Today in Music History for Sept. 12:
In 1931, country music legend George Jones, the peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaking classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today," was born in Saratoga, Texas. In a career that lasted more than 50 years, "Possum" recorded more than 150 albums and became the champion and symbol of traditional country music, a well-lined link to his hero, Hank Williams. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. He died on April 26, 2013, in the middle of his farewell tour.
In 1944, disco singer, songwriter and producer Barry White was born in Galveston, Texas. His voice oozed sex appeal for three decades on songs such as "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me" and "You're the First, the Last, My Everything." White received belated recognition for his work in 2000 when he won his first two Grammys for Best Male and Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for the song "Staying Power." He died July 4, 2003.
In 1951, Ali-Ollie Woodson of "The Temptations" was born in Detroit, Mich. Though he was not an original member, replacing Dennis Edwards, he led the group in the 1980s and '90s and played an integral part in keeping them from becoming just a nostalgia act. His voice, though similar to Edwards' with its fiery tone, was distinct in itself, and helped the group notch the R&B hits "Treat Her Like a Lady," ''Sail Away," and "Lady Soul," from 1984 to 1986. He died May 30, 2010, after battling cancer.
In 1952, Neil Peart, drummer for the Canadian prog-rock trio "Rush," was born in Hamilton, Ont. He joined Rush in 1974, after the band's first album, replacing original drummer John Rutsey. "Rush" has enjoyed considerable success in both the U.S. and Canada. Several of their albums -- "2112," "Moving Pictures," "All the World's a Stage" and "Exit ... Stage Left" -- have sold more than one million copies each in the U.S. alone. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
In 1966, "The Monkees" TV series, featuring a pre-fabricated musical group based on "The Beatles," premiered. From the 500 candidates who auditioned for the show, producer Don Kirshner chose Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, Davey Jones and Michael Nesmith. The four were chosen not because they were good singers or musicians, nor even because they could act well. They were selected because they looked right for the parts. While "The Monkees" could sing and act a bit, they did not play the instruments heard on the TV show or on their early records. The series ran for more than two years, and their records sold in the millions. Among "The Monkees'" hits were "Last Train to Clarksville,'" "Daydream Believer," "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "I'm a Believer."
In 1970, a Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert, one of a series organized by Pete Seeger, was held in the Hollywood Bowl. More than 18,000 people attended the tribute to the legendary folksinger. Among the performers were Woody's son, Arlo, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.
In 1987, Michael Jackson opened his first solo world tour with a concert in Tokyo before 40,000 people. It was Jackson's first concert performance in three years. The non-stop, two-hour show consisted of 16 songs, mostly past hits but with a few from his newly-released album "Bad." Jackson wore the silver-studded leather jump suit featured on the "Bad" LP cover. Total attendance on the more than year-long world tour was more than four million.
In 1989, police in Toronto gave Alice Cooper a $105 ticket for disturbing the peace after he toured the downtown area in a garbage truck that blasted out 400 watts of music from his latest album, "Trash."
In 1995, tenor Luciano Pavarotti led an outdoor concert in his home town of Modena, Italy, to raise money for Bosnia's children. Other participants included Bono and The Edge of "U2," "The Chieftains," "The Cranberries" and Meat Loaf.
In 1996, the feuding Gallagher brothers, Noel and Liam, cut short a U.S. concert tour by British rock group "Oasis" and the band members flew home to London. Response to "Oasis" had been less than overwhelming in the U.S., despite the band's popularity in Britain, Europe and Canada. A British newspaper reported that it was Noel Gallagher who wanted to cut the tour short, prompting a fistfight with his brother.
In 1996, a Miami man obsessed with Icelandic pop singer Bjork mailed a book booby-trapped with acid to her London home, then shot and killed himself on videotape while listening to her song "I Miss You." The device, designed to squirt sulphuric acid when the book was opened never reached the singer. Police found the body of Richard Lopez and uncovered his plot before the mail was picked up.
In 1997, Stig (Stikkan) Andersson, who managed and produced some of the recordings of the Swedish pop group "ABBA," died of a heart attack in Stockholm. He was 66. Andersson's Polar Record Company released "ABBA's" hit recordings in the '70s and '80s, including "Waterloo" and "Dancing Queen." He used much of his profits to fund the Polar Music Prize, given annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music to one pop and one classical musician.
In 1999, singer Graham Nash broke both legs in a freak boating accident in Hawaii.
