October 16, 2026
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This Day in Music: October 16, 2026
KLFD October 16, 2026


  • 2025: Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley dies at 74.
    A founding member of Kiss, Frehley played lead guitar in his “Spaceman” makeup on hits like “Rock and Roll All Nite” and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2014.
  • 2024: Former One Direction singer Liam Payne dies at 31.
    Payne died after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He rose to fame when One Direction was put together on the British version of The X Factor in 2010.
  • 2012: Darius Rucker joins the Grand Ole Opry.
    The former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman became only the third African American member of the Opry, after DeFord Bailey and Charley Pride. His country version of “Wagon Wheel” became a major hit the following year.
  • 2010: Nicki Minaj lands seven songs on the Hot 100 at the same time.
    The record-setting week included “Bottoms Up” at number 11 and “Check It Out” at number 50, all before her debut album, Pink Friday, came out the next month.
  • 2001: Bob Dylan is turned away at the door of his own concert.
    Security at the Jackson County Exposition Center in Oregon would not let him in because he had no backstage credential. Dylan grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota.
  • 1993: Aretha Franklin sings the national anthem at the World Series.
    The Queen of Soul performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Toronto before Game 1 between the Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies.
  • 1991: Red Hot Chili Peppers launch their Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour.
    The opening night in Madison, Wisconsin, featured two young opening acts, Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam. The album gave the band the hits “Give It Away” and “Under the Bridge.”
  • 1986: Rock stars gather in St. Louis for Chuck Berry's 60th birthday concert.
    Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Etta James, Robert Cray and Linda Ronstadt joined Berry, and the footage became the 1987 documentary Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll.
  • 1982: Dolly Parton's “I Will Always Love You” hits number one on the country chart again.
    Her new recording from the film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas made it the first song ever to top the country chart twice. Whitney Houston's version would follow a decade later.
  • 1976: Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life reaches number one.
    The double album, featuring “Sir Duke” and “I Wish,” went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.
  • 1974: The Rolling Stones release It's Only Rock 'n Roll.
    The album's title track became a concert staple, and it was the band's last studio album with guitarist Mick Taylor.
  • 1972: Creedence Clearwater Revival announces its breakup.
    The band behind “Proud Mary” and “Fortunate Son” never reunited, and John Fogerty went on to a solo career that included the 1985 album Centerfield.
  • 1968: The Jimi Hendrix Experience releases Electric Ladyland.
    The double album included Hendrix's version of “All Along the Watchtower,” a song written by Minnesota native Bob Dylan.
  • 1962: Motown's first “Motortown Revue” package tour opens.
    The show kicked off at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, with Mary Wells, The Contours, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and a young Little Stevie Wonder on the bill.
  • 1954: Rosemary Clooney goes to number one with “Hey There.”
    The ballad came from the Broadway musical The Pajama Game and became one of the biggest hits of Clooney's career.

Born on This Day

  • 1977: John Mayer, American singer and guitarist
    Turns 49. Known for “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and “Daughters,” and has toured with Dead & Company since 2015.
  • 1971: Chad Gray, American singer (Mudvayne)
    Turns 55. Lead vocalist of the heavy rock bands Mudvayne and Hellyeah.
  • 1969: Wendy Wilson, American singer (Wilson Phillips)
    Turns 57. The daughter of Beach Boy Brian Wilson sang on the 1990 number one hit “Hold On.”
  • 1962: Flea, Australian American bassist (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
    Turns 64. His funk-driven bass lines anchor hits like “Give It Away” and “Can't Stop.”
  • 1960: Bob Mould, American singer and guitarist (Hüsker Dü)
    Turns 66. Co-founded the influential St. Paul, Minnesota, punk band Hüsker Dü and later led the band Sugar.
  • 1959: Gary Kemp, English guitarist and songwriter (Spandau Ballet)
    Turns 67. Wrote the band's 1983 hit “True.”
  • 1953: Tony Carey, American keyboardist (Rainbow)
    Turns 73. Played keyboards in Rainbow and scored an MTV hit with “Why Me?” as Planet P Project.
  • 1947: Bob Weir, American singer and guitarist (Grateful Dead)
    Co-founded the Grateful Dead as its youngest member and played rhythm guitar with the band for three decades.
  • 1943: Fred Turner, Canadian singer and bassist (Bachman-Turner Overdrive)
    Turns 83. His gravelly voice led “Roll On Down the Highway” and “Not Fragile.”
  • 1938: Nico, German singer (The Velvet Underground)
    Sang on the 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico, including “Femme Fatale.”
  • 1935: Sugar Pie DeSanto, American R&B singer
    Known for the 1960 hit “I Want to Know” and her 1965 duet with Etta James, “Do I Make Myself Clear.”
  • 1925: Angela Lansbury, English American actress and singer
    A Broadway musical star who sang the title song in Disney's 1991 film Beauty and the Beast.
  • 1923: Bert Kaempfert, German bandleader and composer
    Wrote the music for “Strangers in the Night” and topped the US chart in 1961 with “Wonderland by Night.”
  • 1903: Big Joe Williams, American blues singer and guitarist
    The Delta bluesman first recorded “Baby Please Don't Go,” later covered by countless rock bands.

