EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON THIS DAY JANUARY 6 IN MUSIC HISTORY
On this day January 6 in 196 – Bill Haley & His Comets returned at No.1 on the UK Singles chart for a second three-week stint at the top with ‘Rock Around the Clock’.
1962 – The first number one album in the UK was Elvis Presley‘s soundtrack to the film of the same name ‘Blue Hawaii’ in which the King of Rock and Roll starred.
1968 – With the soundtrack album ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ to the TV film of the same name, The Beatles hit number one on the US Billboard 200 chart for the first of eight consecutive weeks on this day January 6 in music history.
1968 – Irish singer Val Doonican scored his first and only number one album in the UK with ‘Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently’.
1973 – With ‘You’re So Vain’, Carly Simon scored her first and only number one single in the US on this day January 6. She held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three consecutive weeks.
1975 – Led Zeppelin‘s concert Boston was canceled after more than 2,000 fans caused an estimated $60,000 damage to Boston Garden while trying to buy tickets for the show. Even the mayor of Boston had to intervene.
1976 – Peter Frampton released his debut double live album ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ through A&M Records on this day January 6. The album became a chart-topper in North America, Australia, and Portugal, and it went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide.
1979 – Disco group the Village People hit number one on the UK Singles chart for the first of three consecutive weeks with ‘Y.M.C.A’. The song was a worldwide hit and it also reached No.1 in thirteen other countries.
1979 – The number one single in the United States on this day January 6 was ‘Too Much Heaven’ by the Bee Gees. The song was a worldwide hit that year and it reached No.1 in eleven other countries.
1979 – English rock and roll revival group Showaddywaddy topped topped the UK Albums chart with their compilation LP ‘Greatest Hits 1976-1978’.
1979 – With her second compilation album ‘Barbra Streisand’s Greatest Hits Volume 2’, Barbra Streisand started a three-week run at No.1 in the US on this day January 6 in music history.
1980 – Singer and founding member of the vocal group The Marvelettes, Georgeanna Marie Tillman died at the age of 35.
1992 – New Zealand singer Stephen “Steve” Gilpin died on this day January 6 at the age of 42 from injuries sustained in a car accident few months earlier. Best remembered as the co-founder and frontman of the new wave band Mi-Sex.
1993 – American jazz trumpeter, composer, singer, and bandleader John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie died at the age of 75.
2006 – American singer, composer, and record producer Louis “Lou” Rawls died on this day January 6, aged 72. Best remembered for the song ‘You’ll Never Find Another Love like Mine’.
Lou Rawls – You’ll Never Find Another Love like Mine
2007 – American country-rock musician Peter “Sneaky Pete” Kleinow died at the age of 72. Best remembered as a founding member of the band Flying Burrito Brothers.
2007 – American multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Alex St. Clar died on this day January 6, aged 64 from a heart attack.
2007 – With his eighth studio album ‘Hip Hop Is Dead’, rapper Nas went to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. His fourth domestic chart-topper.
2009 – American bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Ronald “Ron” Asheton died on this day January 6 in music history, aged 60. Best remembered as the co-founder of the punk rock band The Stooges.
2012 – American drummer Thomas “Tom” Ardolino died at the age of 56. Best known as a member of the rock band NRBQ.
2022 – The number one single in the UK on this day January 6 was ‘Merry Christmas’ by the English singer-songwriters Ed Sheeran and Elton John. Ed Sheeran also topped the UK Albums chart on this day with his fifth studio LP ‘=’ (pronounced ‘Equals’).
BORN ON THIS DAY JANUARY 6 IN MUSIC HISTORY
1924 – American bluegrass and country musician Earl Eugene Scruggs was born in Cleveland County, North Carolina on this day January 6 in music history.
1929 – R&B singer and multi-instrumentalist Wilbert Harrison was born on this day in Charlotte, North Carolina. Best known for the chart-topping 1959 single ‘Kansas City’.
1937 – R&B singer and songwriter Doris Troy nicknamed ‘Mama Soul’ was born Doris Elaine Higginsen on this day January 6 in The Bronx, New York City. Best known for her 1963 hit song ‘Just One Look’.
1940 – American singer-songwriter, producer, and arranger Van McCoy was born in Washington, D.C. He gained international fame in 1975 with the hit song ‘The Hustle’.
1946 – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and co-founder of Pink Floyd, Roger Keith “Syd” Barrett was born on this day January 6 in Cambridge, England.
1947 – American R&B singer Shirley Brown was born in West Memphis, Arkansas. Best known for the 1974 million-selling single ‘Woman to Woman’.
1947 – English singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Alexandra “Sandy” Denny was born in London on this day January 6 in music history. Best known for fronting the folk rock band Fairport Convention.
1951 – Blues music singer and harmonica player Kim Wilson was born on this day in Detroit, Michigan. He came to prominence as the frontman of band Fabulous Thunderbirds.
1953 – Rhythm guitarist, vocalist, and co-founder of the hard rock band AC/DC, Malcom Young was born on this day January 6 in Glasgow, Scotland.
1959 – Singer-songwriter and founding member of the vocal group Sister Sledge, Kathy Sledge was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1962 – American guitarist, singer, and songwriter Michael Houser was born on this day January 6 in Boone, North Carolina. He rose to fame as a founding member of the rock band Widespread Panic.
1964 – Founding member and bass guitarist for the rock band Living Colour, Muzz Skillings was born in Queens, New York.
1964 – Bass guitarist and founding member of the band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Mark O’Toole was born in Liverpool, England on this day January 6 in music history.
1966 – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Wood was born in Columbus, Mississippi. Best known as the frontman of the rock bands Mother Love Bone and Malfunkshun.
1986 – English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alexander “Alex” Turner was born on this day January 6 in Sheffield. He came to prominence as the co-founder and frontman of the rock band Arctic Monkeys.