History Highlight:

Today in 2003, acclaimed singer-songwriter Elliott Smith was found near death in his Los Angeles apartment from an apparent self-inflicted knife wound. Smith, 34, was later pronounced dead at USC Medical Center. Smith's death came as a shock to the indie-rock community. His career had been growing in success with two major-label releases, and an Oscar nomination for "Miss Misery" from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack, but he suffered from depression, alcoholism and drug dependence, and these topics appeared throughout his lyrics.

Also, Today In:

1958 - Buddy Holly's last recording session took place at Pythian Temple Studios in New York City.

1967 - Scottish singer Lulu started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with the theme song from the film To Sir With Love. Soul Asylum recorded a live cover version of "To Sir With Love" in 1997 and included it on their album, After the Flood: Live from the Grand Forks Prom, June 28, 1997.

1971 - Mick Jagger became a father when his wife Bianca gave birth to daughter Jade in a Paris hospital.

1972 - Many years after making pioneering rock 'n' roll records, Chuck Berry had his first and only U.S. No. 1 hit, an unlikely novelty tune called "My Ding-a-Ling."

1995 - Blind Melon lead singer Shannon Hoon was discovered dead on his tour bus from an accidental drug overdose.

1995 - Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong was arrested and fined $141 after mooning the audience during a gig in Milwaukee.

1997 - Elton John's "Candle In The Wind '97" was declared by the Guinness Book Of Records as the biggest-selling single record of all time, with 31.8 million sales in less than 40 days. The song, performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, on Sept. 6, 1997, raised more than $32 million for charity.

2006 - Drummer Sandy West, a founding member (with Joan Jett) of all-girl group The Runaways, died at age 47 due to lung cancer. West has been hailed by fans and critics alike as one of the most groundbreaking drummers in rock history.

2013 - Sid Bernstein, the concert promoter who staged early U.S. shows by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, died at age 95. Beyond the Beatles and the Stones, Bernstein also arranged gigs for Judy Garland, Ray Charles and Tony Bennett.

Birthdays:

Celia Cruz, the Cuban-American salsa performer, was born today in 1925. She passed away in July 2003 and was memorialized as a Google Doodle.

Manfred Mann is 76.

Steve Cropper, guitarist best known for his work with the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and the Blues Brothers, is 75.

Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go's is 63.

Eric Faulkner, lead singer of the Bay City Rollers, is 63.

Steve Lukather, guitarist from Toto and with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, is 59.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts and Wikipedia.