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Entertainment
This Day in Music: October 15, 2026
KLFD October 15, 2026


  • 2021: Benson Boone signs his first record deal.
    After leaving American Idol, the young singer joined Night Street Records, the Warner imprint run by Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds. His debut single was “Ghost Town,” and he later reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 with “Beautiful Things.”
  • 2014: Chuck Berry plays his final show at Blueberry Hill.
    The rock and roll pioneer had performed monthly at the St. Louis club since 1996. He died in 2017 at age 90.
  • 2013: Pearl Jam releases Lightning Bolt.
    The Seattle band's tenth studio album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
  • 2006: Patti Smith plays the last show ever at CBGB.
    The legendary Manhattan punk club on the Bowery closed after losing a long rent dispute with its landlord, and a men's clothing store later moved into the space.
  • 2000: U2's “Beautiful Day” tops the UK chart.
    It was the band's fourth UK No. 1, edging out Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue's “Kids.” The song went on to win three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year.
  • 1995: Paul and Linda McCartney guest star on The Simpsons.
    In the episode “Lisa the Vegetarian,” the couple helped Lisa commit to a meat-free life. They agreed to appear on the condition that Lisa would stay vegetarian on the show.
  • 1988: UB40's “Red Red Wine” hits No. 1 in America.
    The reggae cover of a Neil Diamond song reached the top of the Hot 100 more than four years after its first release. Diamond's own 1968 version had peaked at No. 62.
  • 1988: Bon Jovi's New Jersey starts a four-week run at No. 1.
    The album produced five Top 10 singles, including the No. 1 hits “Bad Medicine” and “I'll Be There for You,” a record for a hard rock album.
  • 1984: The Judds release their debut album, Why Not Me.
    The mother and daughter duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd scored three No. 1 country singles from it: “Why Not Me,” “Girls' Night Out” and “Love Is Alive.”
  • 1977: Debby Boone's “You Light Up My Life” reaches No. 1.
    The ballad from the film of the same name stayed on top for 10 straight weeks, the longest run in Hot 100 history at the time, and became the biggest song of 1977.
  • 1971: Rick Nelson is booed at a Madison Square Garden oldies show.
    The crowd at the Rock and Roll Revival wanted his old hits, not his newer material. He turned the experience into “Garden Party,” which reached No. 6 in 1972 and revived his career.
  • 1966: The Four Tops' “Reach Out I'll Be There” hits No. 1.
    The Motown classic, written by Holland, Dozier and Holland, topped the charts in both the US and the UK and was the group's last American No. 1.
  • 1964: Songwriter Cole Porter dies at 73.
    The composer behind “Night and Day” and “Anything Goes” died of kidney failure after decades of pain from a riding accident that eventually cost him a leg.
  • 1959: Jim Reeves records “He'll Have To Go” in Nashville.
    The smooth country ballad became a No. 1 country hit and crossed over to No. 2 on the Hot 100.
  • 1957: Elvis' Christmas Album is released.
    RCA Victor's holiday LP topped the Billboard pop albums chart for four weeks and became the best-selling Christmas album of all time in the US.

Born on This Day

  • 1981: Keyshia Cole, American R&B singer
    Turns 45. Known for hits like “Love” and “Let It Go.”
  • 1979: Jaci Velasquez, American singer
    Turns 47. A Christian pop star of the late 1990s who also recorded Latin pop albums.
  • 1970: Ginuwine, American R&B singer
    Turns 56. Best known for the 1996 hit “Pony” and the ballad “Differences.”
  • 1966: Eric Benét, American R&B singer
    Turns 60. Scored a No. 1 R&B hit with “Spend My Life with You,” a duet with Tamia.
  • 1953: Tito Jackson, American singer and guitarist (The Jackson 5)
    Played guitar with his brothers in the Motown group behind “ABC” and “I'll Be There.” He died in 2024.
  • 1948: Chris de Burgh, British-Irish singer-songwriter
    Turns 78. Best known for the 1986 love song “The Lady in Red.”
  • 1946: Richard Carpenter, American musician (The Carpenters)
    Turns 80. Arranged, produced and played keyboards on the hits he made with his sister Karen, including “Close to You.”
  • 1938: Marv Johnson, American singer
    His “Come to Me” was the first release on Berry Gordy's Tamla label, and “You Got What It Takes” became a Top 10 hit.
  • 1935: Barry McGuire, American singer-songwriter (The New Christy Minstrels)
    Turns 91. Took the protest song “Eve of Destruction” to No. 1 in 1965.
  • 1925: Mickey Baker, American guitarist (Mickey & Sylvia)
    Played and sang on the 1957 hit “Love Is Strange.”
  • 1922: Tommy Edwards, American singer
    Took “It's All in the Game” to No. 1 in 1958.

