History Highlight:

Today in 1993, Rhian Teasdale of the band Wet Leg was born, making her 33. Born near Liverpool, Teasdale moved with her family to the Isle of Wight as a youngster. As a teenager, Teasdale lived in Bristol where she pursued a career as a solo artist. She returned to the Isle of Wight to attend music college, and it was there that Teasdale befriended Hester Chambers. Together, the duo would form the band Wet Leg. Signed to the Domino Recording Company, Wet Leg released their debut single, “Chaise Longue,” in June 2021, and it became a global smash; The Current’s listeners voted it the No. 1 song in the Top 89 of that year. Wet Leg’s most recent release is 2025’s Moisturizer, and two songs from that album, “Mangetout” and “Catch These Fists,” landed at No. 3 and No. 1, respectively, in The Current’s Top 89 of 2025.

Also, today in:

1957 - Elvis Presley bought the Graceland mansion from Ruth Brown-Moore for $102,500. The house is named after the builder's daughter, Grace Toof.

1958 - The first "Greatest Hits" compilation was released, and it's by Johnny Mathis. The album proved a huge hit, and the format caught on quickly. The Mathis album stayed in the Billboard 200 album chart for more than nine years, a record not broken until Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon eclipsed it.

1958 - "Tequila" by The Champs hit No. 1 in the U.S., becoming one of the most popular saxophone instrumentals of all time.

1962 - Ray Charles launched his own record label, Tangerine Records.

1967 - Working at Abbey Road studios in London, The Beatles finished the recording of "She's Leaving Home" after adding backing vocals to the track. Harpist Sheila Bromberg, who was part of the string section heard on the track, became the first woman to play on a Beatles recording.

1968 - The Bee Gees made their U.S. television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. They performed two of their pre-disco ballads, "To Love Somebody" and "Words."

1978 - Elvis Costello released his second studio album, This Year's Model. It features the singles "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea," "Pump It Up," and "This Year's Girl."

1978 - Generation X released their debut studio album, Generation X. It features the single "Ready Steady Go."

1984 - Van Halen's "Jump" peaked at No. 1 in the U.S.

1986 - Hüsker Dü released their fifth studio album, Candy Apple Grey. It features the singles "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" and "Sorry Somehow."

1986 - Depeche Mode released their fifth studio album, Black Celebration. It features the singles "Stripped," "A Question of Lust," "A Question of Time," and "But Not Tonight."

1992 - No Doubt released their debut self-titled album.

1992 - k.d. lang released her second solo studio album, Ingénue. It features the singles "Constant Craving," "Miss Chatelaine," and "The Mind of Love."

1992 - Juliana Hatfield released her debut solo album, Hey Babe. It features the singles "Everybody Loves Me but You," "Forever Baby," and "I See You."

1992 - Melissa Etheridge released her third studio album, Never Enough. It features the singles "Ain't It Heavy" and "Dance Without Sleeping."

1998 - Van Halen released their 11th studio album, Van Halen III, which would be their only album with former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone singing for them. It went on to become Van Halen’s first album not to go platinum, and they didn't release another studio album until 2012's A Different Kind of Truth.

2003 - On the very first episode of MTV's practical joke show Punk'd, host Ashton Kutcher staged a prank involving the IRS that made Justin Timberlake cry.

2006 - The Smiths turned down a $5 million offer to reform for a set at the Coachella music festival.

2010 - American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, Alex Chilton, died in New Orleans while being hospitalized for heart trouble, aged 59.

2015 - Modest Mouse released their sixth studio album, Strangers to Ourselves. It features “Lampshades on Fire.”

2015 - Tobias Jesso Jr. released his debut studio album, Goon. It features “How Could You Babe.”

2016 - Prince's ex-wife Mayte Garcia put a collection of Prince memorabilia up for auction.

2017 - Spoon released their ninth studio album, Hot Thoughts. It features the singles "Hot Thoughts," "Can I Sit Next to You," and "Do I Have to Talk You Into It."

2017 - Depeche Mode released their 14th studio album, Spirit. It features the singles "Where's the Revolution," "Going Backwards," and "Cover Me."

2017 - Real Estate released their fourth studio album, In Mind. It features the singles "Darling" and "Stained Glass."

2019 - R&B musician Andre Williams died in Chicago at the age of 82. He started his career in the 1950s, and his most famous songs include the hits “Jail Bait,” “Greasy Chicken,” “Bacon Fat” and “Cadillac Jack.” He was also the co-author of the R&B hit, “Shake a Tail Feather.”

Birthdays:

Nat "King" Cole was born on this day in 1919. He died of lung cancer in 1965.

Country singer Dick Curless, whose hits include the 1965 single, “A Tombstone Every Mile,” was born today in 1932.

Musician and actor Adam Wade, whose hits include 1961’s “The Writing on the Wall,” was born today in 1935.

Zola Taylor of the Platters was born today in 1938.

Paul Kantner, a founding member of Jefferson Airplane, was born on this day in 1941.

Pattie Boyd — who inspired George Harrison's songs "I Need You," "If I Needed Someone," "Something," and "For You Blue," and Eric Clapton's songs "Layla," "Bell Bottom Blues," "Wonderful Tonight," and "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" — is 82.

Scott Gorham, guitarist for Thin Lizzy, is 75.

Paul Black of L.A. Guns is 67.

Janet Gardner, former lead singer of Vixen, is 64.

Flaming Lips' former bassist Michael Ivins is 63.

Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins is 59.

Gene Ween is 56.

Torquil Campbell, co-lead singer of Stars, is 54.

Bassist Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole, Smashing Pumpkins) is 54.

Justin Hawkins, frontman of the Darkness, is 51.

Miles Kane of the Last Shadow Puppets is 40.

Grimes is 38.

Hozier is 36. Born Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, the Irish musician, singer, and songwriter whose breakthrough single "Take Me to Church" was certified multi-platinum in several countries, including the U.S., the U.K., and Canada. In September 2018, he released the EP Nina Cried Power. Its lead single features Mavis Staples and mentions Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Staples herself. All of Hozier’s full-length albums — 2015’s Hozier, 2019’s Wasteland, Baby!, and 2023’s Unreal Unearth — hit No. 1 in Hozier’s native Ireland and peaked at or near the top of the charts in the United States and in the United Kingdom.

Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg is 33. (see highlight, above)

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