Birthday Highlight:

Rufus Wainwright is 41 today. The son of singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Rufus seemed destined for a life in music in some way, but has ended up carving out a tremendously acclaimed, accomplished career that has so far produced seven highly praised albums as well as nothing less than a classical opera commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera (indeed, Wainwright's style early on was dubbed "popera" by critics for it's sophisticated songwriting and arrangements).

Also, Today In:

1969 - Aretha Franklin was arrested for causing a disturbance in a Detroit parking lot. After posting 50-dollars bail, she ran down a road sign with her car while leaving the police station.

1979 - Little Richard, who had been preaching of his salvation throughout the United States, makes his famous statement, "If God can save an old homosexual like me, he can save anybody."

1989 - The soundtrack album Batman by Prince started a six-week run at No.1 on the US album chart.

1989 - Courtney Love married her first husband James Moreland who was the singer with LA band Leaving Trains.

1989 - De La Soul's "Me Myself and I" became a hit on the Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at #34.

Related

• The Current Sessions™: The incomparable Rufus Wainwright performs at the Fitz
• Album Review: Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game
• Rufus Wainwright performs in The Current studios
• Rufus Wainwright performs in The Current studios