Today in Music History for Dec. 19:
In 1808, Horatius Bonar, Scottish clergyman, poet and hymn writer, was born. He authored several missionary biographies and penned over 600 hymns, including "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say."
In 1915, Edith Piaf, the French chanteuse, was born on a Paris sidewalk with two policemen serving as midwives. After an unhappy childhood, she began singing outside sidewalk cafes at the age of 16. Eight years later, she was being acclaimed as one of France's greatest music hall singers. Her fame spread to North America, where's she's best known for "La Vie En Rose," a song for which she wrote the lyrics. Piaf's personal life was marred by personal tragedy and illness. In the 1950s, she was injured in no less than three auto accidents. On Oct. 3, 1963, she was scheduled to open in a New York show entitled simply "Piaf," but she became so ill she could not make the trip. Eight days after the scheduled opening, she was dead at age 48.
In 1918, Professor Longhair, one of the greatest influences on New Orleans rock 'n' roll, was born in Bogalusa, La. His piano style influenced such stars as Fats Domino, Little Richard and Lloyd Price, but Professor Longhair never received the recognition he deserved before his death in 1980.
In 1940, singer and songwriter Phil Ochs was born in El Paso, Texas. A political activist, he was prominent in the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements. His refusal to bow to commercial requirements kept him off television and many radio stations. Ochs' vocal cords were damaged when he was attacked on a trip to Africa in 1973. A drinking problem contributed to his mounting depression, and on April 9, 1976, he hanged himself at his sister's home in Far Rockaway, N.Y.
In 1944, Zal Yanovsky, lead guitarist and vocalist with "The Lovin' Spoonful," was born in Toronto. From 1965 to '67, the folk-rocking band had such hits as "Do You Believe in Magic," "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" and their only No. 1 record, "Summer in the City." The group fell apart in '67 after Yanovsky and bass guitarist Steve Boone were arrested for marijuana possession. In order to avoid prosecution, they introduced an acquaintance to a narcotics agent, and the acquaintance was subsequently arrested. When this became known, there was a call for boycott of "The Lovin' Spoonful." Zal Yanovsky later ran a restaurant in Kingston, Ont. He died of a heart attack on Dec. 13, 2002 at the age of 57.
In 1951, the Montreal Bach Choir, conducted by George Little, gave its first concert -- a performance of J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Canata Number Five. As well as giving regular concerts in Montreal, the choir toured Canada, Europe and Japan during its 15-year history. The organization disbanded in 1966.
In 1955, Carl Perkins recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" at Sun Records in Memphis. Perkins had gone to Memphis after hearing Elvis Presley's first record. Presley, too, would record a version of "Blue Suede Shoes," but Perkins' record was the bigger hit.
In 1957, Meredith Willson's musical play "The Music Man," starring Robert Preston, opened on Broadway.
In 1969, Mick Jagger of "The Rolling Stones" was fined in London for marijuana possession.
In 1969, "Beatle" member John Lennon and media culture guru Marshall McLuhan, a professor at the University of Toronto and the author of several books including "The Medium is the Message," appeared together on a CBS-TV discussion on communications.
In 1975, the C.W. McCall single "Convoy" went gold in the U.S.
In 1980, Dolly Parton's first movie, "Nine to Five," opened in theatres in the U.S. and Canada.
In 1981, the U.S. leg of "The Rolling Stones" "Tattoo You" tour ended in Hampton, Va. At the time, "The Stones" extravaganza was the largest-grossing tour in rock history. The tour was chronicled in the movie "Let's Spend the Night Together."
In 1985, three deputies in Clark County, Wash., were awarded $5.4 million in a suit against "The Beach Boys." The deputies claimed they were battered and falsely imprisoned for taking pictures after a "Beach Boys" concert in 1981.
In 1985, country singer Johnny Paycheck was accused of shooting a man in a tavern brawl in Hillsboro, Ohio. The victim suffered a minor scalp wound. Paycheck was released from jail in 1991.
