Today in Music History for Dec. 8:
In 1865, Finnish composer Jan Sibelius was born. A romantic composer, his works express an intense, mystical love of nature. Sibelius is best known for his orchestral works, such as "Finlandia."
In 1914, Irving Berlin鈥檚 first musical, "Watch Your Step," premiered on Broadway.
In 1938, Canadian recording artist manager and concert promoter Burnie Fiedler was born in Berlin, Germany.
In 1943, Jim Morrison, lead singer of "The Doors," was born in Melbourne, Fla. Morrison, known as "The Lizard King," was among the wildest and most controversial figures in rock music. By 1969, his frequent brushes with the law, including a couple of obscenity charges, made many promoters leery of booking "The Doors." The group had such hits as "People Are Strange," "Hello, I Love You" and "Touch Me" before Morrison died in his bathtub in Paris on July 3, 1971.
In 1951, Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester made her professional debut with the Montreal Elgar Choir in Elgar鈥檚 "The Music Makers." She is recognized as one of the world鈥檚 leading contraltos.
In 1956, 11-year-old Brenda Lee released her first single, "I鈥檓 Gonna Lasso Santa Claus."
In 1961, "The Beach Boys" first single, "Surfin鈥�," was released on the small Candix label. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was a hit only in California. The record company soon went out of business.
In 1975, Bob Dylan鈥檚 "Rolling Thunder Review鈥� cross-country extravaganza ended with a show at New York鈥檚 Madison Square Garden. The concert was a benefit for former boxer and alleged murderer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. More than $100,000 was raised for his legal fund.
In 1975, Gary Thain, bass guitarist with the hard rock band "Uriah Heep," died of a drug overdose. He was nearly killed two years earlier when he suffered an electric shock on stage in Dallas, Texas. He later complained that the rest of the band didn't care what happened to him. The conflicts intensified to the point where Thain was asked to leave the band in 1975.
In 1976, the "Eagles鈥�" "Hotel California" was released. It would spend eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. (It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide).
In 1980, former "Beatle" John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building as he and his wife, Yoko Ono, were returning from a recording session. Mark David Chapman shot Lennon only hours after Lennon had autographed the album "Double Fantasy" for the 25-year-old drifter. Chapman was later convicted of the killing and sentenced to 20-years-to-life. In 1998, the album that Lennon autographed that day was offered for sale on the Internet by an anonymous man who found it at the crime scene. The asking price -- $1.8 million. Chapman said he stashed the album behind a watchman鈥檚 booth before shooting Lennon.
In 1982, country singer Marty Robbins died of a heart attack at the age of 57. His career spanned more than three decades, and he had been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1953. He had a versatile voice that could adapt itself to almost any style -- country, western ballads, rockabilly or pop. His pop hits in the late 1950s included "Singing the Blues" and "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)." In 1960, Robbins went to the top of both the country and pop charts with the gunfighter ballad "El Paso." His other hits over the years included "Don鈥檛 Worry," "Devil Woman" and "My Woman My Woman, My Wife." Robbins was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame two months before his death.
In 1982, blues harmonica player Walter (Shakey) Horton died of a heart attack in Chicago at the age of 65. His career began in the late 1920s, and over the years he performed with such blues greats as Ma Rainey, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin鈥� Wolf.
In 1984, "Motley Crue" singer Vince Neil crashed a sports car on a California highway, killing his passenger, Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle Dingley.
In 1986, police in Prague broke up a march of 400 people marking the sixth anniversary of John Lennon鈥檚 death.
In 1991, country legend Roy Acuff was honoured at the Kennedy Center Honors, becoming the first country artist to receive the award.
In 1992, Paul McCartney signed a long-term recording contract with Capitol and EMI Records. The terms were not disclosed.
In 1994, Brazilian composer and guitarist Antonio Carlos Jobim, whose blend of samba and jazz helped spark the bossa nova craze in the 1960s, died in New York of heart failure. He was 67. Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz made several of Jobim鈥檚 songs famous, including "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Desafinado." Among Jobim鈥檚 other songs that have become pop standards are "One-note Samba," "Meditation" and "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars."
