History Highlight:

Tracy Chapman was born on this day in 1964, making her 60 today. Best-known for her singles "Fast Car," "Give Me One Reason," and "Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution," she is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist who has released eight studio albums, the latest of which came out in 2008. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she received a ukulele at age three and started writing songs at age eight. According to a 2018 NPR interview, she says that she may have been first inspired to play the guitar by the television show "Hee Haw."

Also, Today In:

1957 - Buddy Knox became the first artist in the rock 'n' roll era to write his own No. 1 hit when "Party Doll" topped the U.S. singles chart. Knox would go on to score four more Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1961.

1963 - The Chiffons started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "He's So Fine." In 1971, George Harrison was taken to court accused of copying the song on his 1970 "My Sweet Lord" and was ordered to pay $587,000 to the writers.

1963 - Sixteen-year-old Lesley Gore recorded her breakthrough hit, "It's My Party." Produced by Quincy Jones, the song went on to be a U.S. No. 1 single. The night the song was recorded, Jones found out that Phil Spector had recorded the song with his group The Crystals, so Jones rush-released it to get Gore's version to radio stations first.

1967 - The photo session for the album cover of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band took place at Chelsea Manor studios in London, with photographer Michael Cooper.

1970 - The album Bitches Brew by Miles Davis released.

1974 - John Denver went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Sunshine On My Shoulders," the singer's first of four U.S. No. 1 hits.

1985 - Phil Collins started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "One More Night," his second U.S. No. 1.

1987 - Prince releases his ninth studio album, Sign o' the Times (often stylized as Sign "☮︎" the Times), his first solo album following his disbanding of the Revolution.

1987 - The Smiths release their compilation album, Louder Than Bombs.

1992 - R.E.M. started recording sessions for their Automatic For The People album at Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, N.Y.

1992 - PJ Harvey’s debut album Dry is released.

2001 - The Detroit Free Press breaks the news that Jack and Meg White of The White Stripes are not siblings as they claim, but former husband and wife. Court records show they were married in 1996 and divorced in 2000. Rolling Stone and the New York Times are among the publications previously reporting them as brother and sister, a believable claim because they look alike.

2013 - U.S. music producer and pioneer of digital recording, Phil Ramone, died at age 79. Ramone was regarded as one of the most successful producers in history, winning 14 Grammy awards and working with stars such as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Elton John and Paul McCartney. He produced the first major commercial release on CD, Billy Joel's 1982 album 52nd Street.

2019 - Singer/songwriter Billy Adams died at age 79. He wrote and recorded the mid-1950s rockabilly staple “Rock, Pretty Mama.” Other songs he recorded in the late '50s include “You Heard Me Knocking,” “True Love Will Come Your Way” and “You Gotta Have a Duck Tail.”

2020 - Soul singer Bill Withers died from heart complications at age 81. His hits include “Just The Two Of Us,” “Lovely Day” and “Use Me.” On “Lovely Day,” he set the record for the longest sustained note on a US chart hit, holding a high E for 18 seconds. His ballad “Ain't No Sunshine” earned him his first Grammy award.

Birthdays:

Frankie Laine (“That’s My Desire”) was born today in 1913.

“Sonny Boy” Williamson (“Good Morning, School Girl”) was born today in 1914.

Graeme Edge, drummer with The Moody Blues, was born today in 1941.

Jay Traynor of Jay and the Americans (“She Cried”) was born today in 1943.

Eric Clapton is 79.

Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, lead singer of Black Oak Arkansas, is 76.

Randy VanWarmer (“Just When I Needed You Most”) was born today in 1955.

MC Hammer, born Stanley Kirk Burrell, is 62.

Celine Dion is 56.

DJ AM was born today in 1973.

Norah Jones is 45.

Thomas Rhett is 34.

NF is 33.

Anitta is 31.

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