Today in Music History for Nov. 2:
In 1926, country star Charlie Walker was born in Copeville, Texas. He became a popular disc jockey in Texas as he built a career as a honky-tonk singer. His breakthrough came in 1958 with the Harlan Howard-penned "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down." The tune became a million-seller and a country music staple. His other hits included "Who Will Buy the Wine," "Wild as a Wildcat" and "Don't Squeeze My Sharmon." He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1967 and was also a member of the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame. He died of colon cancer on Sept. 12, 2008.
In 1955, Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons" first appeared on the Billboard charts. It was one of the fastest-selling records in history, with the public eventually buying more than four million copies.
In 1960, Canada's first national theatre school opened in Montreal, founded by Tom Patterson.
In 1961, Canadian singer k.d. lang was born in Consort, Alta. Her full name is Katherine Dawn Lang. Her singing style was originally modelled on that of country great Patsy Cline, and she named her band "The Reclines" in the singer's honour. She began recording in 1983, but until her 1988 duet with Roy Orbison on "Crying," most Canadians weren't familiar with her music and radio stations rarely played her records. Owen Bradley, who produced the hits of Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee, came out of retirement to produce lang's 1988 album "Shadowland." But she was never accepted by the Nashville establishment, a situation not helped by her admission in the early '90s that she was a lesbian or by her appearance in a "Meat Stinks" ad campaign. Her 1992 album “Ingenue," which contained the hit single "Constant Craving," marked lang's complete break with country music.
In 1963, singer Dion walked out on a live taping of the British television show, "Ready, Steady Go," claiming the go-go dancers were distracting him.
In 1963, the single "Be True to Your School" by "The Beach Boys" was released.
In 1966, country bluesman Mississippi John Hurt died in Grenada, Miss., at the age of 73.
In 1968, the single "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder was released.
In 1973, Canadian country singer Stompin' Tom Connors married Lena Welsh in a ceremony carried live across the country on CBC-TV's "The Elwood Glover Show."
In 1974, former "Beatle" George Harrison began his first full-fledged solo tour, not including the 1971 Bangalesh benefit concerts, with a performance in Vancouver, Wash. He was promoting his album "Dark Horse." The LP sold well enough to earn a gold record, and the title song made No. 15 on the Billboard singles chart.
In 1979, the movie version of "The Who's" "Quadrophenia" opened.
In 1979, Mick and Bianca Jagger divorced.
In 1986, "The Monkees," "Herman's Hermits," "Gary Puckett and the Union Gap" and "The Grass Roots" played before 15,000 teenagers at a rock 'n' religion revival in Rosemont, Ill.
In 1987, "The Guess Who" were inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame. But the ceremony on the televised awards show was soured when the group was shunted off stage before the members had a chance to thank their fans. The CBC said the snub was unintended and resulted from a technical gaffe. The network apologized by later airing a documentary to honour "The Guess Who."
In 1991, Mort Shuman, who with Doc Pomus formed one of the most successful songwriting teams in pop history, died in London at age 52. Pomus had died the previous March. The first Pomus-Shuman hit was "A Teenager in Love" for "Dion and the Belmonts" in 1959. Some of their other successes included "Can't Get Used to Losing You" for Andy Williams, "Spanish Lace" for Gene McDaniels and "Save the Last Dance For Me" for "The Drifters." Pomus and Shuman also wrote several Elvis Presley hits, including "Surrender," "Little Sister" and "His Latest Flame."
In 1991, an unauthorized version of Jermaine Jackson's "Word to the Badd!!" was leaked to radio stations. The lyrics criticized brother Michael for losing his identity, altering his appearance and failing to maintain family ties. A watered-down version of the song was included on Jermaine's album "You Said" and the unauthorized version was eventually released as a single.
In 1993, "The Band" ended an 18-year recording hiatus with the release of "Jericho." Founding members Rick Danko, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson returned but original lead vocalist Robbie Robertson declined to take part.
In 1993, "Duets," Frank Sinatra's first album of new material in nine years, was released. It paired the "Chairman of the Board" with the likes of Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin and Carly Simon. The strangest collaboration was with "U2's" Bono on Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin."
In 1994, "Sex Pistols'" manager Malcolm McLaren told a London newspaper that Sid Vicious was such a bad guitarist that he never played a note with the punk band. McLaren said Vicious' amplifier was turned off and a roadie would play his bass parts offstage. McLaren said Vicious, who died of a heroin overdose in 1979, was never told about the situation because of his reputation for violence and drug-taking.
Also in 1994, David Crosby was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital with a deteriorating liver. He underwent a transplant later in the month. His publicist blamed Crosby's medical problems on his decades of drug abuse.
In 2004, singer Shania Twain visited her hometown of Timmins, Ont., for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Shania Twain Centre, a museum dedicated to her career that opened three years earlier. (It closed in 2013.)
In 2006, Rod Stewart's divorce from Rachel Hunter was finalized, seven years after they separated. He had proposed to model Penny Lancaster during that time and had a baby with her.
In 2010, Jim Clench, a bassist and vocalist who played with Canadian rock bands "April Wine" and "Bachman-Turner Overdrive," died in a Montreal hospital after battling lung cancer. He was 61.
In 2012, an NBC benefit concert for Superstorm Sandy victims raised nearly $23 million in donations to the American Red Cross. It included performances by artists native to the areas hardest-hit, including New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi and Billy Joel of New York's Long Island. Others who took part in the special included Sting, Christina Aguilera and Mary J. Blige.
In 2013, New Jersey rockers "Bon Jovi" became the very first band to be inducted into Air Canada Centre's inaugural Hall of Fame. The group played the Toronto venue 17 times, more than any band since it opened in 1999.
In 2015, Adele's comeback track "Hello" set a new record for most U.S. downloads sold in a week: 1.112 million. It became the first song to sell one million tracks in a week and shattered the record previously held by Flo Rida's "Right Round" of 636,000 in 2009.
In 2016, at the Country Music Association Awards, Garth Brooks took home Entertainer of the Year, Eric Church won Album of the Year for "Mr. Misunderstood," Carrie Underwood was named Female Vocalist of the Year and Chris Stapleton captured Male Vocalist. Thomas Rhett won Single of the Year for "Die a Happy Man."
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The Canadian Press