History Highlight:

Today in 2003, Johnny Cash died in a Nashville hospital. He was 71. One of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Cash's career had spanned rockabilly, country, gospel, and rock n' roll, and his flouting of musical boundaries continued right up until the end of his life. Cash died four months after the passing of his beloved wife and partner, June Carter Cash.

Also, Today In:

1966 - The first episode of The Monkees TV show aired in the US. The series ran for a total of 58 episodes.

1986 - Public Image Ltd. guitarist John McGeoch needed 40 stitches in his face after a two-liter wine bottle was thrown at the stage during a gig in Vienna.

1987 - Michael Jackson began a two-month siege on top of the charts with Bad.

2007 - The surviving members of Led Zeppelin announced they would reform for a star-studded tribute concert in London. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones would play at a show to remember the late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun.

2013 - Ray Dolby, the sound engineer who invented the noise-reduction system which bears his name, died of leukemia in San Francisco, California, at age 80.

Birthdays:

Country legend George Jones was born today in 1931.

Barry White was born today in 1944.

Drummer Neil Peart (Rush) is 65.

Barry Andrews, keyboard player for XTC, is 61.

Ben Folds is 51.

Jennifer Hudson is 36.

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