History Highlight:

Steve Perry, who was the lead singer for Journey between 1977-1987 and 1995-1998, is 76. He was born Jan. 22, 1949, in Hanford, California. Perry also wrote or co-wrote several of Journey’s biggest hits, including “Lights,” "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," “Any Way You Want It,” “Open Arms,” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.” His nickname is “The Voice,” and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Journey in 2017. He has released four solo albums, including 2021’s The Season. His biggest hit as a solo artist include “Oh Sherrie,” “Foolish Heart,” and “You Better Wait.” He duets with Dolly Parton on a new version of “Open Arms” featured on Parton’s 2023 Rockstar album.

In 2018, Perry stopped by our studios to talk to Jill about his new album and his deeply personal motivation to return from isolation.

Also, in:

1959 - Buddy Holly made his last recordings in his New York City apartment, alone, with an acoustic guitar and tape recorder. He recorded "Peggy Sue," "Crying, Waiting, Hoping," "That's What They Say," "What to Do," "Learning the Game" and "That Makes it Tough." The recordings were embellished and overdubbed, and released posthumously by Coral Records.

1966 - The Beatles peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with "Day Tripper".

1966 - The Beach Boys went into the studio to record "Wouldn't It Be Nice", which would be the opening track on their forthcoming album Pet Sounds.

1966 - Nancy Sinatra entered the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for the second time with what would be her biggest hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'". The tune went No. 1 the following week and would spend 14 weeks altogether on the singles chart. The second single taken from her debut album Boots, and follow-up to the minor hit "So Long, Babe," the song became an instant success.

1967 - The Monkees performed live for the very first time at The Cow Palace in San Francisco to a sell-out crowd.

1977 - Wings went No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Wings Over America, Paul McCartney's sixth U.S. No. 1 after The Beatles.

1977 - Stevie Wonder went No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "I Wish", his fifth U.S. No. 1.

1983 - The Clash peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with "Rock the Casbah" which was their first and only top ten single in the U.S.

1983 - The new 24-hour music video network MTV started broadcasting to the West Coast after being picked up by Group W Cable in Los Angeles. The station is not what it once was, when it focused on music video programming. Now it's aimed toward teenagers, with a focus on reality, comedy and drama programming and some syndicated programs and films, with limited music video programming.

1989 - Metallica's first music video, for "One," made its debut. Running 7:44, it incorporates footage from the 1971 war movie Johnny Got His Gun.

2004 - Ryan Adams broke his wrist after falling during a gig at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool.

2012 - Adele broke an American chart record that has stood for years after being set by The Beatles and Pink Floyd. The singer's second album 21 clocked up 16 weeks at number one on the U.S. chart, matching the success of the Titanic soundtrack.

2017 - English bass guitar player Pete Overend Watts and founding member of the 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople died from throat cancer aged 69.

2017 - German drummer Jaki Liebezeit died of pneumonia at age 78. He was best-known as a founding member of the experimental rock band Can who were hailed as pioneers of the German krautrock scene. He also worked with Jah Wobble, Depeche Mode and Brian Eno.

2018 - Neil Diamond announced that he's retiring from concert touring after a Parkinson's Disease diagnosis.

Birthdays:

Gospel/soul singer Sam Cooke was born on this day in 1931.

Addie Harris, singer from The Shirelles, was born today in 1940.

Malcolm McLaren — manager for the Sex Pistols, New York Dolls, Adam and the Ants, and others — was born today in 1946.

Drummer Vini Lopez (with Bruce Springsteen) is 77.

English drummer Nigel Pegrum (Small Faces, Lee Grant And The Capitols, Uriah Heep) is 76.

Jim Jarmusch — musician and director of Down by Law (starring Tom Waits) and Coffee and Cigarettes (starring Waits, Iggy Pop, the White Stripes, RZA, and more) — is 72.

Michael Kelland John Hutchence (aka Michael Hutchence) — the Australian musician, singer-songwriter and actor — was born on this day in 1960. He co-founded INXS, which sold over 60 million records worldwide and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the band from 1977 until his death in 1997.

Steven Adler, former drummer for Guns N' Roses, is 60.

DJ Jazzy Jeff is 60.

Angel Olsen is 38.

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