On this day in music, January 21, 1978, the defining soundtrack of the disco era, Saturday Night Fever, began a 24-week run at the top of the US album chart. Released in November 1977, several weeks before the John Travolta film hit theaters, the Bee Gees-led double LP spawned multiple No.1 hits, including “Night Fever,” “Stayin’ Alive,” and “If I Can’t Have You.” The record went on to win Album of the Year at the 1979 Grammy Awards and eventually sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling soundtracks album of all time, second only to The Bodyguard.
In 2012, Adele topped the Billboard 200 with her second studio album, 21. The LP yielded five hit singles, including “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” and “Set Fire to the Rain.” The monumental album has since sold more than 31 million copies worldwide.
In 1968, the talents of two great artists intertwined when Jimi Hendrix and the Experience recorded their stunning version of the Bob Dylan song “All Along the Watchtower” at London’s Olympic Studios. Joining the band was the Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones (percussion) and Traffic’s Dave Mason (twelve-string guitar). Now a classic rock staple, the track was released as a single in the US, where it became Hendrix’s highest-charting song, peaking at No.20.
In 2002, pioneering singer, songwriter, and actress Peggy Lee died at the age of 81. With a career that spanned more than 60 years, Lee recorded more than 60 albums and 1000 songs, including her signature hits “Fever” (1958) and the Grammy-winning “Is That All There Is?” (1969). The hugely influential and versatile artist was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1999 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1995 Grammys.
BORN ON JANUARY 21
1938: Wolfman Jack (DJ)
1941: Richie Havens
1941: Placido Domingo
1942: Edwin Starr
1950: Billy Ocean
1965: Jam Master Jay (Run DMC)
1973: Chris Kilmore (Incubus)
1976: Emma Bunton (The Spice Girls)
1980: Benjamin Moody (Evanescence)
The Knights of Columbus will have a breakfast on Sunday (January 25) from 9-to-noon in the St. Philip’s Church Social Hall in Litchfield. The menu includes egg bake, sausage and monkey bread.
Eric Mathwig says the egg bake is his special recipe and their Hispanic members will also have a breakfast burrito. He says they have several breakfasts throughout the year with the proceeds for each going to a special project and this one will help to fund an ultrasound machine for the Hope Pregnancy Center.
Mathwig says the Knights of Columbus is sponsoring a charter bus to travel to the Minnesota State Capitol tomorrow (January 22) for the MCCL March for Life. He says the bus will leave St. Philip’s Church in Litchfield at 7:50, and you can call Tony if you want to get signed up at 320-248-6863.
There’s also a spaghetti dinner in the St. Philip’s Church Social Hall in Litchfield on Saturday from 4:30-to-6:30 p.m. to help kick off Catholic Schools Week The menu includes spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and a brownie for $12. Proceeds will benefit the School of St. Philip.
The Litchfield City Council had a brief meeting last night and had more discussion on the state historic building grant. The Council approved of the grant agreement as the process continues for various buildings in Litchfield’s historic downtown district to receive façade improvement grants.
The Legislature set aside just over $2-million in the bonding bill a few years ago for this project in Litchfield. 4594 Design has been working on this project and the selection process is underway for which projects will receive grants.
Council member John Carlson asked for more hoops to be added at some of the courts in the new Litchfield Area Recreation Center. City Administrator Dave Czoik says he would like to get a LARC budget summary together and bring the additional hoops issue back at a future council meeting. He says there was money left in the LARC budget, but there are other “wish list” items.
Also last night, the Litchfield City Council was told by Czoik that he met last Thursday with Aime Gourley and Jim Prosser from the League of Minnesota Cities and Jim would like to lead the Council through a priorities update during a future work session. He says that will probably be schedule in March.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle breaking through the ice on Lake Koronis on Saturday afternoon at 12:25 p.m. The two men in the vehicle were able to get out and get to shore. No one was injured. 33-year-old Kyle Vierzba of Montrose and 52-year-old Shawn Vierzba of Little Canada were in the 2003 Nissan Frontier near the Veterans Park Access when they felt the vehicle starting to break through the ice. The vehicle was removed by Andy’s Towing.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners heard an annual report from Veterans Service Officer Tim Steinert. In 2025, the veteran population in Meeker County was 1,383.
Steinert says they have two vans that transport veterans to their medical appointments and in 2025, the volunteer drivers traveled 30,860-miles transporting 321 veterans to appointments. He says the VA is proposing to build a Litchfield area community-based out-patient clinic in the 2029-30 fiscal year.
The Meeker County Board received a request for a wetland easement from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Realty Specialist Blair Mace to protect 9 wetland basins in Section 36 of Litchfield Township on land owned by Bryan Seiffert and family of Coon Rapids.
The Commissioners also approved of a matching grant of $16,921 from the Minnesota Dept. of Public Safety to help fund the Meeker County Emergency Management Director position.