Clarksdale’s Muddy Waters inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on this day in 1987.
Music history highlights that have happened on January 21st from the birthplace of the blues… and rock n’ roll.
1927: 1st national broadcast ever from a U.S. opera venue (Faust from Chicago).
Jimi Hendrix at Olympic Studios in London (1967).
1941: Opera tenor Placido Domingo born in Madrid.
1941: Folk singer Richie Havens born in Brooklyn.
1956: Victor Borge’s “Comedy in Music” show closes after 849 performances at the Golden Theater in New York.
1965: The Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison arrive in Sydney for a 16-day tour of Australia and New Zealand.
1966: George Harrison marries Patti Boyd (Eric Clapton later wrote the song “Layla” about Patti).
1968: Jimi Hendrix records “All Along the Watchtower” at Olympic Studios in London (Rolling Stones Brian Jones and Traffic’s Dave Mason play on the track).
1978: “Saturday Night Fever” starts a 24 week run at no. 1 on U.S. album charts (it sold 30 million units and became best selling record of all time).
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Bo Diddley and Roy Orbison jam with Bruce Springsteen at 1987 induction ceremony.
1979: G-Unit rapper Spider Loc born.
1984: Soul singer and songwriter Jackie Wilson passes away (on the same day he is inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posthumously three years later).
1987: B.B. King donates his collection of 7,000 records to the University of Mississippi.
1987: Muddy Waters inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (this was the Rock Hall’s second induction ceremony).
See Muddy’s page on City of Clarksdale website here.
1987: Bo Diddley inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Marvin Gaye
1987: Aretha Franklin inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (she becomes the first female inductee, and Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards led her induction).
1987: Marvin Gaye inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: B.B. King inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Roy Orbison inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Eddie Cochran inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Hank Williams inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987 inductee B.B. King and Eric Clapton lead Buddy Guy into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Smokey Robinson inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: The Coasters inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Carl Perkins inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Bill Haley inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Ricky Nelson inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Legendary country music singer, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Hank Williams.
1987: Clyde McPhatter inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Louis Jordan inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Jackie Wilson inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: T Bone Walker inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Big Joe Turner inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987: Producer and record company executives Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1992: Boxer and pianist William T. “Champion Jack” Dupree passes on.
1997: Elvis Presley manager ‘Colonel’ Tom Parker passes on.
1999: Blues singer and pianist Charles Brown passes.
2002: Peggy Lee (“Fever”) leaves the building.