Today in Music History for Oct. 31:
In 1937, folksinger Tom Paxton was born in Chicago. He was part of the early-1960s folk revival that also saw the emergence of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. He continues to have a devoted following, although his songs are best known in versions by others. Many artists have covered Paxton's "The Last Thing On My Mind," probably his best-known composition.
In 1953, "The Drifters," with Clyde McPhatter singing lead, made the Billboard R&B chart for the first time with "Money Honey." The record would go on to spend 11 weeks at No. 1.
In 1964, Bob Dylan brought Joan Baez on stage for three duets during a concert at Philharmonic Hall in New York. Baez had been instrumental in helping Dylan's career, and the two became lovers in 1963. But the liaison was over by the beginning of 1965, the year Dylan married a 25-year-old ex-model, Shirley Noznisky.
In 1964, Hal Willis' "The Lumberjack" entered the Billboard country chart. Willis was born Leonard Francis Gauthier in Roslyn, Que., but relocated to Nashville in 1958. "The Lumberjack" would make it to No. 5, the highest-charting country record in the U.S. by a Quebec-born artist.
In 1967, guitarist Brian Jones of "The Rolling Stones" was sentenced in Britain to nine months in jail on drug charges laid after he was arrested in May. The sentence was suspended on appeal. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards also had been arrested in January, and their jail sentences were also suspended after appeals. As a result of these troubles, "The Rolling Stones" temporarily withdrew from public appearances.
In 1968, the influential pre-punk band "MC5" recorded the now-legendary "Kick Out the Jams" LP live in Detroit. Some stores refused to stock the album because of the shouted profanity in the title tune. "MC5" responded with ads in the underground press, but nonetheless cut another version of "Kick Out the Jams" which substituted "brothers and sisters" for the offending phrase.
In 1970, singer Michelle Phillips of "The Mamas and The Papas" married actor Dennis Hopper. They divorced after eight days.
In 1975, soon-to-be rock anthem "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen was released. It was the most expensive single ever made up to that point and the opera parts alone took 70 hours to record. (It was Queen's first No. 1 single in the U.S., and it is the first British single to hit No. 1 twice with the same version.)
In 1975, "The Marshall Tucker Band" played a concert in Atlanta to raise funds for the U.S. presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter. The southern rock group also played at Carter's inauguration in 1977.
In 1986, Roger Waters, leader and bass guitarist with "Pink Floyd," applied in a British court to have the partnership between him and fellow group members David Gilmour and Nick Mason dissolved. Gilmore and Mason retained the "Pink Floyd" name, and began touring again in 1987. Waters started a solo performing career. "Pink Floyd," one of the most successful groups in rock history, has sold 60 million copies of such albums as "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall."
In 1993, rapper Tupac Shakur was charged in Atlanta with two counts of aggravated assault for shooting two off-duty police officers after a traffic dispute. Prosecutors dropped the charges a year later because of conflicting statements from witnesses.
In 1993, singer Shannon Hoon of "Blind Melon" stripped and urinated over the stage apron during a concert in Vancouver. When police arrived to arrest him, Hoon climbed on top of the band's bus and shouted obscenities at the officers. He was charged with public nudity and committing an indecent act but was granted an absolute discharge a year later. Hoon apologized for the incident and performed another show in Vancouver two months after the incident, donating a portion of his fees to a children's charity.
In 1997, rocker-actress Courtney Love helped kick off a series of anti-drug ads sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the Musicians' Assistance Program. Love was a former addict and her husband, "Nirvana" lead singer Kurt Cobain, committed suicide. Others taking part in the ad campaign were rapper Chuck D, "Everclear," "The Fugees'" lead singer Lauryn Hill and "KISS."
In 1997, drummer Bill Berry announced in an MTV interview that he was quitting "R.E.M." It was the first lineup change in the group's 17-year history. The band did not replace Berry but used various guest drummers. Berry had suffered a brain aneurysm during an "R.E.M." tour in 1995.
In 1998, Alanis Morissette played a Toronto club date to mark the release of "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie." The follow-up to her 1995 release "Jagged Little Pill," which had sold 30 million copies worldwide, was available in stores three days later.
In 1999, after 4,226 performances over 10 years, the final curtain was lowered on the Toronto production of "The Phantom of the Opera."
In 2009, "Pearl Jam" played the last concert at the Philadelphia Spectrum. It was demolished on Nov. 23, 2010 to make way for a retail, restaurant and entertainment complex.
In 2011, Pete Townshend of "The Who" branded Apple Inc.'s iTunes a "digital vampire" that profited from music without supporting the artists who create it. He was delivering the first John Peel Lecture, named in honour of the influential British radio broadcaster who died in 2004.
In 2012, Taylor Swift's new CD "Red" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, selling 1.2 million copies. She became the only woman to have two albums ("Speak Now,") sell more than a million copies its first week out since Soundscan began keeping track of album sales in 1991. Her followups, "1989" and "reputation" each sold 1.2 million in their first week, making here the only artist to have three or more first-week million-selling albums.
In 2016, the Manitoba government named a stretch of a northern highway in honour of musician Tom Cochrane. The 322-kilometre section of Highway 391 that leads to Cochrane's hometown of Lynn Lake is called Tom Cochrane's Life is a Highway, named after his 1991 megahit.
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The Canadian Press