Mississippi

Pioneering Delta blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player J.D. Short is born on Old Man Ikens' plantation, Port Gibson, Mississippi, USA.

Billy Hayes is born in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He will find success as a songwriter, his best-known hit being Blue Christmas, recorded by Elvis Presley and many others.

Fifteen inches (380 mm) of rain fall in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, in 18 hours. More than 4 feet (1.2 m) of water covers parts of the city. 637,000 people are forced to relocate by the flooding, but excessive loss of life is averted by relief efforts. Inspired by the disaster, Ernest V. Stoneman will record The Story Of The Mighty Mississippi for Victor Records a few days later, and Barbecue Bob will record Mississippi Heavy Water Blues soon after. Still in 1928, James Crawford will record Flood And Thunder Blues for Gennett Records in New York City, USA. At the end of the same year, The Elders McIntorsh and Edwards will record The 1927 Flood for OKek Records in Chicago, Illinois, USA. In 1929, Charley Patton will record High Water Everywhere on the same subject for Paramount Records.

When bandleader Paul Whiteman hears jazz mandolinist, guitarist and violinist Snoozer Quinn playing backstage at The St. Charles Theatre, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, he hires him to work with his band.

Western Swing group The Modern Mountaineers record Dirty Dog Blues, Mississippi Sandman and Loud Mouth in The Texas Hotel, San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Elvis Presley is fired from his job at Lowe's State Theater, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, for punching another staff member who had told the manager that Elvis was getting free candy from the girl at the concession stand.

Sam Cooke plays the third night in a week of shows at the The Howard Theater, Washington DC, USA, supported by Rochell And The Candles.

Elvis Presley records It's A Sin, There's Always Me and other tracks in RCA Studios, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Sam Cooke leaves the USA to begin a tour of Jamaica, Trinidad and other parts of the West Indies.

Location filming for the next Elvis Presley movie, Blue Hawaii, continues in Hawaii, USA.

A star-studded package tour, The Biggest Show Of Stars for 1961, featuring Fats Domino, Chubby Checker, The Shirelles, The Drifters, Bo Diddley, Ben E. King and Chuck Jackson plays in McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Elvis Presley continues with studio-based filming for the movie Blue Hawaii, at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Elvis Presley has a recording session in RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, laying down tracks for the movie Follow That Dream

Elvis Presley continues filming studio-based scenes for his latest movie, Follow That Dream, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

The Blackwood Brothers Quartet plays a live show in Ripley, Mississippi, USA.

John Lee Hooker plays the second of three nights at Hines Farm Blues Club, Swanton, Ohio, USA.

Bob Dylan writes the first draft of Blowin' In The Wind in New York City, USA. Inspired by the lyrics of the song, Sam Cooke will record A Change Is Gonna Come in 1963.

Elvis Presley continues filming scenes for his next movie, Fun In Acapulco, at Paramount Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

During a soundtrack session for the album Viva Las Vegas, Elvis Presley records Night Life and C'Mon Everybody (not the Eddie Cochran composition) in Radio Recorders Studio B, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Sam Cooke plays the sixth night of a week of shows at Club Harlem, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

Elvis Presley continues with filming of studio-based scenes at MGM Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, for his fifteenth movie Viva Las Vegas, co-starring Ann-Margret.

Elvis Presley continues with filming of studio-based scenes at MGM Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, for his fifteenth movie Viva Las Vegas, co-starring Ann-Margret.

The Top Ten tracks on KQV Radio, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, on this date are as follows :



1. My Boyfriend's Back - The Angels

2. Candy Girl - Four Seasons.

3. Monkey Time - Major Lance

4. If I Had A Hammer - Trini Lopez

5. Mockingbird - Inez and Charlie Foxx

6. Lover Boy - The Cleftones

7. Hey Girl - Freddy Scott

8. Painted Tainted Rose - Al Martino

9. What Makes Little Girls Cry - The Victorians

10. Till Then - The Classics

The Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley, Mickie Most, Julie Grant, The Flintstones and The Rolling Stones play at The Odeon, Streatham, England, UK, Europe

The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Mickie Most, Julie Grant, The Flintstones and The Rolling Stones play at The Gaumont, Sheffield, England, UK, Europe.

The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Mickie Most, Julie Grant, The Flintstones and The Rolling Stones play at The Odeon, Rochester, England, UK, Europe.

The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Mickie Most, Julie Grant, The Flintstones and The Rolling Stones play at The Gaumont, Ipswich, England, UK, Europe.

Elvis Presley comes to the end of location filming for his next film, Kissin' Cousins, at Big Bear, near San Bernardino, California, USA.

Sam Cooke releases a new single, Cousin Of Mine, in the UK on RCA Victor Records.

The Top Ten Singles on WLS Radio in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on this day is as follows :

1. I FEEL FINE/ SHE'S A WOMAN - The Beatles

2. SHE'S NOT THERE - The Zombies

3. MR. LONELY - Bobby Vinton

4. COME SEE ABOUT ME - The Supremes

5. I'M INTO SOMETHING GOOD - Herman's Hermits

6. RINGO - Lorne Greene

7. ASK ME - Elvis Presley

8. MOUNTAIN OF LOVE - Johnny Rivers

9. TIME IS ON MY SIDE - The Rolling Stones

10. ANYWAY YOU WANT IT - Dave Clark Five

Bing Crosby writes to Elvis Presley's manager, Col Tom Parker, thanking him for Presley's recording of the Crosby hit White Christmas.

Country music singers Sue York and Johnny Seay are playing during two weeks at The Bitter End Club, Greenwich Village, New York City, USA.

Elvis Presley flies to Hawaii, USA, to begin location filming for the movie Paradise Hawaiian Style.

Bo Diddley plays the last of three nights at The Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, California, USA, supported by Lee Michaels.

William Bell plays at The Vapors, Biloxi, Mississippi, USA.

Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell record tracks for their joint album, Bobbie Gentry And Glen Campbell in Capitol Recording Studio, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour makes its debut on CBS-tv in the USA, with guests for the first episode being Bobbie Gentry, John Hartford, The Smothers Brothers and comedian Pat Paulsen.

Dressed in cowboy garb and introduced as Elmer Johnson, Bob Dylan makes a surprise guest appearance during The Band's set at the Mississippi River Festival, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois, USA.

The Atomic Fireworks Company of West Memphis, Arkansas, USA, sends an invoice to Elvis Presley in respect of the fireworks he purchased from them for his recent New Year's Eve party at Gracelands.

On her Femme Fatale tour, Britney Spears plays at The MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

The Band Perry play at The Patriotic Festival, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.

The Word release their second LP, Soul Food, on Vanguard Records in the USA. (The band, whose debut LP was released fourteen years earlier, includes members of the North Mississippi Allstars)

International Women's Day announces the Top Ten women album artists since the start of 2000 according to Official Charts Company data. Adele is named the best-selling female album artist of the century. The list also features Amy Winehouse, Kylie, Madonna and Britney Spears. Between them the Top Ten artists have sold in excess of 72m albums (including streamed album equivalents).