History Highlight:

Today in 1991, founder and member of the New York Dolls Johnny Thunders (John Anthony Genzale, Jr), died of a drug overdose. The band's first two albums -- New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974) -- became among the most popular cult records in rock. Thunders later played with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist before passing away.

Also, Today In:

1971 - The Rolling Stones released their classic album Sticky Fingers. The cover was designed by Andy Warhol, who was paid $15,000 for his efforts. Although it's widely assumed the cover model is Mick Jagger, the jeans in the photo were actually worn by actor Joe Dallesandro.

1976 - The Ramones released their eponymous debut album.

1976 - The Rolling Stones released their 15th U.S. studio album, Black And Blue.

1977 - Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way," originally recorded by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes in 1975, hit No. 1 in America.

1978 - Sex Pistols bass player Sid Vicious filmed his version of "My Way" for the Sex Pistols' film The Great Rock n Roll Swindle.

1983 - "Come On Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners went to No. 1 in the U.S. It was the only American hit for the English group.

1987 - Carole King sued her former label head and mentor, Lou Adler, for $400,000 in royalties and the publishing rights to some of her older recordings from the late-'60s.

1986 - Songwriter Harold Arlen ("Over The Rainbow," "Stormy Weather") died at age 81.

1988 - Whitney Houston smashed a chart record held by The Beatles and The Bee Gees when "Where Do Broken Hearts Go", became her seventh consecutive U.S. No. 1.

1994 - Pink Floyd's album The Division Bell went to No. 1 in the U.S., where it stayed for four weeks.

2002 - Nine months after the album was rejected by Reprise Records, Wilco released Yankee Hotel Foxtrot on Nonesuch Records.

2008 - Amy Winehouse went out on a drink- and drug-fueled spree, and over the course of the night, she allegedly hit and head-butted two men.

2012 - Country rock bass guitarist Chris Ethridge died age 65 from pancreatic cancer. He was a member of the International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Ethridge also worked with Nancy Sinatra, Leon Russell, Delaney Bramlett, Johnny Winter, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Jackson Browne, and Willie Nelson.
2012 - Thomas "Tommy" Marth, the touring and studio saxophonist for the Killers, died at his Las Vegas home. The 33-year-old musician joined the band in 2005 and played on the live tours between 2008 and 2010.

2012 - Neil Diamond married his longtime manager Katie McNeil. Diamond was 71 and McNeil was 42.

2016 - Bruce Springsteen saluted the recently deceased Prince by opening his show in Brooklyn with a rendition of "Purple Rain" (Nils Lofgren takes the guitar solo). The E Street Band wore purple for the show, deviating from their usual black.

2017 - Kerry Turman, bassist for The Temptations, died at age 59 following a performance in Missouri.

2017 - Bananarama announced their intention to reunite with a UK tour. Aside from a brief regroup for a Eurovision special years earlier, the original trio hadn't performed together since Siobhan Fahey's departure in 1988.

Birthdays:

Roy Orbison was born today in 1936.

David Gedge of the Wedding Present is 58.

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