Today in Music History for Nov. 12:
In 1818, English church organist and composer Henry Hemy was born. Of his several original compositions, the best known is the tune "St. Catherine," to which is commonly sung the hymn "Faith of Our Fathers."
In 1902, tenor Enrico Caruso cut the first of several versions of what would become the first recording to sell a million copies, a selection from the opera "I Pagliacci." Caruso recorded the song a second time in 1907, and again in 1910.
In 1905, "Cain" by Alexis Contant, one of the first oratorios composed by a Canadian, premiered at the Monument National in Montreal. In the audience was the prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier.
In 1916, Canadian composer and music teacher Jean Papineau-Couture was born in Montreal. He was a pioneer in the development of a course on musical acoustics and served as dean of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Music from 1968-73. Among his pupils were such Canadian composers as Jacques Hetu, Francois Morel and Andre Prevost. Papineau's major works as a composer include his "Etude in B-Flat Minor" and the five "Pieces concertantes." He died Aug. 11, 2000.
In 1917, singer Jo Stafford was born in Coalinga, Calif. The honey-voiced band singer starred in radio and television and sold more than 25 million records with her ballads and folk songs. She had 26 charted singles and nearly a dozen top-10 hits and she once won a Grammy for her humour. Stafford's records of "I'll Walk Alone," "I'll Be Seeing You," "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" and other sentimental songs struck the hearts of servicemen far from home in both the Second World War and the Korean War. She died on July 16, 2008, at the age of 90.
In 1925, trumpeter Louis Armstrong entered a Chicago studio with his "Hot Five" to make some of the most influential jazz records in history. "The Hot Five" included Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Johnny St. Cyr on banjo and Armstrong's wife, Lil, on piano. Although the combo never performed outside the recording studio during its two-year life, the group's best records -- such as "Cornet Chop Suey" and "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" -- have stood the test of time.
In 1931, record producer and arranger Bob Crewe was born in Newark, N.J. Crewe masterminded the creation of "The Four Seasons," and beginning with the 1962 million-seller "Sherry," produced all their hits for the next six years. He also co-wrote most of their songs with group member Bob Gaudio. Crewe had a top-20 hit of his own, the instrumental "Music To Watch Girls By," in 1967. He died Sept. 11, 2014.
In 1943, pop singer Brian Hyland was born in Woodhaven, N.Y. His lengthy career began in 1960 with that year's biggest novelty hit, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." Hyland was still in high school when that record topped the charts. He soon abandoned novelty tunes for love ballads, hitting the top-5 in 1962 with "Sealed With a Kiss." Hyland hadn't had a major hit in four years when he made No. 3 on the Billboard chart in 1970 with "Gypsy Woman," which was produced by Del Shannon.
In 1945, Canadian rock singer and songwriter Neil Young was born in Toronto. He spent his teen years in local rock bands in Winnipeg and Toronto, before moving to Los Angeles and becoming a founding member of the folk-rock group "Buffalo Springfield" in 1966. That band broke up in 1968, largely because of tensions between Young and another group member, Stephen Stills. Young released his first solo LP in 1969, and for the next five years divided his time between playing with his own band, "Crazy Horse," and performing with the group "Crosby, Stills and Nash." Young's commercial breakthrough came in 1970 with the release of the "Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young" album "Deja Vu" and his third solo LP, "After the Goldrush." In 1972, Young released the million-selling album "Harvest," which yielded the No. 1 hit "Heart of Gold." His other popular songs include "Tell Me Why," "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "Lotta Love." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo performer and a member of "Buffalo Springfield."
In 1956, the formation of the Canada Council was announced. The Council's mandate was to encourage the development of the arts, humanities and social sciences in Canada. A board of 21 members from all 10 provinces are named by the federal government. The Council offers assistance to individual artists and artistic organizations.
In 1970, Jim Morrison performed for the last time with "The Doors" at a concert in New Orleans. Morrison died of heart failure in Paris on July 3, 1971.
In 1979, "Rock Justice," a rock opera written by and starring Marty Balin of "Jefferson Airplane," opened in San Francisco. Balin played a singer on trial for not having a hit record.
In 1980, Bruce Springsteen earned his first No. 1 album, with "The River."
In 1984, Elton John wrapped up his "Breaking Hearts" tour with a New York concert at which he presented the Princess Grace Foundation with a cheque for $50,000.
In 1984, Madonna's second album, "Like a Virgin," was released. The title song spent six weeks at No. 1 on the singles chart. The album has sold over 21 million copies around the world.
In 1987, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the drug and weapons convictions of rock singer David Crosby. Crosby had been released from prison in August 1986 after serving five months of a five-year term. He was convicted in Dallas of possession of cocaine and unlawfully carrying a handgun in a tavern.
