11 ready-to-read segments for January 9, lead story first. Free to use on air; a quick credit to Today in Tunes is appreciated.
On this day in 1988, 38 years ago: Whitney Houston hits No. 1 with "So Emotional." The third single from her album Whitney, written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, knocked George Michael's "Faith" off the top and held No. 1 for a week. Here's Whitney Houston with “So Emotional.”
On this day in 1961, 65 years ago: Bert Kaempfert's "Wonderland by Night" tops the Hot 100. The Hamburg bandleader's trumpet-led recording, made back in 1959, became his first big hit with his orchestra and stayed at No. 1 for three weeks.
On this day in 1970, 56 years ago: Led Zeppelin is filmed at the Royal Albert Hall. The band hired director Stanley Dorfman to shoot the London show on handheld 16mm cameras. The footage sat unreleased for decades before filling the first disc of the 2003 Led Zeppelin DVD.
On this day in 1979, 47 years ago: Stars sing for UNICEF at the United Nations. ABBA, the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart and Earth, Wind & Fire played the General Assembly hall to launch the International Year of the Child. The Bee Gees' "Too Much Heaven" has since earned millions for UNICEF.
On this day in 1914, 112 years ago: Bebop drummer Kenny Clarke is born in Pittsburgh. At Minton's Playhouse in Harlem he moved timekeeping to the ride cymbal and dropped surprise accents, or "bombs," on the bass drum, laying the rhythmic groundwork for bebop.
On this day in 1941, 85 years ago: Joan Baez is born on Staten Island. Her career took off at the first Newport Folk Festival in 1959. She went on to champion Bob Dylan's early songs and sang "We Shall Overcome" at the 1963 March on Washington.
On this day in 1944, 82 years ago: Jimmy Page is born in West London. Before forming Led Zeppelin in 1968, he worked as a London studio session guitarist and then played in the Yardbirds. He also produced Zeppelin's records himself.
On this day in 1951, 75 years ago: Crystal Gayle is born in Kentucky. Born Brenda Gail Webb, Loretta Lynn's youngest sister won a Grammy with "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," a country No. 1 that also reached No. 2 on the pop chart.
On this day in 1965, 61 years ago: Haddaway is born in Trinidad. Nestor Alexander Haddaway scored a worldwide dance-floor smash in 1993 with "What Is Love," which reached No. 1 in more than a dozen countries.
On this day in 1973, 53 years ago: Sean Paul is born in Kingston, Jamaica. His 2003 hit "Get Busy" became the first dancehall record to top the Hot 100, and he later added No. 1s with "Temperature" and Sia's "Cheap Thrills."
On this day in 2024, 2 years ago: Indian vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan dies at 55. A great-grandson of the founder of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, he gave his first concert at 11 and became one of Hindustani classical music's most admired singers.
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