man.
The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 21, 1987. On that same year – the second since it’s inauguration – there were a total of 23 inductees, including B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Bo Diddley, Big Joe Turner, Eddie Cochran, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Muddy Waters, and Leonard Chess.
The first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are announced. Some include Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino – January 22, 1986
On January 22, 1959, in his New York City apartment, Buddy Holly sits alone with an acoustic guitar and records what would be his last songs — “Peggy Sue Got Married,” “Crying, Waiting, Hoping,” “That’s What They Say,” “What to Do,” “Learning the Game” and “That Makes it Tough.” After his tragic death, these recordings would be overdubbed to become the Holly songs we know today.
A 20-year-old college dropout from Port Arthur, TX named Janis Joplin begins hitchhiking to San Francisco on January 23, 1963 in order to become a singer, along with her friend Chet Helms.
On January 23, 1986, the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is celebrated in New York City honoring 16 inductees. In the list of inductees were Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, John Hammond, Alan Freed, Sam Phillips, Jimmie Rodgers, Jimmy Yancey, and Robert Johnson.
Elvis’ single “jailhouse rock” becomes the first to enter the UK charts at number one – January 24,1957.
On a whim, Bob Dylan drops out of college and arrives in New York City to pursue his music career – January 24, 1961.
The British Rock band known for their erratic flute-playing front man, Jethro Tull plays their first US show opening for Blood, Sweat, and Tears – January 24, 1969
The Beatles sign their first and only management contract on January 24, 1962, with Brian Epstein at the manager’s offices at 12 Whitechapel St. in Liverpool. Epstein is to receive a full one-quarter of the band’s earnings, yet to prove his worth, he does not sign the contract until the following October.
That’s all for This Week in Rock History! Be sure to check back next week for the latest Rock history tidbits!