Today in Tunes
On this day in music

January 21

11 moments from 1749 to 2017: 5 things that happened, 4 birthdays and 2 farewells.

Tune of the day
Walkin' After Midnight
Patsy Cline

What happened on January 21

  1. 1749277 yrs ago
    HappenedClassical

    Fire destroys Verona's Teatro Filarmonico

    The opera house had opened in 1732 with Vivaldi's La fida ninfa. After the accidental blaze it stayed dark until 1754, when it reopened with Davide Perez's Lucio Vero.

  2. 195769 yrs ago
    HappenedCountry

    Patsy Cline wins on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts

    Cline sang "Walkin' After Midnight" on the TV talent show and took the night's prize. Decca rushed the song out in February, and it became her breakthrough, reaching No. 2 country and No. 12 pop.

  3. 196858 yrs ago
    HappenedRock

    Jimi Hendrix starts recording "All Along the Watchtower"

    Work on his take of the Bob Dylan song began at Olympic Studios in London, with Dave Mason on 12-string guitar and Brian Jones adding percussion. It became a top-five hit in Britain.

  4. 198442 yrs ago
    HappenedRock

    Yes top the Hot 100 with "Owner of a Lonely Heart"

    The band's single held the No. 1 spot for two weeks before Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon" took over in early February.

  5. 20179 yrs ago
    HappenedHip-hop

    Migos reach No. 1 with "Bad and Boujee"

    A wave of internet memes and a shout-out from Donald Glover at the Golden Globes pushed the track to the top. Neither Migos nor guest Lil Uzi Vert had led the Hot 100 before.

  6. 1923103 yrs ago
    BornLatin

    Lola Flores is born in Jerez de la Frontera

    Nicknamed "La Faraona" (the Pharaoh), she became a towering figure of Spanish copla and flamenco, known for songs like "A tu vera" and "¡Ay, pena, penita, pena!"

  7. 194185 yrs ago
    BornClassical

    Plácido Domingo is born in Madrid

    The tenor went on to sing more than 150 different roles, conduct in major opera houses and join Carreras and Pavarotti as the Three Tenors, whose 1990 concert album became classical music's biggest seller.

  8. 194185 yrs ago
    BornFolk

    Richie Havens is born in Brooklyn

    Havens opened the Woodstock festival in 1969 and kept playing while later acts sat in traffic. Out of songs, he improvised on "Motherless Child," and the set made him a star.

  9. 196561 yrs ago
    BornHip-hop

    Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC is born

    Jason Mizell took up turntables as a boy in Hollis, Queens, and became Run-DMC's DJ, building nearly every sound the group rapped over. He entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with them in 2009.

  10. 198442 yrs ago
    DiedR&B / Soul

    Jackie Wilson dies at 49

    The dynamic soul singer had collapsed on stage in 1975 while performing "Lonely Teardrops," his signature hit, and spent his final years in a near-comatose state.

  11. 200224 yrs ago
    DiedJazz & Blues

    Peggy Lee dies in Los Angeles at 81

    Her 1958 reworking of "Fever," with new lyrics she added, earned three nominations at the first Grammys. She also co-wrote the songs for Disney's Lady and the Tramp and voiced several of its characters.