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Entertainment
This Day in Music: October 14, 2026
KLFD October 14, 2026


  • 2025: Neo-soul singer D'Angelo dies at 51.
    He died of pancreatic cancer. His albums Brown Sugar and Voodoo helped define neo-soul, and “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” won him a Grammy.
  • 2023: Madonna kicks off her Celebration Tour in London.
    The career-spanning show opened at the O2 Arena, with three of her children joining her onstage. The tour wrapped the next year with a free concert on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach.
  • 2022: Noah Kahan releases his album Stick Season.
    His third album traded indie pop for a folk sound, and its title track became the breakout hit that made the Vermont singer a star.
  • 2022: Blink-182 release “Edging,” their first song with Tom DeLonge back in the band.
    The single marked the reunion of the classic lineup of DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, who followed it with the album One More Time… in 2023.
  • 2018: Steppenwolf play their final concert.
    John Kay led the band of “Born to Be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride” through its farewell show in Baxter Springs, Kansas.
  • 2006: Eric Church is dropped from a Rascal Flatts tour, and Taylor Swift takes his place.
    Church ran past his allotted time opening at Madison Square Garden. The open slot went to a teenage Swift, whose debut album arrived later that month.
  • 2006: Tejano and country singer Freddy Fender dies at 69.
    He died of lung cancer in Corpus Christi, Texas. He topped the charts in 1975 with “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and later sang with the Texas Tornados.
  • 1990: Composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein dies at 72.
    He wrote the music for West Side Story and led the New York Philharmonic, bringing classical music to millions through television.
  • 1983: Cyndi Lauper releases her debut solo album, She's So Unusual.
    The album produced “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and the number one ballad “Time After Time,” and Lauper won the Grammy for Best New Artist.
  • 1977: Bing Crosby dies at 74.
    The crooner suffered a heart attack in Spain just after finishing a round of golf. His recording of “White Christmas” is among the best selling singles ever.
  • 1974: Olivia Newton-John is named Female Vocalist of the Year at the CMA Awards.
    Her win over Nashville regulars, on the strength of hits like “If You Love Me (Let Me Know),” angered some country traditionalists.
  • 1972: Michael Jackson's “Ben” hits number one.
    The theme from the film Ben, a song about a boy and his pet rat, was Jackson's first number one as a solo artist.
  • 1969: The Supremes release their last single with Diana Ross, “Someday We'll Be Together.”
    The song became the final number one hit of the 1960s, and Jean Terrell then stepped in as Ross went solo.
  • 1957: The Everly Brothers score their first number one with “Wake Up Little Susie.”
    Written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, the song was banned by some radio stations that found its story of a couple dozing off at a drive-in too racy.
  • 1944: Dinah Shore's “I'll Walk Alone” reaches number one.
    The wartime ballad of a woman waiting for her love to come home struck a chord with Americans during World War II.

Born on This Day

  • 1978: Usher, American singer
    Turns 48. The R&B superstar behind “Yeah!,” “U Remind Me” and the album Confessions.
  • 1975: Shaznay Lewis, English singer (All Saints)
    Turns 51. Co-wrote and sang on the group's late-1990s hit “Never Ever.”
  • 1974: Natalie Maines, American singer (The Chicks)
    Turns 52. Lead voice on “Wide Open Spaces,” “Goodbye Earl” and “Not Ready to Make Nice.”
  • 1974: Shaggy 2 Dope, American rapper (Insane Clown Posse)
    Turns 52. One half of the Detroit horrorcore duo with a devoted fan base known as Juggalos.
  • 1965: Karyn White, American singer
    Turns 61. Known for “Superwoman” and the number one “Romantic,” produced by Minneapolis hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
  • 1959: A.J. Pero, American drummer (Twisted Sister)
    Pounded the drums on “We're Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock.”
  • 1958: Thomas Dolby, English singer and producer
    Turns 68. Best known for the 1983 new wave hit “She Blinded Me with Science.”
  • 1948: Marcia Barrett, Jamaican singer (Boney M.)
    Turns 78. Sang on the disco group's hits “Rivers of Babylon” and “Rasputin.”
  • 1946: Justin Hayward, English singer and guitarist (The Moody Blues)
    Turns 80. Wrote and sang “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon.”
  • 1946: Dan McCafferty, Scottish singer (Nazareth)
    His raspy voice powered the band's 1970s hit cover of “Love Hurts.”
  • 1940: Cliff Richard, British singer
    Turns 86. A British pop legend whose American hits include “Devil Woman” and “We Don't Talk Anymore.”
  • 1938: Melba Montgomery, American country singer
    Famous for her duets with George Jones and her 1974 number one country hit “No Charge.”
  • 1930: Robert Parker, American R&B singer
    The New Orleans singer and saxophonist behind the 1966 dance hit “Barefootin'.”
  • 1926: Bill Justis, American musician and producer
    Best known for the 1957 rock and roll instrumental “Raunchy.”

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Entertainment
This Day in Music: October 13, 2026
KLFD October 13, 2026


  • 2023: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film opens in theaters.
    Filmed over three August shows in the Los Angeles area, it went on to become the highest-grossing concert film of all time.
  • 2018: Paul Simon celebrates his 77th birthday as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
    It was his ninth time as the show's musical guest, and it came shortly after he wrapped up his farewell tour.
  • 2017: Dolly Parton gives $1 million to Vanderbilt's children's hospital in Nashville.
    The country legend has long backed causes in Tennessee; in 2020 she made another $1 million gift to Vanderbilt, this time for coronavirus vaccine research.
  • 2016: Minnesota native Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize in Literature.
    Born in Duluth and raised in Hibbing, Dylan was honored for his songwriting. He was the first American to win the literature prize since Toni Morrison in 1993.
  • 2009: Singer Al Martino dies at 82.
    The crooner behind “Spanish Eyes” died in Springfield, Pennsylvania. Movie fans also knew him as singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather.
  • 1992: Prince releases the album known as the Love Symbol album.
    Recorded with the New Power Generation, it featured “My Name Is Prince” and “7.” The Minnesota star adopted the cover's unpronounceable symbol as his name the following year.
  • 1986: Neil Young headlines the first Bridge School Benefit concert.
    The all-acoustic show raised money for a California school for children with severe disabilities, with Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Tom Petty and a reunited Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on the bill. It became an annual event.
  • 1984: Stevie Wonder's “I Just Called to Say I Love You” hits No. 1.
    The song from the movie The Woman in Red topped the pop, adult contemporary and R&B charts, and it also went to No. 1 in the U.K. It later won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
  • 1980: George Jones wins Single of the Year at the CMA Awards for “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
    Written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman, the ballad revived Jones's career and is often named the greatest country song ever recorded.
  • 1979: Michael Jackson's “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough” reaches No. 1.
    The first single from the Quincy Jones produced album Off the Wall was his first solo chart topper since “Ben” in 1972.
  • 1978: Queen release the double A-side single “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Bicycle Race.”
    Both songs came from the album Jazz, and the sleeve art mixed images from the two tracks.
  • 1974: TV host Ed Sullivan dies at 73.
    He died of esophageal cancer in New York City. His Sunday night CBS show introduced Elvis Presley and the Beatles to millions of American viewers.
  • 1963: The Beatles play Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium.
    The broadcast drew one of the biggest audiences in British TV history, and the screaming crowds outside helped the press coin the term “Beatlemania.”
  • 1957: Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney star in a CBS special for the Ford Edsel.
    The Four Preps also appeared on the big budget variety show, which was built to launch Ford's new car. The Edsel itself became one of the auto industry's famous flops.

