Welcome back to “Today in Music History,” a series where we cover important events in music history from a given day, including births, deaths, album releases and more. Today we will be covering April 7. Let’s dive in!
1915: Billie Holiday is born
It’s fair to say that Billie Holiday is one of the most important and influential artists in jazz history. Her over-two decade career saw her produce dozens of hits, and she’s been cited as an influence by other musical titans like Frank Sinatra and Joni Mitchell. Her 1939 protest song “Strange Fruit,” written in response to the lynching of Black Americans, had such a wide impact that the FBI tried to get her to stop performing it, and when they failed, they had her imprisoned on drug charges. She had one of the most unique careers in music history, and it all started 108 years ago today.
1981: Rick James releases Street Songs
The R&B singer’s fifth studio album, Street Songs, is best known today for its second single, “Super Freak,” a top 20 hit in its own right that has also been sampled in very popular songs by MC Hammer and Nicki Minaj. But the album as a whole was also very successful, going platinum three times, reaching the top 5 on Billboard’s weekly album chart and being one of the 40 biggest albums of both 1981 and 1982. It’s an important marker in one of R&B’s most storied careers.
2020: John Prine dies
John Prine can be best summarized as a musician’s musician. His influence on some of today’s most acclaimed country artists is deep, with artists like Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Kacey Musgraves counting themselves among his acolytes. His impact was so vast that in January 2020, just months before his tragic death from COVID-19, he was one of several artists to win the Lifetime Achievement Award at that year’s Grammy Awards. His output left a real impression on the musical world, and he has been sorely missed.
John Prine Photo Credit: Ron Baker
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