Today in Music History for Dec. 18:
In 1707, English hymn writer Charles Wesley was born. He wrote more than 6,500 hymns, including "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."
In 1737, the most renowned violin-maker in history, Antonio Stradivari, died in Italy at the age of 93. His workmanship brought the violin to perfection, and later craftsmen have tried to imitate his instruments.
In 1892, "The Nutcracker Suite" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1904, Wilf Carter, the father of country music in Canada, was born in Port Hilford, N.S. His 1932 recording of "My Swiss Moonlight Lullaby" and "The Capture of Albert Johnson" was the first hit by a Canadian country performer. He'd already been performing on a Calgary radio station and working for the Canadian Pacific Railway providing entertainment for tourists in the Rockies. Carter pursued a parallel career in the U.S. under the name Montana Slim, beginning in 1935 with a CBS radio show. His yodelling style, heavily influenced by Jimmie Rodgers, began to fall out of favour in the 1960s. Carter helped the careers of such Canadian country artists as "The Rhythm Pals" and Orval Prophet, by featuring them on his tours in the 1950s. He died at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Dec. 5, 1996.
In 1938, Bryan (Chas) Chandler, bass player with "The Animals," was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. Their R&B-based sound on "House of the Rising Sun" carried them to the top of the charts in 1964. The band split up in 1966. He died in his hometown of a heart attack on July 17, 1996.
In 1943, Keith Richards, lead guitarist with "The Rolling Stones," was born in Dartford, England. His father ran a dance band before the war, and Keith was given a cheap guitar for his birthday. Richards, singer Mick Jagger, guitarist Brian Jones and drummer Charlie Watts all shared a passion for Chicago rhythm-and-blues, and began performing with "Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated" in 1961. With the addition of bass guitarist Bill Wyman, "The Rolling Stones" were born in 1962. "The Stones" have spent the succeeding years living up to their billing as the "World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band." While remaining with "The Stones," Richards also toured with his own group, "The New Barbarians," in 1979. He also had a featured role in Chuck Berry's 1987 film biography, "Hail, Hail Rock 'n' Roll." Richards recorded his first solo album, "Talk is Cheap," with a band called "The X-Pensive Winos," in 1988. In 1991, a live album followed called "Live at the Hollywood Palladium" and in 1992, he released "Main Offender." In October 2010, he published his memoir "Life."
In 1964, hundreds of fans smashed their way into a Chicago funeral home where the body of Sam Cooke lay in a glass-covered coffin. The singer had been shot to death by a woman at a Los Angeles motel a week earlier.
In 1971, Jerry Lee Lewis divorced his cousin, Myra Gale Brown. They had married in 1957 when she was 13.
In 1978, Les Kummel, bass guitarist with "The New Colony Six," died in Chicago at the age of 33. The group recorded a series of middle-of-the road best sellers in the late 1960s and early '70s, beginning with "I Will Always Think About You."
In 1979, Edward B. Moogk, the leading authority on Canadian recordings, died in London, Ont., at the age of 65. In 1967, the Centennial Commission adopted his plan to establish a Canadian archive, which formed the basis of the National Library of Canada's recorded sound collection. Moogk was custodian of this collection from 1972 until his death. In 1975, he published "Roll Back the Years," a history which listed nearly every Canadian recording made from the beginning of the phonograph until 1930.
In 1983, Keith Richards married model Patti Hansen in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Mick Jagger was the best man.
In 1991, "Aerosmith" lead singer Steven Tyler saved his wife and child from a fire in their home in Marshfield Hills, Mass., south of Boston. After leading them to safety down an emergency ladder, Tyler went back into the house to rescue his cat. No one was hurt.
In 1995, Kenny G and his family escaped a fire that caused $275,000 in damage to their home in suburban Los Angeles.
In 1996, lyricist Irving Caesar, who wrote the words to George Gershwin's first hit, "Swanee," in 1918, died in New York at age 101.
In 1997, B.B. King presented Pope John Paul with a copy of his famed guitar "Lucille" during a meeting at the Vatican.
In 1998, a Los Angeles judge barred Dennis Edwards, a former member of "The Temptations," from performing under the band's name. Group leader and founding member Otis Williams had sued Edwards, who performed with "The Temptations" briefly after their hit-making days were over.
In 2001, French singer Gilbert Becaud died of lung cancer in Paris at age 74. He was known for his electric performances and booming, dramatic songs. Frank Sinatra's "What Now, My Love?" was a translation of Becaud's "Et Maintenant." Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and James Brown all recorded versions of the Becaud song "Je t'appartiens," or "Let It Be Me."
In 2003, Michael Jackson was formally charged with seven counts of lewd or lascivious acts on a child and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent. He was acquitted of the charges.
In 2009, Rex Yetman, a bluegrass pioneer and legend in Newfoundland and Labrador, died at the age of 76. He was best known as the mandolinist from "The York County Boys," Canada's first bluegrass group. They appeared on shows like "The Tommy Hunter Show," "Carl Smith's Country Music Hall," and were once opening acts for Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. In 2006, Yetman won an East Coast Music Award for Bluegrass Recording of the year as part of the band, "Crooked Stovepipe."
In 2011, Ralph MacDonald, the man who wrote "Just the Two of Us" for Grover Washington Jr. and "Where is the Love?" for Roberta Flack, died of lung cancer at the age of 67. As a studio musician, he played on tracks for David Bowie, James Taylor, Paul Simon and Kenny Loggins. He also toured as part of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band.
In 2012, country singer Blake Shelton's protege Cassadee Pope won the third season of NBC's singing competition "The Voice."
In 2016, Canadian entertainer Gordie Tapp, a comedian, musician, script writer and pitchman, died from complications of pneumonia at age 94. Born in London, Ont., the member of the Order of Canada and Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee kicked off his career in radio before moving into TV.
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The Canadian Press