Musician Birthdays: Nick Mason (drummer for Pink Floyd, born in 1945), Mike Patton (singer, multi-instrumentalist, most famous as frontman for Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, born in 1968)

– In 1956: Elvis Presley’s single, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ was released by RCA Records, who had just purchased Presley’s contract from Sun Records for $35,000. The song sold 300,000 copies in its first week and would eventually sell over a million, becoming Elvis’ first Gold record.

– In 1961: Frank Sinatra played a benefit show at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Martin Luther King.

– In 1962: The Beatles appeared at Aintree Institute in Aintree, Liverpool. The group had played here many times before but this was their last performance at the venue. Brian Epstein became infuriated when the promoter paid The Beatles’ fee (£15 pounds) with handfuls of loose change. Epstein took this as an insult to the group, and made sure that The Beatles never played for that promoter (Brian Kelly) again.

– In 1968: The Bee Gees made their live debut in the US when they played at the Anaheim Centre, California.

– In 1971: David Bowie arrived in the US for the first time; he couldn’t play live because of work permit restrictions, but attracted publicity when he wore a dress at a promotion event.

– In 1973: ‘Superstition’ gave Stevie Wonder had his second No.1 single in the US, 10 years after his first No.1.

– In 1977: The Clash signed to CBS Records in the UK for £100,000.

– In 1998: James Brown was charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful use of a firearm after police were called to his South Carolina home. Brown later clamed the drugs were used to help his ‘eyesight.’

– In 2004: R&B singer Faith Evans and her husband were charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana after being arrested in Atlanta, Georgia. Police pulled them over for a suspected licence plate offence.

Musician Birthdays: Eddie Van Halen (guitarist for Van Halen, famous for instrumental hit, “Eruption”, born in 1957)

– In 1963: The Beatles played two gigs, the first was at the El Rio Club/Dance Hall in Macclesfield, Cheshire, supported by Wayne Fontana and the Jets. Then The Beatles drove 20 miles to their next gig at King’s Hall, Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire.

– In 1965: During a Rolling Stones tour of Australia and New Zealand, guitarist Keith Richards had his shirt torn off after 50 fans invaded the stage during the gig at The Town Hall in Brisbane.

– In 1965:  ‘Downtown’ by Petula Clark was at No. 1 on the US singles chart. A young Jimmy Page had played as a session guitarist on the track, giving him his first US No.1 hit, (and a No. 2 hit in the UK).

– In 1968: Pink Floyd played their first gig without Syd Barrett at Southampton University. They were supported by Tyrannosaurus Rex, (later to be renamed T Rex) featuring Marc Bolan and percussionist Steve Peregrine Took.

– In 1970: John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed his new single ‘Instant Karma’ all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios and arriving in stores only ten days later.

– In 1972: Sean Combs (Puff Daddy) father Melvin was shot dead in his car in a Manhattan park aged thirty-three. Sean was aged 2 at the time.

– In 1974: Ringo Starr went to No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of the Johnny Burnette 1960 hit ‘Your Sixteen’, a No.3 hit in the UK.

– In 1977: Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green was committed to a mental hospital following an incident when he threatened his accountant Clifford Adams with an air rifle when he was trying to deliver a £30,000 ($51,000) royalty cheque to him.

– In 1980: Prince made his TV debut on the US show American Bandstand.

– In 1989: Bon Jovi kicked of the North American leg of their New Jersey Syndicate Tour at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas.

– In 2003: Billy Joel was airlifted to hospital after his car smashed into a tree. The singer lost control of his Mercedes S500 and skidded for 100 yards before crashing. The accident happened in The Hamptons, New York.

Musician Birthdays: Etta James (singer/songwriter, born in 1938, died on Jan. 20th, 2012), Alicia Keys (R&B, soul singer, born in 1980)

– In 1967: The Beatles made a last-minute remix of ‘Penny Lane’ before the pressing of their next double A sided single ‘Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane’. Both songs were originally intended for the forthcoming Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

– In 1974: Led Zeppelin appeared at the Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana to over 17,000 fans. The set list included: ‘Rock And Roll’, ‘Over The Hills And Far Away’, ‘The Song Remains The Same’, ‘The Rain Song’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘The Wanton Song’, ‘No Quarter’, ‘Trampled Under Foot’, ‘Moby Dick’, ‘How Many More Times’, ‘Stairway To Heaven,’ ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Black Dog’. Tickets cost $8.50.

– In 1980: The Specials made their US live debut when they appeared at New York’s Hurrah club.

– In 1984: Yoko Ono donated £250,000 ($425,000) to Liverpool old people’s home Strawberry Fields.

– In 1989: Bobby Brown was arrested for an overtly sexually suggestive performance after a show in Columbus; he was fined $652 under the anti-lewdness ordinance law.

– In 1989: Madonna started divorce proceedings for the second time from Sean Penn at Los Angeles County Court and moved into a new three-bedroom house in Hollywood Hills.

– In 1992: The inaugural Big Day Out festival took place at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. Acts appearing included, Nirvana, Beasts of Bourbon, Box The Jesuits, Celibate Rifles, Cosmic Psychos, The Clouds, Club Hoy, Died Pretty, Falling Joys, The Hard Ons with Henry Rollins Hellmen, Massappeal, The Meanies, Smudge, Sound Unlimited Posse, Ratcat, The Village Idiots, Violent Femmes and Yothu Yindi.

– In 2004: Bob Dylan was paid by ladies underwear company Victoria’s Secret to fly to Venice in Northern Italy, to film a TV advertisement in an ancient palazzo with a scantily dressed model. Some fans were upset while others empathized with Dylan.