Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe (Jan. 22) Today's birthdays include Sam Cooke, who was born in 1935; Addie "Micki" Harris of the Shirelles was born in 1940; Alabama bassist Teddy Gentry in 1952 (age 51); Journey's Steve Perry in 1953 (age 50); and Michael Hutchence of INXS in 1960. Advertisement Today's musical milestones: In 1960, Sam Cooke signed with RCA Records on his 25th birthday. In 1969, Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman" was certified "gold." It was his first gold record. In 1971, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" -- a concert film capturing Joe Cocker's 1970 U.S. tour -- premiered in London. In 1972, songwriting and production team Holland, Dozier and Holland settled out of court with Motown Records, which had sued the trio when they left the label. In 1987, Reba McEntire's "Whoever's In New England" album was certified "gold." In 1991, rapper Hammer reached a financial settlement with former Oakland A's baseball players Mike Davis and Dwayne Murphy. The amount was not made public. The athletes had invested in Hammer's music career back in 1987. Hammer was a former ballboy with the A's. Advertisement In 1992, Mariah Carey's stepfather filed a breach-of-contract suit against the pop star. He claimed he'd helped make her a star and she'd promised to share her earnings with him when she made it big. In 1994, Crosby Stills and Nash and Bonnie Raitt performed a concert at the pro-choice Voters for Choice rally in Washington, D.C. In 1996, a Los Angeles judge ordered Tupac Shakur returned to jail after ruling the rapper had violated his probation from a 1994 assault and battery conviction. Also in 1996, Disney announced a two-year, first-look deal with Whitney Houston's Houston Productions film company. In 1997, Don Henley and John Mellencamp joined the growing protest of TCI's decision to dump MTV and VH1 in some areas. The protest worked and the cable giant returned the music channels to its line-up. In 1998, Mary Bono, widow of entertainer-turned-politician Sonny Bono, announced she would run for the congressional seat held by her late husband. She won both the special election and the November general election, representing the 44th Congressional District, which includes Palm Springs, Calif. Today's musical quiz: Advertisement Before Sam Cooke went solo as an R&B singer, he was in a gospel group. Can you name it? Answer: The Soul Stirrers.
