History Highlight:

Today in 2014, Gary Burger died of pancreatic cancer on at the age of 71. He is best known as the guitarist and vocalist for the Garage rock band the Monks who formed in Gelnhausen, West Germany in 1964, by five American GIs stationed in the country. With their blend of shrill vocals, feedback, and guitarist David Day's six-string banjo (which baffled audiences), music historians have since identified the Monks as a pioneering force in avant-garde music.

Also, Today In:

1955 - CBS talent scout Arthur Godfrey turned down the chance to sign Elvis Presley. Instead, at the same audition, he signed singer Pat Boone.

1962 - Bruce Channel started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Hey! Baby".

1964 - The Beatles peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with "Please Please Me". They were still at No. 1 with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and at number two with "She Loves You".

1964 - Billboard Magazine reports that Beatles records make up 60 percent of all singles sold.

1973 - Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" was the No. 1 single in the land.

1980 - On his forty-seventh birthday, Quincy Jones was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine.

1981 - Eric Clapton was admitted to United Hospital in St. Paul, MN after an attack of bleeding ulcers which caused Clapton to cancel a 60-city tour of the U.S.

1981 - Roxy Music had their only U.K. No. 1 single with their version of John Lennon's "Jealous Guy." That means this single charted higher than the band's "Love Is The Drug", "More Than This", and "Avalon".

1982 - Metallica performed their first concert at Radio City in Anaheim, CA. There were approximately 200 people in attendance and their nine song set only had two original songs.

1990 - Flea and Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers were arrested for sexually harassing a woman on Daytona Beach, Florida. They were each fined $1,000.

1991 - R.E.M. played the first of two nights at London's Borderline Club under the name of 'Bingo Hand Job.'

2005 - U2, The Pretenders, Buddy Guy, and Percy Sledge were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. U2 were inducted by Bruce Springsteen, The Pretenders were inducted by Neil Young, Eric Clapton inducted Buddy Guy and Rod Stewart inducted Percy Sledge.

2011 - Long-neglected Neil Diamond was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Dr. John, Darlene Love and Leon Russell.

Birthdays:

Quincy Jones is 85.

Jim Pons, bassist for The Turtles and The Mothers of Invention, is 75.

Mike Muir, lead singer of Suicidal Tendencies, is 55.

Taylor Hanson, the second-cutest Hanson brother, is 35.

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