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The Atlanta (Georgia) Constitution newspaper runs a feature headlined Down In The Dancehalls Of Decatur Street, which declares that, "It is at night, when the work of the day is done and cares and troubles are thrust away, that the darkey finds his true enjoyment, and nothing gives him more pleasure than a dance. Next to the dance comes the pool table with the city negro. It is said that those who have conducted dance halls and run pool halls in the city for the negroes have laid aside considerable fortunes".Don D. Robey is born in Houston, Texas, USA. He will make his mark on the music business as the founder of the influential Peacock Records.
The Wichita Eagle reports that The Adams Music Company of Wichita, Kansas, USA, is enlarging its department for selling of player piano rolls and will henceforth carry a stock of 15,000 rolls.
Berry Gordy, songwriter, producer and founder of the Motown Records empire, is born in Detroit, Michigan, USA.American music trade publication Billboard reports that Ethel Merman has signed an exclusive three-year recording contract with Decca Records.
RCA Records in the USA announces that the 78rpm record format is shortly to be scrapped, due to the success of the more convenient and durable 45rpm discs.
Billboard magazine reports that singer Julie Andrews and jazz pianist Eddy Haywood have been signed to RCA Victor Records in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.
It is reported that British pop star
The Tornados are presented with a second gold disc for their international hit single, Telstar, which has now notched up two million sales. The presentation, made by Billy Fury, takes place on UK tv show Thank Your Lucky Stars.
Having seen Cilla Black performing recently at the Blue Angel club in Liverpool, England, UK, Europe, manager Brian Epstein contracts her as his first female client.
The soundtrack to the George Gershwin musical Porgy And Bess is awarded a Gold Disc in the USA by the R.I.A.A.
The British Ministry of Aviation states that, following disruption to services at Heathrow Airport caused by crowds of airline staff flocking onto the tarmac to see The Beatles landing a few days earlier, they will investigate arrangements for VIP and celebrity arrivals at the airport.
The latest Dick Clark Caravan of Stars, featuring The Supremes, The Crystals, Lou Christie, Brian Hyland, Johnny Tillotson, The Velvelettes, and Dee Dee Sharp sets off on a series of one-nighters in the USA.
In an effort to launch a new teenage dance craze, The Jingle Jump is launched with a tv ad on WNEW TV 5 in New York City, USA.
Aspiring rock star Jimmy Hendrix [Jimi Hendrix] signs a contract with Sue Records and Copa Management in New York City, USA.
Allen Klein, co-manager of The Rolling Stones, announces in weekly UK rock paper the NME that, "I believe the whole group scene is going to disappear in six months with the exception of entertainers like The Beatles, The Stones and The Animals."
Music trade magazine Billboard reports that the Berkline Company has begun manufacturing a product called a 'Stereolounger' which is essentially a padded reclining chair with an integrated Lear Jet 8-track tape cartridge system - control unit in the arm and speakers in the wings. The system is priced at $239.
Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out by The Beatles is certified by the R.I.A.A. as a gold disc in the USA.
BBC tv acquires the British exhibition rights for the film of The Beatles At Shea Stadium.
The members of San Francisco band Moby Grape each sign an addendum to their individual management agreements with manager Matthew Katz in which they relinquish their right to use the band name unless they have the consent of Katz. This will cause considerable problems for the band in later years.
David Bowie's father writes a concerned letter to his son's manager, Kenneth Pitt, stating that, "His earnings from show business do not give him sufficient income to pay for his Social Security stamp."The recording contract between Capitol Records and The Exceptions from Chicago, Illinois, USA, comes to an end. The group includes Pete Cetera, later to play with Chicago, and Marty Grebb later to play with The Buckinghams.
Ringo Starr, who had quit The Beatles during a recording session the previous month, now returns to the group.
Pearl, the final LP by A report in Rolling Stone magazine in the USA states that record company claims of $1bn lost annually because of home-taping are greatly exaggerated.
Five thousand fans mob Duran Duran during an appearance at a video store in New York City, USA.A private dinner is held for the family and friends of Eric Clapton at The Savoy, London, England, UK, Europe, to mark the guitarist's 25th year in the music business. Guests include George Harrison.
