1957 - Buddy Holly and the Crickets released their first record and only single to make it to No. 1, "That'll Be The Day." It was inspired by John Wayne repeatedly uttering the catchphrase in the movie The Searchers.
1963 - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, containing soon-to-be standards such as "Blowin' in the Wind," "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," was released. This is rich, imaginative music, capturing the sound and spirit of America as much as that of Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, or Elvis Presley. Dylan, in many ways, recorded music that equaled this, but he never topped it.
1977 - The Sex Pistols' version of "God Save The Queen" was released and promptly banned by the BBC for containing "treasonous sentiments." Also banned by TV, plus high street shops and pressing plant workers refused to handle the record. Nonetheless, it peaked at No. 2 on the U.K. charts. There have been persistent rumours, (never confirmed or denied), that it was actually the biggest-selling single in the UK at the time, and the British Phonographic Industry conspired to keep it off the No.1 slot.
1977 - Neil Young releases American Stars 'n Bars. Containing an eclectic batch of songs pieced together from four different recording sessions going back as far as three years (with "Star of Bethlehem" being the oldest), the album features one of Young's most iconic tunes, "Like a Hurricane."
1977 - Declan McManus made his first live debut in the U.K. under the stage name Elvis Costello. He was opening for The Rumour (sans Graham Parker) at London's Nashville Rooms.
1987 - U2's concert in Rome was so loud that it set off earthquake alarms.
1994 - After a 14-year hiatus, the Eagles reunited for a show in Burbank, California, closing the show with "Desperado." They soon launched their Hell Freezes Over Tour, which became the first tour to charge more than $100 for a substantial number of tickets.
2011 - American poet, soul and jazz musician, and author Gil Scott-Heron passed away. Upon the news of his death, Public Enemy's Chuck D tweeted "RIP GSH...and we do what we do and how we do because of you.”
2011 - A species of Afrotropical spider was named in honor of composer Brian Eno. The creature is called pseudocorinna brianeno.
2017 - Gregg Allman, founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, died at the age of 69 at his home in Savannah, Georgia after contracting liver cancer.
Allman's instrument was the organ, and he was most effective, when in top form, as a singer. His first instrument, ironically enough, was the guitar, and he took it up before his older brother Duane did. But Duane learned it better and quickly eclipsed Gregg.
He once told me in an interview that Duane and some friends blindfolded him and led him into a room. When they took off the blindfold, there with a Hammond B3. They rolled him a couple of joints and told him to learn how to play it.(Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
Birthdays:
Memphis blues singer and musician Junior Parker was born today in 1932. He's name checked in al Green's "Take Me To the River."
American Jazz giant Ramsey Lewis is 87.
Bruce Cockburn is 77.
Crowded House guitarist and vocalist Neil Finn is 64.
Andre 3000 of Outkast is 47.
On this Day In Music History is sourced from This Day in Music, Biography, Allmusic Song Facts and Wikipedia.