Weather

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Santa Barbara, California, USA, causing 13 deaths and destroying the historic center of the city, with damage estimated at $8m. Inspired by the tragedy, Green Bailey will record The Santa Barbara Earthquake for Gennett Records in Richmond, Indiana, USA, in 1928.

Harmonica player DeFord Bailey wins second prize in a talent contest on WDAD radio, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, playing It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'. He will go on to become a star of the Grand Ole Opry radio show.

A devastating cyclone hits St. Louis, Missouri, USA, killing 79 people, injuring over 500 and causing millions of dollars in damage. It will be rated as the second-costliest and 25th deadliest tornado in the history of the USA.The incident will inspire blues guitarist and singer Lonnie Johnson, just four days later, to record the song St. Louis Cyclone Blues. In addition, Luella Miller will record Tornado Groan, and the Rev. J.M. Gates will record a sermon titled "God's Wrath In The St. Louis Cyclone".

Rod Goodway is born in Calne, Wiltshire, England, UK, Europe. He will find success as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter in bands including The Pack, The Artwoods, JP Sunshine and Magic Muscle.

Bing Crosby records Moonlight And Roses, Accidents Will Happen, June In January, Tennessee Waltz and other songs in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, for an upcoming broadcast of The Chesterfield Cigarettes Radio Show.

Bing Crosby is heard singing Just The Way You Are, You And Your Beautiful Eyes, Hello My Baby, In My Merry Oldsmobile, Call Me Up Some Rainy Afternoon, Walkin' My Baby Back Home, You Made Me Love You and May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You on The Chesterfield Cigarettes Radio Show in the USA. Judy Garland, Bing's guest on the show, sings several of the tracks as duets with Bing. The show was pre-recorded in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA on 27 january.

Willie Nix records Prison Bound Blues, Truckin' Little Woman, Just One Mistake, Take A Little Walk With Me, Ridin' In The Moonlight and Mighty Showers Of Rain at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

John Anthony Genzale is born in Queens, New York City, USA. He will find success in the 1970s as Johnny Thunders of The New York Dolls.

On US tv show Toast Of The Town (aka The Ed Sullivan Show), Frankie Laine sings Jezebel, High Noon and On The Sunny Side Of The Street; singer and pianist Alec Templeton performs The Grandfather Clock, Aria from Samson And Delilah and Give Me The Name, Age, Height and S i z e; and French 9-man vocal group Les Compagnons De La Chanson perform The Three Bells.

In the first hours of the day, a flood swamps Canvey Island, Essex, UK, causing the deaths of 59 residents. The story is told in the 2008 song Canvey Island by British Sea Power.

Rufus Thomas records Bear Cat and Walking In The Rain at Sun Records studio, 706 Union, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Bear Cat is an answer song to Big Mama Thornton's 1953 r'n'b hit Hound Dog.

Jazz trumpet player Bobby Hackett records Rain, Serenade In Blue, Lazy River and Get Out Of Town in New York City, USA, for Capitol Records who will issue all the tracks on Hackett's album In A Mellow Mood.

Canadian fourteen year old Priscilla Wright joins the ranks of one hit wonders when Man In A Raincoat peaks at No16 in the Billboard Singles Chart in the USA.

Tropical cyclone Hurricane Janet attains Category 3 status as it passes Barbados. It will go on to kill 500 people across the Caribbean. Calypso artist Lord Melody will be inspired by this disaster to write his song Hurricane Janet, which will also be recorded by Lord Christo.

When The Everly Brothers perform their upcoming single, Wake Up Little Susie, on CBS-tv's Ed Sullivan Show in the USA, it causes a storm of protest because it is assumed that the young lovers in the song must have "spent the night together." As a result, the song will be banned in some markets. [censorship]

Judy Garland records Come Rain Or Come Shine, San Francisco, The Man That Got Away and a new version of her classic Over The Rainbow, for Capitol Records, in London, UK.

Johnny And The Hurricanes play at Belmont Park, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The George Russell Sextet records You Are My Sunshine, Zig-Zag and other tracks in New York City, USA, for Riverside Records.

Mel Torme records Cast Your Fate To The Wind, The Gift, My Gal’s Back In Town and Gravy Waltz for Atlantic Records at United Recorders, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Chubby Checker performs Black Cloud on daily tv pop show American Bandstand, recorded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Peter, Paul And Mary have the top two LPs in the Billboard albums chart in the USA with their first two albums, Peter, Paul And Mary, and In The Wind.

