History Highlight:

Born David Robert Jones today in 1947, David Bowie was a major figure for more than four decades in the world of popular music. He was widely regarded as an innovator and was known for his distinctive voice, the depth and breadth of his work, and his fearless style and stage presence. He was a legend and a force of nature, giving us five decades of innovative pop hits, stagecraft, best-selling albums and unforgettable films. He died from liver cancer at his New York home two days after releasing the album Blackstar on his 69th birthday.

Also, in:

1966 - The Beatles started a six-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Rubber Soul, the group's seventh chart topper, which went on to spend 56 weeks on the chart.

1973 - Yoko Ono released Approximately Infinite Universe as a double album. She told the press, "I figured if George Harrison can put out a triple album, then I can put out a double album."

1975 - Three Led Zeppelin concerts at Madison Square Garden sold out in a record four hours.

1977 - Queen reached No. 1 on the U.K. Album Chart with A Day at the Races which spent one week on top of the chart. It reached number five in the Billboard 200 Album Chart.

1979 - Canadian rock band Rush was named the country's official Ambassadors Of Music by the Canadian government.

1980 - The Babys released their fourth studio album, Union Jacks. It features “Back on My Feet Again.”

1980 - The Buggles released their debut album, The Age of Plastic, in the U.K. It features “Video Killed the Radio Star.”

1991 - Steve Clark, guitarist with Def Leppard, was found dead at his Chelsea apartment by his girlfriend after a night of heavy alcohol consumption combined with prescription drugs.

2001 - A woman who believed that Axl Rose communicated with her via telepathy was arrested for stalking the Guns N' Roses singer for a second time.

2016 - R&B and soul singer Otis Clay died at age 73. Clay who started in gospel music scored R&B hits in the late 60's and 70's. He recorded the original version of "The Only Way Is Up" in 1980 which later became a chart-topping single for Yazz and the Plastic Population.

2016 - David Bowie released his twenty-fifth and final studio album Blackstar, on his 69th birthday and two days before his death. It became his first and only album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the U.S.

2017 - Northern Indian-born British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Peter Sarstedt died at the age of 75. He was best known for the single "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" which topped the U.K. Singles Chart in 1969 (and 14 other countries).

Birthdays:

The King, Elvis Aaron Presley, was born today in 1935.

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey, known as Shirley Bassey ("Goldfinger"), is 88.

Cristy Lane, country and gospel singer, is 85.

Robby Krieger, guitarist for The Doors, is 79.

Terry Sylvester, guitarist for The Hollies, is 78.

Mike Reno, Loverboy lead singer, is 70.

Paul Hester, drummer for Split Enz and Crowded House, was born today in 1959.

Ron Sexsmith is 61.

Andrew Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone whose members would later form Pearl Jam, was born today in 1966.

Johanna Söderberg of First Aid Kit is 32.

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