1964 - Louis Armstrong went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Hello Dolly." He was 62, and the musical tune made him the oldest artist to hit No. 1.
1974 - Bruce Springsteen played at the Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge. Although popular with the college crowd in the Northeast, Springsteen was not yet a star. That night, he and the E Street Band opened for Bonnie Raitt. He played his full two-hour set at Raitt's insistence (rare for an opening act). The influential music critic Jon Landau was in the audience. Overwhelmed by what he heard, Landau wrote, ,"I have seen rock and roll's future, and his name is Bruce Springsteen.” (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
1986 - Peter Gabriel's So was released, the catchiest, happiest record he ever cut. "Sledgehammer," an Otis Redding-inspired soul-pop raver, "Don't Give Up," a moving duet with Kate Bush, and "In Your Eyes," Gabriel's greatest love song, these all illustrated the strengths of the album: Gabriel's increased melodicism and ability to blend African music, jangly pop, and soul into his moody art rock.
2006 - The Red Hot Chili Peppers release Stadium Arcadium. The two-disc album, says bass player Flea, is "the sum of everything we are as a band." It was anchored by two big songs: The Tom Petty-vibed lead single, "Dani California," an amalgamation of sorts - with the title character being a combination of all of frontman Anthony Kiedis' past lovers. "Snow (Hey Ho)" is a metaphor about cocaine and China White heroin. Anthony Kiedis explained: "It's about the repeated failure to start your life anew and how difficult it can be to get rid of old ways of thinking, and destructive ideas we become so attached to."
2020 - Rock pioneer Little Richard dies of bone cancer at the age of 87. Over the course of his legendary career he recorded some of America's most recognizable songs, including "Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally," and "Good Golly Miss Molly." He wrote all three future classics in a kitchen when he was working as a dishwasher at a Greyhound bus station in his hometown of Macon, Georgia.
Birthdays:
Richie Furay, is 78. Formed Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills and Neil Young. After they disbanded, founded Poco. After he split Poco, he put together the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band. Richie was Pastor of the Calvary Chapel in Broomfield, Colorado for 35 years, retiring from ministering in December 2017. Today, he maintains a flourishing musical career, fronting the Richie Furay Band and participating in Poco & Buffalo Springfield tribute and reunion shows. He's in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame as a member of Poco.
Billy Joel is 73.
Tom Petersson, Cheap Trick bassist, is 71.
Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode is 60.
Paul 'Guigsy' McGuigan of Oasis is 51.
On this Day In Music History is sourced from MassMoments,This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.