History Spotlight:

Pixies frontman Black Francis is 59. Also known as solo artist Frank Black, the man born Charles Thompson IV in 1965 led the Pixies during their original stint in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. During that stretch, they released the influential albums Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, and Bossanova. In the 21st century, the reunited Pixies are play bigger stages than ever before, and many bands have recorded work heavily influenced by their heavily melodic, yet satisfyingly unhinged style.

Also, Today In:

1956 - Elvis Presley signed a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures. Through a loan arrangement with Twentieth Century-Fox, Presley would go on to make his big-screen debut in November with the musical western Love Me Tender.

1966 - The first session of what would become The Beatles album Revolver started in the evening at Abbey Road studios London, with the recording of the basic track of "Tomorrow Never Knows."

1968 - Simon and Garfunkel went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with The Graduate.

1971 - The Rolling Stones unveil their new custom record label, Rolling Stones Records, which also features the group's new logo, the infamous tongue-and-lips "pop art" drawing created by London graphic artist John Pasche.

1971 - 4 Way Street by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is released. It’s their second album as a group, and their first live album.

1974 - ABBA became European stars overnight when their composition "Waterloo" won the annual Eurovision Song Contest. The single became their first No. 1 hit in several countries, reached the U.S. Top 10, and went on to sell nearly six million copies, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 50th anniversary celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005, it was chosen as the best song in the competition's history.

1983 - Ronald Reagan's secretary of the Interior, James Watt, cancels an appearance by The Beach Boys at Washington DC's Independence Day festivities, infamously stating that the band would attract "an undesirable element."

1998 - Wendy O. Williams, iconic frontwoman of The Plasmatics, dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was 48.

Also in 1998, country singer Tammy Wynette died at age 55. Known as the first lady of country music, Wynette scored 12 hit singles including "Stand By Your Man", and she sold more than 30 million records worldwide. Wynette had the 1991 hit with The KLF, "Justified and Ancient", which became a No. 1 hit in 18 countries.

2000 - An all-star tribute to Joni Mitchell was held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City featuring performances by Elton John, Bryan Adams, Shawn Colvin, James Taylor, Cyndi Lauper, Richard Thompson, k.d. Lang and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

2016 - Merle Ronald Haggard died on this day in 2016 (and was born on this day in 1937). Haggard was a country music legend, with 38 No. 1 hits on U.S. Country charts, 4 Grammys, 19 Academy of Country Music, 6 Country Music Association awards and well over 100 albums - studio albums, collaborations, gospel albums, Christmas albums, live albums and compilations. Haggard's son said Merle knew he was going to pass away on his birthday, and on Facebook he said "He loved everything about life and he loved that every one of you gave him a chance with his music. He wasn't just a country singer...he was the best country singer that ever lived."

2016 - Simon & Garfunkel's 1966 chart-topper "The Sound of Silence" peaks at #6 on the Hot Rock Songs chart thanks to its appearance in a meme involving Ben Affleck and his botched blockbuster Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

2019 - American country musician Jim Glaser died at age 81. The Glaser Brothers charted nine singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts and became members of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1960s.

Birthdays:

Saxophonist Gerry Mulligan (“Walkin’ Shoes,” “Five Brothers”) was born today in 1927.

Merle Ronald Haggard was born today in 1937 (and died on this day in 2016).

Billy Dee Williams is 87.

Louis Shelton, member of The Wrecking Crew, is 83.

Tony Connor of Hot Chocolate is 77.

Christopher Franke of Tangerine Dream is 71.

Warren Haynes of Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule is 64.

Guitarist John Pizzarelli is 64.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is 60.

Roy Mayorga of Ministry is 54.

Georg Hólm of Sigur Ros is 48.

Imani Coppola is 46.

Robert Glasper, pianist and record producer, is 46.

Alex Suarez of Cobra Starship is 43.

Max Bemis of Say Anything is 40. 

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