1961 - The Shirelles became the first girl group to have the No. 1 song on the U.S. chart when "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" (also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow") reached the top.
1969 - The Beatles' last public performance took place on the roof of Apple Records in London. The impromptu concert was broken up by the police. The concert was originally going to take place in an ancient amphitheater. Or on a cruise ship. Or in the desert. But nothing was ever agreed upon.
To be fair, the police did the band a serious solid. They let the concert go for 42 minutes and gave everyone ample time to get rid of an illicit substances. Recalled one Apple employee. “So we knew they were coming and everyone was ready for it. … When the police raided the building, there was a whole chorus of toilets being flushed.” Crisis averted.
1971 - Janis Joplin released her most successful single "Me And Bobby McGee" posthumously, as she had died the previous October of an overdose. The song was written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller.
It was the second song to hit #1 in the US after the artist had died; "Dock Of The Bay" by Otis Redding was the first.
1972 - British soldiers open fire on 26 unarmed civilians during a peaceful protest march in Derry, Northern Ireland, resulting in 14 deaths. The incident inspires Paul McCartney to write "Give Ireland Back To The Irish" (Wings' debut single) and gives rise to the U2 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday."
Birthdays:
Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin was born today in 1942. While remaining best known for his contributions to the pioneering San Francisco psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane, Marty Balin also enjoyed a successful solo career, scoring a Top Ten hit in 1981 with "Hearts."
Steve Marriott - songwriter and frontman of Small Faces and Humble Pie - was born on this day in 1947. Was once considered a replacement for Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones.
Phil Collins is 72. He got his first break in music in his late teens, when he was chosen to be a replacement drummer in the British art rock band Genesis in 1970. When Peter Gabriel abruptly left in 1974. Genesis auditioned 400 singers without success, then decided to let Collins have a go. (Photo by Darryl James/Getty Images)
On This Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Rolling Stone, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.