1963, Janis Joplin performs in San Francisco for the first time, singing at the North Beach coffeehouse. In lieu of money, Janis passes the hat for beers. She often sings a cappella at the Coffee Confusion and the Coffee Gallery, occasionally accompanied by Jorma Kaukonen (future guitarist with Jefferson Airplane). Joplin sings Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey blues with folksingers Roger Perkins and Larry Hanks, and hangs out with David Crosby and Nick Gravenites.
1964, The Beatles scored their first number one best seller in the US when “I Want To Hold Your Hand” reached the top of the Cash Box Magazine music chart. The Fab Four would eventually rack up 25 number ones in America.
1967, The Who played at the Kingsway Theatre in Hadleigh, Essex, supported by The Roulettes, Sound Around, the She Trinity, and the Sovereigns. Their set for the show: “I Can’t Explain,” “So Sad About Us,” “Barbara Ann,” “Run Run Run,” “Don’t Look Away,” “Substitute,” “I’m A Boy,” “Happy Jack” and “My Generation.”
1967, Jimi Hendrix perfromed at Oxford Cellar in Norwich, Norfolk, England.
1967, The Beatles made a last-minute remix of “Penny Lane” before the pressing of their next double A sided single “Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane.” Both songs were originally intended for the forthcoming Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but instead ended up on Magical Mystery Tour.
1968, The Who played at Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia.
1969, The Grateful Dead perform at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco.
1969, Pink Floyd appeared at the Sixty Nine Club, Royal York Hotel, Ryde, Isle of Wight, England. Support band was The Cherokees, who had had a minor hit single in 1964 with “Seven Golden Daffodils” produced by Mickie Most. They later changed their name to New York Public Library.
1970, Yes performed at Fox At Greyhound, Croyden, England.
1970, The Allman Brothers Band played at the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles.
1971, Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick and Paul Kantner have a daughter, whom they name China.
1972, The Allman Brothers Band appeared at Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia. The setlist: Statesboro Blues/ Done Somebody Wrong / Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More / One Way Out / Midnight Rider / Stormy Monday / You Don’t Love Me / Whipping Post / Hot ‘Lanta / Les Brers in A Minor / Mountain Jam.
1973, David Bowie finished a week of rehearsals at the Royal Ballroom, Tottenham, London, for the forthcoming UK leg of his Ziggy Stardust tour. Bowie had already played dates in North America and Japan, the tour saw the singer playing a total of 182 dates.
1974, Bob Dylan performed at the Tarrant County Convention Center Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
1975, Led Zeppelin appeared at the Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana to over 17,000 fans. The set list included songs from the forthcoming Physical Graffiti album: “Rock And Roll / Over The Hills And Far Away / The Song Remains The Same / The Rain Song / Kashmir / The Wanton Song / No Quarter / Trampled Under Foot / Moby Dick / How Many More Times / Stairway To Heaven / Whole Lotta Love / Black Dog.” Tickets cost $8.50.
1975, The last Sunbury Rock Festival in Victoria Australia was held. The promoters who had made heavy losses only paid Deep Purple. AC/DC were scheduled to play after Deep Purple but a fight started on stage between road crews after Purple’s set when they began packing up the lights and PA and denied AC/DC use of them, who then left the festival site without playing at all.
1975, The Carpenters went to number one on the singles chart with their version of The Marvelettes 1961 hit “Please Mr. Postman.”
1976, KISS played at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
1978, Joy Division made their live debut when they played at Pips Disco in Manchester, England.
1980, Following his prison ordeal in Tokyo after he was busted with a half-pound of marijuana, Paul McCartney is released and flies from Japan to Amsterdam.
1981, Black Sabbath appeared at Bingley Hall, Stafford, England.
1983, The Allman Brothers bassist Lamar Williams died of lung cancer age 34. He joined the band in 1972 after the death of original bassist Berry Oakley.
1984, Van Halen performed at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee.
1986, US manager Albert Grossman died of a heart attack while flying on Concorde from New York to London. He managed Bob Dylan between 1962 and 1970, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Band, Janis Joplin, and Todd Rundgren.
1992, The inaugural Big Day Out festival took place at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. Acts appearing included, Nirvana, Beasts of Bourbon, Box The Jesuits, Celibate Rifles, Cosmic Psychos, The Clouds, Club Hoy, Died Pretty, Falling Joys, The Hard Ons with Henry Rollins Hellmen, Massappeal, The Meanies, Smudge, Sound Unlimited Posse, Ratcat, The Village Idiots, Violent Femmes and Yothu Yindi.
2011, A former Miss Canada finalist became the first person in the world to graduate with a Masters degree in The Beatles. Canadian singer Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy, 53, was one of the first students to sign up for the course on the Fab Four when it launched at Liverpool Hope University in March 2009. The ground-breaking course looked at the studio sound and composition of The Beatles, and how Liverpool helped to shape their music, as well as examining the significance of the music of The Beatles and their impact on Western culture.
Born on January 25: Folk singer, songwriter, Ewan MacColl (1915); Stig Anderson, songwriter, producer, Abba (1931); Etta James (1938); Michael Cotten, synthesizer, The Tubes (1950); Robert Finch, singer with KC and the Sunshine Band (1954); Andy Cox, The Beat, Fine Young Cannibals (1956); and Alicia Keys (1981)
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Tag: Janis Joplin, David Bowie
