Jan 15 in Music History: The Who release their debut single, John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat release their collaborative album

1961 – The Supremes sign a world wide recording contract with Motown Records. Along with Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, there is a fourth member, Barbara Martin, who leaves a year later. All except Martin are under 18 (Ross is 16) and need parental consent, which is granted after label boss Berry Gordy and his sister, Esther, win over their parents.

1965 – The Who release their first single “I Can’t Explain” with Jimmy Page on guitar and The Ivy League on backing vocals.

1967 – The Rolling Stones are forced to change the lyrics of “Let’s Spend The Night Together” to “let’s spend some time together” when appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show after the producers object to the content of the lyrics. When Mic Jagger rolls his eyes at the TV camera while singing the changed lyrics, host Ed Sullivan announces that The Rolling Stones would be banned from performing on his show ever again.

1969 – George Harrison holds a five-hour meeting with John, Paul, and Ringo where he made it clear that he was fully prepared to quit The Beatles for good. Harrison wasn’t happy with plans for live performances and the current Let It Be film project.

1971 – John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat release the collaborative, double-album Hooker ‘n Heat.

1976 – Joe Walsh replaces Bernie Leadon on guitar for Eagles.

1983 – Phil Collins has his first UK #1 single with his version of “You Can’t Hurry Love,” a hit for The Supremes in 1966. Collins’ version was the first track on the very first Now That’s What I Call Music CD.

1992 – Johnny Cash, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Booker T. & the MG’s, The Isley Brothers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sam & Dave, and The Yardbirds are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That same evening, on an episode of the pop culture news show Entertainment Tonight, pop star Brenda Lee criticizes the selections for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, noting the lack of female talent – such as The Shirelles, Dionne Warwick, and Connie Francis. She calls them “the women who pioneered rock and roll” and points out that they’re just as important as the men.

1994 – Singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson dies in his sleep of heart failure after spending the previous day in the recording studio.

Information for this post was gathered from This Day in Music, The Music History Calendar, On This Day, and Wikipedia.