On January fourth, 1953, thousands of people attended the funeral of country star Hank Williams in Montgomery, Alabama. He had died of a heart attack a few days earlier.

In 1954, Elvis Presley met Sam Phillips of Sun Records at the Memphis Recording Service. Phillips got Elvis’ address and phone number to contact him later about a formal recording session.

In 1957, Fats Domino recorded “I’m Walkin'” in New Orleans.

In 1966, the last episode of “Rawhide” aired on CBS.

In 1976, Mal Evans, the former road manager for The Beatles, was shot and killed by police at his Los Angeles home. Authorities said Evans had refused to surrender a gun he was holding. At the time of his death, Evans was working on a memoir of his time with The Beatles.

In 1984, Van Halen released their “1984” album.

In 1986, former Thin Lizzy singer Phil Lynott (LY’-naht) died in a London hospital of heart failure and pneumonia.

In 2000, Ted Turner and Jane Fonda announced they were divorcing after eight years of marriage. On that same day, “Scary Spice” Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls announced she and husband Jimmy Gulzar were splitting after 15 months of marriage.

In 2004, singer Ray Davies of The Kinks was shot in the leg as he chased after a purse snatcher in New Orleans.

Today’s Birthdays: Actress Barbara Rush (“Peyton Place”) is 86. Actress Dyan Cannon is 76. Country singer Kathy Forester of the Forester Sisters is 58. Guitarist Bernard Sumner of New Order (and Joy Division) is 57. Actress Ann Magnuson (“Anything But Love”) is 57. Country singer Patty Loveless is 56. Singer Michael Stipe of R.E.M. is 53. Actor Dave Foley (“NewsRadio,” ”Kids in the Hall”) is 50. Actress Dot Jones (“Glee”) is 49. Actress Julia Ormond is 48. Country singer Deana (DEE’-nah) Carter is 47. Harmonica player Benjamin Darvill of Crash Test Dummies is 46. Actor Jeremy Licht (“Valerie”) is 42. Actress Jill Marie Jones (“Girlfriends”) is 38. Singer Spencher Chamberlain of Underoath is 30.