1951 -The number one record on America's R&B chart was a song called "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston And His Delta Cats. Many Rock historians say that this was the first true Rock and Roll record. Although Brenston sang, played sax, and is credited as composer, 'His Delta Cats' were actually Ike Turner And His Kings of Rhythm.
1963 - Bob Dylan walked out of rehearsals for The Ed Sullivan Show after being told he couldn't perform his song "Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues" due to it mocking the U.S. military and segregation. CBS officials asked Dylan to substitute it for another song, but the singer reportedly said: "No, this is what I want to do. If I can't play my song, I'd rather not appear on the show."
1967 - The first Jimi Hendrix album, Are You Experienced?, was released, one of the most stunning debuts in rock history, and one of the definitive albums of the psychedelic era. Jimi Hendrix synthesized various elements of the cutting edge of 1967 rock into music that sounded both futuristic and rooted in the best traditions of rock, blues, pop, and soul. And of course, his mind-boggling guitar work, charting new sonic territories in feedback, distortion, and sheer volume. Many of these songs are among Hendrix's very finest; it may be true that he would continue to develop at a rapid pace throughout the rest of his brief career, but he would never surpass his first LP in terms of consistently high quality. (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images)
1972 - The Rolling Stones released Exile On Main Street. Greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its original release, Exile on Main St. has become generally regarded as the Rolling Stones' finest album. A sprawling, weary double album encompassing rock & roll, blues, soul, and country. It's the kind of record that's gripping on the very first listen, but each subsequent listen reveals something new. Few other albums, let alone double albums, have been so rich and masterful as Exile on Main St., and it stands not only as one of the Stones' best records, but sets a remarkably high standard for all of hard rock.
1998 - Lenny Kravitz releases his fifth studio album, aptly titled 5. The album features his first Grammy Award-winning hit, "Fly Away."
2008 - Neil Young had a spider named after him - the "myrmekiaphila neilyoungi." College biologist Jason Bond discovered a new species of trapdoor spider in Alabama and decided to name it after his favorite musician.
2011 - David Gilmour and Nick Mason join their former Pink Floyd bandmate Roger Waters at the London 02 Arena performance of Waters' The Wall tour, joining in on "Comfortably Numb" and "Outside The Wall." It's the first time they've played together since Live 8 in 2005.
Birthdays:
Burt Bacharach was born today in 1929. One of the most important composers of popular music in the second half of the 20th century, Burt Bacharach's sophisticated yet breezy creations borrow from cool jazz, soul, Brazilian bossa nova, and traditional pop.
Norman Whitfield was born on this day in 1947. Collaborated with Barrett Strong on such hits as, 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine', ‘Ain't Too Proud to Beg’, ‘(I Know) I'm Losing You’, ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘War’, ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’ and ‘Car Wash’.
British New Wave singer/frontman Ian Dury (The Blockheads) was born today in 1942. Rock & roll has always been populated by fringe figures, cult artists who managed to develop a fanatical following because of their outsized quirks, but few cult rockers have ever been quite as weird, or beloved, as Ian Dury. Dury cut a striking figure -- he remained handicapped from a childhood bout with polio, yet stalked the stage with dynamic charisma, spitting out music hall numbers and rockers in his thick Cockney accent. Best known for "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick," "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll."
Steve Winwood is 75. As a solo artist, Steve Winwood is primarily associated with the highly polished blue-eyed soul-pop that made him a star in the '80s. Yet his turn as a slick, upscale mainstay of adult contemporary radio was simply the latest phase of a long and varied career, one that's seen the former teenage R&B shouter move through jazz, psychedelia, blues-rock, and progressive rock, starting with the Spencer-Davis Group, to Traffic, and Blind Faith Possessed of a powerful, utterly distinctive voice, Winwood was also an excellent keyboardist who remained an in-demand session musician for most of his career, even while busy with high-profile projects.
Keyboardist Ian McLagan was born on this day in 1945. Best-known for his work with the Small Faces and the Faces, McLagan also worked with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Cocker, Billy Bragg and Bruce Springsteen. A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
On This Day In Music History was sourced from This Day in Music, Allmusic, Song Facts and Wikipedia.