History highlight:

Willie Hugh Nelson was born on this day in 1933, making him 91 today. One of the most popular country figures of all time — especially in the "outlaw country" subgenre — he has released 100 studio albums (consisting of 74 solo studio albums and 26 collaborative studio albums), 14 live albums, 51 compilation albums, and 41 video albums. He has acted in more than 30 films, and he is widely known for his activism and political views — mainly supporting the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana. He has won many, many awards in his lifetime; he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. He's still going strong. He’s on the new Beyoncé album, and is set to play the Outlaw Music Festival at Somerset Amphitheater on Sept. 6.

Also, today in:

1967 - Aretha Franklin's classic version of Otis Redding's "Respect" was released. Franklin's version is so definitive that most people assume she was the first to record the song.

1969 - Working on tracks for the forthcoming Beatles Abbey Road album, Ringo Starr added his vocal to "Octopus's Garden."

1976 - After a gig in Memphis, Bruce Springsteen took a cab to Elvis Presley's Graceland home and proceeded to climb over the wall. A guard took Springsteen to be another crazed fan and apprehended him.

1989 - Jon Bon Jovi married childhood sweetheart Dorothea Hurley at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.

1992 - Paula Abdul married actor Emilio Estevez in what, at the time, was an A-list union.

1993 - Mick Ronson died of cancer in England. The guitarist was David Bowie's right-hand man during the Ziggy Stardust days and had also worked with Ian Hunter, Bob Dylan and Morrissey.

2001 - A blue plaque was unveiled at 38 Aubrey Walk, Kensington, London, to honor the musical heritage of the address where British singer Dusty Springfield lived between 1968 and 1972. Springfield was an English pop singer and record producer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s. She was one of the most successful British female performers of all time, with six top-20 singles on the United States Billboard Hot 100 and 16 on the United Kingdom Singles Chart.

2014 - David Gilmour, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr and Radiohead's Ed O'Brien and Philip Selway all signed an open letter, published by The Guardian, to keep musical instruments available to UK prisoners. Spearheaded by Billy Bragg, the singer-songwriter founded an "independent initiative" called Jail Guitar Doors in 2007 to provide instruments for the rehabilitation of inmates.

2014 - Ray LaMontagne released his fifth studio album, Supernova.

2014 - Wye Oak released their fourth studio album, Shriek.

Birthdays:

Duke Ellington, composer of more than 1,000 pieces for piano and big bands, was born on this day in 1899.

Harmonica player Toots Thielemans was born today in 1922.

Pop singer April Stevens was born today in 1923.

Carl Gardner of The Coasters ("Yakety Yak") was born today in 1928.

Lonnie Donegan was born on this day in 1931. Donegan is credited as the founder of the skiffle genre, a style of music that inspired and influenced 1960s British pop musicians, including the Beatles.

Songwriter Rod McKuen was born today in 1933.

Blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Otis Rush ("I Can't Quit You Baby") was born today in 1934.

Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys is 81.

Hugh Hopper of Soft Machine was born today in 1945.

Motown singer Tammi Terrell was born on this day in 1945.

Soul singer, songwriter and record producer Lorraine Chandler was born on this day in 1946.

Tommy James, leader of Tommy James and the Shondells, is 77.

Bill Drummond, cofounder of the KLF, is 71.

Leslie Jordan was born today in 1955.

Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips (and daughter of Beach Boy Brian Wilson) is 56.

Garrison Starr is 49.

Cranberries bassist Mike Hogan is 51.

Editors bassist Tom Smith is 43.

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