Music History

German avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen was born.

American singer, songwriter and conductor Johnny Mann was born.

The opera "Die Dreigroschenoper" ("The Threepenny Opera") premiered in Berlin. The music was composed by Kurt Weill.

Wingy Manone recorded “Downright Disgusted” with Gene Krupa on drums.

Ben Pollack and his band recorded the song “Forever”. The lineup also included Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden.

Duke Ellington recorded the song “The Mooche”.

The first professional recording session in the Nashville area took place. DeFord Bailey recorded eight songs at the Victor Records studios, later RCA; the released recordings came from this first recording session in the area that later became known as Music City, USA.

Leo Reisman and His Orchestra with Lew Conrad recorded “Ain't Misbehavin'”

Fats Waller recorded the song “Ain't Misbehavin'.”

Arthur Wood, keyboardist for The Climax Blues Band, was born in Staffordshire, England.

Emile Berliner, the inventor of the gramophone and the laterally cut gramophone record, died in Washington, D.C., at the age of 78 from a heart attack. His hand-operated device from 1895 helped establish the use of flat seven-inch records worldwide.

Saxophonist Mike Elliott of The Foundations was born in Jamaica. He became known as a founding member of the soul group The Foundations, which had the 1967 UK No. 1 hit “Baby Now That I've Found You.”

Country singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. was born, later becoming known as Buck Owens and as a pioneer of the Bakersfield sound.

Jazz pianist Bill Evans, a major figure in post-bop jazz, was born.

Broadway lyricist Ira Levin was born. His work included the musical “Hot Spot”.

Bonnie Owens was born. She later became a singer associated with the group The Strangers.

American country singer and guitarist Leroy Van Dyke was born in Mora, Missouri. He became famous for the hits “The Auctioneer” in 1956 and “Walk On By” in 1961, which reached number one on the US country chart and number five on the pop chart. “Walk On By” spent a total of 19 weeks at the top of the country chart.

Don Ho was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He later became famous for the 1966 hit “Tiny Bubbles”.

Guy Lombardo and his orchestra recorded the song “Go Home and Tell Your Mother”.

R&B singer and saxophonist Jackie Brenston was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He sang lead vocals on Ike Turner's song “Rocket 88”.

Irish actor and singer Richard Harris was born. He was known, among other things, for the hit song “MacArthur Park”.

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra was heard for the first time in a CBS radio broadcast from Carnegie Hall.

British television and music producer Jack Good was born. He was involved in early British pop music shows including “Six-Five Special” and “Oh Boy!” and managed some of the first British rock and roll stars.

American songwriter, singer and record producer Luther Dixon was born in Brooklyn, New York.

American saxophonist, studio musician and bandleader Floyd Newman was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He was closely associated with Stax Records and the groups The Mar-Keys and Memphis Horns and also worked with B. B. King.

Jazz drummer Francis Cappuccio, known as Frank Capp, was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Paul Robi, a member of the American vocal group The Platters, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Platters had the UK and U.S. No. 1 hit “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” in 1959 and were among the first African-American groups to establish themselves as major chart artists. Robi died of cancer on February 1, 1989.

American country singer Boxcar Willie, whose real name was Lecil Travis Martin, was born in Sterrett, Texas.

The radio program “15 Minutes with Bing Crosby” premiered on CBS.

Russ Columbo recorded the song "Prisoner of Love," which became his best-known hit and a classic standard.

Country singer Mel Tillis was born in Dover, Florida. He became famous for hits including “I Ain't Never”, “Good Woman Blues” and “Coca-Cola Cowboy”.

Helen Morgan joined Victor Young’s orchestra to record “Bill” from the Broadway musical “Show Boat.”

R&B and pop singer Gil Hamilton, known as Johnny Thunder, was born in Leesburg, Florida.

American blues guitarist and singer Albert Collins was born. He was known for playing a Fender Telecaster and for the nicknames “The Master of the Telecaster” and “Ice Man”. One source gives Leona, Texas, as his birthplace.

American music producer and pedal steel guitarist Roddis “Pete” Drake was born in Augusta, Georgia. He played on numerous hits and worked with artists including Bob Dylan, Tammy Wynette, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. In 2021, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

American country singer and songwriter Dottie West, born Dorothy Marie Marsh, was born near McMinnville, Tennessee. She became a major figure in country music and helped expand opportunities for women in the genre. In 1965, she became the first female country singer to win a Grammy Award, receiving it for "Here Comes My Baby." Her duets with Kenny Rogers included "Every Time Two Fools Collide," which became her first country chart-topper in 1978. Four more Top 10 hits followed.

Country singer and guitarist Bobby Helms was born in Bloomington, Indiana. He achieved two No. 1 hits on the country chart but became best known for the Christmas hit “Jingle Bell Rock”.

Pop singer Max Dinning, known professionally as Mark Dinning, was born in Manchester, Oklahoma. He became famous for the hit “Teen Angel”, which reached No. 1 on the chart.

American jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter was born in Newark, New Jersey. He became known for his work with Art Blakey and Miles Davis and as co-founder of jazz-fusion group Weather Report. He wrote several notable compositions, including “Prince of Darkness”, “Footprints” and “Sanctuary”. He won ten Grammy Awards and received the Polar Music Prize in 2017.

Country singer Conway Twitty, whose real name was Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was born in Friars Point, Mississippi.

He was born in Old Fort, North Carolina. He became known as a member of Bill Haley & His Comets and The Jodimars.

American singer Richard “Rick” Lewis of The Silhouettes was born. Their doo-wop and R&B single “Get A Job” reached number one on both the US R&B and pop charts in 1958.

Canadian singer, co-founder, and original lead singer of The Diamonds, David Somerville, was born in Guelph, Ontario. The group had 16 Billboard hits in the 1950s and early 1960s, including “Little Darlin'” and “The Stroll.”

American singer, songwriter and manager Merle Kilgore was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He co-wrote the song “Ring of Fire” with June Carter Cash.

Country-rock musician, songwriter and steel guitarist Peter “Sneaky Pete” Kleinow was born in South Bend, Indiana. He was one of the original members of The Flying Burrito Brothers, alongside The Byrds' Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons. He also worked with John Lennon and Joni Mitchell. He died on January 6, 2007, aged 72.