Today in Music History for Nov. 10:
In 1916, Canadian contralto Marguerite Paquet was born in Quebec City. She spent almost her entire career in Europe, and was one of the artists chosen to perform at the wedding of Prince Rainier of Monaco and American actress Grace Kelly in 1956. In 1968, Paquet sang the role of Don Quixote's housekeeper in "Man of La Mancha," which featured composer Jacques Brel in the leading role. She died Nov. 29, 1981.
In 1928, "Carry On," a patriotic song popular in Canada during the Second World War, was first performed at the premiere of the silent film "Carry On Sergeant" in Toronto. The film, coming at the beginning of the era of talking pictures, was a failure, and the song did not become popular until the beginning of the Second World War when it was revived by its lyricist, Gordon V. Thompson. "Carry On" became a kind of theme song for the war effort.
In 1932, jazz pianist and composer Paul Bley was born in Montreal. Bley has worked mostly in the U.S. and Europe, and remains largely unknown in Canada. In 1957, he formed a quintet with the then-unknown saxophonist Ornette Coleman. Bley also played with such American jazzmen as Charlie Mingus, Jimmy Giuffre, Don Ellis and Sonny Rollins. In 1964, Bley became a leading figure in the avant-garde jazz movement in New York. He has influenced such younger jazz pianists as Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett.
In 1938, Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on her CBS radio program, which aired on Thursdays.
In 1948, Greg Lake, lead singer and guitarist with "Emerson, Lake and Palmer," was born in Bournemouth, England. Emerson, Lake and Palmer's classically-flavoured progressive rock was a big hit in the first half of the 1970s. Lake, who had previously played with "King Crimson," contributed most of "ELP's" lyrics, including the hit singles "Lucky Man" and "From the Beginning." But it was Keith Emerson's flamboyant keyboard work which dominated "ELP's" albums and concerts. The band took a two-year break from 1974 to '76, a hiatus from which the group never recovered. "ELP" broke up in 1979.
In 1956, conductor-composer Victor Young, best known for his score for "Around the World in Eighty Days," died in Palm Springs, Calif., at age 56. Young was awarded a posthumous Oscar for his work on the film and the soundtrack album for "Around the World" was No. 1 for 10 weeks in 1957. His hit singles in the '50s included the "Around the World" theme, "Mona Lisa" and "The High and the Mighty." Young also wrote such standards as "Stella by Starlight," "My Foolish Heart" and "Sweet Sue, Just You."
In 1958, singers Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls were injured and their chauffeur was killed in an car accident near Marion, Ariz. Cooke wasn't badly hurt, but Rawls was in a coma for five days. Show business legend also has it that Rawls suffered from amnesia following the mishap, and snapped out of it during a concert.
In 1960, Greg Allman was given a guitar for his 13th birthday. By the following year, he and brother Duane had formed a band in Daytona Beach, Fla., called "The Kings."
In 1968, "The Beatles" launched the Apple record label with the song "Hey Jude."
In 1969, "Led Zeppelin II" was certified gold.
In 1973, country banjo player and comedian David "Stringbean" Akeman and his wife were murdered by intruders at their Nashville-area home. Akeman was 58. A longtime member of the Grand Ole Opry, Akeman became even more well-known through his appearances on the "Hee-Haw" television show.
In 1976, "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" began their first major tour, opening for "KISS."
In 1977, teen idol Rex Smith opened for heavy metal screamer Ted Nugent at Madison Square Garden in one of the strangest pairings since Jimi Hendrix played on "The Monkees'" tour in the mid-'60s.
In 1984, John Schneider had his first No. 1 country hit with "I've Been Around Enough to Know."
In 1985, Jerry Lee Lewis entered hospital in Memphis with a bleeding ulcer. He survived surgery that was given only a 50-50 chance of succeeding.
In 1986, fans in Canada and the U.S. besieged record stores to snap up copies of the five-record album "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Live, 1975-85." Fans lined up outside major outlets in Toronto. None of the 40 songs in the collection were new, but Springsteen had never previously issued a live album. Columbia Records in the U.S. said they had sent 1.5 million copies to stores. CBS Canada's initial shipment of 50,000 albums sold out the first day, and 50,000 more sets were ordered by stores across the country. Sales of 50,000 albums constitute a gold album in Canada and sales of 100,000 a platinum album. But the initial rush in sales was not maintained and stores were left holding many unsold copies.
In 1986, Gordon Lightfoot was inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Toronto. He was presented with the award by Bob Dylan. Anne Murray ended her boycott of the Juno Awards by introducing Dylan.
In 1987, Adam Horowitz of the rap group "Beastie Boys" was found innocent of assaulting a female fan at a concert in Liverpool, England the previous May. Eighteen-year-old Joanne Clark alleged she received a black eye from a beer can thrown by Horowitz.
In 1987, British singer Terence Trent D'Arby cancelled a show in Austria to protest President Kurt Waldheim, alleged to have participated in Nazi atrocities during the Second World War.
In 1989, "The Clovers," LaVern Baker, Charles Brown, Ruth Brown, Etta James, Jimmy Scott, Percy Sledge and Mary Wells were presented with the first career achievement awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. The ceremony took place in Washington at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History.
