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Today in Music History: 'The Blues Brothers' premieres

'The Blues Brothers' film premiered Today in Music History.
'The Blues Brothers' film premiered Today in Music History.Universal Pictures

June 16, 2015

History Highlight:

Today in 1980, The Blues Brothers, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, premiered in Chicago. Directed by John Landis, the film follows two ne'er-do-well Chicago-area brothers who are suddenly inspired to perform a philanthropic act, putting their musical talent to good use as the source of their generosity and redemption. The music-infused film features cameo appearances by such artists as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker, among others.

Also, Today In:

1965 - Bob Dylan recorded "Like A Rolling Stone" at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City, in the sessions for the forthcoming Highway 61 Revisited album.

1967 - The Monterey Pop Festival began in Monterey, Calif. Within three days, 50,000 people saw the first major appearances of Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Janis Joplin. Additional performers included The Byrds, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Buffalo Springfield.

1976 - The Jackson Five's four-week summer variety television show premiered on CBS. The program feaatured the eponymous group, plus sisters Latoya, Rebbie and Janet.

1982 - Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, 25, died of a heroin overdose in London. Chrissie Hynde subsequently dedicated "Back On The Chain Gang" to him.

1990 - Swedish duo Roxette started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "It Must Have Been Love." The song, which featured in the film Pretty Woman, became the duo's third U.S. No. 1 single.

1993 - The U.S. Postal Service released a set of seven stamps featuring rock and blues legends such as Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Dinah Washington and Elvis Presley.

1994 - Oasis played a gig at a club in Paris, marking the band's first gig outside the U.K.

1996 - Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins, Fugees, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Lee Hooker, Beck, Sonic Youth, Yoko Ono, De La Soul and Richie Havens all appeared at the two-day Tibetan Freedom Concert in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. A sell-out crowd of more than 100,000 made it the largest U.S. benefit concert since Live Aid in 1985.

Birthdays:

Motown producer and songwriter Lamont Dozier is 74.

Tupac Shakur was born today in 1971.

Ben Kweller is 34.