History Spotlight:

Cherie Currie, solo artist and former lead vocalist of the Runaways, turns 58 today. Among their best-known Runaways songs are "Cherry Bomb", "Hollywood", "Queens of Noise" and a cover version of the Velvet Underground's "Rock & Roll". In addition to her Runaways and solo work, Currie also released an album with her identical twin sister, Marie Currie.

Also, in:

1969 - The Monkees made what would be their last live appearance for 15 years when they played at The Oakland Coliseum in California.

1969 - Simon & Garfunkel hosted their first television special, Songs of America, which caused controversy when it showed footage of Robert Kennedy's funeral and the Vietnam War, which led to their original sponsor to disassociate itself from the special.

1971 - Sly and the Family Stone were at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Family Affair", their fourth and final No. 1. Rolling Stone magazine later ranked the song #138 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

1972 - Wings released the single "Hi, Hi, Hi" which was banned by the BBC due to having lyrics "unsuitable" for broadcast. The song would later reach number five in the U.K. & number ten in the U.S.

1994 - Tupac Shakur was shot five times during a robbery outside a New York City recording studio.

1996 - Ice Cube obtained a restraining order to keep an obsessed fan away from him and his family. Cynthia Renee Collins was told to stop harassing the 26-year-old rapper, and stay at least 100 feet away from him.

1997 - Chumbawamba's Danbert Nobacon was arrested by Italian police for wearing a skirt and was detained in police cells overnight.

1997 - Metallica were at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with 'Reload', the band's third U.S. No.1 album.

2003 - A block of East 2nd Street in New York City was officially renamed Joey Ramone Place. It is the block where Joey once lived with band mate Dee Dee Ramone and is near the music club CBGB, where the Ramones played their first gigs. In 2010, it was reported that "Joey Ramone Place," was New York City's most stolen sign. The sign has since been moved to 20 feet above ground level.

Birthdays:

Dick Clark was born in 1929.

Deep Purple and Rainbow bassist is 72.

June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters was born today in 1953.

Billy Idol is 62.

John Ashton, guitar player for the Psychedelic Furs, is 60.

Des'ree is 49.

Clay Aiken is 39.

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