History Highlight:

Today in 1999, author and songwriter Shel Silverstein died at 66. Although he is primarily known for his cartoons, songs, and children's books, he also wrote Johnny Cash's 1969 hit "A Boy Named Sue" and a pair of 1972 hits for Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, "Sylvia's Mother" and "Cover Of The Rolling Stone." He won two Grammys - one for "A Boy Named Sue" and one for Best Recording For Children for a "Where the Sidewalk Ends" recording on cassette.

Also, Today In:

1964 - Bob Dylan arrived in the U.K. for his first major U.K. tour which kicked off at London's Royal Albert Hall on the 17th.

1969 - The Moody Blues topped the U.K. album chart for the first time with On the Threshold of a Dream which spent two weeks on top.

1969 -The Turtles gave a special performance at the White House as guests of Tricia Nixon. Stories circulate concerning members of the group allegedly snorted cocaine on Abraham Lincoln's desk.

1970 - David Bowie received the Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Song for "Space Oddity".

1984 - Twisted Sister released their third studio album Stay Hungry which went on to become their most successful album, selling three million copies in the U.S.

1986 - Paul Simon played three songs from his upcoming Graceland album on Saturday Night Live. He was backed by South African musicians, including the vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who performed with him on "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes." With South Africa under a cultural boycott in an attempt to stop Apartheid, its music was sequestered. Simon's appearance with musicians from the country and the subsequent album introduced the sound to a global audience, but also caused problems for Simon when he faced criticism for violating the boycott.

1986 - The Pet Shop Boys went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "West End Girls," the duo's first U.S. No. 1.

1994 - Weezer released their self-titled debut (a.k.a. The Blue Album). The album produced three singles: "Undone - The Sweater Song", "Buddy Holly" and "Say It Ain't So", which brought Weezer mainstream success. The album debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and became a certified triple-platinum, selling over 3 million copies in the U.S. Fun fact: While prepping for the studio sessions for this album, the band focused on their vocal interplay by practicing barbershop quartet-styled songs, which helped both Cuomo and Sharp achieve a newfound collaborative comfort during rehearsals.

2000 - Napster banned 317,377 users from the popular file sharing site for illegally sharing Metallica songs.

2003 - Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler received an honorary doctorate degree in music from the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

2005 - British soul and R&B singer Seal married celebrity model Heidi Klum.

2007 - A tribute concert to former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett took place at the Barbican Centre in London. The concert featured performances from Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Chrissie Hynde, John Paul Jones, Nick Mason & Rick Wright.

2010 - New York City's Apollo Theatre began installing bronze plaques on the sidewalk outside the building of legends who had close ties to the theater. Among the first to be honored were James Brown, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and Ella Fitzgerald.

Birthdays:

Legendary dancer, singer, actor, choreographer, musician, and television presenter Fred Astaire was born today in 1899.

Donovan is 73.

Sid Vicious, aka John Simon Ritchie, was born today in 1957.

Bono is 59.

Sly Dunbar, one half of legendary Jamaican production duo Sly & Robbie, is 67.

Young MC (Marvin Young - single "Bust A Move") is 52.

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