Birthday Highlight:

Courtney Melba Barnett was born on this day in 1987, making her 37 today. We are lucky to have had her visit the station several times all the way from Australia and she played Rock the Garden twice -- in 2015 and 2019. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards and International Female Solo Artist at the 2016 Brit Awards, and she has released two solo records -- 2015's Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit and 2018's Tell Me How You Really Feel along with her 2017 Lotta Sea Lice collaborative album with Kurt Vile. 

Also, Today In: 

1957 - Sun Records released "Great Balls Of Fire," by Jerry Lee Lewis. The single went on to sell more than five million copies worldwide, and was a No. 2 in the U.S, making it one of the world's best-selling singles of all time. 

1962 - The Crystals started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "He's A Rebel." 

1962 - The Crystals' "He's A Rebel" hits #1 for the first of two weeks. None of the actual group appears on the track, as Phil Spector uses Darlene Love to sing lead. The real Crystals learn about the song when they hear it on the radio. 

1962 - Billboard magazine drops the "Western" from its "Country and Western" chart title. 

1965 - The Beatles recorded "Michelle" at EMI Studios in London. The song went on to become one of the Beatles' most popular songs in France given that some of the lyrics are in French. 

1972 - Carly Simon and James Taylor get married, forming a musical power couple not seen until Jay-Z and Beyoncé tie the knot. The marriage lasts 11 years. 

1977 - During a concert in London, Elton John announced his retirement from live performances. 

1979 - The Eagles started a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with The Long Run, their fourth U.S. No. 1 album. 

1979 - Everybody's talkin' 'bout "Pop Muzik" by M, which hits #1 in the US. M is the British electro musician Robin Scott. 

1985 - With hit songs like "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins and "Smuggler's Blues" by Glenn Frey, the Miami Vice TV soundtrack was the No. 1 album in America. 

1993 - Russian inventor Leon Theremin died. Theremin is best known for the electronic musical instrument that bears his name. He first performed the Theremin with the New York Philharmonic in 1928; in pop music, the Theremin features prominently in the Beach Boys' hit song, "Good Vibrations." 

1990 - "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice became the first rap record to top the U.S. singles chart. 

1990 - EMF releases "Unbelievable" in the UK. It's a big success, peaking at #3, but does even better when it's released in the US, where it hits #1. 

1991 - a large crowd attended the free “Laughter, Love and Music,” concert at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, which celebrated the life and work of Bill Graham. The 60-year-old concert promoter and impresario, who was instrumental in the rise of the ‘60s counterculture movement, was killed a week earlier in a helicopter crash. Many of the acts that Graham had supported performed at the memorial event, including the Grateful Dead, Santana, and a reunited Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. 

1995 - Hootie & the Blowfish settle out of court with Bob Dylan, who sees their lifting of lyrics from "Tangled Up In Blue" on their hit "Only Want To Be With You" as more plagiarism than tribute. 

2001 - Mary J. Blige's "Family Affair" hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first of six weeks. It's the singer's first single to top the chart. 

2002 - Britain's "King of Skiffle," Lonnie Donegan, died in England. He was 71. Donegan greatly influenced the development of British rock 'n' roll; the Beatles and Led Zeppelin are among numerous artists who cite Donegan's influence. 

2002 - '60s British singer Lonnie Donegan, known as The King of Skiffle, dies of a heart attack at age 71. 

2013 - The first ever YouTube awards were held in New York City. The event featured Eminem, Lady Gaga and M.I.A making live music videos directed by the awards' creator, Spike Jonze, and others. Eminem won Artist of the Year, while Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble' took the YouTube Phenomenon award. 

2015 - Months after 1000 singers and musicians in Cesena, Italy performs "Learn to Fly" in an effort to entice Foo Fighters to play there, the group complies, performing a concert in the city. 

Birthdays: 

Mable John, the first female artist signed to Motown’s Tamla label, was born today in 1930.

John Barry — Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer of theme music for 11 James Bond Movies, Dances With Wolves, and many more — was born today in 1933.

Blues musician Sonny Rhodes was born today in 1940.

Folk singer Bert Jansch of Pentangle was born today in 1943.

Nick Simper, bassist for Deep Purple, is 79.

Scottish singer, actress and television personality, Lulu, is 76. She had major chart hits with "To Sir with Love" from the 1967 film of the same name, and with the title song to the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. In European countries, she is also widely known for the Eurovision Song Contest 1969 winning entry "Boom Bang-a-Bang", and for her 1964 hit "Shout".

Helios Creed of Chrome is 71. 

Adam Ant is 70.

Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree is 57.

Robert Miles (“Children”) was born today in 1969.

Sticky Fingaz of Onyx is 51. 

Mick Thomson of Slipknot is 51. 

Jake Shimabukuro is 48.

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against is 46.

Stephen Sanchez is 22.

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