Today in Music History for Aug. 8:
In 1911, Canadian violinist Frederick Grinke was born in Winnipeg. He was known for his performances of 20th-century English music. Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams dedicated his "Sonata in A Minor" to Grinke, who, along with another Canadian, David Martin, was invited to perform the Bach "Double Concerto" at Williams' funeral in 1958. Grinke died in 1987.
In 1926, Webb Pierce, one of country music's leading stars in the 1950s, was born in West Monroe, La. He became a regular on the "Louisiana Hayride" radio show in the early '50s, and by 1955 was a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Pierce's No. 1 country records included "More and More" in 1954, and "In the Jailhouse Now," "Love, Love, Love" and "I Don't Care," all of which topped the chart in 1955. He died on Feb. 24, 1991, in Nashville.
In 1932, Mel Tillis, the Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year in 1976, was born in Tampa, Fla. Equally talented as a singer and as a songwriter, Tillis began his hit-making career in 1958 with "The Violet and the Rose." His top-10 singles have included "Who's Julie," "The Arms of a Fool" and "Memory Maker." Tillis has a speech impediment, but has made his stuttering a part of his act.
In 1938, Canadian composer Jacques Hetu was born in Trois-Rivieres, Que. Hetu, one of Quebec's most appreciated classical composers, both in Canada and abroad, was known for his work in polytonality. His early compositions influenced composers such as Bela Bartok and his "Variations for Piano" has been frequently performed. His "Sonata for Two Pianos" premiered at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York in 1963, and his work "Images de la Revolution" was performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He finished his first opera, "Le Prix," in 1992 and "Le Tombeau de Nelligan" was given its world premiere in Paris in 1993. He was awarded the title of officer of the Order of Canada in 2001. He died Feb. 9, 2010.
In 1960, Decca Records in Britain destroyed 25,000 copies of the song "Tell Laura I Love Her" by Ray Peterson. The company said the song was "too tasteless and vulgar for the English sensibility." A rival firm, however, had no such compunction, recording a cover version by a singer named Ricky Valance, which went to No. 1 on the British chart. In the U.S., Ray Peterson's recording of "Tell Laura I Love Her" reached No. 7 on the Billboard pop chart.
In 1969, photographer Iain Macmillan took six pictures of "The Beatles" crossing the street outside their Abbey Road studio in London. A police officer held up traffic while the band walked back and forth several times. Paul McCartney chose one of the pictures for the cover of the "Abbey Road" album.
In 1969, bandleader and trombonist Russ Morgan died in Las Vegas at age 65. In 1949, his recording of "Cruising Down the River" was a No. 1 hit.
In 1970, Janis Joplin bought a tombstone for blues singer Bessie Smith's unmarked grave in a Philadelphia cemetery. She cited Smith as one of her influences. Less than two months later, Joplin herself was dead of a drug overdose. Smith had died following an auto accident in 1942 at the age of 37.
In 1975, jazz alto saxophonist Julian (Cannonball) Adderley died of a stroke at age 47. During the soul music boom in the early '60s, Adderley and his quintet hit the Billboard pop chart with "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy." Adderley and such musicians as pianist Ramsey Lewis, who hit around the same time with "The In Crowd," did much to make jazz popular at a time when the avant-garde movement had alienated audiences.
In 1975, Robert Altman's film satire "Nashville" premiered to mixed reviews from the country music establishment. Depending on who tells the story, either Roy Acuff or producer Billy Sherrill said the best part was "when they shot that miserable excuse for a country singer." The reference was to the character played by actress Ronee Blakely.
In 1975, country singer Hank Williams Jr. suffered severe head injuries when he fell 150 metres while mountain climbing in Montana. When he returned to performing months later, he had switched to a country-rock sound from the pure country style made famous by his father.
In 1981, two women gave birth during a concert by funk musician Rick James in Birmingham, Ala.
In 1986, singer David Crosby, sentenced to a five-year term for drug and weapons charges, was paroled from a prison in Huntsville, Texas, after serving only five months. The convictions were overturned by a Texas appeals court in November 1987. Crosby said when he was released that he had kicked a 10-year drug habit and wanted to resume his musical career.
