History Highlight:

Today in 1988, James Smith — better known as Jamie xx — was born in London, making him 36 today. Jamie xx is a musician, DJ and record producer. He has worked as a member of the indie-pop band the xx, and he has also collaborated as a re-mixer with such artists as Adele and Florence + the Machine. Just a few weeks ago, on September 20, Jamie xx released his latest album, In Waves.

Also, Today In:

1956 - Making his sensational second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Elvis Presley sang "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "Hound Dog" and "Love Me." 

1957 - After a show at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles, local police told Elvis Presley that he was not allowed to wiggle his hips onstage. The next night, the Los Angeles Vice Squad filmed his entire concert in order to study his performance.

1958 - Buddy Holly appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, where he lip-synched "It's So Easy" and "Heartbeat." It was Holly's last major TV appearance.

1962 - The Beatles played at the Empire in Liverpool, their first gig at Liverpool's top theatre. Eight acts were on the bill including Little Richard, Craig Douglas, Jet Harris and Kenny Lynch & Sounds Incorporated.

1964 - The first of two nights billed as the "T.A.M.I. Show" took place at the Civic Auditorium, in Santa Monica, Calif., with Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and The Rolling Stones. The acronym "T.A.M.I." was used inconsistently in the show's publicity to mean both "Teenage Awards Music International" and "Teen Age Music International."

1967 - Diana Ross and the Supremes' Greatest Hits started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart.

1977 - The notorious album by The Sex Pistols, Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols, was released in the U.K. It was the only studio album that the punk band ever put out. Fans and critics alike generally regard it as an important album in the history of rock music, citing the lasting influence it has had on subsequent punk-rock musicians, as well as other musical genres that were influenced by those punk-rock artists.

1978 - Nick Gilder went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Hot Child In The City."

1978 - Kiss star in the TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.

1989 - Janet Jackson started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814. Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded at Flyte Tyme studios in Minneapolis, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 is only one of three albums to produce seven top-ten U.S. singles, the other two being Thriller by Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA.

1995 - Alanis Morissette makes her first appearance on Saturday Night Live, singing "Hand In My Pocket" and "All I Really Want."

1997 - R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry announced that he was departing the band after 17 years. Born in Duluth, Minn., Berry lives and works as a farmer in Georgia, mostly staying out of the limelight.

2001 - The Beastie Boys play their first show in more than two-and-a-half years at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, at the first of two New Yorkers Against Violence benefits, which the rap trio organized.

2003 - The Strokes follow up their critically acclaimed debut, Is This It, with the album Room On Fire. The title is taken from the single "Reptilia," which features the lyric: "The room is on fire as she's fixing her hair."

2007 - Country musician Porter Wagoner died in Nashville aged 80 from lung cancer. Wagoner helped launch the career of Dolly Parton and had his own TV show, which ran for 21 years until 1981.

2014 - At their regular haunt — the Beacon Theater in New York City — The Allman Brothers Band played their final show, a four-hour set that went past midnight, ending on the anniversary of Duane Allman's death.

2016 - Elvis Presley broke the record for the most No. 1 albums by a solo artist. The late singer's album The Wonder Of You beat Lady Gaga and Michael Buble to become his 13th album to top the chart. Before, Elvis and Madonna were tied record holders with 12 No. 1 albums each to their names.

2022 - Jerry Lee Lewis died at the age of 87 in Nesbit, Mississippi.

Birthdays:

Harold Battiste — arranger on records by Sam Cooke, Dr. John, Sonny and Cher, and more — was born today in 1931.

Charlie Daniels ('The Devil Went Down to Georgia') was born today in 1936. He passed away in 2020.

Mississippi singer-songwriter Ted Hawkins was born today in 1936.

Graham Bond of the Graham Bond Organisation was born today in 1937.

Curtis Lee (“Pretty Little Angel Eyes”) was born today in 1939.

Hank Marvin of the Shadows is 83.

Wayne Fontana of the Mindbenders (“Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um”) was born today in 1945.

Telma Hopkins (“Theme from Shaft”) is 76.

Desmond Child — writer of “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” as well as hits by Kiss, Aerosmith, Cher, and more — is 71.

Former Joy Division and current New Order drummer Stephen Morris is 67.

William Reid, guitarist with The Jesus and Mary Chain, is 66.

Ben Harper is 55.

Brad Paisley is 52.

Music critic Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop) is 39.

Frank Ocean is 37. 

Jamie xx is 36.

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