In 1924, at the age of 26, composer George Gershwin began writing his classic, "Rhapsody in Blue," which he completed three weeks later. He passed the score to Paul Whiteman's arranger Ferde Grofé, who orchestrated the piece, finishing it on February 4, just eight days before its premiere in an afternoon concert by Whiteman and his Palais Royal Orchestra at Aeolian Hall in New York City.
In 1933, the Wheeling Jamboree was first broacast on radio station WWVA.
In 1946, on the day before his 11th birthday, Elvis Presley and his mother were forced to seek refuge in the cellar of the family home as a tornado ripped through Tupelo, Mississippi.
In 1952, the BBC introduces its first Pop music program, Hit Parade, with host Victor Barnard playing the eight most popular songs in the UK.
In 1953, Apollo Records filed a $10,000 suit against the Royals, saying they were impersonating their group the Five Royals.
In 1954, in Chicago, Muddy Waters recorded "Hoochie Coochie Man." The Hoochie Coochie was a sexually provocative dance that became wildly popular during and after the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Since the dance was performed by women, a "hoochie coochie man" either watched them or ran the show. The song was a major hit upon its release, reaching #8 on Billboard magazine's Black Singles chart.
In 1955, "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and his Comets, entered the UK chart for the first time.
In 1955, Marian Anderson became the first African-American to sing at New York's Metropolitan Opera.
In 1958, Sarah Vaughan recorded "Broken-Hearted Melody."
In 1958, Elvis Presley released the single, "Don't" b/w "I Beg Of You." "Don't" was Presley's eleventh #1 hit in the US.
In 1959, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, Sam Cooke recorded "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha."
In 1960, at Owen Bradley's Quonset Hut studio in Nashville, Johnny Horton recorded "Sink The Bismarck."
In 1960, at United Recording in Hollywood, Johnny Burnette recorded "Dreamin.'"
In 1961, at Owen Bradley's Quonset Hut studio in Nashville, Faron Young recorded the Willie Nelson composition "Hello Walls."
In 1961, Johnny Tillotson held down the top spot on the UK singles chart with "Poetry In Motion." Songwriters Paul Kaufman and Mike Anthony later said that their inspiration came from seeing a procession of young ladies from a nearby school pass by on the sidewalk each afternoon.
In 1963, singer/songwriter Gary "U.S." Bonds filed a $100,000 suit against Chubby Checker charging the plagiarism of Bonds'"Quarter to Three" in the Checker release, "Dancin' Party." The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
In 1963, in Hollywood, Bobby Vee recorded "Charms."
In 1964, the Beatles recorded a seven-song appearance for the BBC Radio program Saturday Club. They played "All My Loving,""Money,""The Hippy Hippy Shake,""I Want to Hold Your Hand,""Roll Over Beethoven,""Johnny B. Goode" and "I Wanna Be Your Man." The show was broadcast on February 15, while the Beatles were in the US.
In 1968, David Gilmour was asked to join Pink Floyd, briefly making them a five-piece band.
In 1968, Dionne Warwick sang "I Say A Little Prayer" on CBS-TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show."
In 1969, the music / comedy trio, Scaffold, which included Paul McCartney's younger brother Mike, led the UK singles chart with a novelty tune called "Lily The Pink." Elton John, along with Graham Nash of The Hollies, contributed backing vocals and Jack Bruce of Cream played bass guitar.
In 1970, neighbors sued Max Yasgur for damages resulting from the Woodstock Festival the previous year (Yasgur owned the farm where the festival was held).
On this day in 1970, "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" by B.J. Thomas was the #1 song.
In 1970, in Hollywood, Friends of Distinction began recording "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely." The track was completed nine days later.
In 1971, Judy Collins cracks the Billboard Top 40 with "Amazing Grace", a song she recorded in St. Paul's chapel at Columbia University, chosen for the acoustics. It would prove to be her second highest charting single, topping out at #15.
In 1974, Aerosmith began their 56-date Get Your Wings tour with a performance at the Michigan Theatre in Detroit.
In 1976, former record executive Kenneth Moss was sentenced to four months in the Los Angeles County Jail and four years probation for his role in the accidental overdose death of Robbie McIntosh, drummer for the Average White Band.
