1968 - Life magazine described Jimi Hendrix as "the most spectacular guitarist in the world."
1968 - The Rolling Stones started daily sessions at Olympic Studios in London to start recording their next album, Beggars Banquet. Working from 7pm to 8am each day without a break, the Stones worked on 'Jumpin’ Jack Flash', 'Child Of The Moon', 'Jigsaw Puzzle' and 'Parachute Woman' as well as the instrumental foundation for a song called 'Did Everybody Paid Their Dues?' (which would later become 'Street Fighting Man').
1975 - "Black Water," the Doobie Brothers ode to the Mississippi River, hits #1 in America. The Brothers didn't think it had hit potential (it was the flip side to "Another Park, Another Sunday) so it wasn't released as a single until waves of radio stations started playing it. Patrick Simmons, the group's guitarist, wrote this song and sang lead. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
1986 - The Bangles were at No. 2 on the U.S. singles chart with "Manic Monday." The song was by Prince under the pseudonym "Christopher." Prince had intended the song for the group Apollonia 6, but he offered it to The Bangles 2 years later. Ironically, the song that was No. 1 on the charts at the time was Prince and The Revolution's "Kiss."
1988 - Talking Heads release their eighth album, Naked, which ends up being their last, as David Bryne breaks up the group three years later. As swan songs go, Naked proves to be a pretty good one: Alternately serious and playful, it once again allows frontman David Byrne to worry about the government, the environment, and the plight of the working man as it frees up the rest of the band to trade instruments and work with guest musicians. It's closest in spirit to Remain in Light. It's quite a feat to pull of a late-career album as ambitious as Naked, and the Heads do so with style and vitality.
1999 - Bruce Springsteen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by U2's Bono. "Yeah, man. Bruce is a very unusual rock star, isn't he, really? I mean, he hasn't done the things most rock stars do. He got rich and famous, but he never embarrassed himself with all that success, did he? No drug busts, no blood changes in Switzerland - even more remarkable, no golfing."
Birthdays:
Phil Lesh, bassist for Grateful Dead, is 82. His playing rooted in jazz and classical performance, he initially explored the violin and trumpet. A fan favorite as much for his distinctive bass playing as for his single-minded devotion to the Dead's music (no long-term side projects) and custodianship of their recorded archives.
Mike Love of the Beach Boys is 81.
Sly Stone is 79.
Dee Snider, singer for Twisted Sister, is 67.
Terence Trent D'Arby is 60.
Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray is 54.
On this Day In Music History is sourced from Allmusic, This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts and Wikipedia.