Last Month | Yesterday | Tomorrow | Next Month | Every Month   January 15 1893   Ivor Novello is born. 1909   Jazz drummer Gene Krupa born. 1915   Folk music collector Alan Lomax born in Austin, Texas. 1926   Brown eyed handsome man Chuck Berry born. 1930   Bluesman Earl Hooker born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. 1941   Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet) born in Glendale, CA. 1942   Edward Bivins of the Manhattans is born. 1947   Peter Waterman of Stock, Aitken & Waterman is born. 1949   Ronnie Van Zant, singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd born. (Arrow 93 sez 48???) 1951   Martha Davis of the Motels born. 1952   Melvyn Gale, bassist for Electric Light Orchestra born. 1953   Boris Blank of techno pioneers Yello is born. 1955   Citing a bundle of White artists covering R&B songs, and specifically the Crew Cuts cover of the Chords' "Sh-Boom", Billboard notes that R&B is here to stay! 1959   Pete Trewavas Marillion is born. 1961   The latest girl group, the Supremes, is signed by Motown. 1964   In the USA the battle for the blokes begins, as Chicago indie Vee Jay (the first to take a chance on the Beatles, releasing their early singles and first LP) records sues Capitol/Swan Records over M&D rights to the Beatles and Capitol Records (who passed on the unknowns initially). Capitol is granted a restraining order against Vee Jay, essentially stopping them for manufacturing or distributing or promoting in any way any Beatles records. Guess who wins, the risk taker or the conglomerate? 1964   Jazz trombonist Jack Teagarden dies. 1965   Derek B. (Derek Boland), a good pal of Rakkim, is born. 1967   The Rolling Stones (graciously/opportunistically?) censor themselves on CBS-TVs, The Ed Sullivan Show, by singing "Let's spend some time together" instead of "Let's spend the night together". 1970   Diana Ross leaves the Supremes to pursue a solo career. 1971   George Harrison releases "My Sweet Lord" one of the most covered and remembered religious rock songs ever recorded. There's even a Techno version. 1972   "American Pie", the debut single by Don McLean, goes to #1. A jumble of horrid and clever rhymes littered with coded cultural references, this is one of the longest songs to ever reach the top of the charts. 1973   The Rolling Stones hold a press conference to announce a concert to benefit Nicaraguan victims of a recent earthquake (12/23/72) near Managua. A prime mover in organizing the event is Mick's mate of the moment, Bianca, who is Nicaraguan. 1974   On Chuck Berry's birthday, Brownsville Station earn their only gold record for their only hit single, a manic-metal cover of Berry's, "Smokin' in the Boys' Room." 1977   Bowie's "Low", influential Eno produced electronica album, is released. Witty (?) response by Nick Lowe is his "Bowi" EP. 1983   UK's Channel 4 begins a strange program of recent oldies, Gastank, hosted by Rick Wakeman and Tony Ashton. 1991   As a touching gesture to his father and his father's ideals, Sean Lennon releases his updated cover of "Give Peace A Chance" to coincide with the United Nation's midnight deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. No one's listening. 1992   At New York's Waldorf Astoria, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony honors a group of mostly dead rock people, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T. & The MG's, Johnny Cash, Bill Graham, Jimi Hendrix, The Isley Brothers, Sam & Dave and the Yardbirds. 1992   In Nashville, Elton John's friend and regular bassist Dee Murray, dies of cancer at age 45. 1994   Composer and singer Harry Nilsson dies of heart disease at 53. His best known song was a cover of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin' " that made it to the film Midnight Cowboy, and his concept LP, The Point.