In 1990, singer Ronnie Dyson, who had a top-10 hit in 1970 with "(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?," died in Philadelphia of heart failure. Dyson, a longtime smoker, also suffered from chronic lung disease. He was 40.
In 1990, Vanilla Ice's "To the Extreme" became the first album not available on vinyl to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
In 1991, fans at a show in Augusta, Ga., were treated to an on-stage argument between members of "The Atlanta Rhythm Section" and "The Marshall Tucker Band." "The Atlanta Rhythm Section" stormed off stage and headed back to Atlanta. Police said they had a near riot on their hands from fans wanting their money back. A "Rhythm Section" spokesman said the Atlanta group was unable to set up its drums for the first show because "The Marshall Tucker Band" had already put its equipment on stage.
In 1992, a judge found "Guns N' Roses" frontman Axl Rose guilty of assault and property damage in connection with a riot at the band's 1991 concert near St. Louis. His sentence was suspended and he was put on probation. Rose also was ordered to pay $10,000 each to five charities.
In 1994, Seattle band "Sky Cries Mary" became the first act to broadcast live over the Internet. The picture was fuzzy, the sound was on a par with a telephone call and only those with specially-equipped computers could receive the broadcast. Eight days later, "The Rolling Stones" used the Internet to broadcast 20 minutes of their concert from Dallas.
In 1994, Carmen McCrae, one of the most critically acclaimed of all jazz singers, died at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif., after having suffered a stroke a month earlier. She was 74. McCrae was known for her innovative scat singing and vocal technique, and was recognized by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts in 1993 as a "master of jazz."
In 1996, "The Carlton Showband" disbanded after 33 years, playing its final concert in Brantford, Ont. The band had been a mainstay in Canadian music since the late 1960s when it gained national popularity on the CBC show "The Pig and Whistle."
In 1997, "Hootie and the Blowfish" settled a $150 million lawsuit by a music promoter who claimed the band dumped him as manager after they hit it big. Terms of the settlement weren't disclosed. Henry Neuman alleged he discovered the band at a talent showcase in Charlotte, N.C., in 1991. He said he was pressured into signing a release from his management contract after the group's huge success with their 1994 debut album "Cracked Rear View," which sold more than 14 million copies.
In 2007, a stagehands strike shut down most Broadway shows, with curtains rising again 19 days later.
In 2007, Donda West, mother of rapper Kanye West, died at a Los Angeles-area hospital at age 58 a day after undergoing plastic surgery.
In 2008, Miriam Makeba, the South African singer who wooed the world with her sultry voice but was banned from her own country for more than 30 years under apartheid, died after collapsing on stage in Italy. She was 76. In her dazzling career, Makeba performed with musical legends from around the world -- jazz maestros Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie, Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon -- and sang for world leaders such as John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela.
In 2009, a Thriller-era silk-screened portrait of Michael Jackson created by Andy Warhol sold at auction for US$812,500 to an anonymous collector. The 1984 portrait depicts a smiling Jackson in a jacket with squiggles of red and yellow in his hair.
In 2009, Kris Kristofferson received the Icon award at the BMI Country Awards. It gives the honour to songwriters and artists who have had a "unique and indelible" influence on generations of music makers. Past honorees include Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, the "Bee Gees," James Brown and "Crosby, Stills and Nash."
In 2010, Texas firebrand Miranda Lambert won three CMA Awards -- Female Vocalist of the Year, Album ("Revolution") and Video ("The House That Built Me"). Her then-fiance Blake Shelton, won Male Vocalist of the Year. Other winners were "Lady Antebellum" for Vocal Group and Single of the Year for "Need You Now"; "Sugarland" for Vocal Duo; "Zac Brown Band" for New Artist and co-host Brad Paisley won Entertainer of the Year.
In 2011, Puerto Rican hip-hop duo "Calle 13" dominated the Latin Grammys taking home nine awards. They set records for the most awards collected over a career (19) and the most awards won in a single night.
In 2014, Pink Floyd released "The Endless River," the British rock group's first album in 20 years. The 18-song double album features tracks that were originally part of the 1993 “Division Bell” sessions, with new and re-recorded parts. It is comprised mostly of instrumental music with just one song, "Louder Than Words," that includes new lyrics, written by David Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson.
In 2014, "Uptown Funk," by music producer Mark Ronson featuring vocals from Bruno Mars, was released. In 2015, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 consecutive weeks and was named Billboard's song of the year. In 2016, it won the Grammy for Record of the Year and also became the 13th song to reach RIAA diamond status for U.S. sales of 10 million. (In 2015, writing credits were extended to the five members of The Gap Band who wrote the group's 1979 hit "Ooops Upside Your Head" after citing similarities.) (Trivia: Canadian-born sound engineer Charles Moniz helped dream up the catchy "doh" vocal bassline that opens the track.)
In 2015, legendary New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint, who racked up hits like "Working in the Coal Mine" and "Lady Marmalade" as a behind-the-scenes songwriter and producer before he gained new fame as a performer, died of a heart attack not long after a performance in Spain. He was 77. Toussaint is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
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(The Canadian Press)
The Canadian Press
