From the birth of Captain Beefheart to the sad departure of Harry Nilsson, January 15th has stood witness to several events over the years. Here, we bring to you a few events that mark this day on the musical calendar, and of course, they are the most prominent ones off the list!
On this day in 1961, the renowned female singing group, The Supremes, signed a recording contract with Motown Records. The group was originally called ‘The Primettes’ when they formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1959. The Supremes were regarded as Motown’s most successful act. To this day they are considered the most successful vocal group in the U.S. with 12 hit tracks that have topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
This day in 1994 witnessed the sad demise of Harry Nilsson. Nilsson died of a heart attack at the age of 52. The day before he died was spent in a recording studio, recording the song Everybody’s Talkin’ from the movie Midnight Cowboy. He also wrote hit tracks for the rock bands Three Dog Night and The Monkees. In 1968, during a press conference to make the announcement of the Apple Corps formation, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were asked to give the name of the American group they like best. Both, Lennon and McCartney, replied simultaneously, “Nilsson.”
This day celebrates the birth of Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart. Vliet was born in 1941. Vliet was multi-talented as he was a singer, a songwriter and an artist. Along with his band, Magic Band, he released hit tracks such as Safe As Milk, Trout Mask Replica and Strictly Personal. Vliet’s creations of paintings and drawings are being exhibited in museums and art galleries all over the world. He died on December 17th 2011, in California, at the age of 69.