In 2000, "The Jimi Hendrix Experience," a 4-CD set of rare tracks, was released by his family.
In 2000, Stanley Turrentine, a jazz tenor saxophonist whose hit "Sugar" established him in the popular mainstream and influenced musicians in many other genres, died at age 66.
In 2002, Whitney Houston was sued for $100 million for breach of contract by John Houston Entertainment LLC, a company her father had founded. John Houston passed away in February 2003, and his partner Kevin Skinner continued with the lawsuit. Superior Court Judge Francine Schott dismissed the lawsuit on April 5, 2004 because Skinner failed to participate in pre-trial discovery.
In 2003, Johnny Cash, a towering musical figure whose rough, unsteady voice championed the downtrodden and reached across generations with songs like “Ring of Fire, “I Walk the Line and “Folsom Prison Blues, died of complications from diabetes that resulted in respiratory failure. He was 71. Known as "The Man in Black," Cash won 11 Grammy Awards -- the last in 2003, when "Give My Love To Rose" earned him honours as best male country vocal performance. He also won numerous Country Music Association awards. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
In 2008, Grand Ole Opry star Charlie Walker, who became a popular disc jockey in Texas as he built a career as a honky-tonk singer, died of colon cancer. He was 81. His breakthrough came in 1958 with the Harlan Howard-penned "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down." The tune became a million-seller and a country music staple. His other hits included "Who Will Buy the Wine," "Wild as a Wildcat" and "Don't Squeeze My Sharmon." He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1967 and was also a member of the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame.
In 2008, "Metallica" released "Death Magnetic." When it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, it became their fifth consecutive studio album to do so, making them the first band to achieve that distinction. (In 2016, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" extended their streak to six.)
In 2008, "The Village People" received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2009, at the Creative Arts Primetime Emmys, singer-actor Justin Timberlake picked up another Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on "Saturday Night Live."
In 2009, Tom Cochrane and "Blue Rodeo" were among the newest members inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
In 2010, Gord Bamford won three Canadian Country Music Awards -- Album and Video of the Year for "Day Job," and Male Artist of the Year. Johnny Reid also won three as "Dance With Me" was named Top-Selling Canadian Album and the title track named Single of the Year. He also won the coveted Fan's Choice Award. "Doc Walker" repeated as Duo or Group of the Year, Victoria Banks won Female Artist of the Year and sister duo "One More Girl" won the Rising Star Award. Corb Lund won Roots Artist/Group of the Year award for the seventh year in a row.
In 2010, Lady Gaga swept the MTV Video Music Awards with eight wins, wearing a dress made of meat as she accepted the Video of the Year award for "Bad Romance." But she was overshadowed by the hype over performances by country music sweetheart Taylor Swift and rapper Kanye West. Swift sang "Forgiveness," a new song extending an olive branch to West for interrupting her 2009 VMA's acceptance speech for Best Female Video. West performed "Runaway," beating himself up over his boorish behaviour. Canadian teen heartthrob Justin Bieber won for New Artist for his video of "Baby."
In 2011, Johnny Reid and Dean Brody won three awards each at the Canadian Country Music Awards. Reid nabbed the Fans' Choice Award, Male Artist and Video of the Year for "Today I'm Gonna Try and Change the World." Brody won Album of the Year for "Trail of Life," Songwriter and Single of the Year for the title track. Terri Clark was named Female Artist of the Year.
In 2011, Wade Mainer, a country music pioneer who is credited with inventing the two-finger banjo picking style that paved the way for the Bluegrass era, died at age 104.
In 2011, Don Wayne, who wrote the No. 1 country hits "Country Bumpkin" for Cal Smith and co-wrote "Saginaw, Michigan" for Lefty Frizzell, died after battling cancer. He was 78. His songs were also recorded by Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams Jr.
In 2011, the European Union agreed to extend royalty protection for music performers and producers from 50 years to 70 years, making sure artists are covered through their lifetimes and don't face a decline in income in their later years. Early catalogues of thousands of European performers were about to become public domain under the old rule.
In 2013, Ray Dolby, an American inventor and audio pioneer who founded Dolby Laboratories, died at the age of 80. He founded his namesake company in 1965 and grew it into an industry leader in audio technology. His work in noise reduction and surround sound led to the creation of a number of technologies that are still being used in music, movies and entertainment.
In 2015, "Mamma Mia!", the musical based on the songs of ABBA, ended its Broadway run after 5,773 performances over 14 years.
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The Canadian Press