Birthday Highlight:

Thomas Dolby, best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science" and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", is celebrating his 58th birthday today. Born in London, Dolby's given name is Thomas Robertson; his friends nicknamed him Dolby after the name of an audio noise-reduction process because Thomas was always tinkering with keyboards and tape players. Beyond his solo releases, Dolby has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician, as a technology entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, and as the Music Director for the TED Conference. He is currently a Professor of the Arts at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Also, Today In:

1957 - The Everly Brothers had their first No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Wake Up Little Susie." Some radio stations actually refused to play it due to what were deemed "suggestive lyrics."

1968 - The Jackson Five made their national TV debut on ABC's Hollywood Palace.

1969 - Police in New Jersey issued a warrant for the arrest of Frank Sinatra in relation to his connections with the Mafia.

1972 - Michael Jackson went to No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Ben." The song was Jackson's first U.S. No. 1 solo hit; he was 14 years old at the time.

1988 - Def Leppard became first act in chart history to sell seven million copies of two consecutive LPs, with Pyromania (released in 1983) and Hysteria, (released in 1987 and which became the band's best-selling album to date, selling more than 20 million copies worldwide, and spawning six hit singles).

1989 - Mötley Crüe started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Dr. Feelgood.

1990 - Renowned American composer, pianist and conductor Leonard Bernstein died of pneumonia. He composed music for the 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront and for the 1957 musical West Side Story. Bernstein conducted the New York Philharmonic at age 25. He wrote three symphonies, two operas, five musicals, and numerous other pieces.

2004 - Eric Clapton was suspended from driving in France after being caught speeding at 134 mph in his Porsche 911 Turbo in the countryside south of Dijon. He was given a fine and his UK license was confiscated. After paying his fine, Clapton posed for photographs with the local gendarmes and then left the scene in his Porsche; his secretary was behind the wheel.

2006 - Freddy Fender died of complications from lung cancer at the age of 69. Fender is known for the hits "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" (U.S. No. 1 in 1975) and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights."

Birthdays:

Cliff Richard is 76.

Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks is 42.

Usher is 38.

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