The Kingston Trio, with Voyle Gilmore as producer, record The Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos), Four Strong Winds and Turn Around in Coast Recorders, 1340 Mission Street, San Francisco, California, USA.

Don't Let The Rain Come Down by The Serendipity Singers enters the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in the USA at No90. It will peak at No6.

The Loose Ends play at The Tavern Club, Sunshine Floor, Dereham, Norfolk, England, UK, Europe, with The Knock-out Squad.

Lalo Schifrin records his compositions The Cincinnati Kid (Instrumental Version), Dialogue In The Rain, Melba, The Man, Shooter and New Orleans Procession in RCA Recording Studios, Hollywood, California, USA.

Wendy Moten is born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She will chieve success as an r'n'b, pop/rock singer, best known for her 1994 hit single Come In Out Of The Rain, which peaked at No8 in the UK.

The Top Ten Singles on WABC Radio in New York City, USA, on this date are as follows :

1. Taste of Honey - Herb Alpert And the Tijuana Brass (A+M)

2. I Hear a Symphony - The Supremes (Motown)

3. Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds (Columbia)

4. Rescue Me - Fontella Bass (Checker)

5. Let's Hang On! - The 4 Seasons

6. 1-2-3 - Len Barry (Decca)

7. A Lover's Concerto - The Toys (DynoVoice)

8. I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown And His Famous Flames (King)

9. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - The Silkie (Fontana)

10. Get Off of My Cloud - The Rolling Stones (London)

Count Basie and his Orchestra with Arthur Prysock record Come Rain Or Come Shine, I'm Lost and I Worry 'Bout You in New York City, USA, for Verve Records.

Lou Christie releases a new single, Lightning Strikes, in the USA. It will peak at No1 in the singles chart.

The Sunshine Company and Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band play the third of four nights at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, Los Angeles, California, USA.

The Top Ten Singles on WABC Music Radio in New York City, USA, for this day are as follows :



1. Sexy Eyes - Dr. Hook (Capitol)

2. Call Me - Blondie (Chrysalis)

3. Funkytown - Lipps, Inc. (Casablanca)

4. Lost in Love - Air Supply (Arista)

5. Ride Like the Wind - Christopher Cross (Warner Brothers)

6. Stomp! - The Brothers Johnson (A+M)

7. Another Brick In the Wall, Part II - Pink Floyd (Columbia)

8. Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer - Kenny Rogers with Kim Carnes (United Artists)

9. You May Be Right - Billy Joel (Columbia)

10. Hurt So Bad - Linda Ronstadt (Asylum)

R.E.M. make their national tv debut in the USA, performing Radio Free Europe and So. Central Rain on NBC's David Letterman Show.

The Hollies play at Blazers, Windsor, England, UK, Europe.

Rain Parade play at The International, Manchester, England, UK, Europe, supported by The Jazz Butcher.

The Rain Parade play at The Tunnel Club, Greenwich, London, England, UK, Europe.

The Rain Parade play at The Warehouse, Leeds, England, UK, Europe.

Hurricane Katrina makes landfall at Grand Isle, approximately 90km south of New Orleans, Louisana, USA. In the days that follow, New Orleans will be devastated with at least 1,836 people dying in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since 1928. Total property damage will be estimated at $81bn. The 2006 song Wide Awake by Audioslave will be one of the first musical responses to the disaster, but others include Missin' Mississippi by Van Dyke Parks, Hurricane Katrina [The Ghosts of New Orleans] by Frances Donnelly, Katrina by Anders Osbourne, Hell No, We Ain't Alright by Public Enemy, Gov Did Nothin' by The John Butler Trio and Midnight In The City Of Destruction by The Nightwatchman.

The BPI announces that Ed Sheeran's huge hit single, Shape of You has achieved 5x Platinum status in the UK. Only Elton John’s Candle In The Wind '97 and Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? have now sold more copies in the UK. Since its release in January, Shape Of You has spent 14 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Official Singles Chart, has been streamed over 224m times and been downloaded nearly 765,000 times.

Gloryhammer play at The Mill, Birmingham, England, UK, Europe, supported by Beast In Black and Wind Rose.

Gloryhammer play at Razzmatazz 2, Barcelona, Spain, Europe, supported by Nekrogoblikon and Wind Rose.

Gloryhammer play at Ninkasi Kao, Lyon, France, Europe, supported by Nekrogoblikon and Wind Rose.

Lucy And The Rats release a new 7" single, Dark Clouds/Get Down on Stardumb Records.