History Spotlight:

Today in 1975, Parliament released their album Mothership Connection. It features "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)," "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)," and "Star Child (Mothership Connection)." The album features two horn players who previously had played with James Brown: Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker; years later, Maceo Parker went on to record and to tour extensively with Prince and the New Power Generation. Parliament’s Mothership Connection, meanwhile, went on to become Parliament’s first album to be certified gold (and later on, platinum) by the Recording Industry Association of Americana (RIAA), and the single, "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" peaked at No. 15 in the Billboard Hot 100. In 2011, the Library of Congress added Mothership Connection to the National Recording Registry, citing the album’s “enormous influence on jazz, rock and dance music.”

Also, Today In:

1943 - American jazz musician, singer and composer, Fats Waller, died of pneumonia on a train trip near Kansas City, Missouri. He wrote many songs including "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Your Feet's Too Big" and "The Reefer Song". His closest collaborator, Andy Razaf, once described his partner as "the soul of melody... a man who made the piano sing... both big in body and in mind... known for his generosity... a bubbling bundle of joy".

1955 - Johnny Cash released the single "Folsom Prison Blues"; on the B-side was another Cash tune, “So Doggone Lonesome,” which was recorded during the same session at Sun Studio in Memphis. Both songs peaked at No. 4 in Billboard’s country singles chart.

1956 - Elvis Presley gave his final performance on Louisiana Hayride, a live radio program (and later TV program) that was broadcast on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana. During the show's heyday from 1948 to 1960, it helped launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American country and western music. Horace Logan, the creator of the show, first spoke the now-legendary phrase, "Elvis has left the building".

1957 - Sammy Davis Jr. inaugurated a syndicated radio talk show with a roundtable discussion of rock ‘n’ roll.

1959 - In milestones of sorts, The Everly Brothers pulled a pair of personal firsts: They recorded in New York and were backed by a string section when they cut "Let It Be Me."

1967 - The Who released their third album, The Who Sell Out. There are fake radio jingles between songs, including one for the deodorant Odorono.

1969 - John Lennon played what would be his final ever gig in the U.K. when he appeared at The Lyceum Ballroom, London, with the Plastic Ono Band in a UNICEF "Peace For Christmas" benefit. George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Delaney and Bonnie, Billy Preston and The Who's drummer, Keith Moon, also took part. The stage was set up with a "War Is Over" poster as a backdrop. John Lennon and Yoko Ono launched the "War Is Over" campaign with billboards the same day.

1973 - David Cassidy went to No. 1 on the U.K. album chart with his third solo album, Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes.

1977 - Two days before they were scheduled to appear on Saturday Night Live, marking their first American television appearance and the launch of their U.S. tour, the Sex Pistols were denied entry to the U.S. due to a visa problem.

1974 - Young Frankenstein opened in theaters. When members of Aerosmith took a break from recording the Toys in the Attic album to see the film, the scene where Igor (Marty Feldman) tells Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) to "walk this way," and the doctor imitates Igor's walk, inspired the title to the track they’d been working on.

1978 - Marvin Gaye released his 14th studio album, Here, My Dear. It features the singles "A Funky Space Reincarnation" and "Anger."

1979 - Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall" made it to No. 1 in the U.K.

1979 - The Buggles’ song "Video Killed The Radio Star" reached its U.S. chart peak of No. 40 (in the U.K., it hit No. 1 in September). On August 1, 1981, it became the first music video played on MTV. Record stores in areas with a lot of cable-TV subscribers were baffled when customers showed up looking for the song.

1988 - James Brown was sentenced to six years in prison for various offenses including possession of weapons and resisting arrest.

1992 - Nirvana released the compilation album Incesticide. It features the singles "Sliver" and "Aneurysm."

1992 - Dr. Dre released his debut studio album, The Chronic. It features the singles "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang," "Dre Day," and "Let Me Ride."

1997 - "Spice World" premiered in London. The following year it was nominated for the "worst film" at the Golden Raspberry Awards.

1998 - Busta Rhymes released his third studio album, Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front. It features the singles "Tear da Roof Off," "Gimme Some More," "Party Is Goin' on Over Here," and "What's It Gonna Be?!"

1998 - Backstreet Boys roadie Michael Barrett filed a $3 million lawsuit against the group claiming damages after a 50-pound cannon fell on his head during a show.

1999 - Boy George was knocked unconscious when a mirror ball fell on his head during a show in Dorset, England.

2001 - Rufus Thomas, R&B, funk, and soul singer, died of heart failure in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 84. He recorded for several labels, including Chess Records and Sun Records in the 1950s, before becoming established in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax Records. He might be best known for his songs that are attached to dance moves such as "Walking the Dog" (1963), "Do the Funky Chicken" (1969) and "(Do the) Push and Pull" (1970). He began his career as a tap dancer, vaudeville performer, and master of ceremonies in the 1930s, and later worked as a disc jockey on a radio station in Memphis.

2003 - Courtney Love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation after she admitted being under the influence of cocaine and opiates.

2014 - Taylor Swift was at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with her fifth studio album 1989. The album eventually became the best-selling album of 2014 in the U.S. market and had sold over 5.7 million copies by the end of 2015, while selling 9.5 million worldwide. Seven singles have been released from the album.

2014 - D’Angelo released his third studio album, Black Messiah. It features “Really Love” and “Betray My Heart.”

2014 - Charli XCX released her second studio album, Sucker. It features “Boom Clap,” “Break the Rules,” “Doing It,” and “Famous.”

Birthdays:

John Hammond — record producer who worked with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Pete Seeger, Leonard Cohen, and many others — was born today in 1910.

Jazz orchestra leader Stan Kenton — who penned hits for Nat King Cole, June Christy, Anita O’Day, and more — was born today in 1911.

Alan Freed, the DJ who coined the phrase "Rock and Roll," was born today in 1921.

Country singer and Grand Ole Opry star Ernest Ashworth, who enjoyed a No. 1 hit in 1963 with “Talk Back Trembling Lips,” was born today in 1928.

Jesse Belvin — co-writer of “Earth Angel” and R&B singer — was born today in 1932.

Cindy Birdsong of The Supremes is 86.

Dave Clark of Dave Clark Five is 86.

Carmine Appice — drummer for Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart, and more — is 79.

Rudi Protrudi of the Fuzztones is 73.

The Clash bassist Paul Simonon is 70.

Tim Reynolds of Dave Matthews Band is 68.

Ned Brower of Rooney is 47.

Sergio Pizzorno of Kasabian is 45.

Alana Haim of Haim is 34.

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