Depeche Mode is awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in the USA for sales of their fifth album Black Celebration.Official UK anti-drugs czar Keith Hellawell praises Noel Gallagher of Oasis for making public his 'change of heart' about the misuse of drugs.
The Spice Girls appear in the High Court, London, UK, where they are being sued by Italian motor scooter manufacturers Aprilia. The company had signed a £500,000 marketing deal with the band to make scooters bearing their five-girl silhouette logo, before Geri Halliwell left. The logos were now rendered obsolete, damaging sales prospects.
A Jeff Koons sculpture, entitled Michael Jackson And Bubbles, is sold for $5.6m at Sotheby's Auction House, New York City, USA. The porcelain statue of Michael Jackson and his pet chimpanzee is life size and was created by Koons in 1988 as part of his Banality series.
In London, England, UK, Europe, Paul McCartney secures a court order preventing Christie's auction house from selling his handwritten lyrics to The Beatles' song Hey Jude.
The results of a poll of songs which people turn to when they are miserable are published in the UK, with I Know It's Over by The Smiths at No1 in the list.
It is announced that bassist and founding member Mark McClelland has left Snow Patrol.
After five albums on the label, Linkin Park demands to be released from its Warner Music Group contract, arguing that "diminished resources will leave it unable to compete in today’s global music market place". 
It is reported that the music retail chain HMV Canada has removed all Alanis Morissette product from its shelves because the singer-songwriter has lately struck an exclusive deal allowing the Starbucks Coffee chain to sell her new CD Jagged Little Pill Acoustic. 
Rod Stewart testifies in a breach of contract lawsuit filed against him by Harrah's Entertainment in the USA. Harrah's claims that Stewart failed to perform in a scheduled New Year Concert. Stewart's defence is that he could not perform because he was recovering from throat surgery.
The section of 30th Avenue between 15th Street and Kaulton Park in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, is re-named Dinah Washington Avenue in honour of the great blues and jazz singer who had been born in the city.
A Swedish court jails Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde, the men behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), the world's most high-profile file-sharing website. The four are found guilty of breaking copyright law, sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay $4.5m (£3m) in damages. Record companies welcome the verdict but the men are to appeal and Sunde says they will refuse to pay the fine.
Bob K eane dies of renal failure, aged 80, in an assisted living home in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. K eane was the founder of Del-Fi Records, and also managed the careers of Ritchie Valens and others.
Pete Wentz, of Fall Out Boy fame announces via his blog that he has formed a new band called Black Cards.
The Warner Music Group earns a total revenue of $652m for the quarter year ended on this date, which represents a 16% drop from the prior-year quarter.
It is revealed that a Michael Jackson-lookalike zombie character in the game Plants Vs Zombies is being removed from the game because Jackson's estate objected to manufacturer PopCap's inclusion of the character in the game.
It is reported that Motley Crue and Live Nation are being sued by a man who claims he owns the copyright on the widely-seen 'belt buckle photo' used on the cover of the Crue's 1981 debut album Too Fast For Love. According to a lawsuit, filed in Illinois Northern District Court by Ron Toma, the photograph was taken by photographer Michael Pinter in 1981, but the group and Live Nation used the image without permission on signature hoodies.
Legal representatives of The Black Keys tell a federal judge in Los Angeles, California, USA, that the band has reached an out of court agreement with Pizza Hut and the Home Depot over the misuse of two tracks from their LP El Camino, Gold On The Ceiling and Lonely Boy, in commercials for the companies.
In London, UK, Judge Colin Bishop rules that 51 partnerships set up by Icebreaker Management were designed to secure tax relief for members of the band Take That. As a result, Britain's HM Revenue and Customs is now expected to demand repayment of tens of millions of pounds from the band and other investors in the scheme.
The Live UK magazine Outstanding Contribution Award goes to veteran rockers Status Quo, who in their career have played more than 6,000 shows to over 25m people.
Rene Angelil, the husband and manager of Celine Dion, dies of throat cancer, aged 73, in Henderson, Nevada, USA.Neil Young is obliged to pull out of inducting Pearl Jam into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, because of an undisclosed illness.
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