Today in Music History for July 1:
In 1915, bluesman Willie Dixon, an important link between blues and rock 'n' roll, was born in Vicksburg, Miss. He wrote scores of blues classics that were later adopted by rock bands -- songs such as "Little Red Rooster," "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" and "You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover." Dixon sold many of his songs for as little as $30 apiece, losing thousands of dollars in royalties. Dixon, a bass player, played in the house band at Chess Records in Chicago, backing such musicians as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters. He also arranged and produced many of the sessions at the label. Dixon died on Jan. 29, 1992.
In 1921, Canadian country singer Stu Davis, whose real name is David Stewart, was born in Boggy Creek, Sask. He and his brother Fred teamed up in 1939 to perform as "The Harmony Boys" on Regina radio station CKCK. Stu Davis later became known as "Canada's Cowboy Troubador" and made appearances in the late 1940s on NBC radio's "National Barn Dance" from Chicago and the Grand Ole Opry. Davis signed with London Records in 1956, making 15 LPs for the label. In 1968, Davis, already a veteran of several TV shows, narrated the 13-part CBC television documentary history of Western Canada, "Trail-Riding Troubador." Eddy Arnold took Stu Davis' song "What A Fool I Was" to No. 2 on the Billboard country chart in 1948. Davis died on March 25, 2007.
In 1956, Elvis Presley appeared on "The Steve Allen Show." Allen managed to make Elvis appear ridiculous, forbidding him to dance and having him sing "Hound Dog" to a bassett hound.
In 1963, "The Beatles" recorded "She Loves You" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios. It would become their second No. 1 hit in both Britain and the U.S.
In 1968, the musical "Johnny Belinda" by Mavor Moore and John Fenwick premiered at the Charlottetown Festival. Fenwick conducted the work, which was based on the play of the same name by American author Elmer Harris. The musical production tells the story of love, murder and a deaf girl in Souris, P.E.I., in 1894.
In 1969, Sam Phillips sold his legendary Sun record label, for which Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash made their first recordings, to Shelby Singleton. Sun, more than any other record company, was responsible for the emergence of white rock 'n' roll in the mid-1950s.
In 1970, the syndicated radio show "American Top 40," hosted by Casey Kasem, debuted in several American cities. He hosted it until 1988 and returned from 1998-2004. Ryan Seacrest is the current host.
In 1972, the rock musical "Hair" closed on Broadway after 1,729 performances. It had opened at the Biltmore Theatre on April 28, 1968. The music for "Hair" was written by Montreal native Galt McDermott.
In 1973, the rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" closed on Broadway after 720 performances.
In 1975, the "Captain and Tennille" received their first gold record with "Love Will Keep Us Together."
In 1979, the first Sony Walkman rolled off the assembly line.
In 1980, "O Canada" was officially designated the country's national anthem. Parliament had approved the song as the national anthem 13 years earlier, but the National Anthem Act made it official. "O Canada" was written by Calixa Lavallee and Adolphe-Basile Routhier, and was first performed in Quebec City in 1880. The anthem was originally known as "Chant nationale," and was not heard outside Quebec until the turn of the century. Toronto schoolteacher Robert Stanley Weir provided an English translation of the lyrics, which were changed somewhat after the parliamentary debate in 1980.
In 1981, "Steppenwolf" bass guitarist Rushton Moreve died in a car crash in Los Angeles. He was 32. Moreve wrote "Steppenwolf's" 1968 million-selling "Magic Carpet Ride."
In 1992, Kim Mitchell, "The Tragically Hip," "54-40," Sass Jordan and "Spinal Tap" were among the artists playing four Canada Day concerts by flying across the country. The shows -- in St. John's, Ottawa, Barrie, Ont., and Vancouver -- were part of the celebrations for the country's 125th birthday.
In 1992, France named Quebec singer Roch Voisine as a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. The award honours significant artistic or literary contribution to francophone culture. Voisine's part-French, part-English single "Helene" went to No. 1 in France in 1989.
