History Highlight

Today in 1924, legendary jazz singer Sarah Lois Vaughan was born. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "The Divine One" Vaughan was a four-time Grammy Award winner, including a "Lifetime Achievement Award" and the National Endowment for the Arts gave her the NEA Jazz Masters Award in 1989.

Also, Today In:

1958 - CBS records announced the invention of stereophonic records. Although the new format would be playable on ordinary record players, when used on the new stereo players, a richer, fuller sound was heard.

1964 - The British Invasion had made its way around the world as The Beatles held down the top six spots on the Australian pop chart.

1965 - The Supremes scored their fourth U.S. No.1 single with "Stop! In The Name Of Love."

1972 - Elvis Presley recorded what would be his last major hit, "Burning Love," which would go on to be a No. 2 hit on the U.S. chart. The song was written by Dennis Linde and was originally recorded by country-soul artist Arthur Alexander, who included it on his 1972 self-titled album. Presley's cover of the song becoming his biggest hit single in the United States since 1969's "Suspicious Minds" and his last Top 10 hit in the American Hot 100 or pop charts. Despite the song's success, Presley had stated he did not actually care for the song and felt uncomfortable performing it.

1986, Van Halen kicked off their 112-date North American tour at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, La. It was the band's first tour with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals.

1987 - U2 performed from the roof of a store in downtown Los Angeles to make the video for "Where The Streets Have No Name," attracting thousands of spectators and bringing traffic to a standstill. The police eventually stopped the video shoot.

1997 - Will Smith had the U.S. No. 1 single with "Gettin' Jiggy With It."

2012 - Just off Regent Street in central London, a blue plaque was unveiled on the building where the cover of David Bowie's landmark 1972 album, Ziggy Stardust, was photographed. Throughout the U.K., a blue plaque commemorates a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker.

2012 - David Bowie's landmark album Ziggy Stardust was celebrated with a blue plaque in central London. Former Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp unveiled a plaque at the spot where the cover of the 1972 release was shot. The location in Heddon Street, just off Regent Street, is now a pedestrian area brimming with bars and restaurants.

2015 - Country singer Willie Nelson announced that he and his family were hard at work on a new brand of marijuana called Willie's Reserve.

Birthdays:

Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks is 67.

Mariah Carey is 47.

Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas is 42.

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