Birthday Highlight:

George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, singer and drummer for The Monkees, is 69 today. Micky's voice appears on the greatest number of Monkees songs, including such huge hits as "I'm A Believer," "Last Train To Clarksville," and "Pleasant Valley Sunday", as well as the show's theme song. According to Mike Nesmith, it was Dolenz's voice that made the Monkees' sound distinctive, and even during tension-filled times Nesmith and Peter Tork voluntarily turned over lead vocal duties to Dolenz on their own compositions.

Also, Today In:

1965 - Bob Dylan's single "Subterranean Homesick Blues" was released in the US.

1969 - The Small Faces split up after singer Steve Marriott announced he was leaving the band. Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones linked up with Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart and formed The Faces.

1970 - Diana Ross made her first performance as a solo act when she appeared in Framingham, Massachusetts.

2003 - Former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler was injured when the Honda motorbike he was riding was involved in a collision with a car. The 53-year-old singer and guitarist suffered a broken collar bone and six broken ribs in the accident.

2008 - China was set to impose stricter rules on foreign pop stars after Bjork caused controversy by shouting "Tibet, Tibet" at a Shanghai concert after a powerful performance of her song "Declare Independence".

Birthdays:

Gareth "Gaz" Coombes, lead singer for Supergrass is 38 today.