In 1995, one of North America's most famous rock 'n' roll disc jockeys, Wolfman Jack, died of a heart attack at his home in Belvidere, N.C. He was 57. The Wolfman, whose real name was Robert Smith, collapsed shortly after returning from a trip to promote his autobiography. Radio listeners became familiar with the Wolfman's gravelly voice in the 1960's when he broadcast on XERF, a 250,000-watt Mexican station which could be heard in much of the U.S. and even in parts of Canada. He played himself in the 1973 movie "American Graffiti," and was immortalized in "The Guess Who's" 1974 hit "Clap for the Wolfman."
In 1996, veteran British rock band "Status Quo" lost a court bid to force BBC Radio One to play its records.
In 1997, one of the biggest deals in music publishing history was completed when EMI Group paid $132 million for a 50-per-cent share of the company that controlled the Motown song catalogue. Motown founder Berry Gordy's sale of half of Jobete Music covered the copyrights to such classic songs as Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "The Miracles'" "Shop Around" and Barrett Strong's "Money."
In 1998, Barbra Streisand wed actor James Brolin in a private ceremony at her estate overlooking the ocean in Malibu, Calif.
In 1999, Shania Twain returned to Timmins, Ont., staging her first concert in the city where she grew up since making it big as a country singer. The show was the final stop on Twain's worldwide tour to promote her third album, "Come on Over."
In 1999, 1950s pop singer Guy Mitchell, whose hits included "Singing the Blues" and "Heartaches by the Number," died in Las Vegas at age 72. Mitchell's career took off in 1951 with the double-sided hit "My Heart Cries for You" and "The Roving Kind." A year later, he had the second of his 10 million-sellers, "My Truly Truly Fair."
In 2002, "The Who" performed at the Hollywood Bowl in their first concert following the death a week earlier of bassist John Entwistle. He died in his sleep in a Las Vegas hotel. The first two shows of "The Who's" North American tour were cancelled but surviving members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend drafted British session bassist Pino Palladino and elected to go ahead with the rest of the concerts.
In 2003, jazz flutist Herbie Mann died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at age 73. He had suffered from prostate cancer since 1997. Mann incorporated a wide variety of styles in his playing and was a major influence on world music and fusion, which combines elements of rock and jazz. His best-selling 1969 album "Memphis Underground" was recorded with an R&B section and "The Family of Mann," a group he formed in 1973, played world music before it was called that.
In 2005, R&B singer Luther Vandross died in Edison, N.J., at age 54.
In 2009, Rollie Pemberton -- better known as hip-hop artist Cadence Weapon -- became Edmonton's third poet laureate. He released two acclaimed albums as Cadence Weapon: 2005's "Breaking Kayfabe" and 2008's "Afterparty Babies." He's also a poet and a writer, having previously been on staff with multiple publications including popular Chicago-based music website Pitchfork.
In 2011, supermodel Kate Moss married "The Kills" guitarist Jamie Hince in Southrop, England.
In 2012, Cissy Houston's tribute to her late daughter Whitney was the emotional highlight of the BET Awards, a show that was defined by extended bleeps and the vulgarities that censors failed to catch. Rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z won the top prize, earning Video of the Year for "Otis." They also won Best Group.
In 2012, American soprano Evelyn Lear, who became an opera star in Europe singing the title character in Alban Berg's "Lulu" before returning to the U.S., died. She was 86. She had been ailing for months after suffering a mild stroke.
In 2013, Canadian rockers Avril Lavigne and "Nickelback" frontman Chad Kroeger were married at the medieval Chateau de la Napoule outside Cannes, France. (They have since separated.)
In 2018, Canada's Walk of Fame unveiled a permanent star for late Canadian music icon Stompin' Tom Connors at the Stompin' Tom Centre, located near his boyhood home in Skinners Pond, P.E.I.
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The Canadian Press