Today in Music History for Oct. 4:
In 1929, Leroy Van Dyke, a former livestock auctioneer turned performer, was born in Spring Fork, Miss. He also was a correspondent for several midwestern farm newspapers, and he used his writing skills to pen songs. He sang one of them, "The Auctioneer," at a talent show and gained a recording contract. "The Auctioneer" sold 2.5 million copies when it was released in 1956. Van Dyke had another million-seller in 1961 with "Walk On By.'"
In 1970, Anne Murray made her debut on the CBS-TV show, "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour." She was a frequent guest on the program for the next couple of years.
In 1970, rock vocalist Janis Joplin died of an accidental heroin overdose at a hotel in Hollywood. She was 27. From her beginnings with "Big Brother and the Holding Company," she developed into one of the premier rock stars of the late 1960s. Her appearance with "Big Brother" at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival stopped the show, and Joplin soon overshadowed the band. In late 1968, she and "Big Brother" parted company. Drug and alcohol problems prevented Joplin from reaching her potential, and it was only after her death that a record of hers reached the top of the charts. "Me and Bobby McGee," from the album "Pearl," was a No. 1 record in 1971.
In 1982, Canadian pianist Glenn Gould died in Toronto at the age of 50, eight days after suffering a severe stroke. Gould was already one of Canada's leading musical performers by his early 20s. His first U.S. recording, Bach's "Goldberg Variations," in 1955 brought him international acclaim. Gould toured widely in North America and Europe, and was one of the first Canadian performers to visit the Soviet Union. Then, in 1964, at the height of his career, Gould retired from the concert stage because of what he called its sports-arena atmosphere. He devoted the rest of his life to exploring the possibilities of recording technology. Gould recorded virtually all the Bach and Beethoven keyboard works, as well as much of the music of Mozart and many 20th-century works.
In 1991, J. Frank Wilson, lead singer of "The Cavaliers" who took "Last Kiss" to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, died at age 48 in Lufkin, Texas, after a long illness.
In 1994, "Crosby, Stills and Nash" cancelled the rest of their 25th anniversary tour so that David Crosby could undergo a liver transplant. The operation was successful.
In 1996, Van Halen announced that it had hired Gary Cherone, formerly of the pop-metal band "Extreme," as its new lead singer to replace Sammy Hagar. Hagar said he was forced out of the band, while group leader Eddie Van Halen claimed Hagar had quit. Original lead singer David Lee Roth had returned briefly to record two new songs for a greatest hits album and appear with the band at the MTV Video Music Awards in September, 1996. But Roth then had a public falling out with his former bandmates in which he accused them of cheating him out of a full-scale reunion. Cherone left the band in November, 1999. Hagar rejoined Van Halen briefly from 2003-2005. Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen -- along with Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, on bass, kicked off a 25-date Van Halen concert tour in Charlotte, N.C. in September 2007.
In 2001, the Country Music Hall of Fame inducted 12 new members: "The Everly Brothers," Sam Phillips, Bill Anderson, "The Louvins," "The Jordanaires," "The Delmore Brothers," Webb Pierce, Don Law, Ken Nelson, Don Gibson, Waylon Jennings and "Homer & Jethro."
In 2009, Argentine folk singer Mercedes Sosa, 74, died in Buenos Aires.
In 2010, rapper Lil Wayne was moved into what New York City jail officials called "punitive segregation" to serve out the last month of his sentence. It was his punishment for stashing a charger and headphones for a digital music player in a potato chip bag in his cell.
In 2011, award-winning British singer Adele announced that she was canceling all her U.S. tour dates due to a hemorrhage on her vocal cord. She required throat surgery and cancelled all tour dates and promotional appearances for the year.
In 2014, Paul Revere, organist and leader of 1960s rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders, died of cancer at his Idaho home. He was 76. The group was known for wearing Revolutionary War uniforms on stage and for hits like "Hungry," ’’Kicks," ’’Him or Me - What’s It Gonna Be?" and "Good Thing."
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(The Canadian Press)
The Canadian Press
