1955 - At Sun Studios in Memphis, Carl Perkins recorded his song "Blue Suede Shoes." It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, and with bits of blues, country and pop music of the time. Perkins' version would make it to No. 2 on the charts, although it was Elvis Presley's cover which became the bigger hit.
1976 - Al Green, recently ordained as a minister, opens the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in Memphis, where he preaches most Sundays.
1979 - Elvis Presley's personal physician, George Nichopoulos, was charged with 'illegally and indiscriminately' prescribing over 12,000 tablets of uppers, downers, and painkillers for the star during the 20 months preceding his untimely death. Although he was acquitted this time, he was eventually stripped of his medical license in July 1995.
1980 - 9 to 5, starring Dolly Parton opens in theaters. The classic theme song by the singer features her fingernails as an instrument.
In a 2009 interview with 60 Minutes, Parton talked about the unlikely inspiration for this song: her fingernails. She had very long, acrylic nails, and discovered that when she rubbed them together she could create a rhythm that sounded like a typewriter, and since the movie was about secretaries, she was able to use that sound to compose the song on the set. She even played her fingernails as part of the percussion sound when she recorded the track.
Is there anything she can't do?
2000 - Songwriter, guitarist and singer and founder member of The Staple Singers, Roebuck 'Pops' Staples died. The patriarch of one of music's most successful families, Roebuck "Pops" Staples worked with everyone from Robert Johnson to Curtis Mayfield. Born in Mississippi, Pops moved to Chicago where her formed the Staples Singers. While originally a gospel group, the family achieved its first commercial success with a more contemporary soul sound honed during the late '60s while signed to the Stax label; by the early '70s, the Staples even moved into funk, scoring a major pop hit with "I'll Take You There."
2015 - Thirty-three years after it was released, Michael Jackson's classic album Thriller became the first to sell more than 30 million copies in the US.
Birthdays:
Edith Piaf, French cabaret singer, songwriter and film actress was born today in 1915.
Professor Longhair, New Orleans blues singer and pianist was born on this day in 1918. He had a big influence Fat's Domino, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John.
Singer Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire was born today in 1941.
John McEuen, from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, is 77. The Dirt Band's 1972 album, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" is considered the first real merger of rock and country music that worked for both sides and everyone involved. Not only did this album result in exposure to a new and wider audience for the likes of Mother Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, Merle Travis, and others, but this was the first real country album that a lot of rock listeners under the age of 30 ever heard. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
Alvin Lee, guitar/vocals, Ten Years After, was born on this day in 1944. They were one of the highlights at Woodstock with their their nine-minute rendition of "I'm Going Home". Plus the hit, "I'd Love To Change The World."
On this Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.