Birthday Highlight:

Today in 1981, Prince played the first night on his 56-date North American "Controversy" tour at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pa. The tour included Zapp and Roger and The Time as an opening act. The typical setlist on this tour was a "greatest hits" of the Prince and Dirty Mind albums, along with a smattering of new material from Controversy.

Today In:

1955 - Bo Diddley appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show television show. The show had requested Diddley sing his version of "Sixteen Tons," but when he appeared on stage, he sang his own song, "Bo Diddley," resulting in him being banned from further appearances on the show.

1961 - Bob Dylan started recording his debut album over two days at Columbia Recording Studios in New York.

1967 - Strawberry Alarm Clock went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Incense And Peppermints."

1968 - The Monkees' film Head opened in six U.S. cities. Reviews were harsh and the picture was a box-office disaster.

1971 - Isaac Hayes started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Theme From Shaft."

1973 - During a concert at San Francisco's Cow Palace, Who drummer Keith Moon collapsed onstage after someone spiked his drink with horse tranquilizer. An audience member, 19-year-old Scot Halpin, filled in for the final three songs of The Who's set.

1976 - Paul Simon hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live, where he performed live with George Harrison on "Here Comes The Sun" and "Homeward Bound."

1991 - The Rolling Stones signed a three-album deal with Virgin Records for $45 million, making it the biggest recording contract up to that time.

2002 - Former Ultravox member Midge Ure was fined the equivalent of more than $800 by magistrates in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England — hometown of The Current's Mark Wheat — after Ure admitted driving without due care and attention. The court heard that Ure was involved in a minor accident in Norfolk while driving his Chrysler to a gig.

2007 - Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke admitted he was among the thousands of people who paid nothing to download the band's latest album In Rainbows. Speaking to BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq, Yorke said, "There wasn't any point. I just move some money from one pocket to the other."

More Birthdays:

Norman Greenbaum, known for his one-hit wonder, "Spirit in the Sky," is 75.

Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers was born today in 1946.

Joe Walsh is 70.

Mike D of the Beastie Boys is 52.

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