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Today in Music History: Happy Birthday, Tina Turner

Ike and Tina Turner on stage.
Ike and Tina Turner on stage.Wikimedia Commons

November 26, 2019

History Highlight:

Anna Mae Bullock was born today in 1939, making her 80 today, though we know her better as Tina Turner. She became famous as one half of a duo with her then-husband Ike Turner before reinventing herself as a solo performer. She is now one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, is often referred to as The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, and has sold more than 200 million records worldwide.

Also, Today In:

1958 - Johnny Cash, made his debut on the US country chart when "Cry! Cry! Cry!" made it to number 14. His next seven singles would all make the country top 10, with "I Walk the Line" and "There You Go" both hitting number 1.

1962 - The Beatles recorded their second single "Please Please Me" in 18 takes and "Ask Me Why" for the flipside at EMI studios in London. When released in the U.S. on the Vee-Jay label, the first pressings featured a typographical error -- the band's name was spelled "The Beattles".

1967 - The "promotional film" (i.e. video) of The Beatles "Hello, Goodbye" was aired on The Ed Sullivan Show in the U.S.

1968 - Cream played their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Also on the bill were Yes and Taste.

1976 - The Sex Pistols released their incendiary "Anarchy In The U.K." single. It was the only Sex Pistols recording released by before the label dropped the group, after the band used profanity during a live television broadcast. "Anarchy in the U.K." is number 56 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

1982 - Trumpeter Miles Davis married for the third time, tying the knot with actress Cicely Tyson. Bill Cosby was the best man.

1988 - Russian cosmonauts aboard Soyuz 7 took into space a cassette copy (minus the cassette box for weight reasons) of the latest Pink Floyd album Delicate Sound Of Thunder and played it in orbit, making Pink Floyd the first rock band to be played in space. David Gilmour and Nick Mason both attended the launch of the spacecraft.

1994 - Boyz II Men started their 14th and final week at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "I'll Make Love To You".

1994 - The Eagles started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Hell Freezes Over. The album name is in reference to a quote by Don Henley after the band's breakup in 1980; he commented that the band would play together again "when Hell freezes over."

2000 - The Beatles went to No.1 on the US album chart with Beatles 1. The album features virtually every number-one single released from 1962 to 1970. Issued on the 30th anniversary of the band's break-up, it was their first compilation available on one CD.

2010 - Willie Nelson was arrested for possession of six ounces of marijuana found in his tour bus while travelling from Los Angeles to Texas. He was released after paying bail of $2,500. Prosecutor Kit Bramblett supported not sentencing Nelson to jail due to the amount of marijuana being small, but suggested instead a $100 fine and told Nelson that he would have him sing "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" for the court.

2016 - Punk memorabilia said to be worth $6 million was set on fire in the middle of the River Thames in London, England. Joe Corre, the son of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, burnt the items on the 40th anniversary of the Sex Pistols debut single. The 48-year-old told the crowd that "punk was never meant to be nostalgic".

Birthdays:

John Stirratt, bassist for Wilco (and the only remaining original member besides Jeff Tweedy) is 52.

John McVie, bass player for Fleetwood Mac, is 74.

Natasha Bedingfield is 38.

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