Today in Music History for Dec. 15:
In 1846, mezzo-soprano and actress Rosita del Vecchio, known as the Sarah Bernhardt of Canada, was born in Montreal. Very popular in Quebec, she enjoyed great success as an actress in a series of performances of Jules Barbier's "Jeanne D'Arc" in May, 1877 at the Academy of Music in Montreal. She died on Feb. 11, 1881, of bronchial pneumonia.
In 1913, Toronto's newest vaudeville house, the 2,200-seat Loew's Yonge St. Theatre (now the Elgin), opened. Owner Marcus Loewe brought in Irving Berlin to sing some of his favourites to a standing-room only crowd. Two months later, the 1,500-seat Winter Garden was opened above Loew's, creating the only double-decker theatre complex in Canada.
In 1928, country singer Jerry Wallace was born in Guilford, Miss. He shot to fame in the late 1950s with a pair of hit songs, including "Primrose Lane." He died May 5, 2008 in Victorville, Calif., at age 79.
In 1933, R&B singer Jesse Belvin was born in Texarkana, Ark. His influence went far beyond his hit records, the biggest of which was "Goodnight My Love" in 1956. He became a father figure to many younger singers, and also wrote "Earth Angel," which became a million-seller for "The Penguins" in 1954. He died in a car crash in 1960.
In 1943, the great jazz pianist Fats Waller died aboard the Santa Fe Superchief train en route to New York from Los Angeles. He was 39. Waller, exhausted from a tour of U.S. military bases and from his legendary drinking and partying, was just getting over a bout of pneumonia. He caught a chill and choked to death.
In 1944, a plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller, a U.S. army major, disappeared over the English Channel during a flight to Paris. He was 40. The British Defence Ministry said 41 years later, in 1985, that Miller's plane was probably accidentally hit by explosives jettisoned from British fighters.
In 1955, Johnny Cash's first version of "Folsom Prison Blues" was released by Sun Records. He re-recorded the song in 1968 as part of the album he made live at Folsom. It was one of Cash's most popular LPs.
In 1959, "The Everly Brothers" recorded "Let It Be Me" in New York. It was the first time they didn't record in Nashville and the first time they recorded with strings.
In 1960, Frank Sinatra, disgruntled with his contract at Capitol, started his own record company, calling it Reprise. At the time, he was the company's only artist.
In 1962, "The First Family" by John Kennedy impressionist Vaughan Meader hit No. 1 on the Billboard album chart on its way to selling a million copies. Kennedy himself praised the record as a good example of American humour. When the U.S. president was assassinated the following year, both the album and Meader dropped from sight.
In 1966, the Societe de musique contemporaine du Quebec (Contemporary Music Society of Quebec) presented its first concert in Montreal, featuring works by Canadian composers Murray Schafer, Bruce Mather and Serge Garant.
In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono erected billboards proclaiming "War Is Over! If You Want It!" in Toronto and 11 other cities around the world. On the same day, their "Plastic Ono Band" made its British debut at the Lyceum Theatre in London. It would be Lennon's only performance in his native country as a non-"Beatle."
In 1977, the "Sex Pistols" were denied visas to enter the U.S., two days before the punk rock group was scheduled to appear on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and begin their first U.S. tour. Elvis Costello was their replacement on the TV show.
In 1988, Bruce Springsteen was granted a divorce from Julianne Phillips, effective the following March. Phillips said she would resume the acting career she put on hold during her three years with Springsteen.
In 1988, James Brown was sentenced in Aiken, S.C., to six years in prison for failing to stop for police during a two-state auto chase.
In 1990, singer Rod Stewart married model Rachel Hunter in Beverly Hills, Calif. They later split.
In 1991, "Queen" lead singer Freddie Mercury made British pop history with a chart-topping single three weeks after he died of AIDS. The band's 1975 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" was re-released as a tribute to Mercury, and proceeds from its sale went to AIDS research. It was the first time in Britain that a re-released former No. 1 regained the top spot.
In 1994, "Bon Jovi" lead guitarist Richie Sambora and actress Heather Locklear were married in a civil ceremony in New Jersey. They then flew to Paris for a formal wedding with family and friends. They divorced in 2007.
In 1994, Courtney Love revealed in a "Rolling Stone" magazine interview that Kurt Cobain brought a gun to the hospital the day after their daughter was born in 1992 and proposed a suicide pact. Love said she agreed, then had second thoughts and managed to talk her husband out of killing himself. But Cobain had constant suicidal episodes and finally shot himself to death at his Seattle home in April 1994.
In 1995, jazz vibraphonist Johnny Lytle died of kidney failure in Dayton, Ohio. He was 63. He was considered one of the top vibe players in the world and recorded more than 50 albums.
In 1998, a stagehand in Manassas, Va., filed a $3 million lawsuit against the "Backstreet Boys." Michael Barrett claimed he was injured by a 20-kg prop cannon that fell on his head following a show by the pop group.
In 2007, Celine Dion concluded a five-year engagement at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
In 2008, Madonna settled her divorce with ex-husband Guy Ritchie by parting with at least C$93 million. The figure included the value of the couple's country home, Ashcombe House in western England, as well as the west London pub "The Punchbowl," both of which Ritchie kept.
In 2008, Kevin Cogill, accused of leaking nine tracks from "Chinese Democracy" on his blog months before Axl Rose's long-delayed "Guns N' Roses" opus arrived on store shelves, pleaded guilty to U.S. federal copyright violation.
In 2008, virtuoso guitarist Davy Graham, a leading figure in Britain's 1960s folk music revival, died at age 68. His innovative tuning and dexterity on the acoustic guitar inspired a range of artists. His 1962 song "Angi" became a folk classic and was covered, among others, by Simon and Garfunkle on their 1966 album "Sounds of Silence."
In 2009, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the next class of inductees: "ABBA," "Genesis," Jimmy Cliff, "The Hollies" and "The Stooges."
In 2009, "Metallica" frontman James Hetfield donated 135 hectares of land near his California home for preservation as farmland. It followed his earlier gift of more than 160 hectares. The donations reflect the singer's desire to maintain privacy and preserve open space.
In 2011, pop siren Katy Perry was named MTV's first Artist of the Year. Perry tied Michael Jackson's record with five No. 1 singles from the same album. Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" was named Song of the Year.
In 2015, the Recording Industry Association of America announced Michael Jackson's "Thriller" became the first album to reach 30 million copies sold in the U.S. The album has proved even more popular overseas, with a total of 100 million copies sold worldwide since its 1982 release.
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The Canadian Press
