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. Just two years later, U2 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 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:

1957 - Elvis Presley bought the Graceland mansion from Ruth Brown-Moore for $102,500. The house is named after the builder's daughter, Grace Toof.

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 heard on the track, became the first woman to play on a Beatles recording.

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

1984 - Van Halen's "Jump" peaked at No. 1 in the U.S.

1998 - Van Halen released their eleventh studio album, Van Halen III, which would be their only album with former Extreme singer Gary Cherone singing for them. It went on to become their first album not to go Platinum and they didn't release another studio album until 2012's A Different Kind of Truth.

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

2010 - At a hospital in New Orleans, Alex Chilton died due to heart problems at age 59.

Birthdays:

Paul Kantner (founding member of Jefferson Airplane) was born on this day in 1941. He died Jan 28 this year (2016) from multiple organ failure.

Nat "King" Cole was born today in 1919. He died of lung cancer in 1965.

Scott Gorham, guitarist for Thin Lizzy, is 65.

Flaming Lips' bassist Michael Ivins is 53.

Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan is 49.

Bassist Mellisa Auf der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins) is 44

Hozier is 26.

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