On This Day, January 11 in Music History
EVENTS ON JANUARY 11 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day January 11 in 1956 – Tommy Steele & The Steelmen replaced Guy Mitchell at No.1 on the UK Singles chart with their rendition of ‘Singing the Blues’, the same song that Mitchell topped the chart with.
1962 – With ‘The Young Ones’, Cliff Richard & The Shadows hit number one in the UK for the first of six consecutive weeks. The song was an international hit and it reached No.1 in eight other countries as well.
1963 – The Beatles released their second single in the UK ‘Please Please Me‘ on this day January 11 in music history. The song peaked at No.2 in Britain and New Zealand, and was also a Top 5 hit in North America.
1964 – Johnny Cash‘s sixteenth album ‘Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash’ became the first album to top Billboard’s new Country LP chart. On the Billboard 200 it reached No.17.
1967 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded ‘Purple Haze’ on this day January 11 at De Lane Lea studios in London. In an interview Jimi Hendrix explained that the song was about a dream he had in which he was walking under the sea. It peaked at No.3 in the UK and it became one of their signature songs.
1971 – Three months after her untimely death, Janis Joplin‘s second and final studio album ‘Pearl’ was released by Columbia Records. The album peaked at No.1 in the US, Australia, Canada, Norway, and the Netherlands that year, while in the UK it reached No.20.
1985 – The first edition of the music festival Rock in Rio kicked-off on this day January 11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Queen, Iron Maiden, and Whitesnake performed on the opening day. The festival lasted until January 20 and over 1.3 million people attended.
1986 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day was ‘West End Girls’ by the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys.
1992 – With their second studio album ‘Nevermind’, Nirvana went to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. The band also performed on “Saturday Night Live” on this day January 11.
1999 – American pop music singer Marion Colleen Nolan better known by her stage name Miss Toni Fisher died at the age of 74. Best remembered for hit songs such as ‘The Big Hurt’ and ‘West of the Wall’.
2003 – Singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne hit number one in the UK on this day January 11 in music history with her debut studio album ‘Let Go’ for the first of three consecutive weeks. The album also became a chart-topper in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, while in the US it peaked at No.2.
2003 – American multi-instrumentalist Michael “Mickey” Finn died at the age of 55. Best remembered for his work with the rock band T. Rex.
2003 – The soundtrack album to the film ‘8 Mile’ starring rapper Eminem started a two-week run at number one in the US on this day January 11.
2005 – Singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter James “Jimmy” Griffin died at the age of 61. Best known as the co-founder of the soft rock band Bread.
2005 – American drummer Spencer Dryden died on this day January 11, aged 66. Best remembered for his work with the bands Jefferson Airplane, Dinosaurs, and New Riders of the Purple Sage.
2014 – American rapper Pitbull and singer Kesha reached the top spot on the UK Singles chart with ‘Timber’ on this day January 11 in music history.
2014 – Singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding scored her second consecutive number one album in the UK with ‘Halcyon’.
2017 – American rockabilly and swing musician Thomas “Tommy” Allsup died on this day January 11 at the age of 85.
2020 – The self-titled compilation album by the record label JackBoys led by rapper Travis Scott was at No.1 in the UK on this day January 11.
BORN ON JANUARY 11 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1909 – American R&B and swing music alto saxophonist Talmadge “Tab” Smith was born in Kinston, North Carolina. Best known for the songs ‘Pretend’ and ‘Because of You’.
1924 – American traditional pop and big band singer Donald “Don” Cherry was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. Best known for the 1955 hit song ‘Band of Gold’.
1924 – Blues music harmonicist, guitarist and vocalist Slim Harpo was born James Isaac Moore in Lobdell, Louisiana.
1927 – Jamaican jazz tenor saxophonist Wilton “Bogey” Gaynair was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Best known for songs such as ‘Wilton Mood’, ‘Blue Bogey’, and ‘Kingston Bypass’.
1942 – Multi-instrumentalist and actor Clarence Clemons nicknamed “The Big Man” was born in Norfolk County, Virginia. Best known as a member of the E Street Band and for his collaborations with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Jackson Browne.
1945 – British keyboardist Anthony “Tony” Selvidge also known by his stage name Tony Kaye was born in Leicester, England. He came to prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes.
1946 – Country music singer, songwriter, and actress Naomi Judd was born Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, Kentucky. Best known as one half of the mother-and-daughter vocal duo The Judds.
1949 – Singer and founding member of the doo-wop group Sha Na Na, Frederick Dennis Greene was born in New York City.
1952 – American jazz guitarist, composer, and record producer Lee Ritenour was born in Los Angeles, California.
1958 – American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Victoria “Vicki” Peterson was born in Los Angeles, California. She rose to fame as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the pop rock band The Bangles.
1968 – Multi-instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer Thomas “Tom” Dumont was born in Los Angeles, California. Best known as a member of the band No Doubt.
1971 – One half of the electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, Tom Rowlands was born in London, England.
1971 – American R&B and hip-hop soul singer and songwriter Mary J. Blige was born in New York City.
1985 – British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Newton Faulkner was born in Reigate, England.