History Highlight:

Drummer Emmett Jefferson Murphy III, who was born Dec. 21, 1964, in Washington, DC, is 61. Credited as either "Murph" or "Patrick Murphy," he has played drums for Dinosaur Jr. between 1984-1993 and from 2005 to the present. He also played drums for the Lemonheads between 1996-1998. Murph notably appears on Dinosaur Jr.’s 1993 album Where You Been, which was the only full-band recording — frontman J. Mascis would typically record most of the parts himself — until their 2005 reunion.

Also, in:

1969 - The Supremes made their last TV appearance together with Diana Ross on The Ed Sullivan show, singing their last No. 1 "Someday We'll Be Together". Ross left to pursue a solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell, and The Supremes disbanded in 1977 after 18 years. The Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and are, to date, America's most successful vocal group with 12 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

1970 - Music and politics collided when Elvis Presley met President Richard Nixon at the White House.

1985 - Lionel Richie started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Say You, Say Me".

1985 - Bruce Springsteen's album Born in the USA passed Michael Jackson's Thriller to become the second longest-lasting LP on the Billboard U.S. Top 10.

1992 - American blues singer and guitarist Albert King died from a heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee. He had played his last show two days earlier, in Los Angeles. One of 13 children, he was born Albert King Nelson in Indianola, Miss., and his family moved to Arkansas when he was eight years old. King made his first guitar out of a cigar box, a branch from a shrub, and a strand of broom wire; he later bought a real guitar for $1.25, which he learned to play himself, left-handed with the strings upside down. He developed a distinct, powerful string-bending style and would become known as one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with B.B. King and Freddie King). Also admired for his soulful, smoky vocals, Albert King is probably best known for his 1967 single, "Born Under a Bad Sign."

2003 - Michael Andrews feat. Gary Jules went to No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with their version of the Tears For Fears song "Mad World." The song took just 90 minutes to record in 2001 and was featured in the film Donnie Darko.

2003 - American Idol winner Ruben Studdard was at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Soulful.

2010 - A concert by Kings of Leon was postponed after a fire broke out on two of their tour buses in London.

2012 - Paul Simon performed "The Sound of Silence" at the funeral of a teacher who died in the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Connecticut.

2012 - "Gangnam Style" by South Korean musician Psy became the first YouTube video to reach a billion views. By the end of 2012, the song had topped the music charts of more than 30 countries.

2014 - Elton John and his partner David Furnish formally converted their civil partnership to a marriage, hosting a ceremony at their Windsor estate in Berkshire.

2019 - Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" went to No. 1 in America for the first time, 25 years after it was first released in 1994.

Birthdays:

Frank Zappa was born today in 1940.

Memphis soul singer Carla Thomas — “Call Me a Fool” with Valerie June, "Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)," "B-A-B-Y," and “Tramp” with Otis Redding — is 83. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas.

Rockabilly guitar whiz Albert Lee is 82.

Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys was born today in 1946.

Paco de Lucía was born today in 1947.

Betty Wright, R&B singer of “Clean Up Woman,” was born today in 1953.

Tony Lewis, singer for the Outfield (“Your Love”), was born today in 1957.

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