MUSIC
‘ BEATLEMANIA’ BEGINS ON UK TV
On this day in music history, January 19, 1963, The Beatles made their first national TV appearance on the UK’ s Thank Your Lucky Stars. Filming at Birmingham’ s Alpha Television
Studios. The young band performed their second single“ Please Please Me”, which had just been released a week earlier. While the show didn’ t have much confidence in the group, placing them last in a roster of seven acts, the appearance was crucial in helping the Fab Four gain exposure. Not long after,“ Please
Please Me” climbed the UK charts, and the band was booked on a national tour.
( Reference: thisdayinmusic. com)
THE WORLD SAYS GOODBYE TO DAVID BOWIE
On 10 January 2016, beloved music icon David Bowie died at his home in New York City after a battle with liver cancer. His death – and his unannounced illness – shocked fans, especially as the news broke just two days after the 69-year-old artist released his 25th album, Blackstar. In true Bowie fashion, the album served as an intentional farewell gift to fans. From his days as Ziggy Stardust to his Thin White Duke phase, the innovative musician reinvented himself throughout his long career, while also achieving success as an actor and visual artist. His significant influence continues to resonate.
RIRI STRIKES BACK
On 22 January 2015, in the first successful celebrity case of its kind, Rihanna won a legal battle against UK high street store Topshop over a T-shirt bearing her image. The Court of Appeal in London upheld a ban on the store selling a sleeveless T-shirt featuring a photo of the star without her permission. The star had sued Topshop’ s parent company, Arcadia, for £ 5 million( approximately R113 158 500) in 2013 over the T-shirts, which showed a photo taken during a 2011 video shoot.
22 INBOUND SA / JANUARY 2026