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Today in Music

January, 9

  • 2000 Venerable Chicago club Lounge Ax opens its last week of business with a bang, thanks to a surprise appearance by rock quartet Wilco. The group plays a two-and-a-half hour set before a capacity crowd, many of whom had lined up outside the club as early as seven hours before doors were to open.
  • 1999 Hip-hop icon Guru of Gang Star is robbed by three masked gunmen outside a small recording studio in Woodhaven, Queens. The rapper, whose real name is Keith Elam is getting into his Mercedes when he is attacked and pistol-whipped by the perps. Guru is unharmed, but the robbers make off with gold and diamond jewelry valued in excess of $10,000.
  • 1998 Lynn Odrick sues Anthony “Ant” Banks for allegedly punching her, damaging her vision and breaking her nose with a pool cue on November 25. Banks is one of the West Coast’s most prolific producers. He is also a member of Too $hort’s Dangerous Crew.
  • 1997 David Bowie celebrates his 50th birthday with a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, just one day after his actual birth date. The concert features special guests the Foo Fighters, Lou Reed, Frank Black, Robert Smith, Sonic Youth and Placebo.
  • 1995 “Rolling Stone” releases its annual music awards with the people voting Green Day as best new band, Pearl Jam as best band and Nirvana tapped as artists of the year. Among the magazine’s critics’ picks, Courtney Love is voted artist of the year, R.E.M. as best band and Green Day best new band.
  • 1992 Sting makes a guest appearance on the Fox animated TV comedy series “The Simpsons,” in the episode “Radio Bart.”
  • 1976 Graham Parker of Graham Parker & the Rumour signs his first recording contract.
  • 1971 The U.S. Jaycees present an award to Elvis Presley naming him one of 10 outstanding young men in America.
  • 1963 No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Go Away Little Girl,” Steve Lawrence. The song debuts at No. 100 on the Hot 100.
  • 1957 Gloria Estefan of Miami Sound Machine is born in Havana, Cuba.
  • 1950 Rock ‘n’ Roll singer Rio Reiser is born.
  • 1944 Guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin is born in Heston, England. All of the group’s albums are certified gold (500,000 copies sold) or platinum (1 million copies), and six reach No. 1.
  • 1941 Joan Baez is born in Staten Island, N.Y. She has three top 10 albums and six gold albums (500,000 copies sold).
  • 1928 Domenico Modugno is born in Polignano a Mare, Italy. He sings and co-writes “Volare (Nel Blu Diopinto),” which tops Billboard’s Hot 100 for six weeks in 1958.