Today in Music History for Aug. 25:
In 1817, Joseph Mohr began serving as pastor of St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. On Christmas Eve 1818, Mohr and church organist Franz Gruber together produced the enduring Christmas carol, "Stille Nacht (Silent Night.)"
In 1916, violinist and conductor Ethel Stark was born in Montreal. She became the first Canadian woman to perform as a soloist on a U.S. network radio show. Stark founded the Montreal Women's Symphony Orchestra in 1940, conducting it until the late '60s. It was the first Canadian symphony orchestra composed entirely of women. She died Feb. 16, 2012.
In 1918, conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Mass. He conducted nearly every major symphony orchestra in the world, and from 1958-69 was musical director of the New York Philharmonic. Bernstein's works for the musical stage include "Wonderful Town" in 1953 and "West Side Story" in 1960. He died in Oct. 14, 1990.
In 1949, Gene Simmons, bass guitarist with the theatrical rock band "KISS," was born in New York. With their painted faces, elaborate costumes and imaginative stage shows, "KISS" was the biggest American band of the late '70s. Formed in 1972, the band did not really catch on until their fourth album, "Alive," in 1976. Simmons, who took the role of a fire-breathing ghoul with "KISS," has also carved out a second career as a movie villain and reality TV star.
In 1954, new wave singer Elvis Costello was born Declan McManus in Liverpool. Costello was given his stage name by one of the owners of Stiff Records, who released Costello's first single and album in 1977. The LP, "My Aim is True," made the top-20 in Britain and gained critical attention in North America. His subsequent albums, such as "This Year's Model," "Armed Forces" and "Imperial Bedroom," confirmed Costello as one of the most influential writers and performers of new wave music.
In 1962, Little Eva reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Loco-Motion," written and produced by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The 17-year-old singer was Goffin and King's babysitter.
(NOTE: The following paragraph contains language which may be offensive.)
In 1967, Brian Wilson, who had abandoned touring in 1965 after a nervous breakdown, made a rare concert appearance with "The Beach Boys" in Honolulu. The event was captured on a bootleg album called "Lei'd in Hawaii."
In 1967, "The Monkees" began a three-day swing through Seattle, Portland and Spokane, Wash. The performances were recorded and released on LP during "The Monkees'" revival almost 20 years later.
In 1970, singer Elton John made his U.S. debut at the Troubadour club in Los Angeles. In the audience was Mike Maitland, the president of MCA Records, who subsequently signed John.
In 1973, Butch Trucks, drummer with "The Allman Brothers Band," suffered a broken leg in a car crash in Macon, Ga.
In 1973, guitarist Henry McCullough left Paul McCartney's group, "Wings" after only a year with the band. He appeared on the album "Red Rose Speedway" and the theme from the James Bond film "Live and Let Die."
In 1975, Bruce Springsteen's third album, "Born to Run," was released. It was the record that provided the commercial breakthrough for "The Boss," quickly climbing the Billboard chart to No. 3. Springsteen began his first U.S. tour to promote the album.
In 1976, "Boston" released their first album. It has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, trailing only Guns 'N' Roses' "Appetite for Destruction" (1987) as the biggest-selling debut album in history.
In 1979, bandleader Stan Kenton died in Los Angeles at age 67. Kenton had million-sellers in the 1940's with "Artistry in Rhythm," his theme song, "Tampico" and "Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy."
In 1979, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by "The Charlie Daniels Band" hit No. 1 on the Billboard country chart.
In 1980, the opening night audience and cast of the Broadway musical "42nd Street" were stunned to learn during the curtain call that the show's director, Gower Champion, had died hours earlier of a rare blood cancer.
In 1986, Bryan Adams began recording his "Into the Fire" album in Vancouver.
In 1986, Paul Simon's "Graceland" LP -- recorded with South African musicians -- was released.
In 1988, "The Everly Brothers" performed a benefit concert during homecoming celebrations for them in Central City, Ky. It included the dedication of a monument to the singers and renaming a five-kilometre section of highway, Everly Brothers Blvd.
In 1993, shots fired from a car carrying rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg killed 25-year-old Philip Woldermariam in a Los Angeles park. The rapper, born Calvin Broadus, and his bodyguard, McKinley Lee, were acquitted of murder. The two claimed self-defence because Woldermariam was reaching for a gun.
