History Highlight:

Today in 2010, Patti Smith won the National Book Award for her memoir, "Just Kids". Jade recently wrote a review of this book and Smith's book "M Train". Smith became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses. Called the "punk poet laureate", she fused rock and poetry in her work.

Also, Today In:

1962 - The Four Seasons started a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Big Girls Don't Cry," the group's second No. 1 of the year.

1967 - The Who began their second tour of North America in Kansas City, Mo.; they were opening for The Buckinghams.

1979 - The Commodores went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Still," their second No. 1 single.

1985 - Wham! were at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go." George Michael's inspiration for the song was a scribbled note left by his Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley for Andrew's parents, originally intended to read "wake me up before you go" but with "up" accidentally written twice, so Ridgeley wrote "go" twice on purpose.

1990 - David Crosby from Crosby Stills Nash & Young was hospitalized after breaking a leg, shoulder and ankle after crashing his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

1999 - Mariah Carey was forced to abandon a performance on Rome's historic Spanish Steps after crowds of tourists swamped her. She took shelter in a local shop before she was given a police escort to safety.

Birthdays:

Gordon Lightfoot is 78.

Gene Clark of the The Byrds was born today in 1944.

Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre is 70.

Guitarist Jim Babjak of the Smithereens is 59.

RuPaul is 56.

Jeff Buckley was born on this day in 1966.

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