History Spotlight:



Will Smith, aka "The Fresh Prince," was born today in 1968, making him 50 years old today. Famous for being a successful actor, producer, comedian, rapper and songwriter, he has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the NBC television series "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", which ran for six seasons until 1996. Now, he is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office.



Also, Today In:



1960 - Sam Cooke accomplished a rare feat, reaching the No. 2 position on the pop and R&B charts simultaneously with his tune, "Chain Gang," his biggest hit since "You Send Me."



1964 - The Temptations began recording 'My Girl' which went on to be their first US number one and the first of fifteen US Top Ten hits.



1965 - A half-hour Saturday morning cartoon show featuring real songs by the Beatles but not their actual voices (same as the Yellow Submarine movie three years later) debuted on ABC. The first episode, titled "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," had the boys exploring the ocean floor in a diving bell, discovering a love-sick octopus. The series ran through September of 1969.



1967 - Little-known country singer Dolly Parton made her first appearance on The Porter Wagoner Show. She sang two songs from her debut album: "Dumb Blonde" and "Something Fishy" Parton soon became the full-time replacement for the program's longtime singer, Norma Jean.



1970 - The first episode of The Partridge Family was shown on U.S. TV, featuring Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, Susan Dey and Danny Bonaduce.



1975 - Jackie Wilson had a heart attack while performing live on stage at the Latin Casino in New Jersey. Wilson collapsed into a coma suffering severe brain damage. Wilson died on Jan. 21, 1984. Van Morrison wrote the song "Jackie Wilson Said," covered by Dexy's Midnight Runners. More recently, Hozier paid tribute to the R&B great with his song, "Jackie and Wilson."



1980 - The thunderous drummer for Led Zeppelin, John Bonham, died after consuming the equivalent of 40 shots of vodka in four hours on the eve of embarking on a U.S. tour. "Bonzo" had been an intrinsic part of the Zeppelin sound, and the group decided it could not continue, deciding to disband shortly thereafter.



1982 - Queen made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, where they performed "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Under Pressure."

1990 - Drummer Dave Grohl auditioned for Nirvana and was instantly given the job. A year later, the band recorded Nevermind which exceeded all expectations and became a worldwide commercial success. Grohl's songwriting contributions increased in the following years, then after Cobain's death in April 1994, he took a brief turn with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and was rumored to have been considered for a possible replacement for Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese, but he would eventually steer towards solo work which would turn into the Foo Fighters, of which he is still the lead vocalist, rhythm and lead guitarist, and primary songwriter.



1999 - Oasis singer, Liam Gallagher was stopped by customs officials at Heathrow airport and made to pay £1,300 (about $2,000) after not declaring a fur coat he had bought in America.



2008 - MySpace Music, the all-in-one music service/social network, became a reality after agreeing to a deal with EMI, the last major label holdout.



2011 - The New York Post reported that Sly Stone was living in a van, parked in the notoriously rough Los Angeles neighborhood of Crenshaw. The 68-year-old was quoted as saying, "I like my small camper. I just do not want to return to a fixed home. I cannot stand being in one place. I must keep moving." Stone's situation may have changed in January 2015, when a Los Angeles jury awarded Stone $5 million in a music-rights suit.



Birthdays:



Steven Severin, bass player for Siouxsie and the Banshees, is 63.



Richie Edwards, bass player from The Darkness, is 44.



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