History Highlight:

On this day in 2008, Miriam Makeba suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 76. The South African singer inspired artist Jain to write and record the song "Makeba," and reached No. 12 on the Billboard chart in 1967 with "Pata Pata." Among her many notable achievements was becoming the first African woman to win a Grammy, for Best Folk Recording in 1966 with Harry Belafonte for "An Evening With Belafonte / Makeba." 

Also, Today In: 

1955 - The Everly Brothers made their first studio recordings, cutting four tracks in 22 minutes, at Nashville's Old Tulane Hotel studios. 

1958 - Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog," exceeded sales of three million copies in the United States, becoming the first non-holiday single to sell that many. Until "Hound Dog," the only other singles to sell more than three million copies were Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Gene Autry's "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer." 

1959 - Sam Cooke is guaranteed $100,000 by RCA if he chooses to leave his current home, Keen Records. 

1961 - Brian Epstein saw The Beatles playing live for the first time during a lunchtime session at The Cavern Liverpool. Epstein went on to be the group's manager. 

1962 - The Miracles release "You've Really Got A Hold On Me." 

1967 - In a battle of egos, The Byrds's Roger McGuinn boots David Crosby from the group. Crosby is replaced by Gene Clark and goes on to form Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. 

1967 - The first issue of Rolling Stone magazine was published in San Francisco. It featured a photo of John Lennon on the cover, and it came with a free roach clip to hold a marijuana joint. The name of the magazine was inspired by three sources: the Muddy Waters song, the first rock 'n' roll record by Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. 

1969 - Simon and Garfunkel recorded one of their most famous songs, “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Featuring lead vocals by Art Garfunkel, the lush ballad was a global smash, topping the charts in the UK, Canada, Indonesia, France, and the US, where it remained at No.1 for six weeks. The following year, it won five Grammy Awards. Over the decades, it has become one of history’s most-covered songs, with recordings by Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash, among dozens of others. 

1970 - Badfinger release the album No Dice in the US. The song "No Matter What" becomes a hit for the group, but another song on the album, "Without You," becomes a much bigger hit when Harry Nilsson covers it. 

1971 - Carly Simon attends James Taylor's concert at Carnegie Hall and meets him backstage. They get together that night, become inseparable, and marry a year later (their divorce is finalized in 1983). 

1973 - Billy Joel released his second album, Piano Man. The title track, based on his nights performing at a piano bar in Los Angeles called The Executive Room, became his first hit when it peaked at No. 25 in America. 

1974 - Carole King's album Wrap Around Joy, featuring the hit "Jazzman," goes to #1 in America. 

1974 - Winnipeg band Bachman-Turner Overdrive went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet." 

1977 - Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" is certified Gold. 

1985 - Jan Hammer went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with the "Miami Vice Theme." 

1990 - The IRS comes after Willie Nelson, who owes $16 million in back taxes. His assets, including master tapes, clothing and gold records, are seized. Nelson saves his favorite guitar, Trigger, by having it sent to Maui before the feds arrive. 

1991- Prince and the New Power Generation started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Cream." 

1993 - The first Wu-Tang Clan album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was released.  

1996 - For the first time, Bob Dylan licenses one of his songs for commercial use, in this case, "The Times They Are A Changin'" to the Bank of Montreal. 

1997 - Paul Weller was arrested and spent the night in a French jail after smashing up his hotel room. His record company paid more than $6,000 to cover the damage; Weller was released the following day. 

1999 - Fiona Apple released her second album. The title was 90 words long, so it is usually listed as When The Pawn.... It's a poem Apple wrote after seeing her 1997 Spin magazine interview, where the writer couldn't grasp that her personality was genuine.  

1999 - Faith Hill releases her fourth album, Breathe. A huge crossover hit, it debuts at #1 in America and wins a Grammy Award for Best Country Album. 

1999 - The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announces the biggest-selling artists of the century in the United States: The Beatles have sold the most albums (106 million), Garth Brooks is the best-selling male solo act, and Barbra Streisand the best-selling female. Elton John's 1997 "Candle In The Wind" is the best-selling single of the century, and the best-selling album is the Eagles' Greatest Hits 1971-1975. 

2002 - Madonna broke The Beatles' record for most Top 10 hits on the Hot 100 when "Die Another Day" went to No. 8, giving her 35 Top 10 hits on the chart. 

2006 - At the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, Alicia Keys and David Bowie perform "Changes" at a benefit for the Keep a Child Alive organization, which helps disadvantaged children in Africa. It is Bowie's final performance, as his health deteriorates and he withdraws from the public eye. 

2008 - Miriam Makeba, the South African singer who inspired Current artist Jain to write and record the song "Makeba", and who reached No. 12 on the Billboard chart in 1967 with "Pata Pata", suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 76. Among her many notable achievements was becoming the first African woman to win a Grammy, for Best Folk Recording in 1966 with Harry Belafonte for "An Evening With Belafonte / Makeba". 

2010 - A three-alarm fire in a warehouse where Neil Young stored everything from vintage cars to guitar cases causes damage estimated at about $800,000. The cause is promptly investigated, but fire officials say they don't find any evidence of arson 

2015 - Allen Toussaint died at age 77. A giant in the New Orleans musician scene, he wrote "Southern Nights," which was a #1 hit for Glen Campbell in 1977. 

2017 - Former Faith No More frontman Chuck Mosley died at the age of 57.

Birthdays: 

Dorothy Dandridge was born today in 1922.

Mary Travers of Peter Paul and Mary was born today in 1936.

Tom Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival was born today in 1941. 

Phil May of Pretty Things was born today in 1944.

Benny Mardones (“Into the Night) was born today in 1946.

Joe Bouchard of Blue Öyster Cult is 76.

Demetra Plakas, drummer for L7, is 64.

Sandra “Pepa” Denton of Salt-n-Pepa is 55. 

Rapper Roxanne Shanté is 55.

Allison Wolfe, leader of Bratmobile, is 55.

Domino, producer for Hieroglyphics, is 54.

Scarface of the Geto Boys is 54.

Susan Tedeschi of Tedeschi Trucks Band is 54.

Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney is 52.

Nick Lachey is 51.

Even Ormestad of Jaga Jazzist is 46.

Sisqó (born Mark Andrews) is 46. At least at one point, he lived in Maple Grove, Minn., a suburb northwest of the Twin Cities. 

Eyedea was born on this day in 1981. He passed away in 2010. 

Delta Goodrem is 40.

French Montana is 40.

MNEK is 29. 

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