History Highlight:

Today in 1978, U2 won £500 ($850) and a chance to audition for CBS Ireland in a talent contest held in Dublin. The Limerick Civic Week Pop '78 Competition was sponsored by The Evening Express and Guinness Harp Lager. Just two years later they were signed to Island Records and released their debut album, Boy. U2 have released 12 studio albums and are among the all time best-selling music artists, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. They have won 22 Grammy Awards and, in 2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

Also, Today In:

1962 - Ray Charles launched his own record label, Tangerine Records.

1967 - Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles finished the recording of "She's Leaving Home" after adding backing vocals to the track. Harpist Sheila Bromberg who was part of the string section on the track became the first woman to play on a Beatles recording.

1968 - The Bee Gees made their U.S. TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. They performed two of their pre-disco ballads, "To Love Somebody" and "Words."

2006 - The Smiths turned down a $5m offer to reform for the Coachella music festival.

Birthdays:

Smashing Pumpkins' front man, Billy Corgan is 47 today.

Nat "King" Cole was born today in 1919.