Born on This Day

  • 1995: Jimin, South Korean singer (BTS)
    Turns 31. A vocalist and dancer in the K-pop group behind “Dynamite” and “Butter,” he has also topped the charts as a solo artist.
  • 1980: Ashanti, American singer-songwriter
    Turns 46. The R&B star broke through in 2002 with “Foolish” and scored hit duets with Ja Rule and Fat Joe.
  • 1960: Joey Belladonna, American singer (Anthrax)
    Turns 66. The voice of the thrash metal band's classic late 1980s records, including Among the Living.
  • 1959: Marie Osmond, American singer
    Turns 67. Scored a No. 1 country hit as a teenager with “Paper Roses” and co-hosted the Donny and Marie TV show with her brother.
  • 1948: John Ford Coley, American singer (England Dan & John Ford Coley)
    Half of the soft rock duo known for “I'd Really Love to See You Tonight.”
  • 1947: Sammy Hagar, American singer (Van Halen)
    Turns 79. The “Red Rocker” sang with Montrose, scored solo with “I Can't Drive 55” and fronted Van Halen from 1985.
  • 1946: Lacy J. Dalton, American country singer-songwriter
    Turns 80. Best known for early 1980s country hits “Crazy Blue Eyes” and “16th Avenue.”
  • 1944: Robert Lamm, American singer and keyboardist (Chicago)
    Turns 82. Wrote and sang Chicago classics including “Saturday in the Park” and “25 or 6 to 4.”
  • 1941: Paul Simon, American singer-songwriter (Simon & Garfunkel)
    Turns 85. Wrote “The Sound of Silence” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” then made the landmark solo album Graceland.
  • 1938: Shirley Caesar, American gospel singer
    Turns 88. Known as the “First Lady of Gospel,” she has won multiple Grammy Awards over a career spanning seven decades.
  • 1927: Anita Kerr, American singer and arranger
    Her Anita Kerr Singers sang backup on countless Nashville sound records in the 1950s and 1960s.
  • 1926: Ray Brown, American jazz bassist
    A longtime member of the Oscar Peterson Trio, he was also once married to Ella Fitzgerald.
  • 1909: Art Tatum, American jazz pianist
    Widely regarded as one of the most dazzling piano virtuosos in jazz history.
  • 1900: Gerald Marks, American composer
    Co-wrote the pop and jazz standard “All of Me.”

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Entertainment
This Day in Music: October 12, 2026
KLFD October 12, 2026


  • 2013: Sixteen-year-old Lorde reaches No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Royals.”
    The New Zealand singer became the youngest solo artist to top the chart with a song she wrote herself. “Royals” held No. 1 for nine weeks and later won the Grammy for Song of the Year.
  • 2009: Michael Jackson's “This Is It” is released as a promotional single.
    It was the first new Jackson release since his death that June, and it shared its title with the concert film of his final rehearsals, which reached theaters later that month.
  • 2003: 50 Cent sweeps the World Music Awards in Monaco.
    The rapper won all five awards he was nominated for. His debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', was the best-selling album in America that year.
  • 1997: John Denver dies at 53 in a plane crash off the California coast.
    Denver was piloting a small experimental aircraft that went down in the Pacific near Monterey Bay. He is remembered for “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High” and “Annie's Song.”
  • 1994: MTV airs Jimmy Page and Robert Plant's reunion special, Unledded.
    The two Led Zeppelin veterans reworked old songs with Moroccan and Egyptian musicians. The performances were released as the album No Quarter.
  • 1993: Faith Hill releases her debut album, Take Me As I Am.
    The record launched her country career with two No. 1 country singles, “Wild One” and a cover of “Piece of My Heart.”
  • 1991: Mariah Carey hits No. 1 with “Emotions.”
    It was her fifth straight single to top the Hot 100, making her the first act to open a career with five No. 1s and breaking the record of four held by The Jackson 5.
  • 1987: INXS releases Kick.
    The Australian band's breakthrough album produced “Need You Tonight,” which went to No. 1 in America, along with “Devil Inside” and “New Sensation.”
  • 1985: B-52's guitarist Ricky Wilson dies at 32.
    Wilson, a founding member of the Athens, Georgia, band alongside his sister Cindy, died of an AIDS-related illness. The group regrouped and scored its biggest hit, “Love Shack,” four years later.
  • 1979: Fleetwood Mac releases the double album Tusk.
    It was the band's first album since the blockbuster Rumours. The title track, featuring the USC Trojan Marching Band, became a top 10 hit.
  • 1971: Rockabilly pioneer Gene Vincent dies at 36.
    Vincent died in California of a ruptured stomach ulcer. His 1956 hit “Be-Bop-A-Lula” was one of early rock and roll's defining records.
  • 1969: A Detroit DJ helps launch the “Paul is dead” rumor.
    Russ Gibb of WKNR-FM played the Beatles' “Revolution 9” backward on the air after a caller's tip, and the story that Paul McCartney had died spread nationwide.
  • 1968: Big Brother and the Holding Company's Cheap Thrills hits No. 1.
    The album, fronted by Janis Joplin, featured “Piece of My Heart” and stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks.
  • 1963: “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs reaches No. 1.
    The song stayed on top for five weeks and finished as Billboard's biggest single of 1963.
  • 1944: Frank Sinatra fans spark the “Columbus Day Riot” in New York.
    Thousands of fans, mostly teenage girls, crowded the streets outside Sinatra's show at the Paramount Theatre, and police were called in to control them.

