On This Day in Music: January 1

On January 1 in music history, 65 artists were born, 51 died and 19 other milestones happened, among them The Beatles (1962), Johnny Cash (1960) and Grandmaster Flash (1958).

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Highlights

January 1

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Standout moments for this date.

The Beatles

Beatles' Decca audition is unsuccessful

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash plays 1st of many free concerts behind bars

Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash, [Joseph Saddler], NYC, rocker (Message) was born

Alpha Blondy

Alpha Blondy, [Seydou Kone], Ivory coast, reggae singer (Jerusalem) was born

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Born on January 1

Alexander Smallens

Alexander Smallens, St Petersburg, Russia, conductor was born

Alpha Blondy

Alpha Blondy, [Seydou Kone], Ivory coast, reggae singer (Jerusalem) was born

Anders Bo Leif Linde

Anders Bo Leif Linde, composer was born

Ari Up

Ari Up, German musician (The Slits) was born

Artur Rodzinski

Artur Rodzinski, Spalato, Dalmatia, Poland, conductor/composer was born

Bernard Drukker

Bernard Drukker, Dutch organist/pianist/orchestra leader (Devil's Wheel) was born

Brody Dalle

Brody Dalle, Australian singer (The Distillers) was born

Carel Brons

Carel Brons, composer was born

Christian Friedrich Gregor

Christian Friedrich Gregor, composer was born

Christoph Bernhard

Christoph Bernhard, German composer was born

Claire Polin [Schaff]

Claire Polin [Schaff], composer flautist/musicologist was born

Country Joe McDonald

Country Joe McDonald, California, rock guitarist/vocalist (& the Fish) was born

DJ Shadow

DJ Shadow, American DJ and songwriter was born

Daniel E Gawthrop

Daniel E Gawthrop, American composer was born

Dimiter Nenov

Dimiter Nenov, composer was born

Earl Wrightson

Earl Wrightson, Balt Md, singer (Paul Whiteman's Goodyear Revue) was born

Edwin Franko Goldman

Edwin Franko Goldman, composer was born

Endre Szervanszky

Endre Szervanszky, composer [or Dec 27] was born

Erich Schmid

Erich Schmid, composer was born

Eve Queler

Eve Queler, NYC, conductor was born

Fr David

Fr David, Paris France, rocker was born

Gary "BB" Coleman

Gary "BB" Coleman, blues vocal/guitarist/producer was born

George Couroupos

George Couroupos, composer was born

Giovanni D'Anzi

Giovanni D'Anzi, Italian songwriter (d. 1974) was born

Giovanni Furno

Giovanni Furno, composer was born

Giuseppe Ferrata

Giuseppe Ferrata, composer was born

Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash, [Joseph Saddler], NYC, rocker (Message) was born

Greg Carmichael

Greg Carmichael, British guitarist (Acoustic Alchemy) was born

Hans Koessler

Hans Koessler, composer was born

Harold Martina

Harold Martina, Netherland Antilles, pianist/conductor was born

Hugo Leichtentritt

Hugo Leichtentritt, composer was born

Jaco Pastorius

Jaco Pastorius, rocker was born

Johann Krieger

Johann Krieger, composer was born

Johann Pfeiffer

Johann Pfeiffer, composer was born

Judy Stone

Judy Stone, Australian pop singer was born

Juliusz Luciuk

Juliusz Luciuk, composer was born

Juozas Tallat-Kelpsa

Juozas Tallat-Kelpsa, composer was born

Kevin Hangon

Kevin Hangon, composer was born

Laszlo Sary

Laszlo Sary, composer was born

Maurice Jacobson

Maurice Jacobson, composer was born

Meryl Davis

Meryl Davis, American ice dancer was born

Micah Hawkins

Micah Hawkins, composer was born

Miki Higashino

Miki Higashino, Japanese composer was born

Miklos Radnai

Miklos Radnai, composer was born

Morgan Fisher

Morgan Fisher, rock keyboardist (British Lions) was born

Nathaniel Shilkret

Nathaniel Shilkret, NYC, conductor was born

Nikolay Nikolayevich Lodizhensky

Nikolay Nikolayevich Lodizhensky, composer was born

Paula Tsui

Paula Tsui, Hong Kong singer was born

Raymond Loucheur

Raymond Loucheur, composer was born

Richard Henry Orton

Richard Henry Orton, composer was born

Rochelle S Abramson

Rochelle S Abramson, violinist was born

Roland Diggle

Roland Diggle, composer was born

Snitz Edwards

Snitz Edwards, Hungary, actor (College, Phantom of the Opera) was born

Sydney Nelson

Sydney Nelson, composer was born

Tadeusz Jarecki

Tadeusz Jarecki, composer was born

Tarik O'Regan

Tarik O'Regan, British composer was born

Tim Dog

Tim Dog, American rapper was born

Vaclav Horak

Vaclav Horak, composer was born

Viktor Ullmann

Viktor Ullmann, opera composer (Der Kaiser von Atlantis) was born

Virgilio Savona

Virgilio Savona, Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra) was born

