Today in Music History for Aug. 18:
In 1893, Canadian conductor and composer Sir Ernest MacMillan was born in Mimico, Ont., now part of Toronto. As conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, principal of the Royal Conservatory of Music and Dean of Faculty of Music at University of Toronto, he remained at the helm of musical life in Canada for 25 years. MacMillan was interned in Germany as an enemy alien from 1914-18. He is said to have developed his talents through prison-camp shows. Bach was his specialty. He was knighted in 1935 by King George V for his services to music. It was the first time a musician outside the United Kingdom had been so honoured. He died May 6, 1973 of a stroke.
In 1930, pop singer Johnny Preston was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Preston's "Running Bear," with Indian sound effects provided by the "Big Bopper," was a No. 1 record in 1959. After several follow-ups, the biggest of which was "Cradle of Love," Preston drifted into obscurity. He died March 4, 2011.
In 1950, Dennis Elliot, drummer for the rock band "Foreigner," was born in England. By the early 1980s, "Foreigner" had sold more than 21 million records. Their hits include "Feels Like the First Time" from 1977 and "Double Vision" and "Hot Blooded," both from 1978.
In 1953, Marvin Isley, bass guitarist for "The Isley Brothers," was born in Cincinnati. He joined his brothers' band in 1973. By that time, they had established themselves with hits like 1959's "Twist and Shout," which sold more than one million records, "Love the One You're With," and the Grammy-winning 1969 smash, "It's Your Thing." He splintered off to form Isley-Jasper-Isley in the 1980s and returned to "The Isley Brothers" in the 1990s. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. He stopped performing in 1996 after suffering complications from diabetes that included a stroke, high blood pressure, the loss of both legs and use of his left hand. He died in a Chicago hospital on June 6, 2010.
In 1956, Little Willie John's "Fever" was released. Although it made the top-30, Peggy Lee's cover version two years later made No. 8.
In 1958, "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)" by Italian singer Domenico Modugno hit No. 1 on the third-ever Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the first foreign-language song to top the chart and second No. 1 overall (after Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool").
1961, the first Mariposa Folk Festival began at Oval Park in Orillia, Ont. About 1,500 people gathered over two days to hear such performers as "The Travellers," "Ian and Sylvia" and fiddler Al Cherny. The festival moved to Toronto in 1964 after being kicked out of Orillia because of disturbances by fans during the first three years. It returned to Orillia in 2000.
In 1962, Ringo Starr made his debut with "The Beatles" at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Starr, formerly with "Rory Storme and the Hurricanes,"replaced Pete Best, who was asked to leave "The Beatles" by manager Brian Epstein.
In 1977, Elvis Presley was buried in a mausoleum at a Memphis cemetery, two days after his death. Following attempts to break into the mausoleum, the singer's body and that of his mother were reinterred in a plot on the grounds of Graceland, Presley's mansion.
In 1978, Maurice Bolyer, Canada's "King of the Banjo," died in Toronto at age 57. He had been a regular on the Tommy Hunter TV show since 1965.
In 1979, singers Nick Lowe and Carlene Carter were married in Los Angeles. Portions of the taped wedding were used in Lowe's "Cruel To Be Kind" video. They divorced in 1990.
In 1982, the English city of Liverpool dedicated John Lennon Road, Paul McCartney Way, Ringo Starr Drive and George Harrison Close in honour of "The Beatles."
In 1986, "Bon Jovi" released "Slippery When Wet." It has worldwide sales of over 28 million copies.
In 1986, Canadian folksingers "Ian and Sylvia" reunited for a concert at the Kingswood Music Theatre in Maple, Ont. It was the first time Ian Tyson and Sylvia Fricker, formerly husband and wife, had performed together in 11 years. Joining the duo at the reunion concert were Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris and Murray McLauchlan. Among "Ian and Sylvia's" hits in the 1960s were "Four Strong Winds" and "You Were On My Mind."
In 1987, security men used water hoses to break up fistfights during Madonna's first London concert. Fans who fainted from the excitement were dragged over barriers to prevent them from being crushed by the crowd of 77,000.
In 1987, Billy Burnette and Rick Vito joined "Fleetwood Mac," replacing Lindsey Buckingham.
In 1990, 110,000 people gathered in the rain in Prague for an open-air concert by "The Rolling Stones." They were received by Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel before the show.
In 1990, British R&B group "Soul II Soul" cancelled its North American tour after band members were involved in a seven-car pileup in Illinois. Lead singer Jazzie B. suffered back injuries.
In 1991, soul singer-keyboardist Billy Preston was arrested in Malibu, Calif., after a 16-year-old boy reported being sexually attacked and shown obscene pictures. Preston was charged with exhibiting pornography, annoying a child and possessing cocaine. He entered no-contest pleas a year later to cocaine and assault charges and was sentenced to nine months at a drug rehabilitation centre and three months of house arrest.
In 1994, a sale of guitars and psychedelic clothes once owned by Jimi Hendrix raised US$316,000 at an auction in London. That was double the auctioneer's estimate. The main prize, a cherry red Gibson "Flying V" guitar, went for $71,000.
In 1995, a security guard carried a sobbing Courtney Love offstage in Mountain View, Calif., during the closing night of the Lollapalooza tour. The "Hole" lead singer had twice jumped into the audience to attack fans, apparently because their response hadn't been enthusiastic enough.
In 1995, singer Bobby Brown was cited in suburban Los Angeles for allegedly kicking a hotel security guard.
In 2004, Elmer Bernstein, the versatile Oscar-winning composer, died at age 82. He scored such movie classics as "The Ten Commandments," "The Magnificent Seven," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Great Escape," "True Grit" and "The Man with the Golden Arm."
In 2008, Phil Collins was ordered to pay his third estranged wife, Orianne Cevey, $46 million in their divorce settlement. They were married six years and had two children together.
In 2009, the "Smashing Pumpkins" announced on their website that 19-year-old Mike Byrne of Portland was chosen from the more than 1,000 drummers who responded to the group's open call to replace Jimmy Chamberlin.
In 2009, soprano Hildegard Behrens, one of the finest Wagnerian performers of her generation, died while travelling in Japan. She was 72. She was among the finest actors on the opera stage during a professional career that spanned more than three decades. She made her professional stage debut in Freiburg as the Countess in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" in 1971 and made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Giorgetta in Puccini's "Il Tabarro" in 1976. One of her breakthrough roles came the following year, when she sang the title role in Strauss' "Salome" at the Salzburg Festival in Austria.
In 2010, Kenny Edwards, an original member of "The Stone Poneys" country-rock band and longtime collaborator with singer-songwriters Linda Ronstadt and Karla Bonoff, died at age 64. After "The Stone Poneys" disbanded following their 1967 breakthrough hit "Different Drum," Edwards formed the folk-rock band "Bryndle." He also was a supporting guitarist and singer for Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Brian Wilson, Art Garfunkel, Vince Gill and others.
In 2011, a fierce thunderstorm swept through the annual Pukkelpop music festival in Hasselt, Belgium (near Brussels) mangling tents, downing trees and scaffolding. Six people died and 140 others were injured.
In 2012, singer Scott McKenzie, who performed the 1967 hit "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" died after battling Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that affects the nervous system, and had been in and out of the hospital since 2010. "San Francisco" was written by John Phillips, the leader of the 1960s group "The Mamas and the Papas." But McKenzie sang it and it has stood as an anthem for the 1960s counterculture movement. McKenzie also co-wrote "Kokomo," a No. 1 hit for "The Beach Boys" in 1988.
In 2012, country music star Wynonna Judd's husband and drummer, Michael (Cactus) Moser, was hurt in a motorcycle accident in South Dakota. Doctors had to amputate his leg above his knee. She postponed four upcoming shows in Canada to be with him while he recuperated.
In 2013, the ashes of Richie Havens were scattered across the site of the 1969 Woodstock concert from a plane as it flew over the upstate New York field. Havens was the first act at Woodstock and his performance of "Freedom" was a highlight of the concert. He died in April of a heart attack at age 72.
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The Canadian Press
