History Highlight:

Andy Partridge, leader, primary vocalist and songwriter for XTC, is 61 today. Partridge led the English band through a near 30-year run as a critically acclaimed (but never quite commercially triumphant) college-radio powerhouse - purveyors first of edgy post-punk and later of lush, Beatles-inspired psychedelic candy-pop with literate lyrics and elaborate studio production.

Also, Today In:

1957 - Buddy Holly's famous recording of "Peggy Sue" was released.

1958 - The original version of "The Twist" was taped by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters at a Cincinnati studio. Chubby Checker would later have the hit.

1965 - Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground made their debut at a New Jersey high school dance.

1973 - Thirty radio stations across the country broadcast what was purported to be a Mott The Hoople live concert. In actuality, it consisted of studio tracks with pre-recorded applause dubbed in.

2011 - The four original band members of Black Sabbath announced that they were reuniting and recording a new album followed by a world tour in 2012.