Today in Music History for Dec. 27:
In 1927, "Show Boat," one of the most influential works in the history of the American musical theatre, premiered in New York. It was adapted by Jerome Kern from the Edna Ferber novel of life on a Mississippi show boat in the 19th century. "Show Boat" was a new kind of musical - one in which the musical elements sprang naturally from the storyline and in which the music aided the dialogue and lyrics in projecting the plot. Among the songs in this classic work are "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" and "Why Do I Love You?"
In 1932, Radio City Music Hall opened in New York.
In 1941, Mike Pinder, keyboard player and vocalist with "The Moody Blues," was born in Birmingham, England. Pinder and lead singer Denny Laine formed the group in 1964, and their second single, "Go Now," topped the British charts and hit the top-10 in North America. "The Moody Blues" formed their own record label, Threshold, in 1969. The group ceased recording in 1972 to allow members to pursue solo projects. Pinder released an album called "The Promise" in 1976. "The Moody Blues" regrouped in 1978 but Pinder left later that year after "The Octave" LP was released.
In 1964, Chris Gage, whose technique was considered second only to Oscar Peterson among Canadian jazz pianists, committed suicide in North Vancouver. Born in Regina in 1927, Gage was leading his own group in engagements throughout western Canada by the age of 17. He moved to Vancouver in 1949, becoming the city's leading jazz pianist. Gage declined offers to tour with Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee and Gerry Mulligan, remaining in the Vancouver area until his death.
In 1970, "Hello Dolly" closed on Broadway after a then-record run of 2,844 performances. The musical, starring Carol Channing, had opened at the St. James Theatre on Jan. 16, 1964. The title song was a million-selling record for Louis Armstrong, and the musical's producer gave the tune exclusively to Lyndon Johnson for use in his 1964 U.S. presidential campaign.
In 1978, country singer Bob Luman died in Nashville at the age of 40. He started as a rockabilly performer in the Elvis Presley mould, but it wasn't until he turned to a more pop-oriented sound that he was successful. "Let's Think About Livin'" made the top-10 of both the pop and country charts in 1960. With the English invasion of the North American charts in the early '60s, Luman turned to country music, charting more than two dozen records before his death.
In 1981, one of the greatest composers of popular song, Hoagy Carmichael, died. Born in 1899 in Bloomington, Ind., he passed up a career in law for songwriting. His first real success came with the song "Star Dust," written in 1927. With the addition of lyrics in 1931, it became an instant sensation and now is the most recorded love song of all time. He wrote a string of successful songs in the 1930s and '40s, including "Georgia on My Mind," "Lazy River" and the Oscar-winning "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." He also had a No. 1 record of his own in 1947 with "Huggin' and Chalkin'."
In 1982, after releasing his single "Allentown," Billy Joel played a special concert for residents of the Pennsylvania city.
In 1985, Simon Le Bon of "Duran Duran" married Yasmin Parvanah.
In 1989, hundreds of teenage fans stampeded towards the stage, forcing the cancellation of a "New Kids on the Block" concert in their hometown of Boston.
In 1989, Sebastian Bach, the Toronto-born lead singer of "Skid Row," was charged with assault and mayhem after allegedly hitting a female fan in the face with a beer bottle during a concert in Springfield, Mass. The woman suffered a broken nose and skull. Authorities say Bach then leaped from the stage and kicked another person in the head. He returned to the stage after the scuffle and finished the gig.
In 1992, musician Harry Connick Jr. was jailed overnight in New York on charges he tried to board a plane with a gun in his carry-on bag. Connick said his sister gave him the pistol as a gift and he had forgotten it was in his bag. The gun wasn't loaded.
In 1992, "The Bodyguard" movie soundtrack set, what was at the time, a single-week record for sales in the U.S. with just over one million copies. (It has since sold over 44 million copies worldwide.)
In 1993, Italian police arrested three men after they tried to swap 10,000 stolen copies of Sting's "Ten Summoner's Tales" for a $30,000 ransom. The thieves tried to get the money from the album's manufacturer, Polydor Italy.
In 1995, Ukrainian-born pianist Shura Cherkassky, a virtuoso ranked alongside Ignacy Paderewski, Vladimir Horowitz and Josef Hofman, died in London at age 84.
In 1998, all five original members of "Extreme" played together for the first time in four years at a Boston-area club co-owned by the group's drummer, Paul Geary. The reunion also featured two original members of the band "Boston," Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau.
In 1999, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and Jennifer Lopez were arrested following a shooting at a New York dance club during which three people were shot and wounded. Charges against Lopez were dropped. Combs was acquitted of gun and bribery charges.
In 2003, pioneering gospel singer Vestal Goodman died in Celebration, Fla., at age 74. She performed for half a century, including a stint on "The PTL Club" with Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in the mid-1980s. Goodman and her late husband, Howard "Happy" Goodman, were part of "The Happy Goodman Family" act, which recorded 15 No. 1 gospel music songs. They were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 2008, singer-songwriter-producer Delaney Bramlett, who penned such classic rock songs as "Let it Rain" and worked with musicians George Harrison and Eric Clapton, died at age 69. He co-wrote "Let it Rain" with Clapton, who also recorded it, and "Never Ending Song of Love," which was recorded by more than 100 artists including Ray Charles, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Patty Loveless and Dwight Yoakam. During his career, he performed, co-wrote or recorded with stars such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Dave Mason, Billy Preston, the Everly Brothers and Mac Davis. He also produced artists including Etta James and Elvin Bishop.
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The Canadian Press
