History Highlight:

On this day in 1986, Bruce Hornsby and the Range released their debut studio album, The Way It Is. All the songs on the album were co-written by Hornsby and his brother, John Hornsby. Record label RCA Victor originally steered the album to the New Age market, but it proved a pop-music success given the radio popularity of the singles, "The Way It Is," "Mandolin Rain," and "Every Little Kiss." As a result, RCA reissued the album in December 1986 with a new album cover, and The Way It Is finished the year at No. 4 in the Billboard 200 album chart. The success of The Way It Is also paved the way for Bruce Hornsby and the Range to win Best New Artist at the 29th Grammy Awards in February 1987.

Also, Today in:

1961 - Bob Dylan appeared on Harry Belafonte's album The Midnight Special, playing harmonica on the title track. Dylan was paid a $50 session fee for this, his first-ever recording.

1961 - Del Shannon started a four-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Runaway.”

1968 - The Beatles' new company, Apple Records, turned down an offer to sign a new artist by the name of David Bowie.

1971 - Crosby Stills Nash & Young went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with "4 Way Street."

1975 - Pete Ham of Badfinger passed away in his London home at the age of 27.

1976 - Wings At The Speed Of Sound went to No. 1 on the U.S. album chart. Paul McCartney's fifth No. 1 album after The Beatles became his most successful American chart album, spending seven non-consecutive weeks at No. 1.

1976 - With rumors of a Beatles reunion swirling, Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels went on camera to offer the guys $3,000 (union scale) to reunite on the show. Paul McCartney and John Lennon were watching at Lennon's New York City apartment and considered showing up on a lark, but passed on the opportunity.

1978 - Cheap Trick released their third studio album, Heaven Tonight. It features the singles "Surrender," "California Man," and "High Roller."

1979 - Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind" was proclaimed the state song of Georgia. Originally written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell, many assume the song is a Ray Charles original due to his close association with the song, which is widely regarded as the definitive rendition.

1981 - New Order started work on their first album at Strawberry studios in Stockport, England.

1989 - Tom Petty released his solo debut, Full Moon Fever. The album features contributions from members of the Heartbreakers, especially guitarist Mike Campbell. Petty’s Traveling Wilburys bandmates Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and George Harrison also make appearances. Despite MCA Records being unwilling to release the album because executives didn’t believe it had any hits, the album yielded five Hot 100 singles: “Free Fallin’,” “Runnin’ Down a Dream,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “A Face In the Crowd,” and “Yer So Bad.”

1992 - David Bowie married Somali-born supermodel and actress Iman in Switzerland. They had one daughter, Alexandria "Lexi" Zahra Jones, born in August 2000. The couple were married until Bowie passed away in 2016.

1993 - Forty thousand people turned out in Ames, Iowa, for Farm Aid VI, a benefit for family farmers in the United States, organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young. Alongside Nelson and Young, other performers on the bill included Johnny Cash, Lyle Lovett, Ringo Starr, Martina McBride, and The Jayhawks.

1995 - Aphex Twin released his third studio album, …I Care Because You Do. It features “Alberto Balsalm.”

1996 - After being forced to cancel shows, Stone Temple Pilots issued a statement saying that lead singer Scott Weiland had "become unable to rehearse or appear for these shows due to his dependency on drugs. He is currently under a doctor's care in a medical facility." Weiland saw this as a betrayal, and his relationship with his bandmates turned rocky.

2001 - Destroyer released their fourth studio album, Streethawk: A Seduction. It features the singles "Streethawk I" and "Sublimation Hour."

2001 - Modest Mouse released their compilation album, Sad Sappy Sucker. It includes early recordings and previously unreleased tracks, with the single "Birds vs Worms."

2004 - Devendra Banhart released his third studio album, Rejoicing in the Hands. The album was universally acclaimed by critics, and remains a definitive release during an explosion of experimental folk music.

2006 - Billy Joel became the first non-athlete to earn a banner at Madison Square Garden when he sold out the venue for the 12th time on his tour. His No. 12 hangs alongside retired greats who played in the Garden, like the New York Knicks’ Willis Reed and Walt Frazier, and the New York Rangers’ Mark Messier.

2007 - Bill Callahan released his first album under his own name, Woke on a Whaleheart. It features the singles "Diamond Dancer" and "Jim Cain."

2007 - U.S. President George W. Bush was denied a luxury suite at the Imperial Hotel in Vienna when Mick Jagger, in town with The Rolling Stones on a tour, had booked it first.

2012 - Sinead O'Connor cancelled the remaining dates of her world tour, saying she was still recovering from a "very serious breakdown." In a statement on her official website, she said she had canceled all concerts that year due to her bipolar disorder. Her website was also deleted along with her Twitter account.

2012 - The Beach Boys began their 50th-anniversary tour, which reunited Brian Wilson with fellow founders Mike Love and Al Jardine, along with longtime members Bruce Johnston and David Marks.

2016 - Papa Wemba, the King of Rumba Rock, died at age 66 during a show. He was one of the most popular musicians of his time in Africa and played an important role in world music.

2016 - American soul singer Billy Paul died at his home in New Jersey, from pancreatic cancer at the age of 81. He was best known for his 1972 hit "Me and Mrs. Jones," which won a Grammy and reached No. 1 in the U.S.

2020 - Lucinda Williams released her 14th studio album, Good Souls Better Angels.

2021 - A mural by artist Caswell Turner commemorating the Avett Brothers was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in downtown Concord, North Carolina, the Avetts’ hometown. The mural nearly covers the entire side of a building, measuring 30 feet tall and approximately 40 feet wide. Scott and Seth Avett, along with artist Turner, attended the unveiling ceremony. “All the journeys we made to be able to accept this honor, it is beyond words,” Seth Avett said.

Birthdays:

Shirley MacLaine is 92.

Jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson was born today in 1937.

Barbra Streisand is 84.

Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys is 83.

Tony Visconti — producer for David Bowie, T. Rex, Sparks, Thin Lizzy, Iggy Pop, Adam Ant, and many more — is 82.

Doug Clifford, drummer with Creedence Clearwater Revival, is 81.

Glenn Cornick of Jethro Tull was born today in 1947.

Nigel Harrison of Blondie is 75.

Jack Blades, bassist with Night Ranger and Damn Yankees, is 72.

Boris Williams of The Cure is 69.

David J of Bauhaus is 69.

Billy Gould of Faith No More is 63.

Patty Schemel of Hole is 59.

Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors is 58.

Brian Marshall of Creed is 53.

Kelly Clarkson is 44.

Ben Howard is 39.

Actor and musician Joe Keery, whose musical moniker is Djo (pronounced “Joe”) is 34. Keery grew up in Massachusetts and went on to study acting at DePaul University in Chicago. As an actor, Keery is best known for his roles as Steve Harrington in Stranger Things and as Gator Tillman in the fifth season of Fargo. As a musician, Keery released solo music under the name Cool Cool Cool, then went on to play guitar in the Chicago garage-rock band Post Animal, eventually leaving the band due to his acting commitments. On Sept. 13, 2019, Keery released Twenty Twenty, his debut album under the artistic name Djo. On April 4, 2025, Keery (as Djo) released his third album, The Crux.

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