Blues great Slim Harpo “Baby Scratch My Back”, “I’m a King Bee”,”I Gog Love if You Want It”, “Shake Your Hips”, “Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu”) .
Music history and highlights that happened on January 31st… from the birthplace of the blues… and rock n’ roll.
(featured image on this article’s frontispiece is Muddy Waters and Son Sims about the same time as Alan Lomax first recorded Muddy)
Alan Lomax and Son Thomas.
1797: Franz Peter Schubert (“Unfinished Symphony”) born in Vienna, Austria.
1901: Anton Checkov play “Three Sisters” opens at Moscow Art Theater.
1915: Musicologist and first person to record Muddy Waters, Alan Lomax born in Austin, Texas.
1930: Session musician, keyboardist and Wrecking Crew member Al De Lory born in Los Angeles (you heard him with: The Beach Boys, Phil Spector productions, Glen Campbell, John Hartford, and Jimmy Webb).
FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals owner Rick Hall.
1932: Songwriter, musician, producer and owner of FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, Rick Hall born in Tishomingo County, Mississippi.
1936: Singer Marvin Junior (The Dells, “Oh What a Night”) born in Harrell, Arkansas.
1944: Blues harp player, singer, songwriter and great friend of Clarksdale, Charlie Musselwhite born in Kosciusko, Mississippi.
Blues harp player and Clarksdale friend, Charlie Musselwhite.
1955: RCA shows the first ever music synthesizer.
1956: Sex Pistols’ rocker Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) born in Hollowway, United Kingdom.
1957: Bill Haley and the Comets sells over 1 million records of “Rock Around the Clock” in Great Britain.
1969: Led Zeppelin plays at the Filmore East in New York on their 1st North American tour.
1970: Members of The Grateful Dead busted for possession of LSD.
1970: Blues great Slim Harpo leaves the building.
1970: Jackson Five hits No. 1 on U.S. singles charts with “I Want You Back”.
1971: George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” hits No. 1 on Great Britain record charts.
Bill Haley and the Comets in 1954.
1981: Blondie’s “The Tide is High” reaches No. 1 on U.S. record charts.
1987: Paul Simon’s album “Graceland” hits No. 1 on UK charts.
1987: Leader of Mumford & Sons Marcus Mumford born in Orange County, California.
1981: Singer, songwriter and actor Justin Timberlake born in Memphis.
2012: Leonard Cohen releases album “Old Ideas” and it becomes No. 1 in 10 countries.
2015: R&B singer and songwriter Don Covay passes on (songs he wrote: “Pony Time”, “Mercy, Mercy” and “Chain of Fools”).