Today in Music History for Sept. 7:
In 1926, Canadian jazz saxophonist Nick Ayoub was born in Trois-Rivieres, Que. He died May 2, 1991.
In 1934, Blues singer Little Milton (Campbell) was born in Iverness, Miss. He died Aug. 4, 2005.
In 1936, rock pioneer Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock, Texas. He was one of the first rock 'n' rollers to perform mainly his own material, to use multi-tracking in the studio, and to use the now standard rock band lineup of two guitars, bass and drums. His catalogue of songs, now owned by Paul McCartney, includes such much-covered tunes as "Every Day," "That'll Be the Day," "Rave On" and "Not Fade Away." After some early unsuccessful country singles, Holly and his band, "The Crickets," had their first hit in 1957 with "That'll Be the Day," recorded at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis, N.M. Some of the recordings produced by Petty were issued under "The Crickets" name and some under Holly's, such as 1957's "Peggy Sue." After Holly married and moved to New York in late 1958, he split with both "The Crickets" and Petty. Legal problems resulted, and Holly was forced to join the Winter Dance Party Tour in 1959. Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens chartered a small plane following a concert in Clear Lake, Iowa on Feb. 2, 1959. The aircraft crashed in the early hours of Feb. 3, shortly after taking off from Mason City, Iowa, killing all on board.
In 1952, Chrissie Hynde, lead singer and rhythm guitarist with "The Pretenders," was born in Akron, Ohio. "The Pretenders," one of the most commercially successful groups to emerge from the British new wave movement, was formed in London in 1978 when Hynde recruited bass guitarist Pete Farndon, who in turned called in guitarist James Honeyman-Scott. The band's debut album in 1980 was universally well-received, and yielded the top-20 hit, "Brass in Pocket." Although both Farndon and Honeyman-Scott have since died, "The Pretenders," fronted by Chrissie Hynde, continue to record and tour. "The Pretenders" were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2005.
In 1959, singer Jermaine Stewart was born in Columbus, Ohio. He died on March 17, 1997.
In 1964, "The Beatles" played Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The top ticket price for the group's first appearance was $5.50.
In 1978, "The Who" drummer Keith Moon died at the age of 31 of an overdose of a sedative that had been prescribed for his alcoholism. Moon died in the same London apartment in which Cass Elliot of "The Mamas and Papas" had died four years earlier. Moon's replacement with "The Who" was Kenney Jones, formerly of "Small Faces."
In 1984, singers Janet Jackson and James DeBarge were wed. Jackson's family later convinced her to annul the marriage.
In 1984, disc jockey Rick Dees replaced singer Marilyn McCoo as host of the "Solid Gold" TV show.
In 1987, Bob Dylan cancelled, without explanation, a meeting with foreign minister Shimon Peres during a concert tour of Israel. Dylan also cancelled a visit to the Western Wall, failed to show up for a traditional Sabbath meal in his honour, missed an appearance on a TV talk show and failed to turn up for a guided tour of Tel Aviv by the city's mayor. Israeli newspapers panned both Dylan's concerts and his behaviour.
In 1990, keyboardist Vince Welnick, formerly of "The Tubes," joined the "Grateful Dead." He replaced Brent Mydland, who had died on July 26 of a cocaine and morphine overdose.
In 1992, Bryan Adams finally performed for 20,000 fans at Big Valley, Alta., after a two-day delay caused by snow and freezing temperatures. About 2,000 people camped out for four days at a tent city known as Mudville. Over 40,000 tickets had been sold for the concert but more than half the concert-goers went home after the show was postponed for two days.
In 1992, lead singer Rob Halford left the heavy metal band "Judas Priest." He formed a new group, "Fight." He reunited with "Judas Priest" in 2003.
In 1994, Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel joined a sellout crowd of 115,000 at a Prague stadium for a "Pink Floyd" concert. Fans shelled out an average of $25 a ticket, more than one-10th the country鈥檚 average monthly wage.
In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur and record company executive Suge Knight were shot while driving in Las Vegas. Shakur died six days later. No one was ever charged.
In 1996, Michael Jackson launched his first concert tour in three years with a show in Prague. He was aiming to restore a career tarnished by allegations of child molestation. Promoters had expected 130,000 people, but the crowd appeared considerably smaller. Scalpers sold $30 tickets for half price.
In 2003, singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, who wrote and sang the rock hit "Werewolves of London," died after a year-long battle with lung cancer. He was 56. Zevon was among the wittiest and most original of a broad circle of performers to emerge from Los Angeles in the 1970s. Zevon had a reputation as one of rock music's most politically incorrect lyricists. He released his first album, "Wanted -- Dead or Alive," to little notice in 1969, but gained attention in the '70s by writing a string of popular songs for Linda Ronstadt, including "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me," "Carmelita" and "Hasten Down the Wind." His next two albums, 1976's "Warren Zevon" and 1978's "Excitable Boy," followed those songs with sardonic tales of prom-date rapists, headless, gun-toting soldiers of fortune, and vain werewolves who drank pina coladas at singles bars. He also composed the song "She Quit Me Man" for the movie "Midnight Cowboy."
In 2008, Britney Spears won three MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year for "Piece of Me."
In 2009, Fred Mills, a trumpeter who played for 24 years with the Canadian Brass, died in a single vehicle accident near Atlanta, Ga. He was 70. Mills made more than 40 recordings for RCA, Sony, Philips and BMG and was nominated for a Grammy in 1992. He also played thousands of concerts around the world and made TV appearances on CBC and other networks with the Canadian Brass. He became the music professor at the University of Georgia in September 1996.
In 2010, "Bachman-Turner Overdrive" founders Randy Bachman and Fred Turner released "Bachman Turner," their first album of newly-recorded material in over 20 years.
In 2011, "Someone Like You" by British singer Adele topped Billboard's Hot 100, making it the first song featuring only piano and vocals to reach No. 1 in the history of the chart.
In 2011, on what would have been his 75th birthday, rock pioneer Buddy Holly received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His widow, Maria Elena Holly, made a rare public appearance at the event. Holly, along with Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, died in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959.
In 2012, pop diva Mariah Carey was honoured as a BMI Icon at the BMI Urban Awards in Beverly Hills. The award is given to an artist who has influenced generations in the urban music scene.
In 2012, Dorothy McGuire, who teamed with sisters Christine and Phyllis for a string of hits in the '50s and '60s as the popular McGuire Sisters singing group, died at age 84. She had Parkinson's disease and age-related dementia. "The McGuire Sisters" earned six gold records for hits including 1954's "Sincerely" and 1957's "Sugartime." The sisters were known for their sweet harmonies and identical outfits and hairdos.
In 2014, Alberta's Gord Bamford took home top honours at Canadian Country Music Association Awards, winning Male Artist of the Year and Single of the Year for his track "When Your Lips Are So Close." Nova Scotia-based Dean Brody's "Crop Circles" won Album of the Year. Saskatchewan pop-country songstress Jess Moskaluke took home Female Artist of the Year, while veteran Johnny Reid won the Fans' Choice Award for the fifth time.
In 2020, Taylor Swift tied a more than decade-old Billboard record when her album, "folklore," earned a sixth week at number one on the all-genre album chart. With that, Swift tied an 11-year-old record set by the late Whitney Houston. They've both now spent 46 weeks total topping that chart, more than any other female artist in history. The Beatles, with 132 weeks, have the most total time atop the Billboard 200.
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The Canadian Press