In 1987, two teenaged girls were trampled to death as 1,000 people surged out of a rap concert in Nashville toward the single entrance to a charity party. At least 29 people were treated in hospital in the melee, which culminated with youths pelting police and firefighters with cans of food. The food, to be donated to the poor, was to be part of the admission to the charity party, where fans were to meet concert headliners "Public Enemy."
In 1989, "The Rolling Stones" played the next-to-last date on the North American leg of their "Steel Wheels" tour, an all-star show in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Joining "The Stones" were the likes of Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker and Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin of "Guns N' Roses."
In 1989, Paul McCartney was honoured by the British Performing Rights Society for his contribution to popular music.
In 1994, Bruce Springsteen won a legal battle to prevent a small British record company from releasing an album of songs he made before he became famous. Dare Records agreed not to release the album "Prodigal Son," and to hand over its master tapes. The songs were recorded at a New Jersey studio in 1971. Springsteen did not release his first album until two years later, after signing with Columbia.
In 1996, singer Whitney Houston suffered her second miscarriage in two-and-a-half years.
In 1997, blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Rogers died in Chicago of colon cancer at age 73. Although he recorded frequently on his own, Rogers was best known for his work as a sideman in the bands of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and other Chicago blues artists.
In 1998, the Rainbow Room, one of the most famous supper and dance clubs in the U.S., closed in New York after 64 years. The gilded, glass-walled club featured breathtaking views from the 65th floor of the old RCA building, above the NBC studios in Rockefeller Center. The Rainbow Room was favoured by the rich and famous. Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra once stopped for drinks the same night, Keith Richards of "The Rolling Stones" came to watch Marianne Faithful perform and singer Rosemary Clooney had her wedding there.
In 2000, guitarist Rob Buck of "10,000 Maniacs" died of complications from liver failure. He was 42.
In 2000, musician Pops Staples of "The Staple Singers" died at his home outside Chicago at the age of 84. He had been recovering from a concussion suffered four weeks earlier.
In 2008, jazz pianist and singer Page Cavanaugh died at age 86. The Page Cavanaugh Trio was one of Southern California's most popular nightclub acts from the 1940s to the 1990s. The group played in the film "Romance on the High Seas" with Jack Carson and Doris Day and also showed up in movies such as "A Song is Born," "Big City" and "Lullaby of Broadway." They also appeared with Frank Sinatra on his "Songs By Sinatra" radio show and played for NBC Radio's "The Jack Paar Show." Their hits included "The Three Bears" and "She Had to Go and Lose It At the Astor."
In 2009, Kevin Jonas, of the pop group Jonas Brothers, married Danielle Delesea at Oheka Castle, a 109,000-square-foot estate in Cold Spring Harbor in Long Island, N.Y.
In 2010, guitarist Carlos Santana married drummer Cindy Blackman of Lenny Kravitz's band during a rainy ceremony in Maui.
In 2011, rocker/philanthropist Jon Bon Jovi posted a picture on his Facebook page of him holding a hand-written sign that read "Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey" with the date scrawled underneath to refute false reports of the singer's death that had spread on social media sites.
In 2011, all but one of 65 claimants accepted Indiana's settlement offers from the State Fair stage collapse on Aug. 13 caused by a powerful wind just before country duo "Sugarland" was supposed to go on. The settlements totalled $5 million, the maximum under Indiana law, including the estates of all seven people who died.
In 2012, R&B singer Jimmy McCracklin died in San Pablo, Calif., at the age of 91. His best-known song is "The Walk," which hit No. 7 in 1958. He also had hits with "Just Got to Know," "Shame Shame Shame" and "My Answer." He wrote the song "Tramp," recorded by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas in 1967 and sampled by "Salt-n-Pepa" and Prince.
In 2013, Prince Charles made Grammy Award-winning singer Adele a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
In 2017, Gord Downie, the late Tragically Hip frontman, was chosen Canadian Press 2017 Newsmaker of the Year for the second consecutive year. He died of brain cancer in October but used every opportunity in his final months to speak out in support of Indigenous people in Canada. He established the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund to provide small grants to, in part, promote Indigenous education in schools.
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The Canadian Press