Werner Heiden

Werner Heiden, composer was born

William Beale

William Beale, composer was born

William Joseph Westbrook

William Joseph Westbrook, composer was born

Xavier Cugat

Xavier Cugat, Barcelona Spain, bandleader (married Abbe Lane, Charo) was born

Yitzhak Edel

Yitzhak Edel, composer was born

Died on January 1

Alexis Korner

Alexis Korner, British blues musician (b. 1928)

Bryan Harvey

Bryan Harvey, American musician (House of Freaks) (b. 1956)

Canelita Medina

Canelita Medina died

Carlos do Carmo

Carlos do Carmo died

Chad Morgan

Chad Morgan died

Christleib Siegmund Binder

Christleib Siegmund Binder, composer, dies at 65

Constantin Poustochkine

Constantin Poustochkine, jazz critic, dies

Corky Geil

Corky Geil, dancer, dies in Long Beach CA at 64

Cyrill Kistler

Cyrill Kistler, composer, dies at 58

Dana Ghia

Dana Ghia died

David Broekman

David Broekman, musican (Think Fast), dies at 55

Del Reeves

Del Reeves, American country singer (b. 1932)

Djivan Gasparyan

Djivan Gasparyan died

Emanuele Barbella

Emanuele Barbella, composer, dies at 58

Evgeny Mogilevsky

Evgeny Mogilevsky died

Fedele Fenaroli

Fedele Fenaroli, composer, dies at 87

Francois Alexander Sallantin

Francois Alexander Sallantin, composer, dies at 60

Fred Milano

Fred Milano, American doo-wop singer, member of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, dies from lung cancer at 72

Gangsta Boo

Gangsta Boo died

Hagood Hardy

Hagood Hardy, Canadian composer and musician (b. 1937)

Hamish Imlach

Hamish Imlach, folk singer/comic, dies at 55

Hank Williams

Hank Williams, country singer (Cold Cold Heart), dies at 29

Hephzibah Menuhin

Hephzibah Menuhin, American-Jewish concert pianist (b. 1920)

Hermann K J Zilcher

Hermann K J Zilcher, German pianist/composer (Liebesmesse), dies at 66

Jaap Schröder

Jaap Schröder died

Jaroslav Jezek

Jaroslav Jezek, composer, dies at 35

Jean-Laurent Krafft

Jean-Laurent Krafft, composer, dies at 73

Jean-Michel Defaye

Jean-Michel Defaye died

Jess Stacy

Jess Stacy, US jazz pianist (Great Gatsby), dies at 90

Johann Christian Bach

Johann Christian Bach, German composer/Mozarts tutor, dies at 46

Joseph Miroslav Weber

Joseph Miroslav Weber, composer, dies at 51

Juan Bautista Plaza-Alfonzo

Juan Bautista Plaza-Alfonzo, composer, dies at 66

Julius Hegyi

Julius Hegyi, American conductor (b. 1923)

Leo Dan

Leo Dan died

Louis-Maurice de La Pierre

Louis-Maurice de La Pierre, composer, dies at 55

Marin Constantin

Marin Constantin, Romanian composer and conductor (b. 1925)

Moon Mullican

Moon Mullican, rocker, dies at 58

Nora Orlandi

Nora Orlandi died

Otto Emanuel Olsson

Otto Emanuel Olsson, composer, dies at 84

Pietro Sanmartini

Pietro Sanmartini, composer, dies at 64

Raphael G Kiesewetter

Raphael G Kiesewetter, Austria musicologist, dies at 76

Ria Irawan

Ria Irawan died

Tad Jones

Tad Jones, American jazz music historian (b. 1952)

Ted Hawkins

Ted Hawkins, US blues singer (Watch Your Step), dies at 58

Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt, musician, dies at 52

Valery Klimov

Valery Klimov died

Vijayalakshmi Ramanan

Vijayalakshmi Ramanan died

Vit Nejedly

Vit Nejedly, composer, dies at 33

Wayne Osmond

Wayne Osmond died

Willem Landre

Willem Louis Frederic Landre, composer, dies at 73

Yafa Yarkoni

Yafa Yarkoni, Israeli Singer, dies after years of Alzheimer's disease at 86

Releases & milestones on January 1

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi released the album '2020'

Cole Porter

"Musical Jubilee" closes at St James Theater NYC after 92 performances

Def Leppard

Def Leppard released the album 'Diamond Star Halos'

Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert's "Missa Solemnis," premieres in Leipzig

Hans Zimmer

Hans Zimmer released the album 'Music of Dune (2021 film)'

Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash plays 1st of many free concerts behind bars

Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey released the album 'Stove'

Lordi

Lordi released the album 'Killection'

Machine Gun Kelly

Machine Gun Kelly released the album 'Tickets to My Downfall'

Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers released the album 'The Ultra Vivid Lament'

Niall Horan

Niall Horan released the album 'Heartbreak Weather'

Rina Sawayama

Rina Sawayama released the album 'Sawayama'

Rise Against

Rise Against released the album 'Nowhere Generation'

Sepultura

Sepultura released the album 'Quadra'

Testament

Testament released the album 'Titans of Creation'

The Beatles

Beatles' Decca audition is unsuccessful

The Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins released the album 'Cyr'

Victor Herbert

Date of action in the opera "Madeleine"

Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik released the album 'Nobody Is Listening'

More standout moments in January →