History Highlight:

Today in 1960, one of the great rock ballads, "Only The Lonely" by Roy Orbison was released, eventually becoming his first major hit. Wikipedia sums it up: "As an operatic rock ballad, it was a sound unheard of at the time, described by the New York Times as expressing 'a clenched, driven urgency'. It is seen as a seminal event in the evolution of Rock and Roll."

Also, Today In:

1962 - The first Beatles recording session took place at Abbey Road studios.

1968 - In the wake of the assassination of Robert Kennedy, The Rolling Stones added the line, "Who killed the Kennedys?" to the lyric of their unreleased-at-the-time "Sympathy For The Devil."

1970 - Syd Barrett played his first gig since leaving Pink Floyd at the Extravaganza 70, at London's Olympia Hall, England, backed by a band that included his old friend Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.

1971 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono went onstage for the first time together since 1969, joining Frank Zappa for a jam at the Fillmore East.

1972 - The landmark David Bowie album, Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, was released.

1999 - Plans were announced for Elvis Presley to tour the UK almost 23 years after his death with a virtual version of the "King" performing with a live orchestra and members of his band.

Birthdays:

Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the Four Tops, was born today in 1936.