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Today in Music History: KC and the Sunshine Band "get down"

KC and the Sunshine Band "Get Down Tonight"
KC and the Sunshine Band "Get Down Tonight"Album Art

August 30, 2016

History Highlight:

Today in 1975, KC and the Sunshine Band went to No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with, "Get Down Tonight." The song was the first of their five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The band is also best known for "That's the Way (I Like It)", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", and "Boogie Shoes".

Also, Today In:

1975 - James Taylor's remake of Marvin Gaye's 1965 hit "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" made the Top 5.

1995 - Sleeps With Angels by Neil Young & Crazy Horse was a Top 10 album on this day. The record was Neil's reaction to the suicide death of Kurt Cobain.

1981 - Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones was released. While the album was mostly composed of studio outtakes recorded during the 1970s, it nonetheless succeeded in reviving The Stone's career and spent nine weeks at the top of the album charts. Tattoo You contains "Start Me Up," one of the band's most well-known songs, as well as one of their most loved ballads, "Waiting On A Friend."

1989 - Izzy Stradlin from Guns N' Roses was arrested for making a public disturbance on a U.S. air flight. Stradlin had urinated on the floor, verbally abused a stewardess and smoked in the non-smoking section of the aircraft.

1995 - Carly Simon and James Taylor performed live together in front of 10,000 fans on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. It was the first time they appeared live on the same stage since 1979. The former couple played their own solo sets before combining their efforts in raising money for the local agricultural society.

1997 - The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase went to No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Mo Money Mo Problems".

2002 - Bruce Springsteen released The Rising, his first album with the E Street Band since 1987 and his first material since 9/11.

2007 - Lil Wayne was sued by a woman for $1 million who claimed she was crushed at one of his concerts after a large amount of cash was thrown into the audience. Tyrique Layne, then 17, said she lost consciousness after being trampled by the crowd at a gig in Maryland in October 2006, and had suffered memory loss and severe headaches.

2011 - Alleging that Elvis Presley "was unjustly exploited during his lifetime by his record company," his estate announced a multimillion dollar lawsuit against Arista Music, formerly RCA Records, demanding proper payment over new media income such as ringtones, downloads and entertainment apps.

2014 - Kate Bush followed her stage comeback by becoming the first woman to have eight albums in the UK charts at the same time. Two of the singer's albums were in the top 10, and eight overall in the top 40. It came after she returned for her first live concerts for 35 years. The only artists ahead of Bush are Elvis Presley, who had 12 entries in the top 40 after his death in 1977 and The Beatles who had 11 in 2009.

Birthdays:

John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas was born today in 1935.

Micky Moody of Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake and 66.

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