History Highlight:

Today in 1941, Neil Diamond was born. His career, which began in the 1960s, has been incredibly fruitful, and he has sold over 120 million records worldwide. Diamond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, and in 2011 was an honoree at Kennedy Center. On the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts, he has had eleven No. 1 singles: "Cracklin' Rosie", "Song Sung Blue", "Longfellow Serenade", "I've Been This Way Before", "If You Know What I Mean", "Desiree", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", "America", "Yesterday's Songs", "Heartlight", and "I'm a Believer". And if you've ever been to a karaoke night, you've heard the infamous "Sweet Caroline".

Also, Today In:

1958 - The Quarrymen performed at the Cavern Club in Liverpool (the band's only performance at the club). It was three years later when they appeared again at the Cavern but under their new name as The Beatles.

1969 - The Doors appeared at Madison Square Garden, New York City. They were paid over $50,000 for the gig making them one of the highest paid acts that year.

1976 - Bob Dylan started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with his 17th studio album, Desire. The album features "Hurricane", which protests the conviction of former middleweight boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter for triple murder in 1966, arguing his innocence.

1979 - The Clash released their first single in the U.S. with "I Fought The Law" (written by Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly's Crickets, later popularized in a version by the Bobby Fuller Four). Joe Strummer and Mick Jones were inspired to learn the song after hearing the Bobby Fuller version on a jukebox owned by a San Francisco recording studio where they had been recording overdubs for their second album. This cover version helped gain the Clash their first taste of airplay in the States and is one of the best-known cover versions of the song.

1998 - Oasis had a No. 1 hit single in Britain with "All Around The World." At 9:38, the song enjoyed the distinction of having the longest running time ever for a No. 1 record.

2008 - Amy Winehouse was admitted into rehab in a battle to kick her addiction to drugs.
2016 - David Bowie was at No. 1 on both the U.K. and U.S. album charts with his twenty-fifth and final studio album Blackstar.

Birthdays:

Aaron Neville is 76.

Warren Zevon was born today in 1947.

Blues Brother and all around funny guy John Belushi was born today in 1949.

Jools Holland is 59.

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