The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now

Today in Music History: Happy Birthday, Christine McVie

Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in concert for the first time since 1998 on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014 at Target Center.
Christine McVie joined Fleetwood Mac in concert for the first time since 1998 on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014 at Target Center.Nate Ryan / MPR

July 12, 2018

History Highlight:

Christine Anne Perfect, better-known as Christine McVie, was born today in 1943, making her 75 today. She is a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and one of the three lead vocalists and the keyboardist of Fleetwood Mac. She joined the band in 1970 and also released three solo albums.

Also, Today In:

1954 - 19-year old Elvis Presley signed a recording contract with Sun Records and quit his job at The Crown Electric Company later that day.

1962 - The Rolling Stones made their live debut at The Marquee Club in London. Their material included the Chicago blues as well as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley songs. Bassist Bill Wyman joined in December 1962 and drummer Charlie Watts the following January 1963 to form the band's original rhythm section.

1969 - Zager and Evans' "In The Year 2525" hit No. 1. The song was written and composed by Rick Evans in 1964 and originally released on a small regional record label (Truth Records) in 1968. Sadly, the song was the band's only hit, and they broke up in 1971.

1975 - KC and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight" enters the charts.

1979 - It was "Disco Demolition Night" at Comiskey Park, where the White Sox and Tigers played a doubleheader. The plan was to play disco albums between games, but the fans became unruly and rushed the field, forcing the White Sox to forfeit the second game.

1997 - The French magazine Le Figaro published an interview with George Harrison where he blasted modern music, taking aim at U2 and the Spice Girls.

1999 - Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst was arrested in St. Paul, MN for kicking a security guard in the head at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

2003 - Saxophonist, composer and arranger Benny Carter died at age 95. He worked with Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and composed many TV themes including Ironside and M-Squad.

2008 - Singer Earl Nelson (Earl Lee Nelson) died in Lake Charles, Louisiana. One half of the duo Bob And Earl (who recorded "Harlem Shuffle" in 1963), Nelson sang background vocals on "Rockin' Robin", a U.S. No. 2 for The Jackson 5 in 1972.

History:

Dan Murphy, co-founder of Soul Asylum, 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.