On This Day, January 23 in Music History
EVENTS ON JANUARY 23 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day January 23 in 1953 – With ‘Comes A-Long A-Love’, American singer Kay Starr became the third artist to top the newly formed UK Singles chart.
1959 – Jane Morgan reached number one in the UK with her English rendition of the French song ‘The Day the Rains Came’, originally titled ‘Le jour où la pluie viendra’.
1965 – British singer Petula Clark went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Downton’ on this day January 23 in music history. Also a big hit in the UK that year where it peaked at No.2.
1971 – Tony Orlando and Dawn topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Knock Three Times’. The song also became a chart-topper in the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia that year.
1976 – David Bowie released his tenth studio album ‘Station to Station’ on this day January 23. The album was recorded during a difficult period in Bowie’s life marked by heavy substance abuse, and he had almost no recollection of the production. The album became a Top 5 hit in North America, France, the Netherlands, and the UK.
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1978 – American guitarist, singer, and songwriter Terry Kath died at the age of 31 after accidentally shooting himself in the head. Best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.
1984 – Hard rock band Bon Jovi released their self-titled debut studio album through Mercury Records. The LP sold over 1 million copies and it features the hit single ‘Runaway’.
1986 – The inaugural Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held in New York City. The first class of inductees were: Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley.
1988 – With ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’, Michael Jackson topped the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day January 23 in music history. Also a chart-topper in Ireland, and a big hit in Canada the UK where it peaked at No.3.
1988 – Pop band Johnny Hates Jazz went to number one in the UK with their debut studio album ‘Turn Back the Clock’.
1988 – The number one album in the United States on this day January 23 was Tiffany‘s self-titled debut studio release.
1990 – Founding member and guitarist of the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allen Collins died at the age of 37 from chronic pneumonia. He was one of the survivors of the fatal 1977 plane crash that claimed the lives of six passengers, including three of his bandmates.
1993 – With their fifth live album ‘Live – The Way We Walk, Vol.2: The Longs’, Genesis started a two-week run at No.1 in the UK on this day January 23.
1997 – Doo-wop singer-songwriter, pianist, and composer Richard Berry died on this day at the age of 61. Best remembered for composing one of the most recorded songs of all time ‘Louie Louie’.
1999 – With their rendition of ‘A Little Bit More’, English boy band 911 topped the UK Singles chart on this day January 23 in music history.
1999 – English DJ Fatboy Slim hit number one in the UK with his second studio album ‘You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby’ for the firs of four consecutive weeks.
2010 – With her debut studio album ‘Animal’, Kesha reached the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart on this day January 23. The album also became a chart-topper in Canada and Greece that year while in the UK it peaked at No.8.
2010 – The number one album in the United Kingdom on this day was the debut studio LP ‘Lungs’ by the indie rock band Florence and the Machine.
2016 – The number one single in the United States on this day January 23 was ‘Sorry’ by Justin Bieber. He topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks straight.
2016 – Scottish musician Jimmy Bain died at the age of 68. Best remembered for playing bass guitar with the hard rock bands Rainbow and Dio.
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2017 – American soul and R&B singer Robert “Bobby” Freeman died on this day January 23 in music history, aged 76. Best remembered for his two Top 10 hit songs ‘C’mon and Swim’ and ‘Do You Want to Dance’.
Bobby Freeman – C’mon and Swim
2018 – The Father of South African Jazz – Hugh Masekela died at the age of 78. Best known for his 1968 US number one hit single ‘Grazing in the Grass’.
2021 – With her debut single ‘Drivers License’, Olivia Rodrigo started an eight-week run at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day January 23.
2021 – Country music singer and songwriter Morgan Wallen hit No.1 on the US Billboard 200 with his second studio album ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’. He held the top spot for ten consecutive weeks.
BORN ON JANUARY 23 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1910 – Belgian jazz guitarist and composer Jean Reinhardt better known by his stage name Django was born in Liberchies. He is considered one of the pioneers of European jazz music.
1940 – American pop singer Joe Dowell was born in Bloomington, Indiana. Best known for his 1961 chart-topping single ‘Wooden Heart’.
1943 – Jazz vibraphone player, educator, and composer Gary Burton was born in Anderson, Indiana.
1948 – American singer and songwriter Anita Marie Pointer was born in Oakland, California. She rose to fame as a founding member of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters.
1950 – Multi-instrumentalist Daniel “Danny” Federici was born in Flemington, New Jersey. Best known as a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s backing band the E Street Band.
1950 – Multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of the rock band Box Tops, William “Bill’ Cunningham was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
1953 – Singer-songwriter and guitarist Robin Zander was born in Beloit, Wisconsin. Best known as the frontman of the rock band Cheap Trick with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
1954 – American instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and engineer Richard Finch was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Best known as a member of KC and the Sunshine Band.
1959 – Bassist, singer, and co-founder of the band UB40, Earl Falconer was born in Meriden, England.
1971 – Singer, songwriter and founding member of the vocal harmony group Boyz II Men, Marc Nelson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1974 – Finnish drummer, singer, and songwriter Sampsa Astala also known by his stage names Stala and Kita was born in Vantaa. Best known for his work with the metal bands Lordi and Stala & SO.
1998 – American rapper and songwriter XXTentacion was born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy in Plantation, Florida.