History highlight:

On this day in 2020, Adam Schlesinger, one of the most prolific and decorated songwriters of his generation, best-known for his work with Fountains of Wayne, died at the age of 52 as a result of health complications caused by COVID-19. Schlesinger and friend Chris Collingwood co-founded Fountains of Wayne in 1995, taking the band’s name from a lawn-ornament store in Wayne, New Jersey. In addition to Fountains of Wayne, Schlesinger played in the bands Ivy, Tinted Windows and Fever High, and he produced a number of other artists. Schlesinger was also a composer for theater, TV and film; among his many contributions are three songs in the romantic comedy Music and Lyrics, the Oscar-nominated title track to Tom Hanks' 1996 film That Thing You Do!, as well as music for Sesame Street, for “Saturday’s TV Funhouse” on Saturday Night Live, and for the series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Schlesinger earned nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Tony, three Grammys (winning one in 2010 for Best Comedy Album, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!) and eight Emmys (of which he won three across various programs).

Also, today in:

1966 - Pye Records released David Bowie's first solo single, "Do Anything You Say." Bowie had previously recorded as David Jones and The Lower Third.

1966 - The Troggs recorded "Wild Thing" at Regent Sound Studio in London. The song went on to be a No. 1 hit in the U.S. and a No. 2 hit in the U.K. in June the following year.

1969 - The Beach Boys announced they were suing their label, Capitol Records, for $2 million in unpaid royalties.

1975 - Journey released their self-titled debut album. It features “To Play Some Music.”

1976 - The Buzzcocks played their debut live gig when they appeared at Bolton Institute Of Technology (now Bolton University) in Greater Manchester, England. The power was turned off after three songs.

1984 - Marvin Gaye was fatally shot by his father at his parents' home in Los Angeles.

1985 - USA for Africa released the album We Are the World. It features the title single and nine previously unreleased tracks from participating artists.

1985 - David Lee Roth quit Van Halen shortly after releasing his version of The Beach Boys' "California Girls," which featured Carl Wilson on background vocals. Roth was replaced by Sammy Hagar later in the year.

1989 - The Bangles went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Eternal Flame.”

1995 - While Tupac Shakur was imprisoned for sexual abuse, his album Me Against the World hit No. 1, where it would stay for four weeks.

2000 - Santana started a nine-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Maria Maria."

2007 - Modest Mouse were at No. 1 on the U.S. album chart with We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, their fifth full-length studio album. The album was recorded at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Miss., with producer Dennis Herring. It was Modest Mouse's only album featuring former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who was in the band from 2006 to 2009. James Mercer of The Shins also featured on the album, singing backing vocals on the tracks "We've Got Everything," "Missed The Boat" and "Florida." We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank was certified gold by the RIAA, having sold more than 500,000 copies in the U.S.

2008 - Jay-Z scores a multi-million dollar 360 deal with Live Nation that includes his own label. He resigns as president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, where he had launched the careers of hot R&B artists like Rihanna and Ne-Yo, and forms Roc Nation.

2014 - Cloud Nothings released Here and Nowhere Else, featuring “I’m Not Part of Me.”

2014 - Mac DeMarco released his second full-length album, Salad Days. Although the record arrived on April Fool’s Day, the material is no joke. DeMarco was just 23 at the time of the album’s release, so it was a surprise to hear him lamenting that his best days were already behind him on the undeniably catchy title track. Artistically, plenty of good things happened on this album — clever wordplay, inventive pop hooks, and just enough psychedelic ambiance to keep us listening intently. DeMarco recorded Salad Days himself in his Brooklyn apartment. Pitchfork named it Best New Music, and it received rave reviews overall.

2015 - Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon's first wife, died of cancer at age 75 in Mallorca, Spain.

2017 - After months of uncertainty and controversy, Bob Dylan finally accepted the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature.

2020 - Singer/songwriter Cristina died at age 61 after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The singer, whose full name was Cristina Monet-Zilkha, was known for dance-pop tunes such as “Things Fall Apart,” “Disco Clone,” and a cover of Peggy Lee's “Is That All There Is?,” all of which were emblematic of the 1980s underground New York scene. Cristina was a pioneer in blending the artsiness and attitude of punk with the joyful energy of disco and pop which helped pave the way for her contemporaries like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and other alt-pop acts.

Birthdays:

Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith was born today in 1914.

Isley Brother Rudolph Isley was born today in 1939.

Ronnie Lane of the Small Faces was born today in 1946.

Soul and jazz poet Gilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was born today in 1949.

John Barbata from The Turtles is 80.

Billy Currie of Ultravox is 75.

Henry Gross of Sha Na Na is 74.

Jeff Porcaro of Toto was born today in 1954.

D. Boon of the Minutemen was born today in 1958.

Susan Boyle is 64.

John Butler is 50.

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