JANUARY 20

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1888 - Leadbelly, singer, guitarist, and Capitol Records artist, is born Huddy Ledbetter on a plantation near Mooringsport, Louisiana
1922 - Ray Anthony, trumpet player, bandleader, one time husband of actress Mamie Van Doren, and Capitol Records artist, is born Raymond Antonini in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania
1929 - Jimmy Cobb, drummer, in Capitol Records artist Cannonball Adderly's Capitol band, as well as Nat Adderly's and the Miles Davis Quintet, is born in Washington, DC

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1958 - Both The Four Preps' Capitol Records single "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)", with "It's You" on the flip side, and Frank Sinatra's Capitol Records single "Witchcraft" with "Tell Her You Love Her" on the flip side, enter the top 40 of Billboard's Pop singles chart
1964 - Capitol Records releases Johnny Burnette's second single for the label "The Opposite", with "You Taught Me the Way To Love You" on the flip side. The Beatles' first album for the label, "Meet The Beatles", is also released. As part of a promotional campaign, all Capitol executives and salesmen are ordered to wear Beatle wigs for one week beginning today. Burnette's single did not chart. The Beatles' album will peak at #1 on Billboard's Pop album chart in less than a month on February 15, 1964.
1964 - The Beach Boys record the instrumental tracks for their song "Pom Pom Playgirl". When the vocals are later recorded, the track will be the band's first to feature Carl Wilson on lead vocals. The final track will be delivered to Capitol on February 20, 1964 and will be included on The Beach Boys' Capitol Records album "Shut Down Vol. 2".
1967 - The Beatles begin recording the track "A Day In The Life" at EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, England
1969 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' album "20/20"
1974 - Ringo Starr's Apple Records single (distributed by Capitol Records in the U.S.) "You're Sixteen", with "Devil Woman" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1996 - Gerry Mulligan (born Gerald Joseph Mulligan), baritone saxophonist, pianist, clarinet player, arranger, band leader, and Pacific Jazz, Blue Note and Capitol Records artist, dies of complications from a knee infection at age 68 in Darien, Connecticut
1988 - Capitol Records artists The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Leadbelly, and Les Paul are inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame
1998 - EMI-Capitol Entertainment Properties releases Garth Brooks' video "Garth Live From Central Park", distributed in the United States by Orion Home Video. The video will debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Home Video chart on Februay 2, 1998

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1924 - Slim Whitman, singer, yodeler, guitarist, and United Artists Records artist is born Otis Dewey Whitman, Jr., in Tampa, Florida. EMI Music, Capitol Records' parent company, currently owns United Artists' catalog.
1957 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records album "Ricky" hits #1 on Billboard's Pop album chart
1979 - Kenny Roger's United Artists Records album "The Gambler" is #1 on Billboard's Pop album chart. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records' parent company, EMI Music.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1896 - George Burns, vaudeville, radio, motion picture (played Mr. Kite in "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band") and television performer (best know as part of the duo Burns and Allen with his wife Gracie Allen) is born Nathan Birnbaum in New York City, New York
1965 - Alan Freed, radio disc jockey (called "Moon Doggy" at WJW Radio in Cleveland where he coined the phrase “Rock ’N’ Roll” before moving to WABC in New York) and motion picture actor, dies of uremia at age 43 in Palm Springs, California