History Highlight:

Today in 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 sixteen on the United Kingdom Singles Chart.

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. "Respect" has become the song the most closely associated with Franklin throughout her career.

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.

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.

Birthdays:

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

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.

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

Willie Nelson is 83.

Tommy James, leader of Tommy James and the Shondells, is 69.

Carnie Wilson of Wilson Philips is 48.

Cranberries bassist Mike Hogan is 43.

Editors bassist Tom Smith is 35.

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