Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe (Jan. 27) Today's birthdays include the late David Seville of "The Chipmunks" fame, who was born in 1919. His real name was Ross Bagdasarian. Bobby "Blue" Bland was born in 1930 (age 72); Kevin Coyne in 1944 (age 58); Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason in 1945 (age 57); Nedra Talley of the Ronettes in 1947 (age 55); Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey and keyboardist Seth Justman of the J. Geils Band, both in 1951 (age 51); New Order's Gillian Gilbert in 1961 (age 41); and Faith No More lead singer Mike Patton in 1968 (age 34). Advertisement Today's musical milestones: In 1956, Elvis Presley's first single for RCA, "Heartbreak Hotel," was released. It became his first No. 1 song. In 1962, Chubby Checker had four albums in the top-10 of Billboard's Hot-200 album chart -- "For Twisters Only," "Your Twist Party," "Bobby Rydell/Chubby Checker" and "Let's Twist Again." Advertisement In 1968, Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was released posthumously. It would become the first posthumous No. 1 record of the rock era. In 1972, Mahalia Jackson died at age 60. In 1981, Georgia-based Capricorn Records filed for bankruptcy. The label had specialized in southern rock. Its first and biggest star was the Allman Brothers Band. In 1984, Michael Jackson suffered second- and third-degree burns when his hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial based on his hit single "Billie Jean." Brother Tito put out the fire. In 1986, Grammy Award winners included Bruce Springsteen -- for best male vocalist, best album for "Born In The USA" and best male video star. Other winners were Tina Turner, Huey Lewis and the News, Pat Benatar, Wham! and Chicago. In 1990, Billy Idol won a libel action against the London tabloid News of the World. In 1991, Whitney Houston sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in Tampa. In 1992, C&C Music Factory and Garth Brooks were the big winners at the 19th annual American Music Awards. Advertisement In 1993, the Joffrey Ballet premiered "Billboards" -- the first full-length rock ballet performed in the United States -- at the University of Iowa. The music's composer, Prince, did not show up for the premiere. Also in 1993, the late Dizzy Gillespie won the musical equivalent of a Nobel Prize, the Polar Music Prize, awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. And in 1993, Barbra Streisand denied published reports that she was planning to run for the U.S. Senate. And in 1993, Garth Brooks performed under the pseudonym Yukon Jack at a Clovis, N.M., nightclub. In 1994, the first NKOTB album in three years went on sale. The group -- formerly known as the New Kids On The Block -- got a star on Tower Record's Walk of Fame in Boston. In 1997, Alanis Morissette and Toni Braxton won two awards each at the 24th annual American Music Awards. Mariah Carey -- the frontrunner going into the ceremony, with a total of five nominations -- was shut out. In 1998, James Brown was arrested on drug and weapons possession charges. The allegations stemmed from what sheriff's deputies saw when they came to his Beech Island, S.C., home a couple of weeks earlier to take him to the hospital, by judge's order, to treat an addiction to painkillers. Advertisement Also in 1998, Billy Joel kicked off a world tour in Portland, Maine, that included eight shows on Long Island, N.Y. In 1999, bassists Billy Sheehan of Mr. Big and the David Lee Roth Band, Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Bootsy Collins of Parliament Funkadelic, jazz great Stanley Clarke and legendary session player Leland Sklar were inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk. Today's musical quiz: "Chipmunks" creator Dave Seville (Ross Bagdasarian) had small roles in what two movies? Answer: "Rear Window" and "Stalag 17."
