History Highlight:
Today in 1970, Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest was born Malik Taylor in Queens, New York. When they were just two years old, Phife and Q-Tip met at church and became friends. They started rapping together at age nine after they heard “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang. The group that would eventually become A Tribe Called Quest was formed when Phife Dawg and Q-Tip, along with friends Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White, were still in high school. Early in their career, A Tribe Called Quest, together with Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, Monie Love, and Queen Latifah, formed the hip-hop collective Native Tongues, a group of artists who shared a commitment to Afrocentric lyrics, positive messages and a more expansive use of sampling and jazz elements. A Tribe Called Quest would go on to become one of the most influential groups in hip-hop, beginning with the release of their 1990 debut single, “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo.” Phife Dawg passed away in 2016 due to complications from diabetes.

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." The following year, the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song with Hayes becoming the first African American to win that honor (or any Academy Award in a non-acting category), as well as the first recipient of the award to both write and perform the winning song. Fun fact: in 2000, Hayes told National Public Radio that he had only agreed to write and record the Shaft score after Shaft producer Joel Freeman promised him an audition for the lead role (which was given to Richard Roundtree). Hayes never got the chance to audition, but kept his end of the deal anyway.

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." He opened the show dressed as a turkey (in honor of Thanksgiving) and performed part of "Still Crazy After All These Years," before telling the audience, "When the turkey concept was first brought up, I said there's a very good chance I'm going to end up looking stupid."

1981 - Prince played the first night on his 56-date North American "Controversy" tour at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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 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."

2007 - The debut album from Amy Winehouse, Frank, was finally released in the U.S. eight months after her second album, and three years after its British release.

2009 - Rihanna released her fourth studio album, Rated R. It features “Russian Roulette,” “Hard,” “Wait Your Turn,” “Rude Boy,” “Rockstar 101,” and “Te Amo.”

2015 - Adele released her third studio album, 25. It features “Hello,” “When We Were Young,” “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” and “Water Under the Bridge.”

2016 - Ariana Grande wins Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards

Birthdays:

Dick Smothers of the Smothers Brothers is 86.

Jim Horn, American saxophonist, woodwind player and session musician is 84. He played on solo albums of Beatles members, flute and sax on the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds, and flute on the Rolling Stone's Goats Head Soup.

Dr. John was born today in 1941.

Norman Greenbaum, known for his one-hit wonder, "Spirit in the Sky," is 82.

Meredith Monk is 82.

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

Guitarist Joe Walsh is 77. He has been a member of three successful rock bands: James Gang, Eagles, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.

Gary Green of Gentle Giant is 74.

Michael Louis Diamond – aka Mike D— of the Beastie Boys is 59 today. Formed in New York City, The Beastie Boys have sold over 20 million records in the United States and had seven platinum-selling albums from 1986 to 2004. They are one of the biggest-selling rap groups since Billboard began recording sales in 1991, and in 2012, they became the third rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest was born today in 1970.

Dierks Bentley is 49.

Davey Havok, lead singer of AFI and Blaqk Audio, is 49.

Josh Turner is 47.

Future — rapper, songwriter and record producer — is 41.

Oliver Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon is 38.

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