History Highlight:

Today in 1936, blues musician Robert Johnson began his first recording sessions. The recording session was held in San Antonio, Texas, in room 414 of the Gunter Hotel, which Brunswick Records had set up as a temporary recording studio. In the ensuing three-day session, Johnson played 16 selections, and recorded alternate takes for most of these. Johnson reportedly performed facing the wall; although some have suggested this indicated Johnson's shyness, guitarist Ry Cooder speculates that Johnson played facing a corner to enhance the sound of the guitar. Among the songs Johnson recorded in San Antonio were "Come On In My Kitchen," "Kind Hearted Woman Blues," "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" and "Cross Road Blues." The first to be released were "Terraplane Blues" and "Last Fair Deal Gone Down," probably the only recordings of his that Johnson, who died in 1938, would live to hear. "Terraplane Blues" became a moderate regional hit, selling 5,000 copies.

Also, Today In:

1889 - The world's first jukebox was installed at San Francisco's' Palais Royale Saloon. The machine was originally called the "nickel-in-the-slot player" by Louis Glass, the entrepreneur who installed it. The machine, built by the Pacific Phonograph Company, featured four stethoscope-like tubes attached to an Edison electric phonograph fitted inside an oak cabinet, meaning four different listeners could be plugged in to the same song simultaneously. The machine became known as a "jukebox" later, although the origin of the word remains a bit vague.

1956 - Sheet-metal worker Louis Balint was arrested after punching Elvis Presley at a Hotel in Toledo, Ohio. Balint claimed that his wife's love for Elvis had caused his marriage to break up. He was fined $19.60 but ended up being jailed because he was unable to pay the fine.

1974 - Billy Swan started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with his only hit, "I Can Help." The song was a hit throughout most of Europe and was particularly successful in Norway, and it also reached No. 1 in Australia.

1974 - The Rolling Stones scored their fifth U.S. No.1 album with It's Only Rock 'N Roll. The album was the last Stones album for guitarist Mick Taylor.

1985 - American blues artist Big Joe Turner died of a heart attack at age 75. Among the songs written by Turner was "Shake Rattle and Roll," a bit hit for Bill Haley and His Comets.

1991 - Michael Bolton scored his second U.S. No. 1 single with his version of the Percy Sledge song, "When A Man Loves A Woman."

1994 - Singer-songwriter Tommy Boyce took his own life. With Bobby Hart, Boyce formed the prolific songwriting duo Boyce and Hart, whose hits included Gary Lewis and the Playboys' "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight," and the Monkees' "Last Train To Clarksville" and "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone."

2002 - Rush performed the final concert of their tour in support of Vapor Trails at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. This concert would be released on DVD the following year as the acclaimed Rush in Rio.

2003 - Jay-Z started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with The Black Album.

2007 - Bono and The Edge from U2 made a surprise appearance at a charity gig, playing four songs for 250 people at the Union Chapel in north London. The concert was part of Mencap's Little Noise Sessions, with proceeds going to help those with learning disabilities.

Birthdays:

Betty Everett, who had a big hit with "'The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", was born today in 1939.

Bruce Hornsby is 62.

Tommy Marth, late saxophone player with the Killers, was born today in 1978.

Alison Mosshart of the Kills and the Dead Weather is 38.

Miley Cyrus is 24.

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