Music History for
July 31
Today's:

1845 - The French Army introduced the saxophone to its military band. The musical instrument was the invention of Adolphe Sax of Belgium.

1847 - Composer Ignatio Cervantes was born.

1942 - Harry James and his band recorded "I’ve Heard that Song Before." Helen Forrest sang the song.

1964 - Jim Reeves died when his single-engine Beechcraft crashed near Nashville, TN.

1969 - A Moscow police chief reported that thousands of Moscow telephone booths had been made inoperable by thieves who had stolen phone parts in order to convert their acoustic guitars to electric.

1971 - A security guard was stabbed to death at New York's Forest Hills Stadium on the second night of the Who's U.S. tour.

1976 - Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper" was released

1976 - Orleans' "Still The One" was released.

1979 - James Taylor played a free concert in New York's Central Park to help the city's campaign to restore the park's Sheep Meadow.

1980 - John Phillips (Mamas and Papas) was arrested by the FBI for possession of cocaine. He was sentenced to five years in prison. He lectured against drugs for 250 hours as an alternate sentence.

1981 - Debra Harry released the solo album "Koo Koo." Harry was the singer for the group Blondie.

1995 - Selena's "Dreaming of You" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. It was her first English album. Selena became the first Latin artist to debut at No. 1.

2007 - The iTunes Music Store reached 3 billion songs sold. Today's: