1962 - An astonishing record of James and the Flames tearing the roof off the sucker at the mecca of R&B theatres, New York's Apollo. No studio can reproduce his energy, so he books a series of shows at the Apollo Theater in Harlem to record his first live album, paying for it himself because his label boss, Syd Nathan, has no interest. It's a big seller, reaching #2 on the US Albums chart. It was ranked at #24 in Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. "Live At The Apollo" was the first album recorded just the way it was performed, with no separation in the tracks. (Photo by Getty Images)
1970 - In a speech to a White House radio broadcasters conference, US President Richard Nixon appeals for Rock lyrics to be screened and those promoting drug use to be banned.
1989 - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces its fifth class of inductees: The Who, Simon & Garfunkel, The Kinks, The Platters, Hank Ballard, Bobby Darin, The Four Seasons, The Four Tops, the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team, Carole King, and Gerry Goffin.
1995 - Smashing Pumpkins released their album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. With it, the band turns in one of the most ambitious and indulgent albums in rock history. Lasting over two hours, the album is certainly a challenging listen. To Billy Corgan's credit, it's a rewarding and compelling one as well. Even if it is clear that he draws inspiration from scores of '70s heavy metal and art rock bands, instead of copying the sounds of his favorite records, he expands on their ideas. Occasionally it doesn't work, but over the entire album, the Smashing Pumpkins prove that they are one of the more creative and consistent bands of the '90s.
2004 - Queen became the first rock act to receive an official seal of approval in Iran. Western music was still strictly censored in the Islamic republic, where homosexuality was considered a crime, but an album of Queen's greatest hits was released this week in Iran. Freddie Mercury, was proud of his Persian ancestry, and bootleg albums and singles had made Queen one of the most popular bands in Iran.
2008 - Pianist/keyboardist Merl Saunders dies. Saunders became well-known for frequent collaborations with Jerry Garcia. In addition to sitting in with the Dead, Saunders worked with Garcia in multiple side projects, releasing 1973's fiery Live at the Keystone and later playing side by side in performance-focused bands like Legion of Mary and Reconstruction.
2013 - NME (New Musical Express) published their latest '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' list. The top 5 read: 1. The Smiths - 'The Queen Is Dead', 2. The Beatles - 'Revolver' 3. David Bowie - 'Hunky Dory', 4. The Strokes - 'Is This It' and at 5. The Velvet Underground & Nico - 'The Velvet Underground'.
2014 - John Denver, long time Aspen resident, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, seventeen years after his death.
2018- -Tony Joe White, who reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1969 with "Polk Salad Annie", died of natural causes at the age of 75. He was also a successful songwriter, penning Brook Benton's #4 hit, "Rainy Night In Georgia".
Birthdays:
Bill Wyman, former bass player for the Rolling Stones, is 86.
Dale Griffin, drummer and founding member of Mott The Hoople was born today in 1948.
Debbie Googe of My Bloody Valentine is 60.
Drake is 36.
On this Day In Music History was sourced from Allmusic, classic Bands, This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.