Born on This Day

  • 1988: Calum Scott, English singer
    Turns 38. Broke through with his version of “Dancing On My Own” and followed with the hit ballad “You Are the Reason.”
  • 1979: Jordan Pundik, American singer (New Found Glory)
    Turns 47. Lead vocalist of the Florida pop punk band behind “My Friends Over You.”
  • 1969: Martie Maguire, American fiddler and singer (The Chicks)
    Turns 57. Plays fiddle and sings harmony on country hits like “Wide Open Spaces” and “Not Ready to Make Nice.”
  • 1968: Hugh Jackman, Australian actor and singer
    Turns 58. Sang his way through the movie musicals Les Miserables and The Greatest Showman.
  • 1962: Chris Botti, American jazz trumpeter
    Turns 64. Grammy-winning trumpeter known for his smooth jazz albums and years touring with Sting.
  • 1958: Jeff Keith, American singer (Tesla)
    Turns 68. Frontman on the hard rock band's hits “Love Song” and “Signs.”
  • 1955: Pat DiNizio, American singer and songwriter (The Smithereens)
    Wrote and sang the band's jangly rock hits “A Girl Like You” and “Blood and Roses.”
  • 1948: Rick Parfitt, English singer and guitarist (Status Quo)
    Longtime rhythm guitarist of the British rock band known for “Pictures of Matchstick Men” and “Rockin' All Over the World.”
  • 1942: Melvin Franklin, American bass singer (The Temptations)
    His deep bass voice anchored Motown classics like “My Girl” and “Ain't Too Proud to Beg.”
  • 1935: Sam Moore, American soul singer (Sam & Dave)
    Half of the soul duo behind “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I'm Comin'.”
  • 1935: Luciano Pavarotti, Italian opera tenor
    One of the Three Tenors, he brought opera to huge audiences with his signature “Nessun dorma.”

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Entertainment
This Day in Music: October 11, 2026
KLFD October 11, 2026


  • 2024: Brantley Gilbert stops a concert when his wife goes into labor on the tour bus.
    The country singer left the stage in Tupelo, Mississippi, while his wife, Amber, delivered their baby on the bus with a midwife's help. He then went back out and finished the show.
  • 2024: The Pharrell Williams film Piece by Piece opens in theaters.
    The story of the “Happy” singer and producer was told entirely in LEGO animation, with collaborators such as Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake appearing as LEGO figures.
  • 2016: Rod Stewart is knighted at Buckingham Palace.
    Prince William conferred the honor on the 71-year-old “Maggie May” singer for his services to music and charity.
  • 2011: Blues harmonica player George “Mojo” Buford dies in Minneapolis at 81.
    Minnesota connection: the Mississippi-born musician played in Muddy Waters' band in several stints and spent decades as a mainstay of the Twin Cities blues scene.
  • 2003: Justin Timberlake makes his first appearance on Saturday Night Live.
    He pulled double duty as host and musical guest less than a year after his solo debut album, Justified. He became one of the show's most frequent and popular returning hosts.
  • 1997: Elton John's “Candle in the Wind 1997” enters the Hot 100 at number one.
    Rewritten as a tribute to Princess Diana and performed at her funeral, it was his eighth American chart-topper. It stayed at number one for 14 weeks and became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
  • 1986: Janet Jackson scores her first number-one hit with “When I Think of You.”
    The single from Control made Janet and Michael the first siblings to each top the Hot 100 as solo artists. Minnesota connection: it was also the first number one for producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who made the album at their studio in Minneapolis.
  • 1983: Lionel Richie releases Can't Slow Down.
    His second solo album sold more than 10 million copies in the United States, produced the hits “All Night Long (All Night)” and “Hello,” and won the Grammy for Album of the Year.
  • 1981: Prince is booed while opening for The Rolling Stones in Los Angeles.
    Minnesota connection: the 23-year-old from Minneapolis left the stage early after a hostile reception from the Stones crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. A year later his album 1999 made him a headliner in his own right.
  • 1978: Billy Joel releases 52nd Street.
    The follow-up to The Stranger spent eight weeks at number one, included “My Life,” “Big Shot” and “Honesty,” and won the Grammy for Album of the Year.
  • 1975: Saturday Night Live debuts on NBC with Janis Ian and Billy Preston as its first musical guests.
    The show was simply called Saturday Night at the time, and George Carlin hosted. Ian sang “At Seventeen” and Preston played his number-one hit “Nothing from Nothing.”
  • 1971: John Lennon's “Imagine” is released as a single in the United States.
    The title song from his second solo album climbed to number three on the Hot 100 and became the best-known song of his solo career.
  • 1960: Aretha Franklin gives her first non-gospel performance at the Village Vanguard in New York.
    The 18-year-old had sung only gospel in public before that night, when she performed a set of standards. Seven years later “Respect” made her the Queen of Soul.
  • 1957: Johnny Cash's first album comes out on Sun Records.
    Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! was the first long-playing album the Memphis label issued. It included “I Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”
  • 1955: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins open a tour together in Abilene, Texas.
    The three Sun Records artists started an 11-date swing through the South at Fair Park Auditorium. Elvis was 20 and only weeks away from signing with RCA.

