On This Day, January 12 in Music History
EVENTS ON JANUARY 12 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day January 12 in 1961 – With his rendition of ‘Poetry in Motion’, Johnny Tillotson went to number one on the UK Singles chart. In the US the song peaked at No.2 on the Hot 100 chart.
1963 – The number one single in the United States on this day was ‘Go Away Little Girl’ by Steve Lawrence.
1968 – The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded The Doors a Gold plaque for their second studio album ‘Strange Days’ which sold over half a million copies.
1969 – Led Zeppelin released their self-titled debut studio album through Atlantic Records on this day January 12. The album was a commercial success and it reached the Top 10 in six countries worldwide, including No.1 in Spain.
1974 – The Steve Miller Band topped the singles chart in the United States with ‘The Joker’. Sixteen years later in 1990 the song was reissued after it featured in a popular TV advertisement and it became an even bigger hit reaching No.1 in the UK, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Ireland.
1974 – With his third studio album ‘You Don’t Mess Around with Jim’, Jim Croce started a five-week stint at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart.
1980 – The Bee Gees reached the top spot on the US Albums chart with their greatest hits compilation ‘Bee Gees Greatest’. The album also reached No.1 in Australia, while in the UK it peaked at No.6.
1983 – Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Anthony “Rebop” Kwaku Baah died on this day January 12, aged 38 of a cerebral hemorrhage. Best remembered for his work with the rock bands Traffic and Can.
1993 – Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Ruth Brown, Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Etta James, Van Morrison, and Sly and the Family Stone.
1995 – Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on this day January 12 in music history: Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers Band, Martha And The Vandellas, Neil Young, Janis Joplin, Al Green and Frank Zappa.
May interest you: Metal Bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
2002 – The number one single in the United Kingdom on this day January 12 was ‘Gotta Get Thru This’ by Daniel Bedingfield.
2003 – British singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Maurice Gibb died at the age of 53 due to complications of a twisted intestine. Best remembered as one third of the sibling pop group the Bee Gees.
2004 – American singer-songwriter and guitarist Randy VanWarmer died on this day January 12, aged 48 from leukemia. Best remembered for his hit song ‘Just When I Needed You Most’.
Randy VanWarmer – Just When I Needed You Most
2008 – R&B singer and songwriter Mary J. Blige scored her fourth chart-topping album in the United States with ‘Growing Pains’.
2008 – Rock band Radiohead scored their fifth consecutive number one album in the UK on this day January 12 in music history with ‘In Rainbows’, their seventh studio LP.
2019 – American singer Halsey scored her first domestic number one single as a solo artist with ‘Without Me’ which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2022 – American singer Veronica Yvette Greenfield also known professionally as Ronnie Spector died on this day January 12, aged 78. Best remembered as the co-founder and leader of the girl group The Ronettes.
BORN ON JANUARY 12 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1912 – American jazz trombonist James “Tummy” Young was born in Savannah, Georgia. He rose to fame as a member of Louis Armstrong’s All Stars group.
1916 – American jazz pianist, singer, bandleader, and composer James “Jay” McShann was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
1928 – Singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Ruth Brown nicknamed the “Queen of R&B” was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. Best known for songs such as ‘Teardrops from My Eyes’, ‘So Long’, and ‘(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean’.
1930 – Co-founder, lead singer, and guitarist of the folk group The Limeliters, Glenn Yarbrough was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1939 – Country music singer and painter William Lee Golden was born in Brewton, Alabama. Best known as a member of the country vocal group The Oak Ridge Boys.
1940 – Drummer and pioneer of avant-garde jazz and jazz fusion Ronald Shannon Jackson was born in Fort Worth, Texas.
1941 – American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Olu Dara was born Charles Jones III in Louisville, Mississippi.
1941 – British singer, guitarist, and actor John “Long John” Baldry was born in East Haddon, England. Best known for the hit songs ‘Let the Heartaches Begin’ and ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin”.
1944 – Trumpeter, vocalist, and founding member of Sly and the Family Stone, Cynthia Robinson was born in Sacramento, California.
1945 – Founding member and co-lead vocalist of the blues rock band Stone the Crows, Margaret “Maggie” Bell was born in Glasgow, Scotland.
1946 – Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer George Duke was born in San Rafael, California.
1948 – Jazz music guitarist, bandleader, and composer John Etheridge was born in Lambeth, England. He rose to fame as a member of the band Soft Machine.
1951 – Guitarist, singer-songwriter, and co-founder of the power pop group Big Star, Christopher “Chris” Bell was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
1952 – Country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Ricky Van Shelton was born in Danville, Virginia.
1954 – American singer and founding member of the disco group Village People, Felipe Rose was born in Manhattan, New York.
1965 – Singer and songwriter Rob Zombie was born Robert Cummings in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He came to prominence as the co-founder and frontman of the heavy metal band White Zombie.
1970 – American rapper and founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, Corey Woods better known by his stage name Raekwon was born in New York City.
1970 – Co-founder and frontman of the rap rock band Rage Against the Machine, Zacharias “Zack” de la Rocha was born in Long Beach, California.
1973 – Founding member and frontman of the Christian rock band Jars of Clay, Daniel Haseltine was born in Hampden, Massachusetts.
1974 – English singer and songwriter Melanie Chisholm also known by her stage names Mel C and Sporty Spice was born in Whiston. She came to prominence as a member of the girl group Spice Girls.
1987 – American actress and singer Naya Rivera was born in Valencia, California. Best known for her single ‘Sorry’.
1993 – English pop music singer Zain “Zayn” Malik was born in Bradford. Best known as a member of the boy band One Direction.