1965 - Paul Simon drops out of law school to pursue music full-time. He moved to England to pursue a musical career. In late 1965, while still overseas, Simon got word that a song that he and Garfunkel had previously recorded, "The Sound of Silence," had begun receiving major radio airplay in the States. He returned to New York immediately, reacquainting with Art Garfunkel and the rest is history.
1969 - Former Beatles drummer Pete Best wins a defamation suit against his former group. Best sued over remarks Ringo made in an interview implying that he was kicked out of the band because of drug use.
1985 - USA Today readers select Cleveland, Ohio, as their choice for the permanent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland Rocks...
1989 - At just 38 years old, Stevie Wonder became the youngest living person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, other inductees include The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, Otis Redding and Dion DiMucci.
2016 - Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey died at the age of 67. He formed the Eagles with Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. Their name was synonymous with the country-rock movement that sprang up in Los Angeles. But the act’s first-ever concerts were in Colorado. They did stints at Gallery in Aspen and Tulagi in Boulder.
Frey had a successful solo career and acted in Miami Vice and Jerry Maguire among others.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Birthdays:
David Ruffin of The Temptations was born today in 1941. One of the greatest lead singers the Motown stable ever had, David Ruffin became one of the artistic cornerstones of the Temptations after his lead vocal on "My Girl". Unfortunately, ever-mounting internal pressures within the group, coupled with Ruffin's swelling ego, led to his dismissal from the group in late 1968. His solo career got off to a promising start with the powerful ballad "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)". Ruffin's career, marred by years of substance abuse and artistic indifference, culminated in his death from a drug overdose in 1991.
Tom Bailey (lead vocalist for Thompson Twins) is 56. Tom Bailey and his band enjoyed international success with songs like "Hold Me Now," "Lay Your Hands on Me," and "King for a Day" -- all U.S. Top Ten hits. He learned to play the piano at two.
Guitarist Jack Sherman (Red Hot Chili Peppers) was born on this day in 1956. The second guitarist to have joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers, in between Hillel Slovak's departure and return. He played on their debut album, and co-wrote much of their second album, Freaky Styley.
Luther Dickinson of The North Mississippi Allstars is 50. Dickinson came from a notable musical family. His father, Jim Dickinson, was an influential studio musician and producer who played piano with Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Los Lobos, Delaney & Bonnie, and the Rolling Stones, and produced sessions for Ry Cooder, Big Star, The Replacements, Toots Hibbert, and Mudhoney, among many, many others.
On This Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Song Facts, Allmusic, Colomusic, Shmoop, and Wikipedia.