History Highlight:

Mason Williams, classical guitarist, composer, writer, comedian and poet is 79 today. He is known for his instrumental song "Classical Gas" for which he won three Grammys, for recording more than a dozen albums, and also for being a comedy writer on Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and Saturday Night Live.

Also, Today In:

1963 - Stevie Wonder became the first artist ever to score a U.S. No. 1 album and single in the same week. Wonder was at No. 1 on the album chart with Little Stevie Wonder: The 12 Year Old Genius and had the No. 1 single "Fingertips part 2." This was also the first-ever live recording to make No. 1.

1966 - The Doors started recording their first album at Sunset Sound Recording Studios on West Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

1974 - Paul Anka with Odia Coates started a three-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "(You're Having My Baby," Anka's 24th U.S. top 40 hit.

1985 - Huey Lewis and the News started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "The Power Of Love," which featured in the hit movie Back To The Future. Throughout the Back To The Future films, the song is played at five various points and is sometimes used as a plot device. The song was the band's first No. 1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, their second number-one hit on the U.S. Top Rock Tracks chart, and was a top ten hit on the U.K. Singles Chart. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 58th Academy Awards, but lost to Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me".

1991 - Lenny Kravitz was at No. 2 in the U.S. singles chart with "It Ain't Over Till It's Over," which was held off the No. 1 position by Bryan Adams "(Everything I Do), I Do It for You."

1996 - Oasis singer Liam Gallagher failed to turn up for the recording of the band's "MTV Unplugged" session at London's Royal Festival Hall, where 400 fans sat in anticipation of the performance. Liam later sat in the audience and watched the show as his brother, Noel Gallagher, took over on vocals.

2009 - The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide caused by a mix of drugs meant to treat insomnia. On Feb. 8, 2010, Dr. Conrad Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter by prosecutors in Los Angeles. Dr. Murray pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $75,000 bail, but he would be found guilty in November 2011, at which time he was sentenced to four years in a Los Angeles County jail.

Birthdays:

Blues artist Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, writer of Elvis Presley's hit, "That's All Right (Mama)", was born today in 1905.

Heart drummer Michael Derosier is 66.

Madness bassist Mark Bedford is 56.

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