This Date In Music History- May 13

Richard Steven Valenzuela, better known as Ritchie Valens, was born in Los Angeles in 1941.

'Rastaman Vibration,' by Bob Marley and the Wailers – and featuring an American, Don Kinsey, on lead guitar – was released in 1976. It becomes Marley’s highest-charting album, reaching #8 in the U.S. and #15 in the U.K.

Young Steveland Morris was born today in Saginaw, Michigan. He is best known to the world as Stevie Wonder, unleashing a masterful series of hits that included "Superstition," "I Wish," and "Sir Duke."

The late Mary Wells was born in 1943. Her 1964 No. 1 hit, the Smokey Robinson-penned "My Guy,” helped launched Motown Records.

The late Nervous Norvus ("Transfusion"-- nee James Drake) was born in 1912.

Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong pled guilty to selling drug paraphernalia over the Internet in 2003. Surprise!

In 1975, a radio station in Jacksonville, Florida knocked out the city's phone service giving away tickets to Elvis Presley's concert.

The Beatles' "Let It Be" film opened in New York City in 1970.

In 1979, Donny & Marie Osmond's "A Little Bit Of Country, A Little Bit Of Rock 'n' Roll" special on ABC-TV included guests Chuck Berry and Chubby Checker.

Elvis Presley's "Tickle Me" movie premiered in Hollywood (it opens nationally two weeks later) in 1965.

Today in 1967, the song "Somethin' Stupid" by Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra topped the charts and stayed there for 4 weeks.

In 1975, Bob Wills, the biggest star in the western swing firmament, died in a nursing home at age 70. He had been in a coma since suffering a stroke in 1973. With the Texas Playboys, he had scored six country No. 1's.

Danny Kirwan, guitarist and vocalist in early incarnations of Fleetwood Mac, was born in 1950.

In 1957, Elvis Presley began shooting one of his better movies, Jailhouse Rock.

The Rolling Stones released “Paint It Black” in 1966, with sitar by Brian Jones and brilliant drumming from Charlie Watts.

“The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl” was released in 1977. The album is a compilation of two shows – one in 1964 and the other in 1965. There’s a lot of screaming but it shows what The Beatles could do live.

Appearing on sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s TV show in 1986, Ted Nugent demurely states, “Life is one big female safari.” Wango Tango!

In 1955, Elvis Presley's performance in Jacksonville, Florida is the first Presley show at which a riot ensues. After Elvis tells the audience, "Girls, I'll see you backstage,” he has some of his clothes ripped off, but escapes unharmed.

The Bee Gees entered the UK Pop chart for the first time in 1967 with "New York Mining Disaster 1941.”

After singing background vocals for Eric Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff" in 1974, Yvonne Elliman had a US number one hit of her own with "If I Can't Have You” in 1978. The song reached #4 in the UK.