Today in Music History for Dec. 25:
In 1641, Rev. Jean de Brebeuf composed "Jesus, He is Born (The Huron Carol)," the song considered to be New France's first Christmas carol written in the Huron language.
In 1907, singer and bandleader Cab Calloway was born in Rochester, N.Y. Calloway made his reputation on the stage of New York's famous Cotton Club in the 1930s. He's remembered mostly for his jivey vocals, such as "Minnie the Moocher," recorded in 1931. His orchestra was a superb jazz organization, containing at various times such stars as saxophonist Ben Webster, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and drummer Cozy Cole. Calloway later became a star in stage musicals, appearing as "Sportin' Life" in "Porgy and Bess" and opposite Pearl Bailey in a production of "Hello Dolly." Calloway died on Nov. 18, 1994, in a Delaware nursing home.
In 1931, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York broadcast an entire opera over radio for the first time. Listeners in the United States and Canada and overseas heard "Hansel and Gretel."
In 1948, Barbara Mandrell, one of the top female vocalists in contemporary country music, was born in Houston. By the age of 11, she was performing in Las Vegas, and two years later toured with Johnny Cash. Mandrell scored her first country hit in 1969 with a version of Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Her slick style made her attractive to pop audiences, and she and her sisters, Louise and Irlene, had their own TV series for two seasons. Barbara Mandrell won the Country Music Association entertainer of the year award two years in a row, but her career received a setback in 1984 when she was seriously injured in a car crash.
In 1954, R&B balladeer Johnny Ace died after shooting himself while playing Russian roulette backstage at the City Auditorium in Houston on Christmas Eve. He was 25. His recording of "Pledging My Love" became a big hit after his death.
In 1957, future "Beatle" Ringo Starr, who was then 17-year-old Richard Starkey, received his first drum set for Christmas. He was working as an apprentice engineer at the time.
In 1964, George Harrison's girlfriend, Patti Boyd, was attacked by jealous female fans at a Beatles' show in London.
In 1967, "Beatle" Paul McCartney and Jane Asher became engaged. They never married.
In 1968, singer-guitarist Eric Bloom joined "Blue Oyster Cult."
In 1976, country singer Larry Gatlin and "The Gatlin Brothers Band" joined the Grand Ole Opry. The previous year, Gatlin's "Broken Lady" won him the Grammy Award for best song.
In 1976, the "Eagles" album "Hotel California" went platinum. (It has since sold over 29 million in the U.S. and 42 million worldwide.)
In 1978, "Public Image Limited" performed for the first time in London.
In 1981, "The J. Geils Band" performed a Christmas concert for the inmates at a correction centre near Boston. A few days later, their "Freeze Frame" album went gold.
In 1991, Willie Nelson's son, Billy Nelson, hanged himself in his home near Nashville. He was 33. A spokeswoman for the country star said his belief in reincarnation made it easier to deal with his son's death.
In 1991, "The Prince of Tides," directed by Barbra Streisand, opened in North America.
In 1995, singer-actor Dean Martin died of respiratory failure at his Beverly Hills, Calif., home. He was 78. Martin first gained fame in a comedy duo with Jerry Lewis in the late 1940s. They were top movie, TV and nightclub stars when Martin ended the act in 1956. He went on to further stardom on his own, both as an actor and singer. Martin's movies included "The Young Lions," "Some Came Running" and the Matt Helm series. His TV variety show ran for eight years on NBC, beginning in 1965. And on record, Martin's smooth baritone made No. 1 hits out of "Memories are Made of This" in 1956 and "Everybody Loves Somebody" in 1964.
In 1996, "Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival 1970" began playing in a small number of U.S. theatres. It took producer Murray Lerner 25 years to find the financing to complete the film of the legendary concert, which included the final performance by Jimi Hendrix before his drug-related death in September 1970.
In 1998, guitarist Bryan MacLean of "Love" died of a heart attack in Los Angeles. He was 52.
In 2005, opera singer Birgit Nilsson died in her native Sweden at age 87.
In 2006, singer James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, died at age 73. His music covered many categories -- from gospel, soul, and funk to rock, jazz, and reggae. He had 98 songs make the top-40 on the R&B charts during his more than four-decade career. His hits included "Please Please Please," "I Feel Good," "Living in America," and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Along with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and a handful of others, Brown was one of the major musical influences of the past 50 years. He won a Grammy for lifetime achievement in 1992. Songs such as David Bowie's "Fame," Prince's "Kiss," George Clinton's "Atomic Dog" and "Sly and the Family Stone's" "Sing a Simple Song" were clearly based on Brown's rhythms and vocal style.
In 2008, Eartha Kitt, a sultry singer, dancer and actress who rose from South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, died at age 81. Her career spanned six decades, from her start as a dancer with the famed Katherine Dunham troupe, to cabarets and acting and singing on stage, in movies and on television. Her first album, "RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt," came out in 1954, featuring such songs as "I Want to Be Evil," "C'est Si Bon" and the saucy gold digger's theme song "Santa Baby." On television, she was the sexy Catwoman on the popular "Batman" series in 1967-68, replacing Julie Newmar who originated the role.
In 2009, folk-rocker Vic Chesnutt died in Athens, Ga. He was 45. His sometimes dark reflections on life were influenced in part by a car wreck that left him paralyzed when he was 18. He worked with such notable artists as "R.E.M." frontman Michael Stipe and guitarist Guy Picciotto of the punk band "Fugazi."
In 2010, Canadian Grammy Award-winning singer Alanis Morissette gave birth to her first child, son Ever Imre.
In 2010, Sir Elton John and Canadian-born husband David Furnish became parents to Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John. He was born in California via a surrogate. It's the couple's first child since they married in 2005.
In 2016, British pop superstar George Michael, first a teenybopper heartthrob with WHAM! and then a mature solo artist who blended soul and dance music with social commentary, was found dead in bed at his London home. He was 53. He sold well over 100 million albums globally and earned numerous Grammy and American Music Awards. Michael made his homosexuality known after he was arrested in 1998 for lewd behaviour in a public washroom in Los Angeles and his later years were marked by occasional brushes with the law and a series of driving incidents related to substance abuse.
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The Canadian Press