In 1987, Sly Stone, of "Sly and the Family Stone" fame, showed up two hours late for what was supposed to be a comeback concert in Los Angeles. After the show, he was arrested for cocaine possession and failure to pay child support.
In 1988, Vet Boswell, the last surviving member of the 1930s singing trio, "The Boswell Sisters," died in Peekskill, N.Y. at the age of 77. Their harmonies and arrangements combined elements of jazz and blues into a style that was a forerunner to swing music. Among "The Boswell Sisters'" hits were "Dinah," "Yessir, That's My Baby" and "The Music Goes Round and Round."
In 1989, Joe Cocker, Melissa Etheridge, Canadian Andrew Cash, Nina Hagen and several German bands performed at a free concert in West Berlin to celebrate the opening of the Berlin Wall. Thousands of East and West Germans jammed the Deutschland Arena for the show.
In 1990, "The Rolling Stones" guitarist Ronnie Wood had both his legs broken when he was struck by a car west of London. After Wood's wife crashed the family car, he stepped out to direct traffic and was hit by another vehicle.
Also in 1993, Michael Jackson abruptly cancelled his "Dangerous" world tour, claiming he was addicted to painkilling drugs. He said in an audiotape released by his publicist that it was impossible for him to continue performing because of the addiction and the stress of accusations that he sexually molested a boy in California. Jackson had already cancelled or delayed several dates on the tour before it was finally halted while he was in Mexico. Jackson reportedly went to Switzerland for treatment of his addiction.
In 1996, Prince invited 600 media people and other guests to his Paisley Park studio in Minneapolis for a preview of his triple CD, "Emancipation." A half hour of the artist's performance was broadcast on MuchMusic and Musique Plus in Canada and on several cable channels in the U.S. The album was released a week later.
In 2008, Kenny Chesney won his third consecutive, and fourth all-time, Entertainer of the Year award at the Country Music Association Awards. George Strait won Single of the Year ("I Saw God Today") and Album of the Year ("Trubadour") giving him 22 overall, the most in CMA awards history. Other winners: Sugarland (Duo of the Year), Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles (Song of the Year, "Stay"), Carrie Underwood (Female Vocalist), Brad Paisley (Male Vocalist and Video of the Year for "Waitin' On a Woman"). "Rascal Flatts" won their sixth straight Vocal Group of the Year award and "Lady Antebellum" was the Best New Artist.
In 2008, Mitch Mitchell, drummer for the legendary "Jimi Hendrix Experience" of the 1960s and the group's last surviving member, died of natural causes. He was 61. Mitchell was a powerful force on "Are You Experienced?" the 1967 debut album of the Hendrix band, and the band's albums "Electric Ladyland" and "Axis: Bold As Love." He had an explosive drumming style that can be heard in hard-charging songs such as "Fire" and "Manic Depression."
In 2008, Rihanna cancelled a concert scheduled in Indonesia over security concerns. A travel advisory was issued to citizens in Indonesia after the weekend executions of three Islamic militants convicted in the 2002 Bali bombings.
In 2008, a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for $13.5 million at an auction in New York City. The 1982 painting, "Untitled (Boxer)," was consigned to Christie's auction house by Lars Ulrich, drummer for heavy metal band "Metallica." Christie's didn't identify the buyer.
In 2008, Michael Jackson gave up title to his Neverland ranch in California, transferring the deed to a company he partly controlled. He filed a grant deed on the ranch that made the new owner the Sycamore Valley Ranch Co. LLC. He had defaulted on the $24.5 million he owed on the property and had faced foreclosure before Colony Capital bailed him out by purchasing his loan.
In 2010, Polish composer Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki died following a serious illness. He was 76. He was best known internationally for his Symphony No. 3, Opus 36, for a soprano and orchestra -- the "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" -- which was published in the United States in 1992. It later became a best-selling recording, reaching the top of the classical music charts in both the U.S. and the U.K.
In 2011, singer-actor Justin Timberlake made good on his promise to take Cpl. Kelsey De Santis to the Marine Corps Ball in Richmond, Va. She had asked him to the event via a YouTube video and he accepted.
In 2012, "The Rolling Stones" released "GRRR!", a greatest hits collection that included two new songs "Doom and Gloom" and "One More Shot," to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary.
In 2016, rocker Leon Russell, a top session player in the 1960s and '70s who later had a successful solo career with such hits as "Tight Rope" and "Lady Blue," died at age 74. He was primarily a keyboard player, playing back up for Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys and many other artists. John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr played on his self-titled solo debut. Russell was named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.
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The Canadian Press