History Highlight:

Today in 1997, singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley disappeared during a spontaneous evening swim in the Mississippi River outside Memphis. His body was found on June 4, 1997 after being spotted by a passenger on a tourist riverboat. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by playing cover songs at venues in Manhattan's East Village, gradually focusing more on his own material. Eventually Buckley signed with Columbia Records, recruited a band, and recorded what would be his only studio album, Grace, in 1994. Buckley's chart success came posthumously, particularly his cover -- often considered the definitive version -- of Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah," which reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs in March 2008.

Also, Today In:

1961 - Ricky Nelson started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Travellin' Man," a song that Sam Cooke turned down.

1962 - Ray Charles won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording for "Hit The Road Jack."

1965 - The Beach Boys started a two-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Help Me Rhonda," the group's second U.S. No. 1.

1971 - The Rolling Stones accomplished the rare feat of having both the No. 1 album, Sticky Fingers, and No.1 single, "Brown Sugar," simultaneously in the U.S.

1976 - Diana Ross started a two-week run on the top of the singles chart with "Love Hangover," her fourth U.S. No. 1.

1977 - Elvis walked off stage in the middle of a show in Baltimore. It was the first time in his 23-year career that he had done so except when legitimately ill. The end was near.

1984 - Tina Turner released Private Dancer, her big comeback album.

2005 - Jazz singer-songwriter Oscar Brown Jr., writer of the popular song "Afro Blue," died at the age of 78.

2012 - Aaron Freeman told Rolling Stone that he was retiring Gene Ween, the stage name under which he had performed with Ween for nearly two decades.

2013 - Marvin Junior (lead baritone of The Dells) died from complications of kidney failure at age 77.

Birthdays:

Toto bassist Mike Porcaro was born today in 1955.

Gary Brooker, lead singer of Procol Harum, was born today in 1945.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo is 70.

La Toya Jackson is 63.

Mel Gaynor is 60.

Noel Gallagher is 52.

Melanie Brown (Mel B / Scary Spice) of The Spice Girls is 44.

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