Birthday Highlight:

Eric Clapton celebrates his 70th birthday today. Born today in Ripley, Surrey, England, the guitarist, singer and songwriter has been a member of The Roosters, Casey Jones and the Engineers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Derek and the Dominoes. As a solo artist, Clapton has charted many hits, including the 1974 U.S. No.1 single "I Shot The Sheriff" and the 1992 U.S. No. 12 hit, "Layla". Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. He has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time.

Also, Today In:

1957 - Buddy Knox became the first artist in the rock 'n' roll era to write his own number-one hit when "Party Doll" topped the U.S. singles chart. Knox would go on to score four more Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1961.

1963 - The Chiffons started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "He's So Fine". In 1971, George Harrison was taken to court accused of copying the song on his 1970 "My Sweet Lord" and ordered to pay $587,000 to the writers.

1963 - Sixteen-year-old Lesley Gore recorded her breakthrough hit, "It's My Party". Produced by Quincy Jones, the song went on to be a U.S. No.1 single. (Bonus: Check out BØRNS' acoustic cover of this song from his in-studio session at The Current.)

1967 - The photo session for the album cover of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band took place at Chelsea Manor studios in London, with photographer Michael Cooper.

1974 - John Denver went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Sunshine On My Shoulders", the singer's first of four U.S. No. 1 hits.

1985 - Phil Collins started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with "One More Night", his second U.S. No. 1.

1992 - R.E.M. started recording sessions for their Automatic For The People album at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, N.Y.

Birthdays:

MC Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell, is 53. His 1990 album, Please, Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, spent a record-breaking 21 weeks at the top of the chart.

Tracy Chapman is 51.

Celine Dion is 47.

Norah Jones is 36.