20 JANUARY
In Music History
1952 Judas Priest bass player Ian Hill is born in West Bromwich, England.
1948 Mel Pritchard (drummer for Barclay James Harvest) is born in Oldham, Lancashire, England.
1947 George Grantham (drummer for Poco) is born in Cordell, Oklahoma.
1945 Eric Stewart (guitarist for The Mindbenders, 10cc) is born in Droylsden, Lancashire, England.
1942 Kay Kyser and His Orchestra record "Who Wouldn't Love You."
1935 Country singer Buddy Blake Cunningham, known for the 1950s songs "Please Convince Me" and "Right Or Wrong," is born in Jackson, Mississippi.
1931 Vocalist/pianist Earl Grant is born in Idabel, Oklahoma. Known for '50s singles "The End" and "Ebb Tide."
1926 Pianist/composer David Tudor is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1923 Country signer Slim Whitman is born in Tampa, Florida.
1922 Trumpeter Ray Anthony (of the Glenn Miller Orchestra) is born in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania.
1885 Folk and blues musician Leadbelly is born Huddie William Ledbetter in Mooringsport, Louisiana.
Ozzy Osbourne Bites The Head Off Of Bat
1982While performing at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa, Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a bat.
Read more20 JANUARY
Featured Events
2016 Mamma Mia, here we go again! The Swedish pop quartet ABBA reunite for the first time in eight years to celebrate Mamma Mia! The Party, a restaurant inspired by the long-running musical.More
2006 The TV movie High School Musical premieres on the Disney Channel, creating a teen and tween sensation and the biggest album of 2006.More
1993 At the Triangle Ball, the first gay and lesbian inaugural ball, Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang and Janis Ian come out publicly, declaring that they are gay and in same-sex relationships.More
1990 After being revived by a Washington DJ, "The Electric Boogie" by Jamaican singer Marcia Griffiths peaks at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100, as the "Electric Slide" line dance craze sweeps the nation.More
1986 After years of campaigning to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday, Stevie Wonder commemorates the occasion with a star-studded concert celebration in Washington, D.C.More
1977 Jimmy Buffett releases his seventh studio album, Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes, which features his signature song "Margaritaville." Peaking at #8, the tropical-themed track remains his highest entry on the Billboard Hot 100.More
1962 Dick Dale's guitar instrumental "Let's Go Trippin'" hits #60, becoming the first Surf Rock song to chart. Many groups, including The Beach Boys, subsequently cover the song.More
©2026 Songfacts®, LLC