In 1994, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, the guitar and voice of the 1970s rock megagroup "Led Zeppelin," reunited in London for the first of two "secret" concerts. The shows were taped for an MTV show called "Unledded," which aired two months later.
In 1994, a New York judge dissolved the nine-year marriage of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley. She inspired Joel's hit "Uptown Girl" before their marriage.
In 1995, two gold discs sent to "The Beatles" went on public display in their home town of Liverpool after being held by British customs for 30 years. The discs, marking the sale of one million copies of the single "A Hard Day's Night" and the LP "Something New" were sent to the group by Capitol Records of the U.S. in 1965. But they remained in a customs warehouse after the firm responsible for shipping them failed to pay import duty.
In 1996, "R.E.M." signed a five-album contract with Warner Brothers Records worth an estimated $80 million.
In 1998, during his second day as a disc jockey on a London station, Bob Geldof announced that fellow rocker Ian Dury had died. Dury, however, was still very much alive, although suffering from colorectal cancer. Geldof apologized for the erroneous report, which he said he got from an anonymous phone call. Dury died on March 27, 2000.
In 1999, keyboardist Rob Fisher of "Naked Eyes" died after a long illness. He was 39.
In 2000, rock composer Jack Nitzsche, who worked with "The Rolling Stones" and Neil Young and won an Academy Award in 1983 for the theme song to "An Officer and a Gentleman," died at age 63.
In 2001, singer-actress Aaliyah and eight other people died when their private plane crashed shortly after taking off from the Bahamas for Florida. The 22-year-old had already made three successful albums, received two Grammy nominations and appeared in the action film "Romeo Must Die."
In 2001, jazz musician John Nelson, the father of pop star Prince, died at the age of 85. Nelson wrote several of his son's songs, including "Computer Blue," "The Ladder," "Christopher Tracy's Parade," "Under the Cherry Moon," and "Scandalous."
In 2001, police temporarily stopped an Eminem concert in Glasgow, Scotland, after 45 people were hurt when the audience surged forward as the controversial rap star came on stage. The show continued after a 30-minute break.
In 2009, Oshawa, Ont. mayor John Gray announced that "KISS" would indeed play a concert in his city on Oct. 7th. Residents were miffed when, after winning an online contest to have the band play there, the closest venue on the band's "Kiss Alive 35" tour schedule released earlier in day was Toronto on Oct. 2.
In 2009, country artist Jack Ingram began a Guinness World Record for most consecutive radio interviews in 24 hours. He gave 215 interviews as part of a promotional blitz for his new album, "Big Dreams and High Hopes." He parked himself at the base of New York's Brooklyn Bridge and spoke by phone to radio stations in most of the 50 states and parts of Canada, Ireland and Australia. The previous record was 96.
In 2009, a judge sentenced Chris Brown to five years probation, six months of community labour and a year of domestic violence counselling for the beating of singer Rihanna back in February. He also ordered the R&B singer to stay away from his former girlfriend for the next five years.
In 2009, "Big and Rich" donated $10 from each ticket sold from their Edmonton show and raised $55,000 for the trust fund set up for Donna Moore's two boys. Moore, a resident of Lloydminster, Sask., was killed at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alta., on Aug. 1st when a violent windstorm collapsed part of the stage and a giant speaker fell on her.
In 2010, singer George Michael entered a London clinic for a 14-day detox program, a day after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs.
In 2010, the Opry circle was reinstalled in the stage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville by construction workers with help from country music stars Brad Paisley and Little Jimmy Dickens. Flood waters had nearly destroyed the precious piece of country music history in May when the stage was under water.
In 2010, "U2" performed in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, its first-ever Russian concert.
In 2019, Mitch Podolak, who co-founded the Winnipeg Folk Festival and who was also a prominent figure in the Canadian folk-music community, died at 71 after battling serious health issues for several years. Besides his work with Winnipeg's music festival, Podolak was also known for his contributions to the Winnipeg International Children's Festival and his role in helping to create the city's West End Cultural Centre. He was also a founding member of the Vancouver Folk Festival and helped get similar events off the ground in Edmonton and Calgary, as well as some in Atlantic Canada.
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The Canadian Press