History Highlight:

Harry Edward Nilsson III, known best as simply Nilsson, was born today in 1941. One of the few singer-songwriters to gain commercial success without performing in regular tours and big public appearances, Nilsson started off as a computer programmer at a bank in Los Angeles, but developed an interest in music and had his songs recorded by the Monkees, and later, Three Dog Night. After recording several albums of his own, John Lennon helped Nilsson out with his 1974 solo album Pussy Cats but the two didn't get along so well. After Lennon's death in 1980, Nilsson refocused his life to campaign for gun control and only recorded sporadically until he died of a heart attack in 1994.

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, CA, at age 79.

1996 - The Beastie Boys hosted the first Tibetan Freedom Concert, with performers that included Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins and John Lee Hooker. About 100,000 attend the two shows, raising money for the Milarepa Fund.

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 71.

Ice Cube is 48.

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