Today in Music History for April 20:
In 1908, jazz percussionist, vibraphone virtuoso and bandleader Lionel Hampton was born in Louisville, Ky. He was with "The Benny Goodman Quartet" for their legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, where his performance on such tunes as "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Avalon" established him as a major jazz soloist. After leaving Goodman in 1940, he led his own band on and off for more than 30 years. He died of a heart attack on Aug. 31, 2002, in New York.
In 1939, country-pop singer Johnny Tillotson was born in Jacksonville, Fla. Between 1958-65, he had more than 25 records on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart, including "Poetry in Motion," "Without You" and "Talk Back Trembling Lips."
In 1946, "Deirdre of the Sorrows," the first full-length opera commissioned by the CBC, was broadcast. In 1966, under the title "Deirdre," it became the first Canadian opera produced by the Canadian Opera Company. The music was by Healey Willan, the text by John Coulter.
In 1959, tenor Edward Johnson died in his hometown of Guelph, Ont., at age 81. A triumph in the leading role in the North American premiere of Oscar Straus's "A Waltz Dream" made him an overnight star in 1908. After more than a decade in Europe, Johnson made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1922. He was one of the Met's most admired artists for 13 seasons, then spent 15 years as the company's general manager.
In 1959, 13-year-old Dolly Parton released her first single, "Puppy Love."
In 1960, Elvis Presley returned to Hollywood following his duty in the U.S. Army. He began work on the film "G.I. Blues."
In 1968, British rock group Roundabout played their first live concert, in Denmark. During the brief tour, they renamed themselves "Deep Purple."
In 1981, John Phillips of "The Mamas and the Papas" began a 30-day prison term in Los Angeles for cocaine possession. The rest of his five-year sentence was traded for 250 days of community service.
In 1986, pianist Vladimir Horowitz performed in the Soviet Union for the first time since leaving his homeland 61 years before.
In 1987, Bob Dylan joined "U2" on stage in Los Angeles to perform "I Shall Be Released" and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door."
In 1990, singer Janet Jackson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1991, singer and guitarist Steve Marriott, former leader of "Small Faces" and "Humble Pie," died in a house fire northeast of London. He was 44. The "Small Faces" only top-20 hit in North America was 1967's "Itchykoo Park," but their mod-rock made them big stars in their native Britain. Marriott left "Small Faces" in 1969 to form the hard-rocking "Humble Pie." He was replaced by Rod Stewart, and "Small Faces" became simply "Faces."
In 1992, 72,000 fans jammed Wembley Stadium in London for an all-star charity concert honouring "Queen" lead singer Freddie Mercury, who had died five months earlier of AIDS. Nearly 100 performers joined in the tribute, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the fight against AIDS. The show included Elton John performing with Axl Rose of "Guns N' Roses," "Def Leppard" joining the three surviving members of "Queen," and Annie Lennox duetting with David Bowie. The concert was broadcast to 70 countries.
In 1992, Madonna and Time-Warner signed a deal reported to be worth as much as US$60 million. The deal included the formation of Maverick, an entertainment company to be run by Madonna and her manager. Madonna called the package, comparable to Michael Jackson's deal with Sony, "the perfect marriage of art and commerce."
In 1992, Johnny Shines, one of the last of the original Delta blues guitarists and singers, died in Tuscaloosa, Ala., at age 76. He had begun playing in the 1930s with the legendary Robert Johnson, then joined the Chicago blues scene. He quit music in 1958, but was rediscovered by blues historians in 1965 and played festivals and clubs in North America and Europe.
In 1994, Barbra Streisand gave her first London concert in 28 years at Wembley Stadium.
In 1997, Michael Jackson was on hand to unveil a wax statue of himself at the Grevin Museum of Wax in Paris. He provided one of his own outfits to dress the statue.
In 2001, Italian conductor Guiseppe Sinopoli suffered a fatal heart attack while conducting the opera "Aida" in Berlin. He was 54. Sinopoli had been chief conductor at Dresden's Staatskapelle since 1992 and was one of the world's most lauded conductors. Known for his bold interpretations of Verdi and Puccini, Sinopoli was also a composer and medical doctor.
In 2002, 1940s and '50s crooner Alan Dale died at age 73. Born Aldo Sigismondi in New York City, Dale hosted weekly radio and TV shows while still in his early 20s. His hits included "Oh, Marie" and "Cherry Pink" -- which stayed on the charts for 30 weeks in 1955. Dale scored another hit in 1956 with "Heart of My Heart."
In 2010, "TV on the Radio" bassist Gerard Smith died of lung cancer, a little over a month after it was announced that he was battling the disease. He was 36.
In 2011, Francesca Battistelli continued her strong surge as Christian music's biggest star, winning three trophies at the 42nd annual Dove Awards in Atlanta. It was the first time in its history it was held outside of Nashville. She won Female Vocalist, Pop-Contemporary Recorded Song and became the first female vocalist in nearly 20 years to be named Artist of the Year. Chris August also won three awards, including New Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist.
In 2012, Bert Weedon, the legendary British guitar player who influenced a generation of budding rock stars with his popular "Play in a Day" instructional book, died at his home in Beaconsfield, England. He was 91.
In 2013, Canadian-born Deanna Durbin, the teen sensation whose sparkling soprano voice and girl-next-door looks made her a star during Hollywood's Golden Age, died in a village outside Paris where she had lived with her third husband, out of public view, since 1949. She was 91.
In 2015, Canadian rapper Shad debuted as host of "q," CBC Radio's newly rebranded arts and culture show. (He lasted less than 16 months with his last show on Aug. 16, 2016. CBC Radio 2 Morning host Tom Powers took the reins in October.)
In 2017, Cuba Gooding Sr., who sang lead in the The Main Ingredient's 1972 hit "Everybody Plays the Fool," died at age 72.
In 2018, Grammy-nominated electronic dance producer/DJ Avicii, born Tim Bergling, was found dead in Muscat, Oman. Avicii was a pioneer of contemporary EDM and a rare DJ capable of worldwide arena tours. He won two MTV Music Awards and one Billboard Music Award.
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The Canadian Press