August 17

 

The counterculture dream reached its finale today in 1969 as the third and final day of Woodstock unfolded at Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York, with Jimi Hendrix's dawn performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" providing an iconic closing moment to the most legendary festival in music history…

 

The Motown family mourned on this day in 1973 when former Temptations singer Paul Williams was found dead in his car after taking his own life at 34, ending the troubled life of the vocalist whose smooth tenor graced classics like "My Girl."…

 

Dexy's Midnight Runners' passionate frontman Kevin Rowland was born today in 1953, the British singer whose intense vocals and theatrical style made "Come on Eileen" an irresistible anthem of the early 1980s…

 

Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle celebrates her 67th birthday today, the pop princess whose solo career soared with hits like "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" after helping pioneer the all-female rock band movement…

 

Guitar legend Carlos Santana received his due recognition on this day in 1998 when he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring the master whose fusion of rock, blues, and Latin rhythms has captivated audiences for over five decades…

 

Jazz history was immortalized today in 1959 with the release of Miles Davis' masterpiece 'Kind of Blue,' the modal jazz album featuring classics like "So What" that became possibly the best-selling jazz record of all time and influenced countless musicians across all genres.