November 14

 

Pop's most bizarre union occurred today in 1996 when Michael Jackson married dermatology nurse Debbie Rowe in Sydney, Australia, beginning the arrangement that would produce two children and raise endless questions about the nature of their relationship before their divorce three years later…

 

Styx's guitar hero James Young celebrates his 76th birthday today, the Chicago rocker whose dual guitar attack with Tommy Shaw helped propel the band from progressive rock experimentation to arena rock domination with hits spanning three decades…

 

Soft rock's smooth voice Stephen Bishop marks his 74th birthday today, the singer-songwriter whose laid-back California sound on hits like "On and On" and "It Might Be You" made him a staple of 1970s and 1980s adult contemporary radio…

 

Frank Zappa's most loyal Mother Ike Willis celebrates another year today, the vocalist-guitarist who became Zappa's go-to voice for complex vocals and remained dedicated to preserving the composer's legacy through tribute performances long after Zappa's death…

 

Television witnessed an unlikely reunion on this day in 1987 when Sonny and Cher sang together on The David Letterman Show, temporarily setting aside their acrimonious split to remind audiences of the chemistry that had made them 1960s icons…

 

American classical music found its voice when Aaron Copland was born on this day in 1900, the composer whose works like "Appalachian Spring" and "Fanfare for the Common Man" created a distinctly American symphonic sound before his death in 1990…

 

 

Jazz-rock sophistication reached new heights today in 1972 with the release of Steely Dan's debut album 'Can't Buy a Thrill,' introducing Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's literate cynicism and studio perfectionism on hits like "Do It Again" and "Reelin' in the Years."