History Highlight:

Today in 1969, "The Israelites" by Desmond Dekker became the first single by a Jamaican artist to be a bona fide hit in the U.K. and later the U.S. The song was a success despite Dekker's strong Jamaican accent which made his lyrics difficult to understand for audiences outside Jamaica. The opening line, "Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir" was often misheard, one example being "Wake up in the morning, baked beans for breakfast".

Also, Today In:

1972 - In Cannes, France, The Rolling Stones informally celebrated the launch of their label, Rolling Stones Records.

1977 - Stevie Wonder made the soul chart with "Sir Duke," a tune that would ultimately achieve #1 status. The song was a tribute to Duke Ellington.

1993 - Paul McCartney headlined a concert at the Hollywood Bowl to celebrate Earth Day along with Ringo Starr, Don Henley and Steve Miller. McCartney had last performed there as a member of the Beatles in 1965.

1996 - Kiss appeared in full make-up at the 38th Grammy Awards, where they announced a reunion tour. It would mark the first time all four original members had appeared together in over fifteen years.

Birthdays:

Soul Asylum's front man, Dave Pirner, is 50 today.