History Highlight:

Harry Edward Nilsson III, credited as simply Nilsson was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., today in 1941. Nilsson achieved great success in the late 1960s early '70s, receiving Grammy Awards for two of his recordings: Best Male Contemporary Vocal Performance in 1970 for "Everybody's Talkin'", a prominent song in the Academy Award-winning movie Midnight Cowboy, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1973 for "Without You." The Monkees, Three Dog Night and the Ronettes all covered Nilsson's songs. Interestingly, Nilsson was one of the few major pop-rock recording artists of his era to achieve significant commercial success without ever performing major public concerts or undertaking regular tours. On Jan. 15, 1994, Nilsson died of heart failure at his California home; he was only 52.

Also, Today In:

1963 - Kyu Sakamoto started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Sukiyaki," the first-ever Japanese song to do so.

1969 - The Doors played a concert at the Minneapolis Convention Center. 



1976 - The Sex Pistols recorded their first demos in Clapham's Majestic studios

1985 - Dire Straits started a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Brothers In Arms.

1989 - Nirvana's debut album Bleach was released.

1996 - Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald died in Beverly Hills, Calif., aged 79.

2003 - Metallica were at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with St. Anger, the band's fourth U.S. No. 1.

2005 - Coldplay went straight to No. 1 on U.S. album chart with their third album, X&Y.

Birthdays:

Waylon Jennings was born on this day in 1933.

Noddy Holder of Slade is 69.

Ice Cube is 46.

Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol is 39.