Born on This Day

  • 1992: Cardi B, American rapper
    Turns 34. Topped the Hot 100 with “Bodak Yellow” in 2017 and followed it with “I Like It” and “WAP.”
  • 1973: Brendan B. Brown, American singer and guitarist (Wheatus)
    Turns 53. Wrote and sang the band's 2000 hit “Teenage Dirtbag.”
  • 1970: MC Lyte, American rapper
    Turns 56. A pioneering woman in hip-hop, known for “Paper Thin,” “Ruffneck” and “Cold Rock a Party.”
  • 1966: Todd Snider, American singer-songwriter
    Known for wry story songs such as “Beer Run” and “Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues.” He died in 2025 at 59.
  • 1962: Scott Johnson, American guitarist (Gin Blossoms)
    Guitarist with the Arizona band behind “Hey Jealousy” and “Follow You Down.”
  • 1952: Paulette Carlson, American country singer (Highway 101)
    Turns 74. The Northfield, Minnesota, native fronted the band on late-1980s country chart-toppers such as “Somewhere Tonight” and “Cry, Cry, Cry.”
  • 1950: Andrew Woolfolk, American saxophonist (Earth, Wind & Fire)
    Played sax and flute through the band's 1970s hit run, including “Shining Star” and “September.”
  • 1946: Daryl Hall, American singer (Hall & Oates)
    Turns 80. Lead voice on “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List” and “Maneater.”
  • 1946: George McCorkle, American guitarist (The Marshall Tucker Band)
    Founding member who wrote the band's 1975 hit “Fire on the Mountain.”
  • 1943: Gene Watson, American country singer
    Turns 83. The Texas native's hits include “Love in the Hot Afternoon,” “Farewell Party” and “Fourteen Carat Mind.”
  • 1932: Dottie West, American country singer-songwriter
    Sang “Country Sunshine” and a string of duets with Kenny Rogers, including “Every Time Two Fools Collide.”
  • 1919: Art Blakey, American jazz drummer and bandleader
    Led the Jazz Messengers for more than three decades and launched the careers of many jazz stars.

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Entertainment
This Day in Music: October 10, 2026
KLFD October 10, 2026


  • 2025: Moody Blues bassist and singer John Lodge dies at 82.
    Lodge joined the band in 1966 and wrote and sang “Ride My See-Saw” and “I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band).” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the group in 2018.
  • 2013: Country singer Cal Smith dies at 81.
    The former member of Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours died at his home in Branson, Missouri. His 1974 crossover hit “Country Bumpkin” was named Song of the Year by both the CMA and the ACM.
  • 2011: Lana Del Rey releases her first single, “Video Games.”
    The slow, cinematic ballad introduced her sound to a wide audience and led into her 2012 album Born to Die.
  • 2010: Soul great Solomon Burke dies at 70.
    Burke died at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport after flying in for a concert. Known for “Cry to Me” and “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
  • 2007: Radiohead releases In Rainbows as a pay-what-you-want download.
    Fans could name their own price, including nothing at all, for the band's seventh album. The experiment rattled the record business, and the physical release that followed still topped the U.S. album chart.
  • 2002: Jay-Z releases “'03 Bonnie & Clyde” featuring Beyoncé.
    The duet reached the top five on the Hot 100 and gave fans the first hint that the two were a couple. They married in 2008.
  • 2001: U2 streams a full concert online for free.
    The show in South Bend, Indiana, opened the third leg of the Elevation tour and was carried on the band's website at a time when few homes had broadband.
  • 1995: No Doubt releases Tragic Kingdom.
    The breakthrough album produced “Just a Girl” and “Don't Speak,” sold about 10 million copies in the United States and made Gwen Stefani a star.
  • 1992: Garth Brooks debuts at No. 1 with The Chase.
    The album knocked Billy Ray Cyrus's Some Gave All out of the top spot on the album chart after 17 weeks, one country blockbuster replacing another. It included “We Shall Be Free” and “That Summer.”
  • 1983: Culture Club releases Colour by Numbers.
    The second album from Boy George and the band carried “Karma Chameleon,” which went to No. 1 in both the United States and Britain, along with “Church of the Poison Mind” and “Miss Me Blind.”
  • 1979: Fleetwood Mac gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
    Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley declared it Fleetwood Mac Day in the city. The band's double album Tusk, the follow-up to Rumours, arrived two days later.
  • 1977: A firecracker thrown on stage injures Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.
    The M-80 went off during a show at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, damaging Tyler's cornea and Perry's hand.
  • 1970: Neil Diamond scores his first No. 1 with “Cracklin' Rosie.”
    The single spent one week on top of the Hot 100. Diamond returned to No. 1 with “Song Sung Blue” in 1972 and with “You Don't Bring Me Flowers,” his duet with Barbra Streisand, in 1978.
  • 1964: The Shangri-Las' “Leader of the Pack” enters the Hot 100.
    The motorcycle melodrama, complete with a revving engine and crash sound effects, came in at No. 86 and climbed to No. 1 by late November. It was the girl group's only chart-topper.
  • 1956: Elvis Presley's “Love Me Tender” enters the Billboard best-seller chart.
    The ballad, the title song of his first movie, borrowed its melody from the Civil War-era tune “Aura Lee.” It spent five weeks at No. 1 and sold more than 3 million copies.

