Sometimes I will make a “This Day in Music” post and share some events that happened that particular day in the world of music. I decided to combine a whole month’s worth of happenings into one post. So here are some things that happened in January throughout the years. Of course, this is not at all an exhaustive list. Just some of the things that I found interesting and wanted to share with you. Some are fun, and some are sad, but here you go!
January 1st, 1953– Hank Williams died at age 29 of a heart attack brought on by drugs and alcohol.
January 2nd, 1979– The Sex Pistols’ bass player Sid Vicious goes on trial in New York, accused of murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungen.
January 3rd– Happy Birthday to Sir George Martin(1926), Stephen Stills (1945), and John Paul Jones(1946)!
January 4th, 1986– Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy died of heart failure and pneumonia after being in a coma for eight days following a drug overdose.
January 6th– Happy Birthday to Syd Barrett (1946) and Malcolm Young (1953)!
January 7th, 1994– Oasis starts recording their debut album Definitely Maybe at Monrow Studios in South Wales.
January 8th- Happy Birthday to Elvis Presley (1935) and David Bowie (1947)!
Also on this date in 1979, Rush was named Canada’s Official Ambassadors of Music.
January 9th, 1944– Jimmy Page was born.
January 10, 1990– Bon Jovi played the first of seven sold out nights at the Hammersmith Odeon, London on the New Jersey Syndicate Tour.
January 13th, 1968– Johnny Cash played a show at Folsom Prison.
January 14th– Happy Birthday Zakk Wylde (1967) and Dave Grohl (1969).
January 15th, 1967– The Rolling Stones were forced to change the lyrics of “Let’s Spend the Night Together” to “let’s spend some time together” when appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show.
January 18th, 1971– Jonathan Davis of Korn was born.
January 19th, 1943– Happy Birthday Janis Joplin!
January 20th, 1982- Ozzy Osbourne had his “biting the head off a bat” incident in Des Moines, Iowa.
January 22nd- Lots of birthdays, including Steve Perry (1953), Michael Hutchence (1962), and Steven Adler (1965).
January 26th, 1957– Eddie Van Halen was born.
January 27, 1977- The Clash signed to CBS Records in the UK.
January 28th, 1985– “We are the World” was recorded.
January 29, 1969– The Beatles played on the the rooftop of the Apple building.
And there you have it! A few things that happened in the music world in the month of January.