On This Day, January 24 in Music History
EVENTS ON JANUARY 24 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day January 24 in 1958 – Elvis Presley scored his second number one single in the UK with ‘Jailhouse Rock’. The song featured in the musical drama film of the same name and it previously topped multiple charts in the US as well.
1962 – The Beatles and Brian Epstein signed a management contract that guaranteed 25% of the band’s revenue to Epstein.
1963 – With the instrumental song ‘Dance On!’, rock group The Shadows topped the UK Singles chart on this day January 24 in music history.
1963 – American lyricist and librettist Otto Harbach died at the age of 89. He wrote nearly 50 operettas and musical comedies, and is considered one of the greatest Broadway lyricists.
1967 – Aretha Franklin recorded ‘I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) on this day January 24. It was released as a single on February 10 and it became her first No.1 hit in the US and one of the defining songs of her illustrious career.
1968 – R&B singer Georgie Fame reached number one on the UK Singles chart with ‘The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde’. The song also became a chart-topper in Canada while in the US it peaked at No.5.
1972 – Folk rock singer-songwriter Paul Simon released his eponymous second solo studio album. The album was a commercial success and it became a chart-topper in the UK, Finland, Japan, Norway, and Sweden, while in the US it peaked at No.4.
1976 – With ‘Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)’, Diana Ross topped the US Billboard Hot 100 on this day January 24. Also a Top 5 hit in the UK and Canada that year.
1976 – With his seventeenth studio album ‘Desire’, Bob Dylan went to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. It also became a chart-topper on the Spanish, Dutch, and Australian music charts, while in the UK it peaked at No.3.
1981 – New wave band Adam and the Ants reached the top spot on the UK Albums chart on this day January 24 in music history with their second studio release ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier’.
1987 – Billy Vera and the Beaters hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 with ‘At This Moment’ for the first of two weeks.
1987 – American DJ and house music pioneer Steve “Silk” Hurley topped the UK Singles chart with ‘Jack Your Body’ on this day January 24.
1989 – Heavy metal band Skid Row released their self-titled debut studio album through Atlantic Records. The album peaked at No.6 in the US and it became a chart-topper in New Zealand.
1998 – English rock band Oasis scored their fourth number one single in the United Kingdom on this day January 24 with ‘All Around the World’.
1998 – Riding the wave of the film’s huge success, the soundtrack album to ‘Titanic’ started a sixteen-week run at number one in the US.
2004 – Metallica‘s documentary film ‘Some Kind of Monster’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on this day January 24 in music history. It follows the band’s turbulent period between 2001 and 2003 when James Hetfield was admitted to a rehab center, and Jason Newsted was replaced by Robert Trujillo.
2004 – With his second studio album ‘Closer’, singer Josh Groban went to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.
2009 – Pop rock trio The Script went to number one in the UK on this day January 24 with their self-titled debut studio album.
2017 – American musician Claude Hudson Trucks also known as Butch Trucks died at the age of 69 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Allman Brothers Band.
BORN ON JANUARY 24 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1920 – American jazz tenor saxophonist James “Jimmy” Forrest was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Best known for his chart-topping rendition of ‘Night Train’.
1934 – American R&B and gospel singer Cynthia Coleman better known by her stage name Ann Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey.
1936 – Scottish jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader Robert “Bobby” Wellins was born in Glasgow.
1936 – Singer-songwriter and fiddle player Douglas “Doug” Kershaw was born in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Best known for releasing fifteen studio albums as a solo artist.
1939 – Country and pop music singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Ray Stevens was born Harold Ray Ragsdale in Clarkdale, Georgia. Best known for his Grammy Award-winning songs ‘Everything Is Beautiful’ and ‘Misty’.
1941 – American R&B and soul singer Aaron Joseph Neville was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Best known for the chart-topping singles ‘Everybody Plays the Fool’ and ‘Tell It Like It Is’.
1941 – Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond was born in New York City. He’s one of the best-selling musicians of all time with over 100 million records sold worldwide and has scored ten No.1 singles in the US, but interestingly, his signature song ‘Sweet Caroline’ didn’t top the charts.
1947 – American singer and songwriter Warren Zevon was born in Chicago, Illinois. Best known for songs such as ‘Werewolves of London’, ‘Lawyers, Guns and Money’ and ‘Keep Me In Your Heart’.
1949 – American musician, comedian, and actor John Belushi was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1950 – Country music singer, songwriter, and pianist Becky Hobbs was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
1953 – American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Matthew Wilder was born in New York City. Best known for the 1984 Billboard Hot 100 No.5 hit ‘Break My Stride’ and also for writing the music for the Disney animated movie ‘Mulan’.
1958 – English singer, pianist, and composer Julian “Jools” Holland was born in London. He came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Squeeze.
1967 – Bassist and founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, John Myung was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1970 – American singer-songwriter and record producer Patrick Leroy “Sleepy” Brown was born in Savannah, Georgia.
1975 – Singer and founding member of the boy band A1, Paul Marazzi was born in London, England.