On This Day, January 2 in Music History
EVENTS ON JANUARY 2 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On This Day January 2 1965 – With the soundtrack album to the film of the same name ‘Roustabout’, Elvis Presley topped the US Billboard 200 chart.
1969 – Over 30,000 copies of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s first experimental album Unfinished Music, Vol. 1: Two Virgins were confiscated by the police at the Newark Airport in New Jersey. Why? Because of the explicit album cover which features John and Yoko posing naked.
1971 – George Harrison became the first solo Beatle to top the US Billboard 200 chart with ‘All Things Must Pass’ on this day January 2 in music history. The album held the top spot for seven consecutive weeks.
1974 – American country music pioneer and actor Woodward “Tex” Ritter died of a heart attack at the age of 68. Best remembered for the chart-topping singles ‘I’m Wastin’ My Tears on You’, ‘You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often’, and ‘You Will Have To Pay’.
1978 – Black Sabbath‘s co-founder and frontman Ozzy Osbourne rejoined the group on this day January 2 after quitting the band two months prior. However, the reunion didn’t last long and Ozzy was fired on April 27, 1979.
10 Crazy Facts About Ozzy Osbourne
1988 – With ‘So Emotional’, Whitney Houston scored her sixth consecutive number one single in the United States.
1990 – Phil Collins‘s fourth solo studio album “…But Seriously” topped the Billboard 200 chart on this day January 2. It was the second best-selling album of the year.
1997 – American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and founding member of the rock group Spirit, Randy California drowned while rescuing his 12-year old son from a rip current in Hawaii. He was able to save his 12 year-old son.
1999 – The number one single in the UK on this day January 2 in music history was ‘Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)’ from the animated sitcom TV series South Park. The song was performed by the character Chef which is voiced by Isaac Hayes.
2000 – American jazz trumpeter Nathaniel “Nat” Adderley died on this day at the age of 68. Best remembered for composing the jazz standard ‘Work Song’.
2010 – The winner of the sixth series of the talent show X Factor – Joe McElderry topped the UK Singles chart on this day January 2 with his version of Miley Cyrus‘ song ‘The Climb’.
2010 – With her debut single ‘Tik Tok’, singer Kesha started a nine-week stint at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2010 – With his sixth studio LP ‘Crazy Love’, Canadian singer Michael Bublé went to number one on the UK Albums chart on this day January 2.
2012 – American rock guitarist Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt died at the age of 63. Best remembered for his work with the rock bands Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond.
2014 – American singer John “Tay” Traynor died on this day January 2 in music history, aged 70. Best remembered as the third lead vocalist of the rock and roll group The Mystics.
2019 – One half of the husband-and-wife pop musical duo Captain & Tennille, Daryl “Captain” Dragon died at the age of 76.
2020 – Ellie Goulding scored her third solo number one single in the UK on this day January 2 with her rendition of the Joni Mitchell song ‘River’.
2020 – American soul music singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer Lorraine Chandler died at the age of 73.
BORN ON JANUARY 2 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1910 – American jazz multi-instrumentalist Henry Clay Goodwin was born in Columbia, South Carolina.
1915 – American jazz drummer and session musician Nick Fatool was born in Millbury, Massachusetts. Best known for playing with the likes of Bobby Hackett, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw, and Errol Garner among others.
1930 – Traditional pop music singer Julius La Rosa was born in New York City. Best known for his hit recordings of songs such as ‘Anywhere I Wander’, ‘Three Coins in the Fountain’, and ‘Eh, Cumpari!’.
1936 – Country music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Roger Miller was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Best known for hit songs such as ‘Dang Me’, ‘Chug-a-Lug’, ‘King of the Road’, and ‘Engine Engine #9’ among others.
1946 – British multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Michael George “Chick” Churchill was born in Ilkeston, England. He rose to fame as a founding member of the blues rock band Ten Years After.
1950 – American classical clarinetist, professor, and artistic director David Shifrin was born in Queens, New York.
1954 – American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Glenn Lamonte Goins was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. He came to prominence as a member of the music collective Parliament-Funkadelic.
1975 – Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist Christopher “Chris” Cheney was born in Melbourne, Australia. Best known as the co-founder and frontman of the rockabilly band The Living End.
1981 – Singer and founding member of the R&B boy band Immature (IMx), Kelton “LDB” Kessee was born in Los Angeles, California.