Birthday Highlight:

Stephen William Bragg, aka Billy Bragg, was born today in 1957, making him 67. He is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist, and his music is heavily centered on bringing about change and involving the younger generation in activist causes. In 1983, Bragg released his debut solo album, Life’s a Riot with Spy vs Spy. Not long after the release, Bragg was listening to BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel when Peel mentioned he was hungry; Bragg decided to curry favor (ahem) with Peel by rushing over to the BBC with a mushroom biryani. Peel ended up playing Bragg’s single, “The Milkman of Human Kindness,” although Peel later admitted he would have played the song whether or not Bragg delivered food (note to musicians: please do not deliver food to The Current; submit music using our online form). Bragg’s most recent release is The Roaring Forty | 1983 – 2023, which compiles and celebrates 40 years of Bragg’s music.

Also, Today In:

1958 - George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon performed as The Quarrymen at the wedding reception of Harrison's brother, Harry.

1967 - Joan Baez was sentenced to 45 days in prison after being arrested during an anti-war demonstration.

1969 - The Hollies released "He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother)." Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the title comes from a phrase whose origins can be traced back to the late 19th century: it's an expression meaning the burden of assisting someone is lessened when there is love for that person (i.e., "he may look heavy, but I don't mind carrying him, because he's my brother").

1968 - The Beatles sixth Christmas record The Beatles' 1968 Christmas Record, was sent to fan club members in the U.K. and the U.S. It included the song "Nowhere Man" sung by Tiny Tim.

1969 - Peter Paul and Mary went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Leavin' On A Jet Plane". John Denver wrote the song in 1966 with the original title of "Oh Babe I Hate to Go". The song turned out to be Peter, Paul and Mary's biggest (and final) hit, becoming their only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

1969 - One of the great Rolling Stones albums, Let It Bleed, highlighted by "Midnight Rambler," "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want," hit No. 1 on the album charts.

1973 - Bobby Darin died aged 37. One of the first teen idols, he had the 1959 No. 1 hit with "Dream Lover" plus 20 other U.S. Top 40 hits during the 60s including "Mack the Knife", (Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1960). Darin travelled with Robert Kennedy and worked on his 1968 presidential campaign. He was with Kennedy when he travelled to Los Angeles on June 4, 1968 for the California Primary. Darin was at the Ambassador Hotel later that night when Kennedy was assassinated.

1986 - The Bangles started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Walk Like An Egyptian".

1986 - Thanks to its use in the movie of the same name, Ben E. King's "Stand By Me," originally released in 1961, reaches No. 9 in the U.S.

1999 - Canadian Country singer Hank Snow died. "The Singing Ranger" released over 100 albums and scored more than seventy singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980. A regular at the Grand Ole Opry, in 1954 Snow persuaded the directors to allow a new singer by the name of Elvis Presley to appear there.

2005 - Mary J. Blige released her seventh studio album, The Breakthrough. It features “Be Without You,” “Enough Cryin’,” “One,” and “Take Me as I Am.”

2012 - Adele was named Billboard's top artist of 2012, while her hit record 21 was named top album of the year in the music magazine's annual review. The 24-year-old was the first to receive both accolades two years in a row. Her second album 21 went straight to No. 1 when it was released in March 2011 and did not leave the top 10 until the beginning of September 2012. In that span of time, the album spent 24 weeks at the top spot.

2013 - David Richards, a producer who worked with David Bowie, Queen, Iggy Pop, and others died. Included in Richards' lengthy discography are co-production credits on Bowie's 'Never Let Me Down', 'The Buddha of Suburbia', and 'Outside'. He also worked on Queen's last four albums, A Kind of Magic, The Miracle, Innuendo, and Made in Heaven.

2020 - Pelle Alsing, the drummer for Swedish rock and pop band Roxette died aged 60. Pelle appeared on their first five albums: Pearls of Passion (1986), Look Sharp! (1988), Joyride (1991), Tourism (1994), and Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994). A number of these LPs spawned massive international hits, such as 'It Must Have Been Love', 'Listen to Your Heart', and 'The Look'.

2020 - British musician Chad Stuart died from pneumonia following a fall. He was one half of the duo Chad & Jeremy that began working in 1962 and had its first hit song in the U.K. with “Yesterday's Gone” followed by a string of successful records in the U.S. through the mid-60s.

Birthdays:

Soul singer Kim Weston — whose hits include “Love Me All the Way,” “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While),” and “It Takes Two” with Marvin Gaye — is 85.

Bobby Colomby, drummer from Blood Sweat & Tears, is 80.

Former Kiss drummer Peter Criss is 79.

Alan Parsons, British studio audio engineer, musician, and record producer, is 76.

Stevie Wright of The Easybeats was born today in 1947.

Guy Babylon, keyboardist for Elton John, is 68.

Anita Ward (singer of “Ring My Bell”) is 68.

Mike Watt — best-known for being a founding member of Minutemen, Dos, and fIREHOSE — is 67.

Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes is 58.

JoJo is 34.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Paul Shaffer's Day in Rock, Song Facts, BBC Radio 1, and Wikipedia.