19 JANUARY
In Music History
1957 Pat Boone performs at the inaugural ball for President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
1957 Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" hits #2 on the Hot 100, the highest he ever gets on the tally.
1957 Mickey Virtue (keyboardist for UB40) is born in Birmingham, England.
1957 Elvis Presley records "It Is No Secret," "Blueberry Hill," "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," and "Is It So Strange."
1953 Marty Robbins makes his stage debut at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry.
1953 Desi Arnaz Jr. is born to Hollywood powercouple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, stars of the wildly popular sitcom I Love Lucy. The birth is a pop culture milestone as the couple's fictional counterparts, Lucy and Ricky, welcome "Little Ricky" at the same time (a smart, but controversial, decision to write Ball's pregnancy into the show). Shortly after, Desi Jr. appears on the very first cover of TV Guide. He goes on to form a band with Dean Martin's son Dean Paul and schoolmate Billy Hinsche (Dino, Desi & Billy).
1952 Dewey Bunnell (of America) is born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.
1951 Martha Davis (lead singer of The Motels) is born in California.
1949 Robert Palmer is born in Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He lands his breakthrough singing on the Alan Brown Set's 1969 single "Gypsy Girl."
1948 Harvey Hinsley (guitarist for Hot Chocolate) is born in Northampton, England.
1947 Original Deep Purple lead singer Rod Evans is born in Buckinghamshire, England.
1946 Dolly Parton is born in Sevier County, Tennessee, the fourth of 12 children. In 1967, she gets a big break when country star Porter Wagoner brings her on to co-host his popular TV variety show; Parton writes the song "I Will Always Love You," later a huge hit for Whitney Houston, as a heartfelt goodbye when she sets out on her own.
1944 Laurie London, known for the 1958 hit single "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," is born in Bethnal Green, East London, England.
1944 Shelley Fabares is born in Santa Monica, California. She becomes famous as daughter Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show, on which she performs the hit song "Johnny Angel."
1942 Michael Crawford is born Michael Patrick Smith in Salisbury, England. He originates the title role in the Broadway musical The Phantom of the Opera.
Return Of The Mac For Clinton's Inauguration
1993Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks return to Fleetwood Mac to perform Bill Clinton's campaign song, "Don't Stop," at his inauguration ceremonies.
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Featured Events
2012 The documentary Searching for Sugar Man premieres at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Malik Bendjelloul, the film traces the seemingly unbelievable-but-true musical career of Sixto Rodríguez.
1998 Carl Perkins dies at age 65 after suffering three strokes over the last two months.
1994 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. Axl Rose performs "Come Together" at the ceremony with Bruce Springsteen - it is Axl's last public appearance until 1998.
1971 The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" is played at Charles Manson's murder trial as evidence. Manson claimed the song was about an impending race war, and led to murderous acts.
1961 The night before John F. Kennedy's inauguration, Frank Sinatra throws a star-studded gala to eradicate the Democratic Party's $2 million campaign debt. With the help of Peter Lawford, fellow Rat Packer and husband of JFK's sister Patricia, Sinatra enlists elite entertainers for the evening, including Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte, Gene Kelly, Ethel Merman, and actors Laurence Olivier, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, and Bette Davis.More
1957 Johnny Cash appears for the first time on national TV when he appears on The Jackie Gleason Show.
1943 Janis Joplin is born in Port Arthur, Texas.
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