History Spotlight:

Today in 1929, Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand and creator of the American Music Awards was born. Especially in his role on American Bandstand, he introduced rock and roll to many Americans and gave stage time to countless new music artists such as Ike and Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads and Simon & Garfunkel. Episodes he hosted were among the first where blacks and whites performed on the same stage and among the first where the live studio audience sat without racial segregation.

Also, in:

1969 - The Monkees made what would be their last live appearance for 15 years when they played at The Oakland Coliseum in California.

1969 - Simon & Garfunkel hosted their first television special, Songs of America, which caused controversy when it showed footage of Robert Kennedy's funeral and the Vietnam War, which led to their original sponsor to disassociate itself from the special.

1971 - Sly and the Family Stone were at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Family Affair", their fourth and final No. 1. Rolling Stone magazine later ranked the song #138 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

1972 - Wings released the single "Hi, Hi, Hi" which was banned by the BBC due to having lyrics "unsuitable" for broadcast. The song would later reach number five in the U.K. & number ten in the U.S.

1994 - Tupac Shakur was shot five times during a robbery outside a New York City recording studio.

1996 - Ice Cube obtained a restraining order to keep an obsessed fan away from him and his family. Cynthia Renee Collins was told to stop harassing the 26-year-old rapper, and stay at least 100 feet away from him.

1997 - Chumbawamba's Danbert Nobacon was arrested by Italian police for wearing a skirt and was detained in police cells overnight.

1997 - Metallica were at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with 'Reload', the band's third U.S. No.1 album.

2003 - A block of East 2nd Street in New York City was officially renamed Joey Ramone Place. It is the block where Joey once lived with band mate Dee Dee Ramone and is near the music club CBGB, where the Ramones played their first gigs. In 2010, it was reported that "Joey Ramone Place," was New York City's most stolen sign. The sign has since been moved to 20 feet above ground level.

Birthdays:

Deep Purple and Rainbow bassist Roger Glover turns 71 today.

June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters was born today in 1953.

Billy Idol turns 61 today.

John Ashton, guitar player for the Psychedelic Furs turns 59 today.

Des'ree turns 48 today.

Clay Aiken turns 38 today.

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