In 1995, the "Grateful Dead" announced they were breaking up, four months after the death of Jerry Garcia, the group鈥檚 founder and guiding spirit. The "Grateful Dead," which Garcia and other members formed in 1965 in San Francisco, was one of rock鈥檚 top-drawing acts for three decades. Legions of the group鈥檚 fans, known as "Deadheads," travelled with the band to attend their shows.
In 2003, rocker Ozzy Osbourne was seriously injured while riding a quad bike around his English estate. He apparently hit something and the bike landed on top of him.
In 2004, former "Pantera" guitarist Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed during a show with his new band, "DamagePlan," in Columbus, Ohio. Three others were also killed before a police officer shot and killed the gunman. Darrell was 38.
In 2008, Madonna won a judgment against a British tabloid that she accused of breaching her privacy and copyright by publishing pictures of her 2000 wedding to film director Guy Ritchie. Madonna said the pictures were stolen from her by an interior designer in California. The court victory came just a few weeks after she was granted a preliminary divorce from Ritchie.
In 2008, Dennis Yost, lead singer of the 1960s group "The Classics IV," died at age 65. The group's hits included "Spooky," "Stormy" and "Traces of Love."
In 2009, iTunes announced that "Only by the Night" by "Kings of Leon" was its year's top-selling album. "The Black Eyed Peas'" "Boom Boom Pow" was the best-selling single. Michael Jackson was declared its artist of the year.
In 2009, "Blink-182" drummer Travis Barker settled his lawsuit against several companies over a fatal plane crash in South Carolina in September 2008. The terms of the settlement were confidential. Barker was one of two survivors of a plane crash that killed two of his friends and two pilots. The other survivor, celebrity disc jockey DJ AM, died in August 2009 of an accidental drug overdose.
In 2010, on the 30th anniversary of his death, "Rolling Stone" magazine published for the first time the full interview with John Lennon, held just three days before he was gunned down in front of his New York City apartment. In the interview, Lennon slammed his critics, saying they want "dead heroes." He also talked about trying to be a good father to young Sean Lennon. As for the future, Lennon said there was "plenty of time" to reach his goals.
In 2010, Katy Perry's "Fireworks" claimed top spot in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, her third in 2010 ("Teenage Dream," California Gurls"). She became the first female artist since Paula Abdul in 1989 to have three No. 1's from an album in the same year.
In 2010, Billboard announced that Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" was the No. 1 song of the year. The top act was Lady Gaga and the top album was Susan Boyle's debut, "I Dreamed a Dream."
In 2010, Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2013, guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana, "Piano Man" Billy Joel, jazz legend Herbie Hancock and opera singer Martina Arroyo received Kennedy Center Honors, awarded each year to those who influence American culture through the arts.
In 2013, heavy metal band Metallica performed for 120 scientists and contest winners at the Argentine Carlini Base in Antarctica, becoming the first band to play all seven continents in one year.
In 2014, Grammy Award-winner Sting jumped aboard his Broadway musical "The Last Ship" as its newest star to play the role of shipyard foreman, hoping to help right the $15-million semi-autobiographical project that was listing dangerously at the box office. His appearances helped boost ticket sales but the long-term hopes for the show didn't improve so the production was shuttered after the Jan. 24th curtain.
In 2016, rock legend Mick Jagger, the 73-year-old frontman of The Rolling Stones, welcomed the birth of his eighth child, a son, and first with 29-year-old girlfriend Melanie Hamrick.
In 2016, Billboard magazine announced Adele as its top artist for 2016 and her "25" as the top album. The top Hot 100 song was "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber. His "Sorry" was second, making him just the third artist (Usher (2004) and The Beatles (1964)) in the chart's 58-year history to have the year's top two songs. Drake was the top R&B/hip-hop act. His song "One Dance" was the top R&B/hip-hop song and his "Views" the top album in that category.
In 2021, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber went ahead with his concert in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, despite calls by human rights campaigners and activists to cancel the performance.
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The Canadian Press