Born on This Day

  • 1985: Marina Diamandis, Welsh singer-songwriter (Marina and the Diamonds)
    Turns 41. The pop singer now billed simply as MARINA is known for “Primadonna” and “How to Be a Heartbreaker.”
  • 1983: Lzzy Hale, American singer and guitarist (Halestorm)
    Turns 43. The Pennsylvania-born frontwoman led her band to a Grammy for “Love Bites (So Do I).”
  • 1979: Mýa, American R&B singer
    Turns 47. Scored hits with “Case of the Ex” and the 2001 chart-topping remake of “Lady Marmalade.”
  • 1967: Mike Malinin, American drummer (Goo Goo Dolls)
    Turns 59. Played with the band from the mid-1990s through 2013, the stretch that produced “Iris” and “Slide.”
  • 1967: Michael Giacchino, American film and television composer
    Turns 59. Won an Academy Award for the score to Up and also wrote the music for Lost and The Incredibles.
  • 1961: Crystal Waters, American dance singer-songwriter
    Turns 65. Her club anthems “Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)” and “100% Pure Love” crossed over to pop radio in the early 1990s.
  • 1961: Martin Kemp, English bassist (Spandau Ballet)
    Turns 65. Played on the 1983 ballad “True” and later became a familiar face as an actor on British television.
  • 1959: Kirsty MacColl, English singer-songwriter
    Best remembered as the female voice on the Pogues' holiday favorite “Fairytale of New York.” She died in 2000.
  • 1958: Tanya Tucker, American country singer
    Turns 68. Broke through at 13 with “Delta Dawn” and followed with “What's Your Mama's Name” and “Blood Red and Goin' Down.”
  • 1954: David Lee Roth, American singer (Van Halen)
    Turns 72. The flamboyant frontman on “Jump” and “Panama” also had solo hits with “California Girls” and “Just Like Paradise.”
  • 1953: Midge Ure, Scottish singer and guitarist (Ultravox)
    Turns 73. Co-wrote the Band Aid charity single “Do They Know It's Christmas?” with Bob Geldof.
  • 1948: Cyril Neville, American percussionist and singer (The Neville Brothers)
    Turns 78. The youngest of the New Orleans brothers who became the first family of the city's funk and R&B.
  • 1946: John Prine, American singer-songwriter
    The Illinois-born songwriter behind “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone” and “Paradise” died in 2020.
  • 1946: Ben Vereen, American singer, dancer and actor
    Turns 80. Won a Tony Award for the Broadway musical Pippin in 1973.
  • 1917: Thelonious Monk, American jazz pianist and composer
    One of the most original voices in jazz, he wrote standards including “'Round Midnight.” He died in 1982.
  • 1914: Ivory Joe Hunter, American R&B singer, songwriter and pianist
    Had a 1956 hit with “Since I Met You Baby,” and Elvis Presley later recorded several of his songs. He died in 1974.
  • 1908: Johnny Green, American composer and conductor
    Wrote the 1930 standard “Body and Soul,” one of the most recorded songs in jazz. He died in 1989.
  • 1813: Giuseppe Verdi, Italian opera composer
    Composed Rigoletto, La traviata and Aida, operas still performed around the world. He died in 1901.

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