11 ready-to-read segments for October 3, lead story first. Free to use on air; a quick credit to Today in Tunes is appreciated.
On this day in 1954, 72 years ago: Blues guitar hero Stevie Ray Vaughan is born in Dallas. David Bowie saw him at Montreux and hired him to play on Let's Dance, the same year Vaughan's debut Texas Flood came out. He went on to lead the blues revival of the 1980s. Here's Stevie Ray Vaughan with “Pride and Joy.”
On this day in 1945, 81 years ago: Ten-year-old Elvis sings in public for the first time. At a fair and dairy show in Mississippi he sang the sentimental dog song "Old Shep". He later remembered finishing only fifth in the contest.
On this day in 1968, 58 years ago: Beatles cut "Savoy Truffle" basic track for the White Album. George Harrison's song was started at Trident Studios rather than Abbey Road. The band added overdubs over the next 11 days, including a saxophone part.
On this day in 1977, 49 years ago: CBS airs Elvis in Concert, weeks after his death. The special was filmed on his last tour, and 24.1 million people watched it. It was the most-watched program on TV that week.
On this day in 1992, 34 years ago: Sinéad O'Connor tears up the Pope's photo on SNL. After an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War" with new lyrics about child abuse, she ripped up the photo and told viewers to 'fight the real enemy'. The Catholic Church's abuse scandal became public nearly a decade later.
On this day in 2025, 1 years ago: Taylor Swift releases The Life of a Showgirl. It moved just over 4 million album-equivalent units in its first US week, the biggest week on record in Luminate's data.
On this day in 1941, 85 years ago: Chubby Checker, king of the Twist, is born. "The Twist" reached No. 1 twice, in 1960 and again in 1961. In 2008 Billboard named it the most popular single in the history of the Hot 100.
On this day in 1969, 57 years ago: Gwen Stefani is born in Fullerton, California. She fronted No Doubt on "Don't Speak" before going solo. Her single "Hollaback Girl" was the first US download to sell more than a million copies.
On this day in 1975, 51 years ago: Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli is born. With Mos Def he formed Black Star in 1997, and their 1998 album is a landmark of conscious rap. The duo got back together for a new album in 2022.
On this day in 1931, 95 years ago: Danish composer Carl Nielsen dies in Copenhagen. He was not widely known outside Denmark in his lifetime. Leonard Bernstein's 1962 recording of his Fifth Symphony helped bring his six symphonies into the international concert repertoire.
On this day in 1967, 59 years ago: Woody Guthrie dies after years of Huntington's disease. He wrote "This Land Is Your Land" in 1940 as a reply to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", which he found too complacent.
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