History Highlight:

On this day in 1959, Buddy Holly, JP Richardson (aka The Big Bopper) and Ritchie Valens, along with pilot Roger Peterson, died in a plane crash shortly after takeoff from Clear Lake, Iowa. Holly had hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tour bus. The three musicians were traveling to Fargo, N.D., for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour, which covered 24 cities in three weeks. Holly had arranged the tour after the breakup of his band, The Crickets. The date was dubbed "The Day the Music Died" by Don McLean, who sang about it in his 1971 hit, "American Pie."

Also, today in:

1960 - Frank Sinatra launches the first fully artist-owned label, Reprise Records (pronounced "repreeze"), so he can own his own masters. Some of his cohorts, including Dean Martin and Rosemary Clooney, join the label, which is sold to Warner Brothers in 1963, where it becomes home to a number of famous acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and Green Day.

1973 - Elton John started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Crocodile Rock". It was the first of Elton's five U.S. No. 1 singles.

1976 - David Bowie opens his US tour with a new persona: The Thin White Duke. He's dressed in a black-vested suit with slicked-back hair. Bowie later described the persona as "a nasty character indeed."

1979 - The Blues Brothers went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Briefcase Full Of Blues.

1979 - "Y.M.C.A." by The Village People goes to #2 in America, where it stays for three weeks, unable to overtake fellow disco stalwarts "Le Freak" and "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" 

1989 - "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc becomes the first rap single certified Platinum, with sales of over a million.

1992 - Pearl Jam began their first-ever European tour with a date in Southend-on-Sea, England, where they played to 300 people. The tour would later take Pearl Jam to Norway, Sweden, Holland, France, Spain and Italy.

1999 - American soul singer Gwen Guthrie died of cancer at age 48. She sang backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and Madonna and wrote songs for Sister Sledge and Roberta Flack. She scored the 1986 R&B No.1 'Ain't Nothin' Goin' on But the Rent'.

2004 - American woodwind, keyboard player and vocalist Cornelius Bumpus died of a heart attack at age 58. He toured with The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.

2004 - The Mountain Goats released their eighth studio album, We Shall All Be Healed.

2006 - Former Dynasty star Heather Locklear filed for divorce from Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora after 11 years of marriage. Locklear had previously been married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.

2008 - Adele's debut album 19 went to No. 1 on the U.K. album chart. It would later peak at No. 4 in the U.S. album charts.

2008 - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed during the halftime show of Super Bowl XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium. They played 'American Girl', 'I Won't Back Down', 'Free Fallin'' and 'Runnin' Down a Dream'.

2009 - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart released their self-titled debut. It features “Young Adult Friction.”

2014 - Bruce Springsteen was at No. 1 on the U.S. chart with his eighteenth studio album High Hopes. The album is a collection of cover songs, out-takes and re-imagined versions of tracks from past albums, EPs and tours.

2015 - Bob Dylan released his 36th studio album, Shadows in the Night. It features covers of Frank Sinatra standards, such as “Full Moon and Empty Arms,” “What’ll I Do,” and “Stay With Me.”

2016 - Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White died at 74.

2018 - Pop, funk and jazz drummer Leon Chancler died in Los Angeles of prostate cancer, at the age of 65. He worked with Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson (on 'Billie Jean'), Donna Summer, Carlos Santana, The Crusaders, Frank Sinatra, Weather Report, Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock and John Lee Hooker.

2021 - Singer-songwriter Jim Weatherly died at age 77. He wrote mostly pop and country music and his notable songs include "The Need to Be" and "Midnight Train to Georgia" a 1973 No. 1 hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Ray Price, Lynn Anderson, Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Kenny Chesney and Garth Brooks have all recorded his songs, and he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.

2021 - Folk musician, singer-songwriter and political activist Anne Feeney died at age 69. Feeney's song "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?" was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary and she also worked with John Prine and Pete Seeger.

Birthdays:

Johnny “Guitar” Watson, American blues guitarist, was born on this day in 1935.

Angelo D'Aleo, the singer with Dion And The Belmonts (who had a No. 1 hit in 1961 with "Runaround Sue"), is 84.

Dennis Edwards of the Temptations was born today in 1943.

Eric Haydock of The Hollies was born today in 1943.

Dave Davies, guitarist with The Kinks, is 77.

Melanie (“Brand New Key”) was born today in 1947. She died on Jan. 23, 2024.

Arthur “Killer” Kane, bass guitarist with The New York Dolls, was born on this day in 1949.

Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo is 68.

Lol Tolhurst of the Cure is 65.

Big Audio Dynamite guitarist Nick Hawkins was born today in 1965.

Matt Johnson of Jamiroquai is 55.

Richie Kotzen of Poison and Mr. Big is 54.

Tim Heidecker is 48.

Daddy Yankee is 47.

Sean Kingston is 34.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.