1968 - Eric Clapton stepped in to record the famous guitar solo on the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." George always had to struggle for space on Beatles albums, what, with working with one of the most famous song writing duos of all time. But bringing in his new friend Eric Clapton to play lead on this song, he figured John and Paul would sit up and take notice.
“What happened when Eric was there on that day, and later on when Billy Preston … I pulled in Billy Preston on Let It Be… it helped,” George said in 1977. “Because the others would have to control themselves a bit more. John and Paul mainly because they had to, you know, act more handsomely.”
1976 - For the first time in the history of Fleetwood Mac, they topped the album chart with their new self-titled album. It was the second self-titled release from the band (their first being the band's debut from 1968). This was the first Fleetwood Mac album to feature Lindsey Buckingham as guitarist and Stevie Nicks as vocalist. It was diverse without being forced, percolating with innovative ideas, all filtered through an accessible yet sophisticated sensibility. While Rumours had more hits and Tusk was an inspired work of mad genius, Fleetwood Mac wrote the blueprint for Californian soft rock of the late '70s and was the standard the rest were judged by.
1989 - Just as mainstream pop is about to welcome grunge music with its murky guitars and bleak outlook on society, newcomer Lenny Kravitz challenges the negativity with a simple, funk-styled message: Let Love Rule, his debut album.
1997 - Elton John sings a new version of "Candle In The Wind" at Princess Diana's funeral. This rendition, which replaces "Goodbye Norma Jean" with "Goodbye England's Rose." The song was originally written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. An estimated 2.5 billion people around the world watched Elton play the special tribute to Diana. The track went on to become the second biggest selling single of all-time.
Birthdays:
1925 - Jimmy Reed, blues singer, guitarist, wrote 'Big Boss Man', Bright Light's Big City'. Major influence on The Rolling Stones.
Roger Waters, founding member of Pink Floyd, is 79. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, over time Waters became the band's principal lyricist and grand conceptualist, the driving force behind such albums as Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall. He plays Ball Arena tonight.
Dolores O'Riordan, , lead singer for The Cranberries, was born today in 1971. The Cranberries rose to international fame in the 1990s with their debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?. She died unexpectedly on 15 January 2018 while she was in London, England, for a recording session. (Photo credit should read MIGUEL GUTIERREZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Nina Persson, lead singer of The Cardigans, is 48.
On this Day In Music History was sourced from Cheat Sheet, This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.