History Highlight:

Today in 1949, Bruce Springsteen was born in New Jersey. He has since gone on to become one of music’s most significant artists through his vast output — including such iconic albums as Born To Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, Nebraska, Born in the U.S.A., and Tunnel of Love — and has sold more than 140 million albums worldwide. He has won 20 Grammy Awards, an Oscar (for Best Original Song, “Streets of Philadelphia”), and in 2016, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Springsteen is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, both of which inducted him in 1999. Known for his energetic and generous live shows, Rolling Stone magazine has described Springsteen as “the embodiment of rock and roll,” while fans simply call him The Boss.

Also, Today In:

1957 - Buddy Holly and the Crickets went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "That'll Be The Day." The title of the song was inspired by a catchphrase that John Wayne uttered repeatedly in the famous John Ford film, The Searchers.

1967 - "People Are Strange" by The Doors was released. Meanwhile, The Box Tops began a four-week run at No. 1 with "The Letter."

1969 - The Northern Star newspaper of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., ran a story claiming that Paul McCartney had been killed in a car crash in 1966 and had been replaced by a lookalike. Russell Gibb of WKNR-FM in Detroit picked up on the claim and the story went worldwide. By late October 1969, the hoax was so well entrenched that McCartney came out of seclusion at his farm in Scotland to deny the story. When McCartney was asked to comment by a reporter visiting the farm, he replied, "Do I look dead? I'm as fit as a fiddle."

1977 - David Bowie released the title track from his forthcoming album, "Heroes".

1980 - Bob Marley collapsed on stage during a concert at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh. It would be the last time Marley ever appeared on stage; he died of cancer in May 1981.

1989 - Milli Vanilli started a two-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You," the duo's second U.S. No. 1.

2006 - Neil Young was named artist of the year at the Americana Honors and Awards at the fifth annual event in Nashville, Tenn. The singer-songwriter had released the protest album Living With War that year.

2013 - Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California was shut down for a 15-song set by Paul McCartney on the roof of the El Capitan Theatre. An estimated crowd of 10,000 listened from the street. The show followed his appearance on TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live show.

2014 - Julian Casablancas + The Voidz released their debut studio album, Tyranny. It features “Human Sadness” and “Where No Eagles Fly.”

2016 - According to the Music Business Association, playlists were now a more popular way to listen to music than albums. The report said playlists accounted for 31% of listening time across all demographics, while albums lagged behind on 22%. But single tracks remained the dominant format, according to the study, accounting for 46% of music played.

2019 - Robert Hunter, Grateful Dead lyricist died at the age of 78. He provided the Grateful Dead with many of their vivid and enduring lyrics for some of the band's signature songs, including 'Uncle John's Band', 'Scarlet Begonias' and 'Dark Star.'

Birthdays:

Tiny Bradshaw (“The Train Kept A-Rollin’”) was born today in 1907.

John Coltrane was born today in 1926. He passed away in 1967.

Ray Charles was born today in 1930. He passed away in 2004.

Hilly Kristal, founder of the legendary punk club CBGB in New York, was born today in 1931.

Les McCann (“Compared to What”) was born today in 1935.

Blues guitarist Roy Buchanan was born today in 1939.

Steve Boone of The Lovin Spoonful is 81.

Julio Iglesias is 81.

Neal Smith, drummer for Alice Cooper, is 77.

Dan Toler of Dickey Betts & Great Southern and a member of The Allman Brothers Band was born today in 1948. He passed away in 2013.

Bruce Springsteen is 75.

Danielle Dax is 66.

Angela Maria “Ani” Di Franco is 54 today. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influences from punk, funk, hip hop and jazz. She has released all her albums on her own record label, Righteous Babe. Through the Righteous Babe Foundation, DiFranco has backed grassroots cultural and political organizations supporting causes including abortion rights and LGBT visibility. She released her memoir titled, No Walls and the Recurring Dream in 2019, and made The New York Times Best Seller List.

Lucia Cifarelli of KMFDM is 54.

Jermaine Dupri is 52.

Layzie Bone is 50.

Anya Marina is 48.

Rachel Yamagata is 47.

Benjamin Curtis — of Tripping Daisy, Secret Machines, and School of Seven Bells — was born today in 1978.

Highlights for Today in Music History are gathered from This Day in Music, Song Facts and Wikipedia.