In 1987, more than 6,000 fans gathered in the resort of St.-Saveur, north of Montreal, as Quebec pop star Rene Simard wed Marie-Joseph Taillefer. Among the 450 guests were former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, who proposed the toast, and singer Ginette Reno, who belted out a love song. Traffic in the town had to be re-routed as Simard's fans began gathering just after dawn for the afternoon ceremony.
In 1988, leading Quebec singer, poet and playwright Felix Leclerc died at his home in Quebec City of a heart attack. He was 74. He was best known for having written a number of nationalist songs that had a powerful influence in the 1960s on important Quebec singers, including Gilles Vigneault, Robert Charlebois and Pauline Julien.
In 1992, rock-and-bottle throwing heavy metal fans trashed part of Montreal's Olympic Stadium following the cancellation of a "Guns N' Roses" concert, causing $300,000 damage. Lead singer Axl Rose halted the show after a few songs because of a sore throat. Eight police officers were slightly hurt and a dozen people arrested. The previous act, "Metallica," ended its performance when lead singer James Hetfield was burned by an exploding stage prop. His injuries caused the postponement of several dates on the tour by the two bands.
In 1994, Janet Jackson tied Aretha Franklin for the most gold singles by a female artist -- 14 -- when "Any Time, Any Place" was certified as having sold more than 500,000 copies. As of 2009, she has 22 gold singles.
In 1995, the Canadian stage production of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" opened at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. At $17-million, it was the most expensive stage production in Canadian history.
In 1996, singer Mel Torme was hospitalized after a stroke that left his left side weakened and affected his speech.
In 1999, "The Guess Who" reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform at the closing ceremony of the 13th Pan American Games in Winnipeg. The success of the four-song set prompted the Winnipeg natives to plan a well-received comeback tour the following year.
In 2004, a bus driver for the "Dave Matthews Band" dumped human waste from the bus into the Chicago River and onto a tour boat carrying more than 100 passengers. The band later settled with the state of Illinois, and the driver pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and pollution charges.
In 2007, Elaine Campbell, who co-wrote the lyrics for the popular musical "Anne of Green Gables," died in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
In 2008, Clay Aiken and his friend and record producer Jaymes Foster became proud parents of Parker Foster Aiken. Foster was artificially inseminated by Aiken. Aiken, who constantly avoided answering questions about his sexuality, revealed a month later that he was indeed gay.
In 2009, "Beatles" fans brought traffic to a standstill as they mobbed London's Abbey Road on the 40th anniversary of the famous photo that turned this ordinary London street into a musical pilgrimage site. "The Beatles" were featured on "Abbey Road," the last album recorded together, walking on the street's crosswalk.
In 2009, Christian rock band "MercyMe" postponed its show in St. Louis after its tour bus hit a car in northeastern Indiana just after midnight, killing two passengers in the car and the pregnant driver's unborn baby.
In 2013, "Cowboy" Jack Clement, a producer, engineer, songwriter and beloved figure who helped birth rock 'n' roll and push country music into modern times, died at age 82. Earlier in the year, he was selected for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 2017, Glen Campbell, the affable superstar singer of "Rhinestone Cowboy," "Wichita Lineman" and "Southern Nights" and whose appeal spanned country, pop, television and movies, died at age 81. Campbell announced in June 2011 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. He won five Grammys, sold over 45 million records, had 12 gold albums and 75 chart hits.
In 2022, Olivia Newton-John, the Grammy-winning singer who gained worldwide acclaim for her starring role in "Grease,'' died at age 73. Her family said the longtime resident of Australia, whose sales topped 100 million albums, died peacefully at her ranch in Southern California. Newton-John had 14 top-10 singles in the U.S. from 1973 to 1983, won four Grammys and starred with John Travolta in "Grease'' -- which included the duet "You're the One That I Want.'' It was one of the era's biggest songs and had sold more than 15 million copies.
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The Canadian Press