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Today in Music History: Franz Ferdinand sweeps awards

Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinandcourtesy Press Here Productions

February 17, 2017

History Highlight:

Today in 2005, Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand became the first act ever to win the Mercury Music Prize, Brit Awards and NME awards in the same year. The group has had multiple top 20 hits in the UK and has sold millions of albums worldwide. They have released four full-length albums along with an additional collaboration album with American rock band Sparks as supergroup FFS.

Also, Today In:

1960 - Elvis earned his first Gold album for 1956's Elvis, which featured "Rip It Up," "Old Shep," "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again" and "Ready Teddy."

1969 - Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash recorded a new version of "Girl From The North Country" together in Nashville, Tenn., at CBS Studios. The track appeared on Dylan's Nashville Skyline album. It was originally recorded in 1963 and released on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. The collaboration with Cash and an appearance on The Johnny Cash Show helped Nashville Skyline become one of Dylan's best-selling albums.

1971 - Singing "Fire And Rain" and "Carolina On My Mind," James Taylor made his primetime television debut on The Johnny Cash Show, which was a variety show hosted by Cash that aired on ABC from June 7, 1969 to March 31, 1971.

1975 - AC/DC released their debut album High Voltage.

1975 - John Lennon released the Phil Spector-produced Rock 'n' Roll album, a collection of some of his favorite rock and R&B oldies, including "Stand By Me". It was his final record before his self-imposed five-year exile from making records.

1982 - A major influence on Steely Dan, among other pop groups, pianist, composer and innovative jazz giant Thelonious Monk died in Weehawken, New Jersey, after a long illness. He was 64.

2014 - Musician and sound engineer Bob Casale, best known as Devo's guitarist and keyboardist, died of heart failure. He engineered the first solo album for Police guitarist Andy Summers.

Birthdays:

Bobby Lewis (1961 U.S. No.1 single "Tossin' and Turnin") was born today in 1933.

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins is 45.

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is 45.

Ed Sheeran is 26.

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