History Highlight:

On this day in 1968, Mike Patton was born, making him 56 today. Best known as the lead vocalist of Faith No More, Patton has earned critical praise for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techniques, wide range of projects, style-transcending influences, eccentric public image and contempt for the music industry. He has been cited as an influence by members of Coheed and Cambria, Deftones, Five Finger Death Punch, Hoobastank, Incubus, Killswitch Engage, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down, and Slipknot.

Also, in:

1956 - Elvis Presley's single, "Heartbreak Hotel" was released by RCA Records, who had just purchased Presley's contract from Sun Records for $35,000.

1958 - Little Richard entered The Oakwood Theological College in Huntsville, where he was ordained as a seventh day Adventist Minister.

1961 - Frank Sinatra played a benefit show at Carnegie Hall in New York City for Martin Luther King.

1967 - The Beatles signed a new nine-year contract with EMI Records.

1970 - John Lennon wrote, recorded and mixed his new single "Instant Karma!" all in one day. It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios and arriving in stores only ten days later. The song reached the top five in the British and American singles charts, where it became the first solo single by a member of the band to sell a million copies.

1971 - David Bowie arrived in the U.S. for the first time but was not allowed to play anywhere due to work permit restrictions.

1972 - Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson dies from heart failure and diabetes complications in Evergreen Park, Illinois, at age 60.

1973 - Stevie Wonder had his first No. 1 hit in a decade with "Superstition" from the Talking Book album.

1980 - At the Gaumont theater in Southampton, England, AC/DC play their last show with Bon Scott. The electrifying frontman dies on February 19 after a night of excessive drinking.

1988 - James Brown was charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful use of a firearm when police were called to his South Carolina home.

1990 - Tom Petty Day was declared in Petty's birthplace of Gainesville, FL. Petty also peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart with "Free Fallin'" which was Petty's only top ten single as a solo artist in the U.S.

1990 - Soundgarden become the first grunge band to make the Billboard albums chart when Louder Than Love shows up at #168. It peaks at #108 in March.

1990 - Eric Clapton peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart with Journeyman which went on to sell two million copies in the U.S. and was heralded as a return to form.

1991 - With American troops fighting in the Gulf War, Whitney Houston does a stirring version of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Her performance is lip-synched, but so well received that it is released as a single, charting at #20. This version is re-released in 2001 following the September 11 attacks.

1994 - Oasis made their live debut in London at The Water Rats, a live music venue in King's Cross.

1998 – The Chicks (known at the time as The Dixie Chicks) release their major-label debut, Wide Open Spaces.

2009 - Bruce Springsteen released his 16th studio album, Working on a Dream. It features the title track, “My Lucky Day,” “The Wrestler,” and “What Love Can Do.”

2014 - Folk singer and activist Pete Seeger died at the age of 94.

2015 - Natalie Prass released her self-titled debut album. It features “Bird of Prey” and “Why Don’t You Believe in Me.”

2015 - Punch Brothers released their fourth studio album, The Phosphorescent Blues. It features “I Blew It Off” and “Julep.”

2015 - Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne were given a songwriting credit on Sam Smith's hit "Stay With Me" because of the similarities to the 1989 track "I Won't Back Down".

2018 - Huey Lewis lost his hearing before a concert in Dallas. He did the show singing out of pitch, and was later diagnosed with Ménière's disease, a rare condition that causes hearing to come and go.

Birthdays:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on this day in 1756.

Composer Jerome Kern (“Ol’ Man River,” “The Way You Look Tonight”) was born today in 1885.

Elmore James, blues guitarist and singer, known as the King of the Slide Guitar, was born today in 1918.

Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. — creator of the band Alvin and the Chipmunks, writer of "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" — was born today in 1919.

Bobby Bland was born on this day in 1930.

Folk singer Kate Wolf was born today in 1942.

Nick Mason, drummer for Pink Floyd, is 80.

Nedra Talley of The Ronettes is 78.

Seth Justman of the J. Geils Band is 73.

Brian Downey of Thin Lizzy is 73.

G.E. Smith — former lead guitarist for Hall & Oates and leader of the Saturday Night Live band — is 72.

Janick Gers of Iron Maiden is 67.

Gillian Gilbert of New Order is 63.

Margo Timmins (lead vocalist of Cowboy Junkies) is 63.

Tracy Lawrence is 56.

Tricky is 56.

Michael Kulas of James is 55.

Mark Owen of Take That is 52.

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