Today in Music History for Oct. 2:
In 1899, Victor Herbert's operetta "The Singing Girl" received its world premiere at Her Majesty's Theatre in Montreal. Alice Nielsen sang the title role and Canadian-born tenor Eugene Cowles portrayed Duke Rodolphe.
In 1945, singer-songwriter Don McLean was born in New Rochelle, N.Y. His second album contained "American Pie," an eight-and-a-half-minute tribute to rock 'n' roll inspired by the death of Buddy Holly. It became the No. 1 record of 1972. "American Pie" is practically the only one of McLean's hits that people remember, and he spent several years refusing to perform the song. McLean made a comeback in 1981 with several hit singles, include a remake of Roy Orbison's "Crying."
In 1948, Chris LeDoux, a world champion bareback rider who parlayed songs about cowboys he knew on the rodeo circuit into a successful country music career, was born in Biloxi, Miss. He died from complications of liver cancer on March 9, 2005.
In 1951, rock vocalist Sting, formerly lead singer and bass guitarist with "The Police," was born in Wallsend, England. Born Gordon Sumner, he got his nickname from a yellow and black sweater he liked to wear. Drummer Stewart Copeland formed "The Police" in 1977 with Sting and guitarist Henri Padovani, who was soon replaced by Andy Summers. "The Police" first hit the charts with "Roxanne" in 1979. Then followed three, million-selling LPs -- "Zenyatta Mondatta," "Ghost in the Machine" and "Synchronicity," from which came the 1983 chart-topping single "Every Breath You Take." After "The Police" ceased to function as a group, Sting worked on a number of solo projects, including the top selling albums "Dream of the Blue Turtle" in 1985 and "Nothing Like the Sun" in 1987. His 1991's "The Soul Cages" peaked at No. 2 and in 1993 came "Ten Summoner's Tales" which produced two top-20 singles, "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" and "Fields of Gold." As 1993 closed out, the song "All for Love," recorded with Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart for "The Three Musketeers" reached No. 1. In February 2007, "The Police" reunited to perform on the Grammy Awards. In May 2007, they kicked off a global reunion tour at Vancouver’s GM Place and it ended on Aug. 7, 2008 in New York at Madison Square Gardens.
In 1954, Elvis Presley made his only appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, singing "Blue Moon of Kentucky."
In 1957, Connie Francis recorded "Who's Sorry Now." She hated the song but recorded it after an argument with her father.
In 1965, "The Who" made their American TV debut on "Shindig!" performing "I Can't Explain."
In 1967, San Francisco police narcotics agents raided the communal house of the "Grateful Dead" at 710 Ashbury Street. Group members Ron "Pigpen" McKernan and Bob Weir and nine others were arrested. It was reported that police had no warrants and entered by breaking down the door.
In 1971, "Soul Train," television's prime showcase for black artists, premiered in syndication. The show, produced and hosted by Don Cornelius, had begun a year earlier on a Chicago station. "Soul Train" consistently presented a cavalcade of top black entertainers such as Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, "The Jacksons" and James Brown.
In 1977, the bodies of Elvis Presley and his mother, Gladys, were moved from Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis to the grounds of Graceland after an apparent attempt to steal them.
In 1985, Bruce Springsteen ended his "Born in the USA" tour at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The tour had begun in June 1984.
In 1986, "The Everly Brothers" were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1986, the 1981 recording of "At This Moment" by "Billy Vera and the Beaters'" received a new lease on life with its broadcast on an episode of the TV sitcom "Family Ties." NBC received thousands of inquiries about the song, and when it was released, it went to the top of the charts.
In 1987, soul singer Ted Taylor and his wife were killed in a car accident while on tour in Louisiana. Taylor's solo career was only moderately successful -- his biggest hit, "Stay Away From My Baby," reached No. 14 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1965. But he was a member of two well-known groups in the 1950s -- "The Jacks" and "The Cadets." "The Cadets" single "Stranded in the Jungle," which rose to No. 15 on the pop chart in 1956, remains a favourite oldie.
In 1990, Australian soprano Dame Joan Sutherland ended a 40-year operatic career with a rendition of "Home Sweet Home" during a farewell performance at the Sydney Opera House. Patrons paid up to $400 for a seat for the final performance by Sutherland, whose voice has been called one of the greatest in operatic history.
In 1991, George W. Bush became the first U.S. president to attend the Country Music Association Awards.
In 1992, the 18-year-old son of "Nitty Gritty Dirt Band" founding member John McEuen was charged in Salt Lake City with stealing and pawning his dad's $5,000 banjo. Police said Andrew McEuen and a friend got $250 for the instrument.
In 1994, the Toronto production of "Show Boat" opened at the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway to rave reviews. The New York Times called director Harold Prince's revival of the 1927 Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II musical a "gloriously bold re-examination of the indestructible classic." There was no repeat of the protests by black activists that had greeted "Show Boat's" Toronto opening the previous year.
In 1998, Gene Autry, the original singing cowboy, died at his Los Angeles home following a long illness. He was 91. Autry’s death came just three months after that of Roy Rogers, who replaced him as top movie cowboy when Autry entered the armed forces in the Second World War. Autry rode his white horse, "Champion," in about 90 movies, and was one of the biggest box office draws of the 1930s and '40s. He had a parallel career as a recording artist, turning songs such as "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Back in the Saddle Again," "That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine" and "Peter Cottontail" into million-sellers. Autry put his earnings from movies, television and records into business ventures, among them the Anaheim Angels baseball team, which he bought in 1960 and owned for 35 years.
In 1999, world-renowned symphony conductor Georg Tintner died in Halifax at the age of 82.
In 2002, the compilation album "Elvis 30 Number One Hits" went to No. 1 in the U.S. and 16 other countries, 25 years after Elvis Presley's death.
In 2004, Billy Joel married Katie Lee at his home on Long Island, N.Y. He was 55, she was 22. They separated in June 2009.
In 2009, singer Crystal Gayle received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was set near the star of her sister, Loretta Lynn.
In 2009, Billboard magazine honoured Beyonce as the woman of the year at its Woman in Music event. She had the smash hit “Single Ladies,” which was sung at U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration, had a No. 1 movie with "Obsessed" and embarked on an arena tour. Lady Gaga won the "Rising Star" honour.
In 2009, North Carolina Central University hosted a full academic conference on the subject of rock band "U2," called "U2: The Hype and The Feedback." Topics that would be covered included "Bono Versus Nick Cave on Jesus," "U2: Identities Covered and Revealed," and "The Evolving Live Concert Performances of "Bullet the Blue Sky.'"
In 2010, "Farm Aid" celebrated its 25th anniversary with a concert in Milwaukee’s Miller Park. The lineup included John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Dave Matthews, who make up the "Farm Aid" board members.
In 2012, "Foo Fighters" founder Dave Grohl announced that the Grammy award-winning band was officially taking a break. He created the group in 1994 after his time as the drummer in "Nirvana," recording the band's self-titled debut before inviting other members to join.
In 2013, a Los Angeles jury rejected a negligence lawsuit brought against concert promoter AEG Live for hiring the doctor convicted of killing pop superstar Michael Jackson by giving the singer an overdose of the anesthetic propofol in 2009.
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(The Canadian Press)
The Canadian Press