In 1978, the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever enters the US album charts where it will eventually hit #1 and stay there for six weeks starting February 18. The album had a chart stay of 39 weeks and to this date has sold over 15 million copies.
In 1980, Led Zeppelin's 'In Through The Out Door' album was certified Platinum.
In 1980, R&B singer Larry Williams was found dead in his Los Angeles home with his hands cuffed behind his back and a bullet in his head. The LAPD deemed it a suicide but most people who knew him thought he was murdered. Williams was 44.
In 1980, R&B singer Carl White, lead vocalist of the Rivingtons, died of acute tonsillitis at age 47.
In 1981, the Police began their Zenyatta Mondatta World Tour with a performance at the University of Montréal in Québec.
In 1982, "Fame," based on the motion picture of the same name and starring Albert Hague, Carlo Imperato, Debbie Allen, Gene Anthony Ray, and Carol Mayo Jenkins, began a six-season run, airing on NBC-TV for the first two years, then in syndication.
In 1992, US Postmaster General Anthony Frank announces that a commemorative stamp honoring Elvis Presley will be issued next year on the King's birthday.
In 1992, Capitol Records decided against renewing the contract of singer Anne Murray. During her 22 years with the label, Murray recorded 30 albums and had four Top 10 singles.
In 1993, R.E.M. played a Greenpeace Benefit show for 500 people at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia. The show was recorded using a solar-powered mobile recording studio.
In 1994, Nirvana played their last U.S. show in hometown Seattle.
In 1994, Oasis started recording their debut album 'Definitely Maybe,' at Monrow studios in South Wales.
In 1998, combo leader/musician/songwriter/record producer/recording studio owner/record label executive and Country Music Hall of Famer Owen Bradley, one of the chief architects of the "Nashville sound" of the 1950s and 1960s, died at age 82.
In 2000, singer/novelty record artist/cartoon voicist Bob McFadden died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 76.
In 2001, R&B singer James Carr died of lung cancer at 58.
In 2003, the Beatles Book Monthly closed down after 40 years. Author Sean O'Mahony who set up the magazine in 1963 said there was nothing more to say as the number of things the former Beatles were doing gets less and less as the years go on.
In 2004, Dr. Gilbert Lederman offered to donate a George Harrison autographed guitar to charity. This comes one day after Lederman was sued by Harrison’s estate for coercing the ex-Beatle into signing a guitar on his death-bed. The case was settled when its agreed that the guitar will be disposed of privately. Lederman was treating Harrison who died in November 2001.
In 2004, session drummer John Guerin, who played behind Linda Ronstadt, Todd Rundgren, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, and Gram Parsons, died of pneumonia at age 64.
In 2005, James Brown's former publicist, 48-year-old Jacque Hollander, launched a lawsuit against him claiming he raped her at gunpoint in 1988. A judge later dismissed the case because the two-year statute of limitations on that charge had run out.
In 2006, Gary Glitter was formally charged with committing obscene acts with two girls aged 11 and 12 in Vietnam, the prosecutor in the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau said the charges would carry prison terms of three to seven years. Glitter, (Paul Gadd), had been held since November as he tried to flee the country over child sex allegations.
In 2006, Mary J. Blige was at #1 on the US album chart with ‘The Breakthrough’ the R&B singer’s third US #1 album.
In 2008, jewelry valued at more than $100,000 was stolen from Dionne Warwick's hotel room in Rome, Italy. The robbery occurred in the same room at the luxurious Hotel De Russie where actress Cameron Diaz had an encounter with a pair of thieves in 2001.
In 2010, according to Nielsen SoundScan's final 2009 figures, Michael Jackson was the best selling artist of the year, moving 8,286,000 units. Forty years after their break-up, The Beatles were still the best selling group, thanks to their remastered catalog which sold 3,282,000 copies. Digital downloads however, were a different story. Lady Gaga was the queen of the downloads, selling 15,297,000 digital tracks. The Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift all finished in the vicinity of 12 million digital units
birthdays today include (among others): Paul Revere (& the Raiders) (76), Robert Hicks (Paul Butterfield Blues Band) (73), Dave Cousins (Strawbs) (69), Jann Wenner (publisher of Rolling Stone) (68), Kenny Loggins (66) and Kathy Valentine (Go-Go's) (55)