History Highlight:

Today in 1968, Ringo Starr rejoined the Beatles after quitting the band for two weeks. Upon his return to the studio, Ringo found his drum kit covered in flowers to welcome him back. As he recalled in Anthology:

"I felt I wasn't playing great, and I also felt that the other three were really happy and I was an outsider. I went to see John, who had been living in my apartment in Montagu Square with Yoko since he moved out of Kenwood. I said, 'I'm leaving the group because I'm not playing well and I feel unloved and out of it, and you three are really close.' And John said, 'I thought it was you three!' So then I went over to Paul's and knocked on his door. I said the same thing: 'I'm leaving the band. I feel you three guys are really close and I'm out of it.' And Paul said, 'I thought it was you three!'"

Also, Today In:

1955 - Band leader Mitch Miller had the U.S. No. 1 single with a song that was written in 1853, "The Yellow Rose Of Texas."

1965 - A Rolling Stones gig in Dublin ended in a riot after 30 fans jumped onto the stage. Mick Jagger was knocked to the floor as the rest of the band fled the stage.

1966 - Donovan went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Sunshine Superman." The track featured then-Yardbird and future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. It was the first product from the highly successful three-year collaboration between Donovan and producer Mickie Most and is generally considered to be one of the first examples of the musical genre that came to be known as psychedelia. AllMusic's John Bush describes "Sunshine Superman" as "the quintessential bright summer sing-along." The song, which mentions both Superman and the Green Lantern, was written for Donovan's future wife, Linda Lawrence.

2005 - Blues musician Fats Domino was rescued from New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the city. The 77-year-old singer had been reported missing since the storm had flooded the city five days earlier.

2009 - Friends and family of Michael Jackson paid their last respects to the singer at a funeral held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Quincy Jones, Macaulay Culkin, Berry Gordy and Lisa Marie Presley were among the 200 invited guests.

2009 - Madonna's Sticky and Sweet world became the highest grossing tour ever for a solo artist tour making $408m (p250m). The 51 year old singer had performed in 32 countries.

2010 - Mike Edwards, a founding member of Electric Light Orchestra, was killed in a freak accident when a giant bale of hay tumbled down a hill and crashed into his van.

Birthdays:

Al Jardine of the Beach Boys is 76.

Steppenwolf bassist George Biondo is 73.

Thin Lizzy guitarist Eric Bell is 71.

Grand Funk Railroad drummer Don Brewer is 70.

Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones is 63.

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